NRL Team of the Round: Tigers and Broncos dominate: but what a Weekes for Kaeo

We waxed lyrical about Connor Tracey last week as the Bulldogs fullback put in one of the best single half performances of the year – and that might have been bettered within a single round by Kaeo Weekes.

The Raiders’ 1 was the standout in the NRL for Round 18, dominating the Dragons with pure speed and footwork. His was just one of the exceptional fullback performances this week – indeed, all of the 1-5 in this selection have played at the back at times and at least two of them are out of position here.

There are, of course, multiple Tigers and Broncos, a couple of Sea Eagles and, after over 50 games, a new try-scorer. Here’s our Team of the Week.

1. Kaeo Weekes (Raiders)

The Raiders fullback enjoyed his best night in the NRL with a truly devastating performance against the Dragons.

Usually, stats can tell you a fair bit of the story but not everything, but on this occasion, the numbers have it all.

Weekes was worth three tries, four line break assists, 12 tackle breaks and a huge 282 metres – that means great running, great passing and great finishing.

2. Reuben Garrick (Manly)

What is it about former St George Illawarra wingers? Why do they always have to want to be someone else?

Reuben Garrick and Zac Lomax never took to the field at the same time for the Dragons (at least not in first grade) but they are two peas in a positional pod, goalkicking wingers with delusions of grandeur.

Garrick insisted on moving to the centres last year, despite being one of the best wingers in the competition, and while he wasn’t dreadful there, he never hit the same heights.

Now, as part of the chicanery to get Tom Trbojevic and Lehi Hopoate into the same team, Reuben is back on a wing and looking a million bucks.

His yardage is great, his finishing remains excellent and he provides a kick target and a set start that get the Sea Eagles going.

And, perhaps most amazingly of all, he won a Captain’s Challenge – maybe he’s not a winger after all…

3. Tom Trbojevic (Manly)

Turbo’s move to centre could have been read in several ways.

For one, it puts less strain on the long muscles of his body, leading to fewer hamstring strains.

For two, he’d actually been Manly’s second best fullback, such was the form of Lehi Hopoate and the lack thereof from the former Dally M Medallist.

For three, it allows the Sea Eagles to use Turbo as a roaming threat with even more surprise factor – which is exactly what happened here.

Tommy was able to play the traditional centre role at times, causing a threat out on the right and bringing Jason Saab into play, but also to trot off to other parts of the field and create havoc, which he did for several tries.

Anthony Seibold suggested that this might be a temporary move. Two games in, it doesn’t look like changing back would help anyone.

4. Nick Meaney (Storm)

We’ll put Nick Meaney in as a centre given that he was named in that position, but make no mistake about it – this was an excellent fullback display.

The Storm picked up a gem when they took Meaney from Canterbury, and have been rewarded multiple times over. He’s a gun in whatever position you put him in, and crucially for Craig Bellamy, turns in a minimum 7/10 in every role.

Melbourne normally have too many fullbacks, but when Ryan Papenhuyzen joined Sua Fa’alogo on the treatment table on a weekend where Cameron Munster was away in Origin camp, their fourth choice actually got a crack at the position he had played prior to arrival.

Meaney was then the best on ground with two tries and 243m to show for his performance – not bad for fourth choice.

5. Tyrell Sloan (Dragons)

St George Illawarra lost to Canberra in the end, but it wasn’t for lack of trying from their much-maligned winger.

Sloan has been offered around to other clubs and widely criticised, including by his own coach. There’s some validity in that given his defensive issues – but the attacking upside is clear for everyone to see.

Much like Kaeo Weekes, Sloan has the combination of speed, elusiveness and football smarts that will keep coaches (and punters) coming back for more.

He makes mistakes, he’s a bit small and sometimes looks dodgy under the high ball, but give Sloan an inch of open ground and he’s away.

Two tries on Saturday, which would have been three but for a highly dubious forward pass, proved that.

