Spectators storm the field as Alex Johnston, of the Rabbitohs, celebrates becoming the highest try scorer in NRL history. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
3. Robert Toia, Sydney Roosters<\/p>\n
In just his second NRL season, 22-year-old Toia will be a dominant NRL centre for years to come. With a devastating step and the ability to break tackles, Toia is one of the hardest players in the competition to stop inside the opposition\u2019s 20. The Roosters edge player boasts 12 tries, 12 try assists, 93 tackle breaks and 13 linebreaks across 20 appearances this year. His tackle efficiency of 88.8% is also ahead of most of the NRL\u2019s top-performing centres.<\/p>\n
4. Herbie Farnworth, Redcliffe Dolphins<\/p>\n
One of the easiest picks for team of the year, Farnworth is the best centre in the NRL. Warriors fans will have nightmares of the 106kg, 26-year-old terrorising the edge in the lead-up to Saturday\u2019s qualifying final at Go Media Stadium. The numbers tell the story. In 23 appearances, Farnworth has made a staggering 150 tackle breaks, leading to 13 tries, seven try assists and 13 linebreaks. He is also one of the NRL\u2019s best defenders, tackling at 94% efficiency and missing only 22 tackles all season.<\/p>\n
5. Thomas Jenkins, Penrith Panthers<\/p>\n
Jenkins is on track to be one of the most prolific try-scorers the NRL has ever seen. This season, the Panthers winger became the first player in premiership history to score multiple tries in seven consecutive games and equalled Penrith\u2019s record for the most doubles in a single season. Jenkins has 30 tries in 24 appearances, plus 35 linebreaks and 90 tackle breaks. While not the most physically imposing winger in the competition, Jenkins\u2019 finishing, pace and footwork set him apart.<\/p>\n
Thomas Jenkins has scored 30 tries in 24 games in 2026. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
6. Braydon Trindall, Cronulla Sharks<\/p>\n
Trindall has been a consistent standout in an erratic Cronulla-Sutherland season. While the five-eighth\u2019s absence due to a shoulder injury is an obvious contributor to the Sharks\u2019 struggles over the last month, he will return for their sudden-death elimination final against the Cowboys on Saturday. One half of a formidable halves pairing with Nico Hynes, Trindall\u2019s short kicking game is his biggest strength. The 27-year-old has forced 23 goalline dropouts this season, averaging 421.6 kicking metres per game. Trindall\u2019s 30 try assists and 21 linebreak assists display his connection with Cronulla\u2019s outside backs. The 118-game veteran is also a strong defender, making 271 tackles at 85.8% efficiency in 2026.<\/p>\n
7. Nathan Cleary, Penrith Panthers<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan Cleary\u201d was the first and easiest name to select for the Herald\u2019s NRL team of the year. The Dally M contender has only added to his legacy in 2026, as part of a Panthers outfit hurt by not getting a chance to defend their title in last year\u2019s grand final. Cleary\u2019s leadership is a clear separator from the NRL\u2019s other top halfbacks. In 2026, the four-time premier steered New South Wales to another State of Origin title and captained the Panthers to another minor premiership. The 28-year-old\u2019s 27 try assists and 24 linebreak assists are steady work by his standards. Cleary\u2019s 424 tackles at 87.4% efficiency are a quieter part of his game, making him remarkably well-rounded.<\/p>\n
Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary is widely regarded as a future “immortal”. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
8. James Fisher-Harris, New Zealand Warriors<\/p>\n
