Tireless full game efforts from J'maine Hopgood and Tohu Harris saw them stand out in the VB Hard Earned Index for Round 1, with middle forwards occupying nine of the top ten spots.
Hopgood (110 Index score) played every minute of the Eels' golden point loss to the Storm, racking up 57 tackles (57) and a round-high five offloads, while Harris put in a brilliant captain's knock in the Warriors' win over the Knights, making 54 tackles and running eight decoys on his way to a score of 106.
The extent of the effort required in the golden point season-opener is reflected in three other players from that game producing top-10 numbers, with Storm lock Josh King (90) in fourth, followed by Eels props Junior Paulo (88) and Reagan Campbell-Gillard (75).
Dolphins back-rower Kenny Bromwich was the only non-middle to crack the top 10, with his teammate Hamiso Tubuai-Fidow the best of the backs, registering a 66 which was good enough for 12th-place overall.
Payne Haas and Junior Paulo took the spots at prop after finishing as the top two tackle breakers for the round, while Rabbitohs centre Isaiah Tass churned through 20 carries in a win over the Sharks.
Perhaps the most impressive inclusion in the team was Cameron Munster, who earned a spot at five-eighth after returning to play the second half for the Storm having earlier suffered a compound fracture of his ring finger.
Munster made 20 tackles, engaged the line three times and had 11 carries, finishing with an Index score of 60.
Paulo is unstoppable
Among players who came off the interchange, it was Dolphins prop Mark Nicholls who stood out from the rest, with his two stints yielding 17 runs, 25 tackles and a support and decoy, with his impact helping to wrestle momentum from the Roosters in the back end of the first half.
Interestingly none of the players who ranked in the overall top 10 on the Index last year featured in the Index count, which captured the top 45 players of the round.
VB Hard Earned Index: Round 1
- J'maine Hopgood (Eels) — 110 points
- Tohu Harris (Warriors) — 106 points
- Patrick Carrigan (Broncos) — 92 points
- Josh King (Storm) — 90 points
- Payne Haas (Broncos) — 89 points
- Junior Paulo (Eels) — 88 points
- Kenny Bromwich (Dolphins) — 80 points
- Reuben Cotter (Cowboys) — 79 points
- Mark Nicholls (Dolphins) — 75 points
- Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Eels) — 75 points