Each week, the NSWRL.com.au staff writers will name their 17 best performers from the weekend's Intrust Super Premiership NSW. These selections, heavily based on statistical data, are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSWRL.
1 - Honeti Tuha
Club: Wentworthville Magpies; TOTW selections: 0.
21 total runs, 204 total metres, three tries, two try-assists, three line-break-assists, two line-breaks, 12 tackle breaks, one offload.
Despite some early errors, Tuha proved to be instrumental in his team’s thumping win over the Wests Tigers with a brilliant individual performance. Scoring a hat-trick of tries while having a hand in two more, he posed as a constant threat with the ball in hand as he terrorised the defence with his nifty footwork and sheer speed. His two second-half tries sparked his side to eventually runaway with a comfortable victory.
2 - Bureta Faraimo
Club: Wentworthville Magpies; TOTW selections: 4.
17 total runs, 231 total metres, 73 post-contact metres, one try, two line-breaks, seven tackle-breaks, three offloads.
Having enjoyed significant success over the course of 2017, Faraimo again finds himself in the Team of the Week with another starring performance for the Magpies. His try sits him outright first on top of the competition try-scoring leaderboard, while his 231 running metres and seven tackle breaks were a testament to his hard-work throughout the entire 80 minutes.
3 - Brad Parker
Club: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles; TOTW selections: 0.
11 total runs, 148 total metres, two tries, one line-break, four tackle-breaks, one offload, 10 tackles.
With the improved form of the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles, a host of players have stepped up to the plate to revive their season and Brad Parker has certainly found some form. His two tries came at crucial stages to seal the victory against the Jets, and will no doubt be looking to continue his run of form throughout the back-end of the season.
4 - Matt Ikuvalu
Club: Wyong Roos; TOTW selections: 1.
13 total runs, 165 total metres, one try, one line-break, seven tackle-breaks, eight tackles.
Ikuvalu again finds a spot in the Team of the Week after a strong display against the defending premiers on Saturday afternoon. When Illawarra got off to the perfect start with two quick tries, Ikuvalu sparked his side with their first four-pointer and continued to cause havoc for the defence with some darting carries out of his own end.
5 - George Jennings
Club: Wentworthville Magpies; TOTW selections: 3.
14 total runs, 154 total metres, two tries, two line-breaks, 11 tackle-breaks, three offloads.
Jennings rounds out the Magpies back three contingent for this week after another starring performance. He got off to the perfect side as he crossed for his side’s first two tries of the contest, but his work didn’t stop their as he constantly found himself charging through the middle third which some strong carries that resulted in 11 tackle breaks.
6 - Jackson Hastings
Club: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles; TOTW selections: 0.
Two try-assists, two line-break-assists, three tackle-breaks, 24 tackles, seven goals.
Unable to cement a spot in Manly’s first grade side, Hastings put in a classy performance in the Workers' 40-14 victory over the Wests Tigers. He had a hand in two tries while also laying on two line-breaks for his team-mates, and showcased his astute kicking ability with 125 total kick metres and maintained a perfect kicking record with 7/7 conversions.
7 - Cameron Cullen (c)
Club: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles; TOTW selections: 4.
10 total runs, 162 running metres, one try, one try-assist, two line-break-assists, three line-breaks, six tackle-breaks.
Joining his halves partner in this week’s Team of the Week, Cullen stole the show with an outstanding individual performance that sees him earn the captaincy for the Round 15 side. His potent running game saw him break the line on three occasions and run for a whopping 162 metres, and proved instrumental in his team’s victory with a try-assist and scoring one of his own.
8 - Kurt Dillon
Club: Newtown Jets; TOTW selections: 3.
17 total runs, 159 total metres, 53 post-contact metres, one try, one try-assist, one line-break-assist, one line-break, four tackle-breaks, 24 tackles, one offload.
Despite his team losing convincingly to the Sea Eagles, Kurt Dillon put in a valiant performance to say the least. He opened the scoring for his team in the 25th minute and had a hand in another soon after, and worked tirelessly in defence with 24 bone-crunching tackles throughout his 57 minute stint.
