Biggest surprises so far in Bundy Mixer
While many of the traditional guns have fired through the opening fortnight of Bundy Mixer in 2023, a handful of surprise players have stood tall with big scores.
Identifying these players is a key tactic in Mixer, with point of differences crucial to ensuring you jump ahead in your leagues and the overall rankings.
Biggest surprises so far in Bundy Mixer
Cameron McInnes (HOK)
A stats machine when he was a big-minute forward for the Dragons in the past, McInnes had fallen away a bit since joining the Sharks and becoming an interchange specialist.
*Almost all of Cameron McInnes's record breaking tackles count
But his record-breaking 81 tackles in Round 22 are evidence of his ability to still get through a heap of work, and with Dale Finucane's season over due to injury McInnes is set to have a starting role for the rest of the year.
The real positive for McInnes in Mixer is that he is designated as a HOK, not a MID (HOK has fewer reliable elite players), so there is plenty of opportunity to weave him into your side each week, and with a last two game average of 76.5, why wouldn't you?
Evania Pelite (WFB)
A full-time move to fullback, after splitting time between there and centre last season, was always going to be good news for Pelite's Mixer prospects and she hasn't disappointed through the first fortnight.
Scores of 88 and 57 so far has her as the best performing WFB ahead of Round 3, a drastic improvement on the 38.4 points per game she averaged last Mixer season.
A good base of stats thanks to 193 average run metres has been topped up by her remarkable ability to break tackles, which she's done 23 times in two games, and her role in the Titans' attack means Pelite is unlikely to have too many quiet games for the rest of this season.
Pelite near perfect
Sarah Togatuki (EDG)
Togatuki showed glimpses of her ability to accumulate big stats while with the Roosters back in 2021, but fell back last Mixer season to average a modest 31.2 points per game.
This year as a key member of competition newcomers the Wests Tigers she's been exceptional, averaging 55.5 per game on the back of big running numbers and a low rate of demerit points.
Togatuki is the big Mixer surprise playing for the NRLW's biggest surprise, with the joint venture unbeaten through the opening two rounds.
Teagan Berry (WFB)
Even with her prolific try-scoring rate over the past two seasons, which saw her score nine tries in 13 games, Berry was a Mixer stay away, with her best season still seeing her average under 30 points per game.
Berry special for Dragons in Round 1
But a move to fullback this year has triggered the 21-year-old to become a key part of a new-look Dragons attack – and a big increase in base stats, coupled with a try-scoring rate which is on track to be better than ever – has her flying in 2023, with a 67.5 point average per game so far.
The big upside with Berry is that she shapes as being a point of difference, with the numbers showing most Mixer players this year have tended to side with a WFB like Evania Pelite, Scott Drinkwater, Tamika Upton or Latrell Mitchell.
Zac Lomax (CTR)
Given he plays in a struggling Dragons side, and his stats had been fairly up and down all year anyway, Lomax wasn't a player who jumped out as a Mixer gun a few weeks ago.
But with scores of 70 and 60 in his past two games, his value in the notoriously difficult CTR position can't be doubted, and he's arguably the best NRL option around in that position.
Lomax is a magician
He's run for over 200 metres in each of his last three games, with his role in the squad appearing to have changed during that time, and the fact that he kicks goals is a nice added bonus. He's also cut down on many of the demerits which he has struggled with in the past, which means he is far more reliable.
