During the 2025 season, nswrl.com.au selects the round’s best 13 of New South Wales eligible players. 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. Players who are sent-off, sin-binned, or suspended by the NRL match review committee are ineligible for Team of the Week nominations.
1. Tom Trbojevic. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 10.
Trbojevic missed last year’s Origin series with a hamstring strain but showed at the weekend he’s starting the 2025 NRL season injury-free with a dominant performance against the visiting North Queensland Cowboys.
The No.1 ran for 206 metres, had a line-break, three line-break assists, two try assists and eight tackle-busts.
2. Daine Laurie. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0.
An injury to starting winger Casey McLean early in the match brought Laurie off the bench for 77 minutes.
He emerged one of the stars with two line-breaks, two tries, made 17 runs for 155 metres, three tackle-breaks, and 44 post-contact metres.
3. Izack Tago. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0.
Tago showed great anticipation and acceleration to be on the spot to collect a Nathan Cleary kick for a spectacular Panthers try against the Sharks at Allegiant Stadium.
The St Marys junior made 18 runs for 150 metres, including 51 post-contact, and made the most tackles (18) of the Penrith outside backs.
4. Campbell Graham. Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 0.
After missing the entire 2024 season with a sternum injury, Graham marked his return to the cardinal and myrtle jersey with an eye-catching 22 runs for 202 metres against the Dolphins.
He was able to push his way to 95 post-contact metres, 37 kick-return metres, and three offloads.
5. Lehi Hopoate. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0.
Hopoate leaping above Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater to collect a Daly Cherry-Evans kick and then offloading to Ben Trbojevic to score was impressive enough.
But he also ran a game-high 223 metres along with 52 post-contact, 49 kick-return metres, a line-break, an offload, and a 10-metre run from dummy-half.
6. Ethan Strange. Club: Canberra Raiders. SOO appearances: 0.
Strange was up and about early putting Seb Kris across the line for the Raiders first try after five minutes.
He also figured in Xavier Savage’s try, along with two line-break assists, two tackle-busts, an offload, defused a kick and made 20 tackles.
7. Nathan Cleary. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14.
Cleary didn’t play any pre-season trials but suffered no disadvantage with a commanding role in the Panthers’ 28-22 win over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Las Vegas.
He kept the Sharks on the back foot with 19 kicks for 649 metres, along with a line-break assist, and landing four from five conversions – two from the sideline. But his try assist for Izack Tago in the 28th minute – a deftly placed kick right into his teammate’s arms – lit up the stadium.
8. Terrell May. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0.
A change of clubs for the prop forward has not blunted his power.
May busted out of two tackles, had five offloads and made 21 hit-ups for 189 metres – 69 of those post-contact.
9. Tom Starling. Club: Canberra Raiders. SOO appearances: 0.
A 30-metre run up the middle of the Warriors defence by Starling led to Xavier Savage crossing on the next play put the Raiders up 10-0 after less than 10 minutes of play.
An energetic No.9 by anyone’s measure, Starling ran for 127 metres, busted out of two tackles, made four dummy-half runs and 33 tackles.
10. Payne Haas. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 14.
A four-time Dally M Prop of the Year, Haas might be on his way to a fifth after an impressive 49 minutes on the field at Allianz Stadium against the Sydney Roosters.
He covered 167 metres in 15 runs, had a line-break assist, try assist, four offloads and nine tackle-busts. He also made 22 tackles without missing any, to earn our Player of the Week.
11. Liam Martin. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 12.
Several try-saving tackles was just some of the work ethic Martin displayed before the Las Vegas crowd.
He made 40 tackles, broke free of three would-be tacklers, and made a line-break in his take-no-prisoners style of play.
12. Haumole Olakau’atu. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 2.
The talented second-rower scored the first of Manly’s seven tries by steaming onto a pass, running through Cowboys centre Jaxon Purdue and then dragging three defenders over the line.
He had a total of 68 post-contact metres – the highest of any Sea Eagle – as part of his 156 metres for the match, alongside eight tackle-busts, a line-break, an offload and line-break assist. He also made 20 tackles without a miss.
13. Isaah Yeo. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14.
The Kangaroos captain is on his way to at least equalling if not bettering his 2024 try tally of two for the Panthers, with a Round One four-pointer against the Sharks in Las Vegas.
Yeo establishes his value every match and did it again last week with 51 post-contact metres from his total of 147, three tackle-breaks, 42 tackles, and his rapid play-the-balls were the fastest of the Panther forwards.