9 - Joey Lussick
Club: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles; TOTW selections: 0.
One try, one try-assist, one line-break-assist, one line-break, 43 tackles, one offload.
Lussick continued his good form from previous weeks with another tough display from start to finish after crossing for the first try of the game in just the first minute. His 43 tackles came as no surprise with his defensive efforts consistent throughout the season, and showcased his playmaking skills with a crafty try assist to cap off a well-rounded game.
10 - Blake Lawrie
Club: Illawarra; TOTW selections: 2.
16 total runs, 165 total metres, 60 post-contact metres, two tackle-breaks, 32 tackles.
Despite Illawarra blowing an early lead that saw them eventually go down to the Roos, Lawrie fought hard from start to finish despite the scoreline. His 16 barging carries gave Illawarra a glimmer of hope as they looked for a much-needed victory, but were constantly on the back foot which saw him work hard for his 32 tackles.
11 - Justin Toomey-White
Club: Wyong Roos; TOTW selections: 1.
12 total runs, 100 total metres, one try, one line-break, two tackle-breaks, 31 tackles.
Justin Toomey-White earns himself back-to-back Team of the Week selections after another strong effort against Illawarra. His hard-fought 100 running metres were rewarded with a well-deserved try, and recorded 31 tackles which ranked second highest for his side.
12 - Luciano Leilua
Club: Illawarra; TOTW selections: 3.
Nine total runs, 64 total metres, one try-assist, one line-break-assist, four tackle-breaks, two offloads, 42 tackles.
Luciano Leilua was a shining light in a losing side as he worked his way through a mountain of work in his team’s defeat. He recorded a team-high 42 tackles in another hard-working 80 minute performance, while making just nine runs but still breaking through four tackles.
13 - Jamil Hopoate
Club: Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles; TOTW selections: 4.
18 total runs, 179 total metres, one try, one line-break, two tackle-breaks, two offloads, 45 tackles.
There seems to be no stopping Jamil Hopoate this season after another barnstorming display on Saturday afternoon. He played a strong platform for his halves to work their magic with 179 running metres, and played a starring role in gaining his team some momentum and earn valuable field position. His round-high 45 tackles capped off an incredible individual performance, and will be instrumental in his team’s charge towards the top eight.
14 - Matthew Dufty
Club: Illawarra; TOTW selections: 1.
14 total runs, 82 total metres, one try, two line-break-assists, one line-break, two try-assists, one offload.
If it weren't for Tuha’s masterful display against the Tigers, Dufty would easily find himself as the starting fullback for Round 15. He got his team off to the perfect start with a darting try in the opening five minutes, and had a hand is Illawarra’s only other two tries in one of his best performances of the season. Although the Roos ran away with a comfortable victory, Dufty can take confidence in his recent performances towards the back-end of the season.
15 - Alex Twal
Club: Wentworthville Magpies; TOTW selections:
6.
17 total runs, 151 total metres, 61 post-contact metres, one tackle-break, 35 tackles.
Alex Twal has been the cornerstone of the Magpies forward pack throughout 2017, and his performance on the weekend is a glaring example of his impact on his side. His strong carries throughout the contest continuously put Wentworthville on the front foot, and his efforts in defence were far from unnoticed as recorded 35 tackles.
16 - Atini Gafa
Club: Wentowrthville Magpies; TOTW selections: 0.
14 total runs, 170 total metres, 53 post-contact metres, one line-break, four tackle-breaks.
Atini Gafa work rate exceeded expectations on Saturday afternoon but that didn't stop the bulldozing forward from punching out 80 minutes. His efforts with the ball-in-hand saw run for 170 metres, the most of any forward in his team, and recorded four tackle-breaks in another great performance.
17 - Chris Smith
Club: Wyong Roos; TOTW selections: 0.
Six total runs, 62 total metres, one try, one line-break, two tackle-breaks, 35 tackles.
Chris Smith played a key role in the Roos come-from-behind victory, crossing for a vital four-pointer early in the second half while amassing a team-high 35 tackles to help his time keep their undefeated streak alive and cement themselves onto of the Intrust Super Premiership NSW ladder.
