NPC Players of Round 5 - betcha The Playbook

That marks the halfway point of the NPC regular season, so our player rankings are starting to form quite the leaderboard as some players begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Nonetheless, we have another weekend of action to crack into as we hand out our top 5 player ratings for Round 5.

5. Xavier Numia (1 Point)

The Lions needed a bounce-back after their skid against Manawatu and Otago in back-to-back weeks. They delivered just that, welcoming a wounded Auckland side to Porirua Park in what was the perfect opportunity for the defending champions to steer their season back in the right direction. The main reason for that turnaround wasn’t one of the All Blacks returning for game time this weekend. Instead, it was a name that has been one of Wellington’s most consistent performers over the past half-decade: prop Xavier Numia, who had his best game of the season by a long way and imposed himself all over the park.

The stats back up the eye test for Numia, who made 12 tackles and won two critical turnovers, making it a standout day for him on the defensive side. On attack, he was at his explosive best, bursting through a hole from 22 meters out and dotting down after outrunning two Auckland defenders. All in all, it was a complete game from the Lions and Hurricanes prop, who will need more performances like this if Wellington are to have a real chance down the stretch.

4. Josh Jacomb (2 Points)

Second time on this list, and it was a much-needed bounce-back from Josh Jacomb. Even though he played well in the game where his side lost the Ranfurley Shield, he did have some high-profile mistakes. This weekend, he was once again one of the standout players of the round, racking up a massive 18 points for his side. He was perfect off the tee and crossed for his own meat pie.

The beauty of this Jacomb performance was how it felt like he took ownership of last weekend’s loss and made it his mission to drag his team over the line and get them back to winning ways. Offensively, he was dominant, leading his team in both carries and metres gained with 91. On those carries, he beat the most defenders and created the most line breaks, showing just how dynamic he is with ball in hand. As mentioned, he scored a try himself but also showed his playmaking class by setting one up and notching a try assist.

He didn’t have quite the same impact on the defensive side of the ball that we’ve come to expect from Taranaki’s talisman, but he was still superb nonetheless and earns his spot on the list once again.

3. Veveni Lasaqa (3 Points)

We’ve spoken about Veveni Lasaqa ad nauseam this season, but that’s simply because he has been the most dominant and influential individual performer across the competition so far. Friday evening was no different for the Steamers openside, who was the best player on the park by a country mile. He was absolutely everywhere and got stuck into any work his team needed. Whether it was on defence, where he led Bay of Plenty in tackles made with plenty of them being classed as dominant, or in open play, Lasaqa left his mark.

In attack, he has a special knack for knowing where to be, allowing him to be opportunistic and constantly drive his team forward. Once again, he finished with the most carries and metres gained in the match, while also flashing his ball skills with four completed offloads that helped spark line breaks for others. And when it comes to putting points on the board, Lasaqa isn’t shy there either. He dotted down for another try and set one up for a teammate, showing he can be clinical in crucial moments.

Lasaqa has now made his third appearance on this list and becomes the first name to crack double digits in our rankings. Meaning he is well on his way to being a early season favorite for the betcha NPC MVP award.

2. Corey Kellow (4 Points)

Canterbury won in landslide fashion over the weekend, putting a confident Turbos side to the sword with a 53–14 win in Rangiora. There were many standout performances from the men in red and black, but none came close to their dynamic loose forward Corey Kellow.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Kellow was able to find the chalk twice in dynamic fashion, showing off his athletic ability in both finishes. Speaking of those abilities, Kellow was a handful for Turbos defenders all day when it came to getting him to ground. He broke the line twice on his 11 carries, which was the second-most for his team. The exciting part was the efficiency of those runs, as he averaged around six metres per carry, finishing with a well-earned 60 metres on the day. To top off his attacking spectacle, Kellow not only scored two tries of his own but also set one up, meaning he accounted for 15 of Canterbury’s points.

As every good openside does, Kellow didn’t let the flash get in the way of what really matters. In the absence of his captain Tom Christie, he stepped up and led his side with 18 tackles which is an outstanding feat considering Canterbury spent most of the match with ball in hand.

1. Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa (5 Points)

It’s hard not to put a Stags player at the top of this week’s list, and I can’t think of a better name than their superstar No. 8, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, who was the driving force behind Southland’s historic Ranfurly Shield win. Even though he’s still a younger professional, Tupou Ta’eiloa looked like a man among boys. He dominated every facet of the game and was nearly impossible to bring down every time he touched the ball.

The sheer volume of his performance was astounding, with a game-high 18 tackles and 17 carries. But it wasn’t just the numbers, it was the physicality behind them. Every tackle he made stopped Waikato players in their tracks, often driving them backward. On attack, it regularly took two or three defenders just to slow him down. Even then, there were moments where he was simply unstoppable. One of those came off the back of a twisting scrum, where he burst down the sideline for 30 metres before setting up his halfback in the corner. To cap off his attacking game just like we saw from him at Super Rugby level, once he’s within five metres of the opposition’s line, he’s almost impossible to stop. That was on full display again as he powered over for a try late in the first half.

Just to wrap up on Tupou Ta’eiloa, he was nothing short of superhuman in what may have been the biggest game he’s played in a Stags jersey. He showed exactly why he was one of the key names we highlighted to watch this 2025 season.

Leaderboard After Round 5