The finals series is upon us after 26 rounds of fantastic football. Some players enjoyed stellar seasons and deserve to be recognised for their efforts.
Without further ado, this is my NRL team of the year.
1. James Tedesco (Tigers)
Has officially become a bonafide superstar of the game. With a standout performance in Origin 3 and a killer year for the Wests Tigers, Teddy will be pushing for a spot in Mal Meninga’s 24-man Kangaroos squad.
Notable mentions: Ben Barba (Sharks), Matt Moylan (Panthers)
2. Jordan Rapana (Raiders)
Finished second for tackle breaks and first for terrible haircuts. His combination of sheer athleticism and silky skills should net him a Kiwi jumper. A shoe-in for winger of the year at the Dally Ms.
3. Jarrod Croker (Raiders)
The Raiders captain led by example in 2016, topping the point scorers list with 276 (17 tries and 104 goals), breaking a long-standing club record.
His personal haul was just 29 short of Newcastle’s team total. Ouch.
Notable mentions: Solomone Kata (Warriors)
4. BJ Leilua (Raiders)
Formed a devastating right side partnership with Rapana and was unstoppable at times. His brilliance has been matched only by his consistency. He has scored 11 tries, broken 127 tackles and produced the try assist of the season with a spinning flick pass to Rapana in Round 26.
5. Suliasi Vunivalu (Storm)
On the subject of consistency, Vunivalu finds the try line with alarming regularity. He has crossed for 21 tries in just 17 matches, a phenomenal strike rate. But he’s not just a try scorer. The Fijian is safe under the high ball, solid in defence and has speed to burn.
Notable mentions: Josh Mansour (Panthers), Valentine Holmes (Sharks), Marika Koroibete (Storm), Bevan French (Eels)
6. Mitchell Moses (Tigers)
The prodigy has just edged out the likes of James Maloney (Sharks) and Blake Austin (Raiders). Moses produced an incredible number of standout performances in 2016, single-handedly winning matches for the club on multiple occasions.
Pundits drew a line through the Tigers season the moment Tedesco was injured against the Titans, but on the back of some Moses magic their finals fate was in their hands during the final round.
Notable mentions: James Maloney (Sharks), Blake Austin (Raiders)
7. Cooper Cronk (Storm)
It was only ever going to be a two-horse race between Cronk and Johnathan Thurston and on this occasion, the Storm playmaker has just shaded the future immortal. Cronk has been a pillar of consistency in 2016 and is likely to claim the Dally M Medal for player of the year.
Notable mentions: Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys)
8. Jesse Bromwich (Storm)
The current Kiwi captain produced yet another brilliant season for Melbourne. The Storm prop averaged 144.6 metres and 30.4 tackles per game in 2016 and produced the sixth most offloads with 47.
9. Josh Hodgson (Raiders)
It takes a special player to deny Cameron Smith a place in any team. Hodgson has developed into the most dangerous hooker in the game, producing 16 try assists in 2016, and will go close to claiming the Dally M Medal.
Notable mentions: Cameron Smith (Storm), Michael Ennis (Sharks)
10. Junior Paulo (Eels and Raiders)
It’s not often that a player with multiple clubs in the same season makes a team of the year, but, Paulo has been devastating for both Parramatta and Canberra in 2016.
His time with the Eels in the first half of the season helped elevate the side toward the top of the ladder and his transition to the Raiders has been a huge reason for their current ten-game winning streak.
Notable mentions: James Graham (Dogs), Aaron Woods (Tigers), Sauaso Sue (Tigers)
11. Tohu Harris (Storm)
Harris became somewhat of a Mr. Fix It for the Storm in 2016, spending time at both centre and five-eighth. Regardless of the positional changes he still managed an enormous 130 metres per game.
Notable mentions: Tyson Frizell (Dragons), Gavin Cooper (Cowboys), Matt Gillett (Broncos), Boyd Cordner (Roosters), Ethan Lowe (Cowboys), Iosia Soliola (Raiders)
12. Josh Papalii (Raiders)
Without a doubt, the standout second rower of 2016. Papalii was a nightmare for defences and hit like a sledgehammer when defending. If the Raiders can go all the way in 2016, he will have a big part to play.
13. Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)
The best running forward in the competition for 2016. JT takes the lock spot by a country mile through a combination of devastating running, brutal hits and damaging offloads.
Notable mentions: Paul Gallen (Sharks), Trent Merrin (Panthers)
14. Sam Kasiano (Dogs)
‘Dogzilla’ was the Bulldogs most influential player in 2016, which is a hell of a task for a prop. Kasiano turned the tide of so many of his sides matches when entering the fray around the 20-minute mark.
The Dogs would routinely go from holding their own to dominating the opposition when Kasiano came onto the field. His inspired charges and surprising ball skills caused nightmares for oppositions.
15. Bryce Cartwright (Panthers)
Cartwright is the ultimate utility player. He began the season in the back row but has since shifted to five-eighth where his form has been so good that prodigy Te Maire Martin can’t get a look in and Jamie Soward was told to pack his bags.
His size, speed, strength and offloading ability are one of the key reasons the Panthers loom as a premiership dark horse.
16. Anthony Milford (Broncos)
The Broncos five-eighth was the best player in the competition until the Origin period hit. While he went through a lull in the middle of the season, he has finished with a wet sail and remains Brisbane’s best chance at winning a premiership.
17. Andrew Fifita (Sharks)
While his choice of armbands leaves plenty to be desired, his performances on the field have been exhilarating. Fifita was a major influence in the Sharks 15 match winning streak and finished the regular season with the fifth-most metres of any player.
Representation count
Raiders 6*, Storm 4, Tigers 2, Eels 1*, Cowboys 1, Sharks 1, Panthers 1, Broncos 1, Dogs 1
*Junior Paulo counted as a vote for both the Raiders and the Eels
Notable mentions
Sharks 5, Panthers 3, Cowboys 3, Tigers 2, Raiders 2, Storm 2, Eels 1, Broncos 1, Dogs 1, Warriors 1, Dragons 1, Roosters 1
Teams with no representation or mentions: Titans and Knights.
What is your 2016 NRL team of the year? Let us know in the comments!
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