Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Leopards, St Helens provide 7 stars in Super League Team of the Week
From left to right: Rhyse Martin, Lachlan Lam and Moses Mbye all feature in our Team of the Week from Round 21
Round 21 of Super League brought some scintillating individual displays, making our decisions for the latest Love Rugby League Team of the Week incredibly difficult.
After an entertaining weekend of action, and debates aplenty at Love Rugby League towers, here are our picks.
No fewer than six clubs are represented this week, with Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Leopards and St Helens all featuring heavily following important wins…
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1. Lachie Miller (Leeds Rhinos)
Leeds full-back Miller has had a lot of criticism this year, but he was electric on Saturday afternoon as the Rhinos beat Leeds 30-4 at Headingley. The Australian scored a try of his own and grabbed two assists as he made 142 metres from 19 carries. Only team-mate Brodie Croft (20) took more carries in, and only one Rhinos team-mate made more metres than Miller, which we’ll get onto.
2. Joe Burgess (Hull KR)
Taking in 20 carries, Burgess made an absolutely whopping 225 metres on Friday night as KR beat Castleford 36-6 at Craven Park. 170 of those metres came in the first half alone, busting through eight tackles across the 80 minutes. The winger scored two tries of his own, and set a further one up.
3. Peta Hiku (Hull KR)
Hiku was phenomenal for KR in that win against Cas. He also got a try of his own and set one up, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg where the stats which have come from his performance are concerned. Making seven tackle busts and two clean breaks, the centre amassed 177 metres as well as chipping in with 15 tackles in defence.
4. Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos)
Rhinos centre Newman also surpassed a century in metres made as they beat Wigan, hitting 105 come the final hooter. The academy product made five tackle busts and scored one of Leeds’ four tries, also making nine tackles. That tally may seem low, but on a day when the hosts didn’t have much defending to do, he achieved the highest tally of anyone in their back four.
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5. Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves)
Warrington weren’t at their free-flowing best as they picked up a 36-22 victory away against bottom club London on Sunday afternoon, but winger Ashton was a shining light for the Wolves. Making a whopping 232 metres, his average gain was 26 – scoring two breakaway tries. Ashton also grabbed an assist.
6. Moses Mbye (St Helens)
Mbye was the match-winner as Saints beat Salford 17-16 on Thursday night at the Totally Wicked Stadium, kicking the drop goal in Golden Point extra time which sealed the two competition points. Before that, the Australian had grabbed an assist, bust through a tackle and caused havoc with some in-game kicks. Mbye also made 20 tackles in defence.
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7. Lachlan Lam (Leigh Leopards)
Papua New Guinean Lam wasn’t allowed to make many metres with the ball in hand by Hull FC on Sunday afternoon, but he’s the main reason that Leigh ended up comfortable 42-12 winners having picked up FIVE assists!
The ridiculous thing is, he could well have had more – an absolute menace that FC’s defence couldn’t deal with, particularly in the second half. Lam – who bust through three tackles – also chipped in with eight of his own to help the Leopards out in defence, too.
8. Paul Vaughan (Warrington Wolves)
Vaughan was Wire’s other shining light in a pretty disappointing performance against London, despite the victory they came away from the capital with.
The veteran prop made 85 metres across 12 carries, busting through two tackles and barging his way over for a try. He also made 25 tackles, with nine of those on the marker to halt attacks from the Broncos before they’d had chance to get started.
9. Alrix Da Costa (Catalans Dragons)
Catalans earned a 23-22 win at Huddersfield on Friday night courtesy of Arthur Mourgue’s late drop goal, and in a game which the Dragons struggled to put to bed, hooker Da Costa had a big hand in helping them over the line.
The France international made three runs from dummy-half to get the visitors on the front foot, but his defensive stats were most impressive – 38 tackles, including seven on the marker.
10. Alex Walmsley (St Helens)
Walmsley made his long-awaited return from injury for Saints on Thursday night, named on the bench by head coach Paul Wellens and involved in a matchday squad for the first time in almost four months. Bit-part player on return? Never.
When he got on the field, it was as though Big Al had never been away. The hulking prop made an eye-watering 139 metres across just 18 carries, helping the Red V make some invaluable metres up the field during the Golden Point period before Mbye slotted over the winner, even going from dummy-half at one point! 18 tackles in defence from the stalwart, too.
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11. Kai O’Donnell (Leigh Leopards)
We’re running out of superlatives for O’Donnell. The NRL-bound back-rower scored FOUR tries for Leigh on Sunday as they beat Hull FC, and could honestly have had a couple more. Also grabbing an assist, he was simply unplayable – making 170 metres across 21 carries. The Australian also made 19 tackles, bettered only by fellow second-rower Frankie Halton (25).
12. Rhyse Martin (Leeds Rhinos)
Just imagine this second-row partnership in a real team, by the way! Martin put on another show for Leeds as they swept Wigan aside on Saturday, kicking seven goals and scoring a try as he made 153 metres with the ball in hand. An absolute monster when he gets going, the PNG international also contributed 27 tackles in defence.
13. Ben Garcia (Catalans Dragons)
Rounding this Monday’s Team of the Week off is Catalans skipper Garcia, who was awarded Sky Sports’ Player of the Match medal for his showing in their win at Huddersfield on Friday night. The Dragons stalwart made 121 metres in just 12 carries, busting through three tackles and offloading once as well as getting a try of his own. Garcia also made 30 tackles, too!
