The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

NRL team of the week Round 6

George Burgess. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox)
Roar Guru
15th April, 2018
11

There were some big scorelines in Round 6, with upsets blowing the competition wide open.

The Dragons remain undefeated, the Warriors went down to the Broncos – however they sit alongside the Panthers and Wests Tigers on five wins.

At the other end of the table, the Eels remain winless, while the Bulldogs and Raiders both won their second games of 2018.

Here is the NRL team of the week for Round 6.

Fullback: Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
Dylan Edwards could not be kept quiet, scoring a try and helping to deliver two more in the Panthers’ big win over the Titans. He was denied another, after being ruled held before promoting the ball to the tryline.

With 194 metres run and two tackle busts, he was everywhere and was once again one of Penrith’s most valuable attacking players.

Wing: Corey Oates (Brisbane Broncos)
The big winger wreaked havoc on the left edge as Brisbane ended the Warriors’ 5-0 run. Oates scored a try, looming as a massive threat in attack with 168 metres off the back of some strong carries, as well as ten tackle busts.

Centre: Esan Marsters (Wests Tigers)
Marsters has firmed for Kiwis selection, continuing to do all the little things right. The centre made some great offloads and tackle busts throughout the Wests Tigers’ big win over the Sea Eagles. In addition to his perfect afternoon of kicking, he also ran for 154 metres.

Advertisement

Centre: Euan Aitken (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Aitken has once again proven himself to be among the best centres in the NRL, scoring a try in the local derby fixture against the Sharks. The Scotland international was everywhere on Friday night, busting through three tackles and making 16 tackles.

Wing: Kyle Feldt (North Queensland Cowboys)
The Cowboys’ winger was impressive on Saturday evening, exhibiting his wide skill range. His kicking ability was unparalleled, challenging the Bulldogs on the restart, while he was equally good with the ball in hand, scoring a try in the second half.

Five-eighth: Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
Marshall wound back the clock against the Sea Eagles as the Tigers had their first win at Brookvale Oval since 2003.

He scored a double in the joint venture’s 38-12 win and displayed a strong kicking game, combining well with Luke Brooks.

Marshall had some dazzling runs, with four tackle busts, kicked well and even displayed some razzle-dazzle when attacking the line with his trademark step.

Benji Marshall

Benji Marshall (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Halfback: Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers)
Brooks was everywhere in a near-perfect performance for the black, white and gold, scoring a try and setting up two others.

Advertisement

The No.7 ran the ball for 138 metres, made five tackle busts, forced a handful of goal-line dropouts, and organised the attack in a spectacular game.

Prop: Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Burgess laid the platform in the middle of the park, with 181 metres gained and seven tackle busts. He contributed defensively with 21 tackles, helping Souths to an impressive win over the Roosters.

Hooker: Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
The Rabbitohs’ No.9 staked his claim for a State of Origin jumper, running for 145 metres and making a number of tackle busts. He was also dangerous defensively, with 45 tackles.

[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby-league” name=”League”]

Prop: George Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Almost as good as his twin, George helped the Bunnies dominate the middle of the park. The England international ran for 151 metres, averaging nearly 12 metres on each of his 13 runs, with 23 tackles.

Back row: John Sutton (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Sutton sparked his pack in a dominant performance, combining well with Junior Tatola, as he scored a try, made seven tackle busts and 24 tackles in an outstanding 80-minute performance.

Back row: Raymond Faitala-Mariner (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Faitala-Mariner scored a try, had strong runs, fended off the Cowboys’ defence, created eight tackle busts, and had a couple of offloads. He also made 22 tackles, proving valuable on the edge.

Advertisement

Lock forward: Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys)
He may not have been in a winning side, but Taumalolo continued to assert his dominance. The Tongan international ran for a massive 188 metres with eight tackle busts and 19 tackles, and came close to scoring on the stroke of halftime, only to be denied by an error.

Jason Taumalolo North Queensland Cowboys NRL Rugby League Grand Final 2017

Jason Taumalolo (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Interchange: Tyrone Peachey (Penrith Panthers)
Standing in at No.6, Peachey was the best on ground for the mountain men. The utility looked right at home on the left edge, combining well with Dylan Edwards and James Maloney. He nearly helped Edwards to a try early in the match, the fullback held up by a solid Eels defensive line before Maloney set him up for one of his own.

Moments later, he came within inches of scoring off a grubber kick. The dynamic edge player ran for over 200 metres, displaying his influence as the Panthers cruised to a 35-12 win.

Interchange: Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
Slater was everywhere in the Storm’s 40-14 win over the Newcastle Knights.

The fullback dominated both in attack and defence, with some impressive tackles, including a try-saver on Kalyn Ponga.

His kicking game was inch perfect, with some great connections to Suliasi Vunivalu leading to tries.

Advertisement

Interchange: Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
Papalii made a big impact off the interchange in the Raiders’ battle with the Eels, grabbing a meat pie in the Green Machine’s victory, running for 136 metres in only 39 minutes, and with four tackle busts. He was one of the best attacking weapons, while making 18 tackles.

Interchange: Jaydn Su’A (Brisbane Broncos)
The young backrower was devastating against the Warriros, with some promising runs and 19 tackles.

He made six tackle busts, scored a try, and nearly went over for a second, only to be denied by obstruction.

close