6. Ezra Mam (Broncos)

The Broncos half was mercilessly booed by the Bulldogs fans – and rightly so, you’d have to say – but responded in the only appropriate way, by playing as well as possible.

Nobody, least of all the player himself, wants to relitigate why the abuse comes. Instead, we can focus on what happened on the field, which is that Ezra Mam was the best on the field in a side that pulled off an epic comeback.

The composure to get Josiah Karapani away for the try that started it all was exceptional, and Mam was credited with the assist for three of the four tries that his side scored.

7. Latu Fainu (Tigers)

This was a breakout performance from the Tigers’ halfback, on whom they have pinned so much following the departure of Lachlan Galvin.

Last week at Manly – only his first full 80 in the NRL – was a bit of a disaster as Fainu was given the keys to the team, looking every inch an underage driver in the process.

That was rescued by Adam Doueihi being switched to lead playmaker, a role he continued this week. With that sorted, Latu was able to do what he does best: run at the line, use his deception and challenge both shoulders.

Moreover, he also produced a stunning trysaver on Tom Rodwell late in the piece, hurling himself in front of the winger with little regard for his safety.

8. Terrell May (Tigers)

Just another day at the office for Terrell May, who did his usual thing of topping the metres while also registering five tackle breaks and four offloads.

It was business as usual for the Tigers’ best player, but also not: this was his first return to Allianz Stadium after being punted by the Roosters while on tour with Samoa in England.

Though the win meant a lot to everyone, you know it meant even more to big Terrell.

9. Billy Walters (Broncos)

The non-Mam assisted try was Billy’s dart from dummy half – a moment that made everyone, Brisbane fan or otherwise, believe that this was actually happening.

Canterbury simply haven’t conceded tries like that this year, but were befuddled by the Broncos hooker, who has a great knack for doing exactly that sort of thing.

On a weekend where nepo babies in the NRL have been at the forefront of the media agenda, Walters showed that he’s a bit more than Kevvie’s son.

10. Tof Sipley (Manly)

There’s an argument for all four of Manly’s middle rotation to get a shot here.

Matt Lodge was exceptional to start the game, Jake Trbojevic smashed out 42 tackles with a fair few hefty ones among them, Ethan Bullemor did his enthusiastic dog thing in the middle and even Siasiua Tauekiaho rolled back the years.

Tof Sipley, however, did the most with what he got.

The interchange forward was at his rampaging best, putting away some of his more idiosyncratic tendencies to go full head-down-bum-up, 15 touches, 15 runs, 140 metres – all in just 28 minutes of game time. Impact? You got it.

11. Brendan Piakura (Broncos)

Ezra Mam might have sparked the comeback and Billy Walters kept it going, but it was Brendan Piakura who iced it.

The big backrower was unstoppable late on for his side, richly deserving his try when it came after multiple big runs. They were the sort that won contact, generated quick rucks and got the Bronx moving forwards.

Had that been that, it would have been worth a mention anyway, but for Piakura to get the winning try too was extra sweet.

12. Samuela Fainu (Tigers)

All three Fainu brothers scored for the Tigers, the first time that has happened in the NRL. No, not the Burgesses and no, not the Trbojevics either. Me, I blame Jake.

Samuela was one of the best in the Tigers’ victory and somehow not even the best in his own family on Sunday lunchtime.

His try was exceptional, a superb hole run that begged Adam Doueihi to put him through, but it was his cleanup work out wide that caught the eye, with 34 tackles in the back row.

13. Morgan Smithies (Raiders)

NRL fans love a try drought, and Morgan Smithies was fast growing a reputation as one of the frontrunners for failure with the line begging.

Alex Twal has scored, of course, and Max King got over too, leaving the stats sickos scrambling for the next horse to back.

The Raiders lock got the luckiest of bounces to secure his first in the NRL in Game 40, and you can add another 17 games for Wigan without a try before that. He’s worth his inclusion for that alone.