Team of the Week

[TITAN PETE]

Team of the Week: Round 2
By Staff Writers
NRL.com
11:00am Tue 18th March, 2014


With a stunning second round of NRL action complete, we have named our Team of the Week in recognition of the standout performers.



1. Anthony Milford (Raiders): A stunning man of the match performance against Newcastle saw the brilliant youngster run 208 metres, make three line breaks and lay on a brilliant try for teammate Paul Vaughan.

2. Pat Richards (Wests Tigers): The veteran reminded everyone of his brilliance with a 22-point haul of two tries and seven goals against the Titans. He also ran 237 metres, made three line breaks and booted an incredible 70-metre dropout.

3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Roosters): The grand final hero had a night out against Parramatta. Although he somehow avoided the tryline, he notched two try assists and found plenty of space in running 162 metres.

4. Jarrod Croker (Raiders): Scored a pair of tries, threw a runaway assist and was a constant threat in a win over the Knights, all while carrying a niggling quad injury that stopped him from kicking goals.

5. Brett Morris (Dragons): Scored a sensational length of the field try against the Warriors after collecting the ball on his own tryline, starting the movement with one of his two line breaks.

6. Gareth Widdop (Dragons): Another absolutely lovely hand from the English playmaker, who has early dibs on the Buy of the Year gong. A try assist, perfect five-from-five goal-kicking and a stunning pirouette field goal were the highlights in Auckland.

7. Trent Hodkinson (Bulldogs): Applied the polish as his team destroyed the Sharks, scoring a try, dishing out three try assists and booting a perfect seven from seven with his goal-kicking duties.

8. Jesse Bromwich (Storm): Churned through 178 tough metres and made 23 tackles on a major night for his club, laying the platform for a celebratory win over Penrith for Storm icons Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.

9. Andrew McCullough (Broncos): The Brisbane hooker stamped his class on the Queensland derby, getting through a mountain of work that included 58 tackles. Was rewarded with the winning try in the 74th minute.

10. James Graham (Bulldogs): Celebrated his new contract with a magnificent performance in Monday’s rout of the Sharks, with the Englishman running 200 metres, making 24 tackles and providing his usual threat with the ball – all in 49 minutes.

11. Trent Merrin (Dragons): The NSW Origin forward punched out nearly an entire game and did a truckload of quality work at Eden Park, finishing a win over the Warriors with 137 metres and 50 tackles.

12. Ryan Hoffman (Storm): No surprises that the veteran back-rower turned up with bells on for the milestone match of Smith and Slater, running 164 metres and making 24 tackles in a typically busy and classy performance.

13. Corey Parker (Broncos): A captain’s knock in the derby, in which the Queensland and Test forward churned through 167 metres and 46 tackles while playing in the front row to lay the foundations for a memorable win.

14. Jamie Buhrer (Sea Eagles): Promoted to the starting side at lock, the former NSW utility turned in a sterling effort of 154 metres, 39 tackles and a match-winning try assist during which he showed tremendous speed, hands and footwork.

15. Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers): A stunning performance from the most exciting young prospect in the game. Against the Titans he had a spree of three try assists, three line break assists and a remarkable try of his own linking with James Tedesco.

16. Mitchell Aubusson (Roosters): The underrated Tricolours ace had a tremendous performance against the Eels, filling the starting spot of Sonny Bill Williams with aplomb in scoring two tries and making three line breaks and a try assist in an 80-minute blinder.

17. James Tedesco (Wests Tigers): Scored a tremendous try and terrorised the Titans via his combination with Luke Brooks, for whom he laid on a try with a clever kick. ‘Teddy’ is a genuine livewire with speed to burn and looks set for a breakout season.

[TITAN PETE]

Team of the Week: Round 3

NRL.com
11:45am Tue 25th March, 2014


Some usual suspects and exciting newcomers figure in our Team of the Week for Round 3.

1. James Tedesco (Wests Tigers): Had another wow of a game in last Friday’s win over the Rabbitohs, scoring a brilliant try, assisting another and running 114 metres.

2. Semi Radradra (Eels): Produced a stunning outing at Brookvale Oval, scoring two tries, notching a grubber-to-flickpass assist, running 184 metres and breaking a stack of tackles.

3. Michael Jennings (Roosters): An early try and a pair of line breaks against Brisbane for the electric NSW centre, who is looking super sharp already this season.

4. Steve Matai (Sea Eagles): Two tries including the last-gasp match-winner, a try assist and 143 run metres made the tough veteran a standout against Parramatta.

5. Brett Morris (Dragons): Scored an incredible, unforgettable Superman try against the Sharks in a two-try match that brought up his NRL ton of four-pointers.

6. Jamie Soward (Panthers): Delivered three try assists against the Bulldogs, including a superb long cut-out pass for the match-winner at the death.

7. Cooper Cronk (Storm): Delivered a rolled gold performance befitting a Dally M-winning Test halfback against the Knights, featuring a pair of try assists and sublime kicking.

8. Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers): The classy young prop stood up with a relentless performance against Souths’ Burgess brothers, churning out 138 metres and 29 tackles.

9. Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers): Revelling in the pace of the NRL this season, running 155 metres, notching a try assist and making 40 tackles against Souths.

10. Jesse Bromwich (Storm): Proved he is worth every cent of his new Melbourne contract, powering through 143 tough metres and 29 tackles against Newcastle.

11. Ben Creagh (Dragons): Playing like the skipper of a team with something to prove, Creagh has started the season on fire and ran for 146 metres against Cronulla with 23 tackles.

12. Tariq Sims (Cowboys): Really hitting his straps again after a run of injury and patchy form, he made 131 metres and 31 tackles in aggressive fashion against the Warriors.

13. Trent Merrin (Dragons): Becoming an absolute numbers machine with the quality to match, the mobile forward made 133 metres and 42 tackles against the Sharks.

14. Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers): Did we mention this kid is exciting? Another pair of try assists, including a brilliant kick for a Tedesco four-pointer, and a general oozing of class against a top team.

15. Ben Hunt (Broncos): The slow-blooming halfback had perhaps the best game of his career against the Roosters, scoring two tries and making two try assists.

16. Sam Thaiday (Broncos): The quality you expect of the Test and Queensland forward against the Roosters, with a try, 133 metres and 28 tackles.

17. Jacob Lillyman (Warriors): The Queensland prop got through a mountain of work against former club North Queensland, taking just 43 minutes to rack up 180 metres and 27 tackles off the bench.

[TITAN PETE]

Team of the Week: Round 4
By Tim Elbra, Assistant Editor
NRL.com
11:00am Tue 01st April, 2014



1. Anthony Milford (Raiders): A special talent in superb form. An inch-perfect kicked try assist and a great solo try against the Rabbitohs again made him a standout.

2. Glen Fisiiahi (Warriors): Had an absolute field day against Wests Tigers, scoring a stunning four tries and making 142 metres down the flank.

3. Steve Matai (Sea Eagles): The Manly veteran was fearsome in both defence and attack during a gritty win over the Roosters, producing an assist for the lone try.

4. Joseph Leilua (Knights): Scored a first-half hat-trick while racking up 158 metres against the Sharks, with each finish a study in power and skill.

5. Reece Robinson (Raiders): Scored two tries in the first 17 minutes against South Sydney to pave the way for a big Raiders upset.

6. Kieran Foran (Sea Eagles): What a display! Returning earlier than most expected from a calf strain, Foran made a mockery of the ailment by running 143 metres and hitting like a back-rower against the Roosters.

7. Shaun Johnson (Warriors): Terrorised the Tigers, scoring an incredible try, assisting three more and running 82 metres in an electric display.

8. Josh McGuire (Broncos): Punched out a great shift of 58 minutes against the Dragons, making 168 metres and 25 tackles to set the platform for Brisbane.

9. Nathan Peats (Eels): Relishing playing 80 minutes at his new club, the tough rake scored a try, ran 82 metres and made 52 tackles in a derby win over Penrith.

10. Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs): Had a monster game as his side smashed former club Melbourne, making 183 metres and 33 tackles in a powerful 60-minute stint.

11. Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles): Has started the season brilliantly, with his latest effort 169 metres and 35 tackles over a supercharged 74 minutes.

12. Greg Bird (Titans): A typically tireless and classy effort in a slugfest against the Cowboys, grinding out 124 metres and 25 tackles.

13. Matt Gillett (Broncos): Had a sensational night against the Dragons, scoring two tries within nine minutes as he produced 145 metres and 23 tackles.

14. Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs): The NSW Origin utility was sensational in a rout of the Storm, scheming relentlessly and producing a perfect kicked try assist.

15. Jarryd Hayne (Eels): At his enigmatic best in a derby win over Penrith, turning it on in the second half to end with a try, a try assist and 146 metres.

16. Willie Mason (Knights): On an emotion-charged day for his club, Big Willie stood tall and produced an intimidating effort reminiscent of when he was the world’s most damaging forward. Would have been named in the starting side but deserved to be named in jersey No.16 in honour of injured teammate Alex McKinnon.

17. Josh Jackson (Bulldogs): Bounced back to form with a power-packed effort against Melbourne. He was busy in both attack and defence, making a line bust, running for 163 metres and felling 23 Storm players.

[DIEHARD]

Awesome. I love these types of threads. We also need people to keep a look out in Big League and RLW.

[TITAN PETE]

Team of the Week: Round 5
By Tim Elbra, Assistant Editor
NRL.com
10:30am Tue 08th April, 2014




1. Greg Inglis (Rabbitohs): Scored a try, made a pair of line breaks and ran for 205 metres in a powerhouse performance against the Dragons at the SCG.

2. Nathan Stapleton (Sharks): Had an unforgettable afternoon against the Warriors (for all the right reasons), scoring four quality tries and running 159 metres.

3. Jarryd Hayne (Eels): Yes, we’re fudging this by picking the fullback in his Test spot. Scored a try, ran 188 metres and made an absurd kick return from his in-goal against Brisbane.

