Starring performances from a slew of Origin hopefuls stole the show over the weekend with Reece Walsh, Zac Lomax and Xavier Coates headlining selection in the Round 7 Team of the Week.
Dolphins trio Jeremy Marshall-King, Isaiya Katoa and Jack Bostock earned their spots in the side after their demolition of the Eels, while veteran forwards Isaah Yeo and James Fisher-Harris helped get Penrith home against Wests Tigers.
Round 7 Team of the Week
1. Reece Walsh (Broncos)
Another dazzling display from the returning fullback, Walsh once again stole the show for the Broncos in Saturday’s 34-10 win over the Raiders. The 21-year-old did damage almost every time he touched the ball and finished with a classy double, three line breaks and 199 run metres, putting up a strong case for the Maroons No. 1 jersey.
2. Xavier Coates (Storm)
Another week, another play of the game for Melbourne’s superstar winger Xavier Coates. After showing moments of superb athleticism and skill in recent weeks, it was Coates’ strength on show in Round 7, powering through several defenders to come up with the match winner. The 73-minute try was just the icing on top of a performance which consisted of a team-high 157 run metres and two line breaks.
Xavier Coates Try
3. Kayal Iro (Sharks)
The rising Cronulla centre continues to get better and better, this time chalking up a game high 212 run metres as Cronulla dispatched the Cowboys. In just his third game of the season, Iro had more runs than any other player, with his 24 carries, five tackle breaks and 67 post-contact metres a team and game-high tally.
4. Zac Lomax (Dragons)
Earns inclusion for the third week in a row with a dazzling performance in which he punished the Warriors wherever he popped up on the field. His try early in the second half where he sprinted down field and beat the Warriors to a bomb was pure effort and desire, and following his two-point field goal just prior to half-time, it delivered a hammer blow to the Warriors.
Ben Hunt's hand in Dragons back-to-back wins
5. Jack Bostock (Dolphins)
The Dolphins winger has now scored nine tries from his past nine games after snaring a hat-trick in Darwin on Friday night. Bostock ran for 165 metres and made four line breaks in the win, while also adding a try assist and tackle break to his stat line. The 20-year-old was on the end of a piece of Trai Fuller brilliance for his second, Bostock winning the race for the ball and grounding it just inside the dead ball line.
6. Matt Burton (Bulldogs)
The Bulldogs' five-eighth pinned Newcastle into the corner with another stellar game with the boot, punting the ball 383 metres on Sunday night. Burton also came up with a momentum shifting 40/20 in the 17th minute and provided plenty of spark in attack with two tackle breaks.
Matt Burton boots a 40/20
7. Ben Hunt (Dragons)
Played his role to perfection to cancel out many of the Warriors’ strengths at WIN Stadium. Had a direct role in four of his side’s five tries, with three assists and his own spirited effort just before the break that saw him twist out of three would-be tackles close to the line. Hunt thwarted the Warriors’ normally damaging back three with his kicking game, finishing with 624 metres off the boot.
8. Corey Jensen (Broncos)
Led the way for Brisbane against a tough Raiders pack with an impressive 192 metres from 19 carries in his 50 minutes. No player had more post-contact metres than Jensen (72) in the game, who also added 27 tackles in an effort that sets the tone for Payne Haas' return to the side next week.
9. Jeremy Marshall-King (Dolphins)
Sparked the Dolphins second-half onslaught with a series of darts from dummy half, including two that directly led to tries. Marshall-King ran for 76 metres, had a line break and a try assist, and made 33 tackles in his team’s 28-point win against the Eels.
10. James Fisher-Harris (Panthers)
After a big week for the Panthers prop, Fisher-Harris overcame a slow start to wrestle momentum back for the premiers and lead from the front in their Round 7 victory. Finishing the match with a try, 138 run metres, three tackle breaks and 27 tackles, the Kiwi superstar showed why he will be such a big loss for Penrith in 2025.
11. Teig Wilton (Sharks)
Applied constant pressure to the Cowboys attack all game and was reliable as always as the home side piled on the points. Wilton made 17 carries for 143 metres – over a third of which came after first contact – while also contributing 34 tackles, one behind his side's leading tackler in Blayke Brailey.
12. Eliesa Katoa (Storm)
Katoa is getting better every week now that Jahrome Hughes has returned from suspension, with a try and a try assist in Melbourne's 18-12 win over the Roosters. The edge back rower also finished the game with five tackle breaks, a linebreak assist, two offloads, 40 tackles and 105 metres in an all-round dominant effort.
13. Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
In a game that was a grind for most of the 80 minutes, Yeo was outstanding in his effort on both sides of the football. Made 47 tackles without a single miss and helped the Panthers survive a period early in the second half where they didn’t see much of the ball, while in possession, he had 15 carries for 137 metres.
14. Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
The young playmaker had a hand in everything in the Dolphins' 44-16 hammering of the Eels. Finishing the match with 114 metres, three try assists and four line break assists, it's no surprise the 20-year-old also bagged six Dally M points.
All Tries – Broncos v Raiders
15. Pat Carrigan (Broncos)
Carrigan continued his stellar start to the season with another a tireless performance on both sides of the ball which saw him top the tackle count (37) and run metres (201) for the Broncos on Saturday.
16. Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
The Manly lock got through plenty of work in his side’s hard-fought win over the desperate Titans, topping the tackle count for the match with 44, as well as contributing with some tough runs for 82 metres, with 31 of them post-contact. His efforts throughout the game also garnered special praise from coach Anthony Seibold after the game.
17. Jack De Belin (Dragons)
De Belin came on after 21 minutes and made an immediate impact, with the Origin hopeful putting the Dragons on the ascendency and on their way to a big win. Finished with more run metres (147m) and carries (19) than any other forward, while his link play was instrumental in giving Tyrell Sloan, Moses Suli and Ben Hunt space to cause chaos on the edges.
