Cowboys vs Roosters

Cowboys

Connelly Lemuelu, Esan Marsters, Jason Taumalolo, Peter Hola.

Roosters

Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Poasa Fa'amausili, Sitili Tupouniua.

Doc's Word

After dabbling in wing duties for North Queensland Cowboys, Connelly Lemuelu is named at centre to give the Cowboys an all #KiwiNRL centre pairing along with Esan Marsters. Any Cowboys vs Roosters game tends to revolve around the battle of South Aucklanders through the middle with Jason Taumalolo coming up against Siosiua Taukeiaho. While there are other excellent middle forwards involved in this game, Taumalolo and Taukeiaho are post-contact-metre monsters...

Post Contact Metres

Taumalolo: 1st.

Taukeiaho: 7th.

Post Contact Metres per Run

Taumalolo: 4.76.

Taukeiaho: 4.73.

That's almost 5pcm per run for both Taumalolo and Taukeiaho; take a moment to imagine cracking an extra 5m after contact most runs.

Titans vs Warriors

Titans

Moeaki Fotuaika, Erin Clark, Sam Lisone, Greg Leleisiuao.

Warriors

All but Blake Green, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Wayde Egan, Jack Murchie, Karl Lawton, Jack Hetherington.

Doc's Word

Erin Clark started at hooker for a few games post-pando, then Mitch Rein took that job and now an injury to Rein has Clark back starting. Clark played as a middle forward last week, in a similar role to Siliva Havili (Raiders) and Brandon Smith (Storm), which didn't help the Titans in losing to the Sharks but this did highlight a funky wrinkle to Clark's work. Greg Leleisiuao is also on the Titans extended bench and while that means very little, I've been eager to see if the back to back Junior Kiwis (2016, 2017) winger can crack NRL and then what kind of impact he would have. At least Leleisiuao is in the mix.

Rabbitohs vs Tigers

Rabbitohs

Steven Marsters.

Tigers

Michael Chee-Kam, Josh Aloiai, Elijah Taylor, Benji Marshall, Russell Packer.

Doc's Word

Like Leleisiuao for the Titans, Steven Marsters is a back to back Junior Kiwis rep (2017, 2018) and has been on my radar for a while. That made Marsters' move from the Dragons to Rabbitohs over the summer rather intriguing as Marsters linked up with Wayne Bennett and is now named on the Rabbitohs' extended bench. I don't expect Marsters to play any time soon, again it's a good sign that the cousin of Esan Marsters is making a solid impression with the Rabbitohs.

In losing to the Panthers last week, Josh Aloiai again showcased his 2020 nek level work in leading the Tigers forward pack through the middle. Aloiai played 50 minutes, with 15 runs for 149m @ 9.93m/run and 4pcm/run. Aloiai had the most runs of the Tigers forward and chuck in 35 tackles @ 97.3 percent as well. Not quite commanding the same attention as Marata Niukore in a slick Eels team, Aloiai is averaging 48mins per game and has quite clearly taking on far more responsibility under Kiwis coach Michael Maguire.

That may be because Aloiai averages 36.33 tackles per missed tackle and anything over 20 tackles per miss is excellent. Keep an eye on Aloiai as I reckon the connection with Maguire will have Aloiai in the Kiwis mix sooner rather than later.

Sharks vs Panthers

Sharks

Sione Katoa, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Shaun Johnson, Briton Nikora, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Siosifa Talakai.

Panthers

Dean Whare, James Fisher-Harris, Zane Tetevano, Moses Leota, Malakai Watene-Zalezniak.

Doc's Word

Coming up against Aloiai in that Tigers vs Panthers game last weekend was James Fisher-Harris and while the Northlander is a young buck like Aloiai, Niukore and Braden Hamlin-Uele, Fisher-Harris is operating at a different level with a wee bit more experience. Playing 57mins vs Tigers, Fisher-Harris had a whopping 21 runs for 199m @ 9.47m/run and 45 tackles @ 93.8 percent. Here's an update on where Fisher-Harris ranks in some key stats for the entire NRL...

Post Contact Metres: 5th.

All Runs: 6th.

Run Metres: 5th.

Tackles: 21st.

