NRL Power Rankings: Jacob Kiraz enters rankings while Tohu Harris, Alex Twal and J‘maine Hopgood consolidate spots

He scored two tries, had two line breaks, 13 tackle busts and ran for 201 metres in an important victory for the Dogs.

It was the best comparative performance by a player of the weekend according to Fox Lab’s new power rankings system.

EXPLAINER: How the power ranking system works

Kiraz finished with a score of 98.82 for the round, one of the highest by a winger in the past five seasons.

His numbers were helped by the speed with which he played the game.

The 21-year-old received points for his ability to create fast play-the-balls. He only had two for the match that weren’t categorised as fast or fast-neutral.

For SuperCoach players, Kiraz also had the highest score of the week finishing with a remarkable 148 points.

It was part of a brilliant night for the Bulldogs’ back five who combined for 717 run metres against the Storm. Each of them got into triple figures, as opposed to just one, Will Warbrick, for Melbourne.

Kiraz and the other wingers in the competition still have some way to reach the benchmark performance from the past five years — Matt Ikuvalu’s five-try night against the Cowboys in 2020.

Interestingly, the following three best performances from the round all came from players on losing teams.

Parramatta duo Mitch Moses and J’maine Hopgood rounded out the podium thanks to their strong, individual contributions against the Sharks.

Moses scored two tries, saved another and had a big kicking game in his milestone 200th match – finishing with a positional match ranking of 98.14.

The rise of Hopgood continued for Parramatta who has adapted brilliantly to life at the Eels.

Against the Sharks, he added some attacking output to his sensational base stats. He had two try assists, including a great offload for the Eels’ opener. Throw in some efficient offloads and 43 tackles, he continues to impress in what was just his 11th match in the NRL.

Also in the top five is the other most consistent performer through two rounds, Warriors captain Tohu Harris.

His score of 97.69 was his second consecutive week in the high-90s. His brilliant defensive showing powered that, finishing with 53 tackles and two high kick pressures.

Newcastle’s Dane Gagai rounded out the top five in his first game of the season. He was influential for the Knights as they held on against the Wests Tigers, producing a try assist and try contribution as well as 14 fast or fast-neutral play the balls. He also led his side for metres with 163m, finishing with a positional rank of 97.18.

Consistent forwards lead overall power rankings

It’s still very early in the season to place too much weight on a full power rankings ladder. With early bye rounds and players returning from injury, many of the current top 10 are there after playing just one game in 2023.

However, there are four players worth singling out for praise through the opening fortnight.

Harris sits in second place overall and has been incredibly consistent for the Warriors who have shown their new defensive acumen under coach Andrew Webster.

Hopgood’s praise has also been warranted, the only other player to have an average score in the 90s after two matches.

In eighth sits Reed Mahoney, who has been the Dogs’ best player across the season‘s opening two weeks.

The final forward in the top 10 after two weeks is the Wests Tigers’ Alex Twal.

It has been a disappointing two weeks for the home fans at Leichhardt, particularly against the Knights as they somehow snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory.

But the form of Twal to begin 2023 is a sign of promise.

While Tyson Frizell’s last-ditch effort denied him what would have been a historic first NRL try, Twal came off the bench and had a big impact.

He ended the game with 45 tackles, the most in the game, and ran for 93 metres which was more than any other bench forward.

Across the board, the Tigers’ forward pack needs to lift in the coming weeks to give their playmakers a better platform to attack with. But Tim Sheens will be happy that Twal is lifting to the challenge despite the heavy focus on forward recruitment this off-season.