After each round of the NRL season, nswrl.com.au selects the best players from that round who are eligible for NSW. These selections are based on the writers' opinions and do not reflect the views of the NSWRL or the selection process for the Westpac NSW Blues. Captaincy is awarded based on that week's on-field performance and is not based on club captaincy or leadership qualities.
1. Tom Trbojevic. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 8. TOTW appearances: 3.
The Sea Eagles fullback turned in a strong performance in the golden-point thriller against the Newcastle Knights which ended in a 32-all draw in Mudgee. He had the most run metres of any player on the field after churning out 297 in 90 minutes of game time. He also had two try assists, three line break assists, an offload and three tackle busts.
2. Daniel Tupou. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 10. TOTW appearances: 2.
The Roosters winger grabbed a first-half try against the Parramatta Eels which helped extend the Tricolours’ lead just before half-time. By the end of the game he also had a try assist, managed two line-breaks, had four tackle-busts, two offloads and run for 236 metres.
3. Jesse Ramien. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW appearances: 2.
The Sharks might have lost their game in heartbreaking fashion after going down 32-20 to the Warriors but Ramien tried his best in trying conditions to get his team over the line. He helped Cronulla get off to the right start after playing his role in a backline move for Sione Katoa to score and extend the lead to 12-0. He also ran for 208 metres, including 76 metres post-contact, had a line break assist, six tackle busts and two offloads.
4. Izack Tago. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW appearances: 1.
Tago was in great touch as the Panthers raced away to a 53-12 win over the Raiders. He scored two tries, had a hand in another (and also contributed to two more by keeping the play alive), had three line breaks, three tackle busts, an offload and ran for 133 metres. He also came up with a special play in defence after playing at the ball when Raiders No.7 Jamal Fogarty was over the line to deny him a try.
5. Reuben Garrick. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW appearances: 2.
Garrick was another Manly player who turned in a big performance against the Knights after walking away with a personal haul of 12 points in the 32-all score line from a try and four goals. He also managed to run for 200 metres, had two line breaks, three tackle busts and an offload. He diffused three kicks as well.
6. Luke Keary. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW appearances: 1.
Keary wound back the clock with a vintage performance against the Eels, which included two tries where his support play was rewarded. The first saw hooker Brandon Smith put Sam Walker into a hole before he found Keary in support to finish the job; while the second was even more spectacular after Keary motored 20 metres out from his own line to back up a break from Daniel Tupou before racing away to score.
7. Nathan Cleary. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 13. TOTW appearances: 1.
The Panthers halfback was at his best against the Raiders after engineering the club’s biggest win of the season. He had a personal haul of 21 points from a try, eight goals (from nine attempts for an almost flawless record) and a field goal. He ran for 124 metres, had a line break assist, had a try assist, two tackle breaks and kicked for 395 metres.
8. Payne Haas. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 9. TOTW selections: 4
Haas’ form has not only helped the Broncos unbeaten run to start the year, but it also allowed him to keep his seat warm in TOTW. Little surprise the True Blue is also in the top-three of the Dally M count. The 23 year-old scored his first try for 2023 at the weekend, playing the hooker’s role at dummy-half. But there's consistent excellence in his work rate – 46 minutes on the field against the Wests Tigers – and yet he made 16 runs for 144 metres, a line-break and a line-break assist as well as his four-pointer.
9. Reece Robson. Club: North Queensland Cowboys. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
Although in a losing side – by a field goal – Robson had 126 receipts and made 53 tackles in playing all 85 minutes of the golden point match. He made 10 runs (eight from dummy-half) for 103 metres involving a line break, two tackle busts and an offload.
10. Jake Trbojevic. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 15. TOTW selections: 2.
Trbojevic is the only prop in the NRL to play every minute of all five rounds so far – and that includes 80 minutes in the extreme heat of Round Three for the 34-30 win over the Eels. In Mudgee last weekend he played all 90 minutes, making 49 tackles – the most of any Sea Eagle – along with 133 metres off 15 runs and 26 receipts.
11. Haumole Olakau’atu. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
Olakau’atu’s left-arm fend is becoming the stuff of legend already, and he’s barely played 50 NRL games. He’s also scored four tries in his four games so far. Keeping would-be tacklers at bay, while busting through others, was on full display against the Knights in Mudgee with five tackle breaks as part of his 15 runs for 198 metres – 61 of those post-contact.
12. Jacob Preston (c). Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW: selections: 2.
Not only did Preston play half the match with stitches in his left hand, he scored two tries and he was the Bulldog who pounced on the lose ball with 10 seconds to go, to ensure his team retained possession; Matt Burton kicked the winning field goal seven seconds later. Preston also made 12 runs for 125 metres and 47 tackles for his 85-minute game, which earned him our Player of the Round.
13. Josh King. Club: Melbourne Storm. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
King’s opening try for the Storm was his fourth try in his eighth NRL season. But he produces a workman-like performance every week. Against the Rabbitohs he played 67 minutes, made 133 metres – 50 of those post-contact – made 52 tackles and busted out of two. Plus he had an intercept to round off a solid outing.
