We now have three weeks of NRL in the books and some teams are starting to announce themselves as early leaders of the pack. Alongside those teams, many players continue to perform and put their hands up as the best in the competition so far.
With that said, we have our third Team of the Week ready to go, so let’s crack into it.
Prop | Jackson Ford
Back to back weeks for Jackson Ford landing in our Team of the Week, as he has filled in masterfully for the team’s captain, Mitch Barnett. Once again this weekend, Ford was his usual hard working self, playing 80 minutes, gaining 230 metres and, of course, barreling over for yet another try this season.
Prop | Payne Haas
Look familiar? Well, it should, as Payne Haas has also gone back to back in this series. He was one of the key reasons the Broncos were able to get their first win of the season against the Storm. Haas was dominant, doing all of the grunt work for his side, making 38 tackles and running for 178 metres in his 72 minute shift.
Hooker | Tallyn Da Silva
A chaotic 20 minute cameo from Eels reserve hooker Tallyn Da Silva lands him in the Team of the Week for the sheer carnage he brought to the game. In a game needing to be broken open, Da Silva provided the spark for his team, dotting down twice and nearly a third before going off injured.
Second Row | Jordan Riki
Like his teammate Payne Haas, the Broncos relied on their high profile forwards to get the job done in the second half of their clash with the Storm. Riki did just that, finding the line for two of the Broncos’ three tries in the game while also getting stuck into a mountain of dirty work.
Second Row | Joe Chan
On the other side of that clash, Storm edge Joe Chan also continued his early season form with another industrious performance in the match of the weekend. He made 36 tackles while only missing two, and also showed his finesse by scoring a try and setting up another.
Lock | Isaah Yeo
It’s surprising that it took this long for Isaah Yeo to make his way into one of these teams, given he is still the premier lock in the competition. Yeo was at his vintage best against the Roosters, ensuring he did a little bit of everything, acting as a hub on offence and completing his defensive duties well.
Half | Tanah Boyd
The Warriors are making some serious early season noise and a lot of it has to do with their starting halfback, Tanah Boyd. Against the Knights, Boyd pulled all the right strings at the right time and once again dominated the game from start to finish. He kicked well, ran well and, of course, was playmaking at an elite level, which led to him getting two try assists and scoring one himself for the third time this season.
Half | Jayden Campbell
On return, Titans franchise player Jayden Campbell was special. The only reason this game was even remotely a contest was because of Campbell’s brilliance, as he scored two solo tries in the first half just to keep his side afloat.
Centre | Jaxon Purdue
The ever hard working Jaxon Purdue was dominant on Sunday afternoon for the Cowboys, running hard lines and creating a solid link on their left edge, which torched the Titans all afternoon. For all his hard work, Purdue was also rewarded with a try of his own, the cherry on top of a great outing for him.
Centre | Robert Toia
The Roosters superstar centre Robert Toia showed exactly why he was brought into Origin at such a young age against the Panthers. In trademark fashion, he was borderline impossible to bring down with the ball in hand, which saw him get over the line early while also breaking five tackles in his 77 minute display.
Winger | Thomas Jenkins
The NRL might have a new premier try scorer in Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins. Against the Roosters, the Panthers’ attack was in full flow, which saw Jenkins on the end of some sublime moves, resulting in him dotting down on four different occasions, making it eight tries in three games this year.
Winger | Jamayne Isaako
One of the league’s most prolific point scorers was at it again this weekend in Jamayne Isaako, who not only had a 20 point game from his try and going 7/8 off the tee, but also recorded his season high in run metres and tackle busts in what was a complete performance from the Dolphins winger.
Fullback | Jye Gray
The Rabbitohs made it one of their key missions to ensure that Jye Gray and Latrell Mitchell were on the field at the same time. Against the Tigers, Gray proved why that was the case, as he put in his best performance of the season, scoring, setting up and saving a try, while also breaking an absurd eight tackles on the day.