The co-captain has been a battering ram in 2026, helping the Warriors establish the most dominant forward pack<\/a> in the NRL. The mana the Kiwis skipper holds within the group is evident, and his premiership credentials with Penrith will be invaluable during the playoffs. While the 243-game veteran\u2019s 631 tackles and 1083 post-contact metres across 21 appearances are key, it is Fisher-Harris\u2019 leadership<\/a> which makes him so crucial. His standards, relentless consistency, and connection to New Zealand make him the face of their team culture.<\/p>\n 9. Wayde Egan, New Zealand Warriors<\/p>\n Let\u2019s make this crystal clear: if Egan played for the Panthers, Roosters or Storm, he would be widely hailed as the best hooker in the NRL. While Reece Robson, Blayke Brailey and Api Koroisau are all superb, Egan is incredibly underrated. The hooker\u2019s ability to manipulate defenders and create space around the ruck carts the Warriors up the middle of the field, keeping defenders on the back foot and enabling the Warriors backline to take advantage. Egan\u2019s made almost 700 tackles this season, and when factoring in his subtle kicking game, the 29-year-old becomes arguably the Warriors\u2019 most valuable player.<\/p>\n 10. Stefano Utoikamanu, Melbourne Storm<\/p>\n While Utoikamanu\u2019s selection over the likes of Naufahu Whyte or Addin Fonua-Blake may surprise some, the numbers don\u2019t lie. Somehow the Melbourne Storm front-rower has broken 110 tackles, light years ahead of his rivals. Utoikamanu\u2019s also dished out 30 offloads, made 689 tackles at 96.4% efficiency and played every game this season. With 127 appearances at just 26 years old, Utoikamanu flies under the radar.<\/p>\n 11. Haumole Olakau\u2019atu, Manly Sea Eagles<\/p>\n The destructive right-edge Manly forward has been in top form this season, bouncing back from an injury-ravaged 2025 by earning New South Wales State of Origin selection. A dominant ball-runner, Olakau\u2019atu averaged 171 running metres plus a ludicrous 128 tackle breaks. The second-rower also scored nine tries, made 13 line breaks and dished 18 offloads. His 538 tackles at 93.6% efficiency only add to his imposing resume.<\/p>\n 12. Tallis Duncan, South Sydney Rabbitohs<\/p>\n In a competition stacked with powerful second-rowers, Duncan wins out because of his ability to break the line and connect with his backs. Duncan is a weapon who can shift to centre if required, contributing 12 tries, 16 line breaks, 10 line break assists and 16 offloads this season. Versatile and reliable, the 24-year-old is reportedly set to sign a hefty contract extension at the Rabbitohs. Bulldogs back-rower Jacob Preston was a close second for this spot, making an incredible 724 tackles at 94.9% efficiency.<\/p>\n 13. Erin Clark, New Zealand Warriors<\/p>\n Last year hailed as the signing of the season, 2026 has seen Clark become the form lock of the NRL. The Aucklander\u2019s subtle handling skills and destructive carrying make him a constant threat in multiple ways in the opposition\u2019s 20. While his attacking prowess earns Clark headlines, his defensive efforts are a reason the Warriors have been so defensively sound through the middle of the park. Clark\u2019s 629 tackles and 95.7% efficiency complement his average 135 running metres per game. The 29-year-old has played in all 24 games for the Warriors so far in 2026, displaying his durability under a heavy workload.<\/p>\n Nathan Limm<\/a> has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast<\/a> and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spectators storm the field as Alex Johnston, of the Rabbitohs, celebrates becoming the highest try scorer in NRL…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":594383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[49640,16555,12022,14731,184539,5812,89505,111,139,577,69,1118,22213,3800,44836,6102,213,1355,7187,223,1961,1529,3006,4767,102,379],"class_list":["post-594382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-finals","tag-form","tag-host","tag-league","tag-limm","tag-make","tag-nathan","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nrl","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-our","tag-podcast","tag-selects","tag-side","tag-sports","tag-starting","tag-team","tag-the","tag-this","tag-three","tag-warriors","tag-weekend","tag-with","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Co-captain James Fisher-Harris has been in career-best form for the Warriors. Photo\/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Wayde Egan has made almost 700 tackles this season. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Manly Sea Eagles second-rower Haumole Olakau’atu has broken 128 tackles this season. Photo \/ Getty<\/p>\n
Erin Clark is the form lock of the NRL. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n