Offloads: 17th.

Decoy Runs: 2nd.

Shaun Johnson is still 1st in try assists and he is still averaging the most running metres per game of his career, the first season in which Johnson averages 80+ metres. Braden Hamlin-Uele is doing a great job of starting for the Sharks with the move to a starting role resulting in the Sharks winning their last three games.

Broncos vs Bulldogs

Broncos

Jamayne Isaako, Issac Luke, Alex Glenn.

Bulldogs

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Reimis Smith, Kieran Foran, Jeremy Marshall-King, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Renouf To'omaga, Ofahiki Ogden, Sione Katoa.

Doc's Word

Two #KiwiNRL dummy halves named to start in this game, here are how Issac Luke and Jeremy Marshall-King compare this season...

Issac Luke: 53mins (per game), 4 runs @ 9.91m/run, 1.16 kick, 15.72 tackles per miss.

Jeremy Marshall-King: 74mins, 4 runs @ 8.77m/run, 0.25 kicks, 19 tackles per miss.

Raiders vs Storm

Raiders

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Bailey Simonsson, Joseph Tapine, Siliva Havili, Jordan Rapana.

Storm

Jahrome Hughes, Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, Brandon Smith, Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Doc's Word

Jahrome Hughes exploded in his second game back in the halves for Melbourne Storm, especially after not quite being at his best prior to suffering an injury. Hughes scored two tries and had a try assist, while Hughes' last two games (easy win vs Warriors, tough win vs Roosters) saw him play his two best games as far as touches and run metres go; 45+ touches in both games, 100+ metres in both games.

Similar vibe to the battle of the #KiwiNRL starting hookers, only that these two hookers in Siliva Havili and Brandon Smith are primarily used as middle forwards. Things got a bit weird last week as Cameron Smith played much of the win vs Roosters in the halves, leaving Brandon Smith to play hooker and middle forward. Check out some of these crazy numbers for Brandon Smith this season and fizz up at the prospect of him starting at hooker for Aotearoa Kiwis behind a low key bonkers forward pack...

Brandon Smith: 49.83mins, 9 runs @ 9.35m/run, 16.1 tackles per miss.

Whether or not Smith and Havili do battle in a similar role and how the two Smiths are used for the Storm will be interesting, here's how Havili's stats stack up to Smith (keep in mind a slightly different role now)...

Siliva Havili: 28.5mins, 9 runs @ 9.61m/run, 39 tackles per miss.

Keep an eye on Nelson Asofa-Solomona also, considering he's slowly heating up and adjusting to the post-pando NRL. Asofa-Solomona has played 35+ minutes in his last two games and that's the first time this season he has done so, leading to Asofa-Solomona having his two best metre-eating efforts in these last two games.

Knights vs Eels

Knights

Herman Ese'ese, Starford To'a.

Eels

Dylan Brown, Marata Niukore, Brad Takairangi.

Doc's Word

Starford To'a is named on the Knights bench in an interesting move from coach Adam O'Brien. Edrick Lee is out injured and during the win vs Sea Eagles last weekend, Tex Hoy moved to the wing and Hoy's named to start there to face the Eels this weekend. With To'a on the bench though, expect To'a to get some game time on the wing at some stage as Hoy is a livewire capable of playing numerous positions. Remember To'a made his debut last season and spent time in Aotearoa Kiwis camp, that's how he's viewed by Kiwis coach Maguire and the Kiwis staff.

How did Dylan Brown go in leading the Eels around without Mitchell Moses? Well they won 42-4 for starters and in such a big win, big stats are to be expected; 11 runs for 121m @ 11m/run, 3 try assists, 3 tackle breaks and 27 tackles @ 96.4 percent.

What about Marata Niukore though!? Here are Niukore's stats vs Cowboys: 46mins, 15 runs for 184m @ 12.6m/run, 5.86pcm/run, 1tb, 1 offload, 21 tackles @ 91.3 percent.

Dragons vs Sea Eagles

Dragons

Jordan Pereira.

Sea Eagles

Taniela Paseka, Martin Taupau.

Doc's Word

Not much doing here with limited #KiwiNRL involvement, other than Jordan Pereira coming back on to the wing for the Dragons.

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