Blues' Best 5 Rd 5: Tupou up to Sharks' tactics
Every week of the NRL season, NSWRL.com.au staff writers will have their say on the Blues' Best Five performing players from that round. More than one player can be selected in a position if their performance is deemed to be in the top five for that week. Selections are purely subjective and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSWRL or the selection process for the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues.
Latrell Mitchell
Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs Position: Fullback NSW Origin games: 4
Mitchell has been at his damaging best this season and the Brisbane Broncos found that out the hard way during the Rabbitohs commanding 35-6 win. The Souths No.1 scored two tries - on both occasions using his brute strength to brush off the goal-line defence - and set up another for winger Alex Johnston. He finished his night with 14 runs for 157 metres, a line break, three line break assists, 11 tackle breaks and a field goal in the final minutes to put an exclamation point on the win.
Nathan Cleary
Club: Penrith Panthers Position: Halfback NSW Origin games: 8
The Panthers halfback tested the Canberra Raiders defence all night in the Panthers’ 30-10 win and was rewarded for his efforts late in the second half when he latched on to a George Williams pass and raced 70 metres to score underneath the posts. He also kicked five goals from as many attempts, had 13 runs for 150 metres, two tackle busts and kicked for 547 metres.
Ryan Papenhuyzen
Club: Melbourne Storm Position: Fullback NSW Origin games: 0
Papenhuyzen has been outstanding in 2021 and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs became the latest club unable to contain the livewire No.1 during the Storm’s 52-18 win. The Melbourne No.1 scored a try – in which he showed blistering acceleration to get past Bulldogs No.7 Kyle Flanagan to plant a kick down before it went dead – landed eight from nine conversions to make it 20 points for the match, had 17 runs for 198 metres, two line breaks, a try assist and three tackle breaks.
Daniel Tupou
Club: Sydney Roosters Position: Winger NSW Origin games: 7
The Roosters winger has been overshadowed by veteran Brett Morris to start the season but more than held his own in the 26-18 win over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Tupou was clearly targeted by the Sharks after they showed a preference to kick to his side of the field but still managed to come up 21 runs for 237 metres. He also scored a crucial try after latching on to a cut-out pass from Sam Walker and tiptoeing down the sideline before planting it over the line to reduce the deficit to 18-14.
Paul Vaughan
Club: St George Illawarra Dragons Position: Prop NSW Origin games: 6
The Dragons have been the surprise packets of 2021 and showed they might be a genuine force after toppling Parramatta Eels 26-12. Vaughan led from the front after taking the battle up to Eels duo Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard. He came out on top with the best performance of any forward all afternoon after coming up with 21 runs for 175 metres and 29 tackles and only one miss.