TSZ’s Super League/NRL Team of the Week | 13/03/23

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There were some superb performances across Super League and the NRL this weekend with particular mention to Salford Red Devils who dominate the TSZ Team of the Week.

The team is not an exact science and is subjective with the use of a combination of statistical measures as well as the eye test used to make the selections, as well as their influence on the outcome of the game.

FULLBACK: REECE WALSH (BRISBANE BRONCOS)

There were several candidates for the fullback spot but Reece Walsh was a match-winner for Brisbane Broncos as they claimed the spoils in their derby with North Queensland Cowboys. On debut, Walsh’s electric pace proved too much for the Cowboys, making 175 metres off 16 runs with 73 off kick returns. Walsh also produced three linebreak assists, a try assist as well as scoring the try which sealed the win for his side. There have been questions asked around his defensive abilities in the early part of his career but he also made some big plays off the ball in this game too.

WINGER: DAVID FUSITU’A (LEEDS RHINOS)

Fusitu’a was a real handful for Wakefield Trinity as he produced one of his best performances in a Leeds shirt. The powerful winger ran for 145 metres off 18 carries, making two clean breaks which helped him to cross the line for two scores as well as setting up another.

CENTRE: NENE MACDONALD (LEEDS RHINOS)

Macdonald was another huge threat for the Rhinos as he amassed a mammoth 204 running metres off just14 carries. He was a too much of a handful for Trinity to deal with and crossed for a well-deserved try to cap off a great performance.

CENTRE: TIM LAFAI (SALFORD RED DEVILS)

Lafai was at his brilliant best as he ran Hull FC ragged. The Samoan showed all of his qualities in last season’s Rugby League World Cup on the back of a superb Super League campaign and he has carried on where he left off this season. He proved to be difficult to tackle with a gigantic 14 tackle busts while also adding 119 metres off just 13 carries to add to his two tries.

WINGER: JACOB KIRAZ (CANTERBURY BULLDOGS)

Canterbury stunned Melbourne Storm at the weekend and Jacob Kiraz played a huge role in that success. The winger was excellent as he ran for a game-high 235 metres as well as making two linebreaks. Kiraz proved very tough to stop as he produced 10 tackle busts and five offloads as well as crossing for two tries in what was an excellent performance.

FIVE-EIGHTH: EZRA MAM (BRISBANE BRONCOS)

Mam has produced a couple of good performances to begin the season and really stood out in his side’s win over North Queensland. He linked up superbly with Reece Walsh with that pair looking like they could blossom into an excellent partnership with Mam’s running game allowing him to chime into the line at second or third receiver. He crossed for two tries and ran for 183 metres as he played a huge role in a great team performance.

HALFBACK: MARC SNEYD (SALFORD RED DEVILS)

Sneyd was the key man against his former side as he pulled the strings to lead the Red Devils to a sensational win. Recording a personal haul of 24 points which included one excellent try in which he stepped beyond three opponents, Sneyd had a hand in everything good that Salford produced and was integral to them notching 60 points. Sneyd added two try assists, three tackle busts and two clean breaks to complement his efforts with his boot.

PROP: TOHU HARRIS (NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS)

Slightly out of position but Harris had to be included for his efforts this week. The Warriors skipper played the full 80 and produced a sensational effort in defeat against Sydney Roosters. Harris made a mammoth 60 tackles, missing just one, and took 15 carries for 144 metres in what was an all-round superb effort.

HOOKER: REED MAHONEY (CANTERBURY BULLDOGS)

Mahoney played a huge role in his side’s upset win over the Storm and chipped in with some big plays. The rake kicked a 40/20 to highlight his quality with the boot while he put himself about defensively in his 80-minute effort with a team-high 44 tackles. He did a good job at guiding his side around the pitch and chipped in with a try assist too.

PROP: TYLER DUPREE (SALFORD RED DEVILS)

Dupree was initially listed to start for the Red Devils but switched to the bench and he had a brilliant impact from the bench. He young prop has lots of potential and is improving each week and he showed plenty of his qualities in this game. He crossed for a good individual try, making some Hull defenders look poor in the process while he also ran for 104 metres from his 14 carries. Dupree also recorded eight tackle busts as he dominated his opposite numbers.

SECOND ROW: BRITON NIKORA (CRONULLA SHARKS)

Nikora was brilliant in his side’s win over Parramatta Eels. He scored the try that got the Sharks back into the contest following a slow start and went on to play the full 80 in the back row. He ran for 135 metres with 46 of those coming post-contact while he was also very busy defensively with 40 tackles as he produced an all-action display.

SECOND ROW: SHANE WRIGHT (SALFORD RED DEVILS)

The final Red Devil in the line-up is second-rower Wright who managed to cross for two tries. He ran the ball on 10 occasions as he amassed 82 metres with him also producing three tackle busts and his line running was a big problem for the Hull defence.

LOCK: J’MAINE HOPGOOD (PARRAMATTA EELS)

Hopgood was extremely unfortunate to miss out on last week’s TotW but he cannot be ignored this time around after another superb individual effort. The Parramatta Eels lock played 71 minutes through the middle, making 13 runs for 145 metres with a link break, line break assist and two try assists thrown in for good measure. He also made a game-high 47 tackles to highlight his involvement on both sides of the ball.