Round 9 of the Buildcorp NRC, the last of the preliminary rounds, panned out pretty much as expected in terms of results with a couple of big wins for the top two teams, and then two intense tight battles for the other matches. From a player perspective the big names stood up as you’d expect at the business end of the season with some familiar faces in the team of the week, as well as a few new names.
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1. Allan Alaalatoa (Canberra Vikings) – 5 TOTW appearance
It’s the NRC TOTW, of course it’s got to start with Alaalatoa. His fifth appearance in the team was built on the back of a strong scrummaging game against Sef Fa’agase of Queensland Country. Alaalatoa was a key component in ensuring his scrum finished on top of the previously semmingly unstoppable QC scrum. Made plenty of impact around the field as well. Haydn Hirsimaki worked his but off to combat the powerful Vikings scrum, and managed to help his team get the upper hand on a few occasions. [/one_third]
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2. Robbie Abel (Canberra Vikings) – 2
Abel was obviously central to his team’s powerful scrummaging performance on the night however it gets just as much credit for his work away from the scrum. Abel again showcased his physicality in defence as well as his strong running game. He managed to get his team over the advantage line regularly and helped the build the roll on that rarely stopped all night.[/one_third]
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3. Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin (Canberra Vikings) – 1
Makin completes an all Viking front row which is only fair considering they bested what many believed was the best scrummaging pack in the competition in Queensland Country. Makin toiled hard all night up against the bull-like Hirsimaki, and held his own manfully whilst winning the occasional battle. The battle at the scrum never detracted from his work around the field and an important try in the second half was due reward for a busy match. Dashville Kuate came into consideration for his strong scrummaging and ball running for the Eagles.
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4. Tom Staniforth (NSW Country Eagles) – 4
Staniforth continued his golden run on the weekend and there were times when the tall blonde headed second rower in the gold and black jersey could’ve been mistaken for former Tiger league legend Paul Sironen at his best. Powerful runs and handy off-loads were the order of the day as the Eagles looked to dominate the middle of the field. [/one_third]
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5. Rory Arnold (Canberra Vikings) – 1
The new ‘Skylab’ had a whale of a game on the weekend showing tremendous athletic ability you wouldn’t expect in someone nearing 7 foot tall. Arnold displayed a very effective running game but utilising his size to power over defenders, and producing an off-load when possible. His work rate was perhaps the most impressive aspect as he strived to complete repeat involvements in each movement.[/one_third]
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6. Luke Jones (Melbourne Rising) – 1
It would seem that Jones has been ‘managed’ this NRC season, often being played off the bench one can only assume to give him some respite after a big Super Rugby season. On the weekend he was unleashed at blindside and was superb for the Rising. He ran strongly and involved himself in plenty of work at crucial times. Melbourne will need him firing to make a statement in the finals. For the Rams Kelly Meafu made a big impact despite his team having 70+ points scored against him. Beau Robinson was also a veritable perpetual motion machine for the Eagles.[/one_third]
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7. Liam Gill (Brisbane City) – 5
Gill was once again sublime on the weekend and must relish the chance to showcase his running and handling skills in the free flowing style of footy that the NRC promises and Brisbane City brings. The workload in defence and at the tackle always remains, but it’s his work amongst the backs that has been setting him apart. Mark Baldwin has been a little terrier for the Eagles this year and was once again in everything on the weekend in an eye-catching display. [/one_third]
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8. Sam Figg (NSW Country Eagles) – 1
Figg scored two tries on the back of a dominant Eagles scrum and controlled the ball well to score them. But Figg’s game was more than that has he ran strongly to give the Eagles some excellent momentum to move the ball wider. A tireless work rate across the park helped nullify a number of Rays attacking plays. [/one_third]
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9. Ben Meehan (Melbourne Rising) – 2
Meehan is finishing the season at the standard it started with another high energy game against the Stars. His ability to up the ante on the Sydney defensive line was a big factor in his team’s important win. His ability to astutely mix up his effective running game with an accurate pass kept his opponents on the back foot for a lot of the game. James Tuttle of QLD Country was also eye catching in a big loss. [/one_third]
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10. Jono Lance (NSW Country Eagles) – 4
Lance produced the game his Eagles needed to steer his side into contention for this year’s finals series. His kicking game was on point; His defensive work was dominant; His Running was dangerous and his passing was pinpoint. Other weekend results would not fall their way however and the Eagles season finished there. The Rising’s Jack Debreczeni was another contender for this spot and his role in getting the Rising a win was key, and saw the Eagles knocked out of the top four.[/one_third]
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11. Jarome McKenzie (NSW Country Eagles) – 3
It genuinely staggers me that McKenzie is without a Super Rugby contract as, to me, he has the game to mix it on the top stage. His pace remains but his elusiveness, through speed, smart lines and footwork, means he is always a handful as the Rays will attest after the weekend. The Rising’s Stacey Ili enjoyed some space on the weekend and also went close to selection.[/one_third]
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12. Sione Tuipulotu (Melbourne Rising) – 2
The teenaged Sione has forced his way into the Rising team in the place of the well performing Lloyd Johansson. We saw why again on the weekend as his powerful running and quick feet proved an effective attacking edge in the Melbourne mid-field whilst his defence was rock solid.. [/one_third]
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13. Samu Kerevi (Brisbane City) – 2
Samu is one of the players across the comp that has lifted his performance this last few games. This weekend Kerevi was a force to be reckoned with against the Rams running strongly and offloading cleverly. Young Campbell Magnay was his team’s standout as Queensland Country were thrashed by the Vikings. Underused in the 2nd half, he ran powerfully at every chance in the first stanza. [/one_third]
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14. Junior Laloifi (Brisbane City) – 5
The Prince capped off a scintillating NRC season with another three tries which showcased his speed and awareness beautifully. He finishes the preliminary round with a new NRC season record of 14 tries for the season as well as a Queensland Reds contract.[/one_third]
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15. Karmichael Hunt (Brisbane City) – 3.
The Super Rugby season can’t come around quick enough for Hunt after an outstanding NRC season. His performance on Saturday arvo in which he created numerous try scoring opportunities with his vision, line running and ball work displayed all the skills Reds fans will be hoping to see next year.[/one_third]
We will pull together an overall team of the tournament in the coming weeks to post in the week following the NRC Grand Final. Feel free to nominate your suggestions in the comments section below.
