The NRL competition for 2019 in underway, and with the first round completed, we unveil our NRL Team of Week Round 2.
After sitting through all of the eight NRL Round 2 games, we may as well have something constructive to show for it.
Our NRL Round 2 Team of the Week list features the best players from the weekend, and where possible try to pick the 13 players in position, and then the next best four, where possible. But some positions don’t shine like others, so we have a flexible starting 13 from time to time.
This week there were way too many wingers that shone, and not enough centres, so one of the wingers got a promotion in our NRL Round 2 Team of the Week.
Of course any Team of the Week is going to cause debate, so feel free to pick apart our NRL Round 2 Team of the Week.
NRL Round 2 Team of the Week
FULLBACK – CLINT GUTHERSON (Parramatta)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| C. Gutherson | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 175 | 1 | 79 |
The Eels fullback has been carrying the Eels at times during their past few barren seasons, and played a few positions while still shining. Fullback is his best, as was his performance on Sunday.
WING – SULIASI VUNIVALU (Melbourne)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| S. Vunivalu | 3 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 103 | 0 | 98 |
The Fijian flyer is back for 2019, nabbing a first half hat trick and causing Canberra plenty of concern.
CENTRE – BLAKE FERGUSON (Eels)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| B. Ferguson | 2 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 272 | 1 | 119 |
Blake Ferguson can often be a figure of fun, but at his best can be a destructive machine on the wing, and against the Bulldogs he was just that. The Eels move seems to be working out for now.
CENTRE – TIM LAFAI (Dragons)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| T. Lafai | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 143 | 1 | 110 |
A left field choice given he was on the losing side, but he certainly did the job for the Dragons before the Rabbitohs second half onslaught. Mainly selected as very centres catch the eye every week.
WING – SIONE KATOA – (Cronulla)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| S. Katoa | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 216 | 0 | 103 |
The Cronulla winger carved up the Titans at will on Saturday, grabbing a double, and looking likely for more throughout the afternoon.
FIVE EIGHTH – JAMES MALONEY (Penrith)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| J. Maloney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 8 | 69 | 0 | 36 |
The Penrith number six may not have the hype of his halves partner, but gets the job done on a regular basis. In the early half of the season that is.
HALFBACK – LUKE KEARY (Roosters)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| L. Keary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 45 | 4 | 102 |
Pipped his former Rabbitohs halves partner to the halfback of NRL Round 2 Team of the Week. Bossed the show in the absence of Cooper Cronk against Manly. Four try assists is something else.
PROP – TEVITA PANGAI JNR (Broncos)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| T. Pangai | 1 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 115 | 0 | 67 |
The stats above don’t tell the full picture of how Pangai waged a one man war on the Cowboys and set up the Broncos for victory over the Cowboys. Sorted out Jason Taumalolo early which killed off the Cowboys to a degree.
HOOKER – ROBBIE FARAH (Wests Tigers)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| R. Farah | 1 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 117 |
Robbie Farah continues to turn back the clock when he was a grumpy looking soul and played great football. The move back to the Wests Tigers has certainly worked out so far for both teams. Farah is killing it so far in 2019, and South Sydney have had Damien Cook full time in the number nine. Cook ran Farah reasonably close for the number nine of the week.
PROP – JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES (Roosters)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| J. Waerea-Hargreaves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 22 | 253 | 0 | 85 |
The big unit for the Roosters was at his best on against Manly on Saturday, he may be hard to like at times when he’s being a jerk, but easy to respect when in full form.
SECOND ROW – BOYD CORDNER (Roosters)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| B. Cordner | 2 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 9 | 102 | 0 | 82 |
The Roosters and NSW captain was back in among the tries and the action against Manly.
SECOND ROW – SAM BURGESS (Rabbitohs)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| S. Burgess | 2 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 157 | 1 | 128 |
Big Sam is starting to turn his new fringe position is a game breaking advantage for the Rabbitohs, who are well served by their back row now.
LOCK – JAI ARROW (Titans)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| J. Arrow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 28 | 299 | 0 | 111 |
Fell just a few metres short of Jason Taumalolo’s first round 301m benchmark, and for a losing side. Throw in a handful of tackle busts, and he has to feature in the team of the week.
INTERCHANGE – COREY OATES (Broncos)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| C. Oates | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 154 | 0 | 98 |
He may want a career move into the pack, but there’s two reasons the Broncos keep him on the wing. One is his performances like Friday night against the Cowboys, the other is that he probably wouldn’t make the bench if he were just an interchange forward.
INTERCHANGE – ADAM REYNOLDS (Rabbitohs)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| A. Reynolds | 0 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 56 |
Conjured up some more magic in the Rabbitohs second blitz against the Dragons. Providing a lot more in late tackle count attack so far this season as the big bomb has been sparingly used.
INTERCHANGE – CAMERON MURRAY (Rabbitohs)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| C. Murray | 1 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 9 | 129 | 0 | 71 |
He doesn’t really look like a modern-day lock but has been one of Souths best in both games this season. Proving to be a more than adequate long-term replacement for Angus Crichton.
INTERCHANGE – KURT CAPEWELL (Sharks)
| Name | T | G | PTS | TCK | R | RM | TA | SC |
| K. Capewell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 16 | 132 | 0 | 35 |
Perhaps it is our bias towards underdogs and Intrust Super Cup players finally getting a go in the NRL (like Rhyse Martin previously at Bulldogs) but Kurt Capewell caught the eye in the Sharks win over the Titans doing what he usually does.
2019 NRL Team of Week Round 1 – BEST OF THE BEST
Here’s the top five players from our Team of the Week, who get an extra bonus for being that little bit better than the best.
They may come from the interchange due to the abundance in quality of certain positions.
5 points – Luke Keary
4 points – Tevita Pangai
3 points – Robbie Farah
2 points – Jai Arrow
1 point – Sam Burgess
2019 NRL Team of Week – TEAM OF THE SEASON
Stay tuned for a tally of who is going the best in 2019.
There’s no point doing it until at least round four. So we won’t.
The point scoring is as below:
1 point for featuring in the team of the year.
5-4-3-2-1 extra bonus points for featuring in the best of the best in our NRL Team of the Week.
2019 NRL Team of Week – Previous Weeks
If this week isn’t enough to argue about, then please accept the back catalogue of Team of the Weeks.
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