Fortescue Premier Grade Team of the Week Round: 5

Wed, May 12, 2021, 6:00 AM
Rugby WA Media
by Rugby WA Media

Players showed skill and determination on field during Round 5 of the Fortescue Premier Grade games on the weekend. As teams went head to head across the state, players fought for their spot on Team of the Week.

 

Take a look at who stood out during Round 5.


1. Marcus Cutler - Wanneroo
Wanneroo’s new loose head prop seems to be settling in to the FMG Premier Grade competition nicely. A consistent performer every week, Cutler stepped it up to another level for the full 80mins in a grand-final like contest against Wests Scarborough.

2. JP Sauni - Associates
Associates badly missed their spearhead forward in the early rounds. His return to the team has provided some starch to the pack. In an emotionally fueled Battle of Broome St., Sauni was cool at lineout time and strong in his hard carries.

3. Paulo Nu'u - Coastal Cavaliers
The Cavs big man was again at his rampaging best. The Goats defenders struggled to put Nu’u down on his bullock-like runs through the middle of the field. The tight head also had a field day in the scrums with some powerful shoves. With form like this, it is no wonder the Cavs are sitting in the top 6.

4. Aidan Lee - Nedlands
Joondalup came hard at Nedlands on the weekend, and it was the physicality of players like Lee that helped Neddies weather the storm and pull away with the win. His 1 on 1 tackle was clinical and his speed on his carries provided the momentum that the Nedlands backs could feed off.

5. Tashir Newsome-smith - Southern Lions
The enthusiastic backrower had to fill a void at lock for the Lions in a must with arm wrestle against ARKS on the weekend. His energy around the park in both attack and defence ensures Newsome-smith is always where the ball is. His hattrick of tries kept the Southerners out of reach.

6. Auega Seumanutafa - Kalamunda
The Perth Gold selectors are keeping a close eye on the 2021 form of Seumanutafa. His improved fitness has increased the number of times he can produce his blockbusting gallops through the middle of the park. What’s more important is that he is having huge performances in the big games.

7. Jesse Elliott - Associates
In an extremely tight tussle, possession of the ball was vitally important for victory against the Gulls. Elliot was up to the task with multiple turn-overs at the tackle and an endless supply of primary cleanouts for his ball carriers. Elliot was happy to do the hard yakka all day for the men in Gold.

8. Patrick Tuialii - Nedlands
In a mouthwatering encounter against his old club, Nedlands Head Coach Sam Rarasea rolled the dice and gave Tuialli his first starting role. And didn’t the gamble pay off. The hard running No. 8 crashed over for Nedlands’ first try, then backed it up with multiple line breaks and offloads culminating in a second try later in the game.

9. Reece Anapu - Palmyra
The first 20 minutes of the match against Perth Bayswater was an arm-wrestle, until Anapu was substituted into the game. Coming back from his third injury of the season so far, Anapu turned up the voltage on the game and shifted the momentum of the match. Its performances like this one that show why the Western Force Academy star is only a few short steps away from a Junior Wallabies jersey.

10. Ethan Reilly - Wanneroo
With another dominant performance in the match of the season so far, Reilly is showing he is clearly back in his old form. Reilly’s passing game has gone to another level with pinpoint accuracy putting his outside runners through numerous holes and resulting in match-turning tries.

11. Kameli Naisiroki - Southern Lions
Naisiroki’s dynamic side-stepping proved difficult for the big ARKs men to get a hold of. He created momentum in attack by slipping tackles and getting in behind the opposition line. Furthermore, he was up to the task in defence as ARKs moved the ball to either edge.

12. Jackson Neilson - Nedlands
Mr Consistent for Nedlands took things upon himself in a game where there wasn’t much space out wide. He was dynamic with his ball running causing headaches for the Joondalup defence. The high involvement performance showed why the Nedlands management believe he’s ready for Perth Gold selection.

13. Marcus Arrindell - Palmyra
Arrindell took advantage of the momentum shift in the match and blew it apart with a two-try double just before half time. At only 21, the former Western Force U19s representative is thriving in already his 4th season of Premier Grade rugby. The big, elusive centre is providing a key balance to the speedy Palms backline.

14. James Dougal - Coastal Cavaliers
In what is shaping to be like a script similar to the movie “the Natural”, James Dougal’s quest for one last crack at the rugby big-time took a huge leap with yet another scintillating performance. The former Western Force player, who came through the RugbyWA pathway, ripped up the opposition for the second week in a row, solidifying his team into the top section of the ladder.

15. Usaia Ralulu - Kalamunda
For the second week in a row, the Kalamunda flyer was a magnet to the ball, dancing his way through traffic. As the Bulls hung tough against the ladder leader students, it was Ralulu who stuck the knife in deep to steal the win on the siren. He supported Kiti’s bold intercept to out-gas the cover defence and win the game.


Share