Stat Attack: Tireless Gutherson continues to set benchmark

If Clint Gutherson has felt more fatigued under the NRL's new rules, it hasn't shown.

The Eels captain has appeared to be among the Telstra Premiership's fittest players - an observation backed up by Telstra Tracker data from round three.

In addition to racking up a whopping 284 metres with the ball in hand and earning three Dally M Medal points during a 28-4 victory against the depleted Sharks, Gutherson covered the most overall distance (10.29km) and high-speed metres at 20km/h or more (1012m).

While it's still early days, Gutherson now holds the 2021 records for those categories. So far this year, no other player has covered 10km or registered 1000 high-speed metres in a match.

That Parramatta's No.1 has achieved such results when the game has fewer breaks in play is a testament to his conditioning.

Also last weekend, Broncos winger Xavier Coates showed off his pace by clocking a new Telstra Tracker personal best of 37km/h.

Coates, who last year reached 36.9km/h - the equal second top-speed of the season behind Josh Addo-Carr (37.2km/h), raised the bar for himself in Brisbane's drought-breaking 24-0 win against Canterbury.

The 20-year-old trails Manly winger Jason Saab (37.5km/h) in the 2021 speed stakes, but his pace was on display when he thwarted a Bulldogs short-kick off and then raced 60-odd metres to score.

Melbourne's Addo-Carr (35.2km/h) was next, followed surprisingly by Bulldogs big man Jack Hetherington (35.1), Broncos centre Herbie Farnworth (35.1) and Dragons fullback Matt Dufty (34.8).

Rounding out the weekly Tracker results, Knights bench forward Josh King led the way for meterage-per-minute (104) if we exclude Raiders prop Ryan James (130m/m) ), who managed only three minutes following a head clash which also forced Sebastian Kris (102) off early.

Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster (102) got through the most work in this department for 80-minute players.