4. Jamal Idris (Panthers): Shone on a soggy night against Canberra that didn’t favour flair, churning out a hefty 244 run metres and making a critical last-gasp intercept.

5. David Mead (Titans): Picked in his regular role rather than his current fullback spot, the speedster was classy and courageous in scoring a freaky try, assisting another and running 144 metres in Melbourne.

6. Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs): Made big plays when they mattered, capping a busy game against the Roosters with a match-saving cover tackle and a match-winning field goal.

7. Robert Lui (Cowboys): Took over the Johnathan Thurston show against the Knights with a highly polished game including a try assist, a line break and 91 metres.

8. Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers): Had a belter of a game in the engine room at Leichhardt against Manly, notching a try, 144 metres and 29 tackles.

9. Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers): At his scheming best against Manly, scoring a great individual try, assisting another, running 98 metres and making 38 tackles.

10. James Graham (Bulldogs): The Englishman again produced a masterclass of quality and quantity, making 148 metres and 34 tackles against the Roosters.

11. Shaun Fensom (Raiders): Immense in a beaten side at Penrith, the Green Machine workhorse ran 169 metres and made 60 tackles carrying a bad elbow.

12. Dale Finucane (Bulldogs): Tireless in a gruelling game against the Roosters, the tough back-rower ran 144 metres and made 30 tackles.

13. Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs): Scored a strong try amid a massive performance of 200 run metres, 35 tackles and three offloads against the Dragons.

14. Todd Carney (Sharks): Hugely influential in his side’s rout of the Warriors, the five-eighth produced three try assists, a line break and a field goal.

15. Michael Morgan (Cowboys): The fullback scored two tries against the Knights but his amazing reflexes to knee through an assist for Brent Tate stole the show.

16. Nate Myles (Titans): Led his side from the front in snatching an upset win in Melbourne, making 117 tough metres and 30 tackles on the daunting away trip.

17. Andrew Fifita (Sharks): Desperate to prove his worth after the Bulldogs backflip, the Test prop ran a huge 227 metres and made 29 tackles against the Warriors.

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Team of the Week: Round 6
By Staff Writers
NRL.com
11:00am Tue 15th April, 2014




1. Jarryd Hayne (Eels): A match-winner with and without the ball in Saturday’s Roosters boilover. Made a try assist and 95 metres but his miraculous try-saving tackle on Sonny Bill Williams stole the show.

2. Daniel Tupou (Roosters): On a losing team against the Eels but absolutely ran riot. The giant winger made two line breaks and galloped 245 metres, including 90 metres for a great solo try.

3. Joseph Leilua (Knights): A rising star in great form, who notched a try assist and 186 metres in a powerhouse performance against the Raiders.

4. Will Chambers (Storm): Aside from an ugly shoulder charge had a massive game against the Dragons, with two tries and a crucial hand in the amazing match-winner, plus two line breaks and 148 metres.

5. Jorge Taufua (Sea Eagles): Made a stunning return from injury against Cronulla, with a try, a try assist, three line breaks, seven tackle breaks and 178 metres.

6. Aidan Sezer (Titans): Developing a remarkable knack for producing match-winning plays. Capped a slick performance against the Broncos by ripping the ball from Ben Barba’s grasp for the deciding try.

7. Cooper Cronk (Storm): Took charge when all seemed lost against the Dragons, scoring one try and having a hand in two others during an incredible late comeback.

8. Jesse Bromwich (Storm): Another massive game up front against the Dragons, churning out 201 metres, 28 tackles and a first-half try.

9. Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers): A stellar performance against the Cowboys, scoring a try, making two try assists, 152 metres and 40 tackles - then dislocating his elbow.

10. James Graham (Bulldogs): His presence here is getting repetitive - but the Englishman has been absolutely superb all season. Was busy and brutal against the Warriors, making 150 metres and 36 bruising tackles.

11. Beau Scott (Knights): Scored a try and made a try assist, 95 metres and 23 tackles in a blinder against Canberra. Afterwards, was branded the NRL’s form forward by coach Wayne Bennett.

12. Nate Myles (Titans): One of the NRL’s most reliable for quality and quantity, the big Queenslander made 123 metres and 45 tackles against the Broncos.

13. Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs): Another enormous game from the English star saw him rack up 179 metres and 44 tackles on a saturated track at Penrith.

14. Brett Stewart (Sea Eagles): The Prince of Brookvale had an outrageous game against a poor Sharks outfit, making four try assists and 157 metres.

15. David Mead (Titans): Has been sensational at fullback for the Titans. Ran 269 metres, made two line breaks and scored a stunning runaway try against Brisbane.

16. Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers): A powerful start to the season continued against the Cowboys, with 172 metres and 35 tackles facing off with the Australian Test front row.

17. Tim Mannah (Eels): Stats of 105 metres and 25 tackles don't do justice to Saturday’s captain’s knock. Took on the feared Roosters pack and won, paving the way for his team’s massive upset.