The very best of Bundy Mixer so far

After the first four Game Weeks of Bundy Mixer in 2023 the form players are starting to emerge, with a couple of surprises thrown in. 

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As we look back on the first month of competition, here are the five best Mixer performers for both the NRL and NRLW competitions. 

Best of the NRL

Nathan Cleary (HLF)

It looked for a little while like Nicho Hynes might have surpassed Cleary as the most reliable HLF in Mixer, but the Penrith No.7 has been brilliant since returning from a layoff with a hamstring injury and in at least two Game Weeks was the difference between having a good score and a great score for many. 

After starting a little slow with a 51, Cleary hit 101 the following week against the Sharks and followed it up with a 91 against the Storm.

His ability to stack up numbers across a range of metrics means he is always a good chance of hitting a big score, while being the chief playmaker of the best team in the competition means line breaks, try assists and line break assists are never too far away either, not to mention the nice boost he provides with kicking goals. 

Cameron McInnes (HOK) 

It was always good news when McInnes was designated as a HOK in Mixer, while being guaranteed a starting lock role at Cronulla following the loss of Dale Finucane to a season-ending injury. 

But the tough-as-nails utility has gone beyond what we could have predicted, with two scores over 80 and none under 50 in four Mixer appearances.

Huge numbers in defence topped up by a couple of tries have made McInnes close to a must have each Game Week. 

Isaah Yeo (MID)

The picture of high-performing consistency, with a 68-point average and just nine points separating his best and worst score this Mixer season.

Yeo has played all but six minutes in his past four games and missed just two tackles while making 159, plus he's heavily involved in what the Panthers do on attack too. 

There are a heap of good MID options in Mixer this year, but Yeo is a class above in terms of NRL players and is on par with Georgia Hale in the NRLW. 

Daly Cherry-Evans (HLF)

A nice addition to the elite HLFs landscape with Nathan Cleary and Shaun Johnson attracting much of the attention through the early rounds. 

The Manly skipper brought his total up with a stellar 88-point showing against the Panthers last week, after he opened the season with a 73.

DCE is good for at least 400 kick metres each week and has been running the ball and breaking tackles more often through the back end of the season, which translates well in Mixer. 

Cameron Murray (MID)

While Murray was struggling to get the big numbers of base stats you want at the start of the year, and therefore shaping as a Mixer stay-away, his past month has been excellent from a stats point of view. 

He didn't score below 64 for the first three Game Weeks and with the Rabbitohs' season very much on the line over the next couple of games, you can expect him to keep playing big minutes. 

Like many of his South Sydney teammates, he is a far better Mixer prospect now that they have Latrell Mitchell back and their first-choice spine in place. 

Best of the NRLW

Georgia Hale (MID)

Hale has always been a hard worker on the field, but her numbers this season have made her a Mixer gun. 

Through four games she's got through a mountain of defence and heads into Round 5 having made 54 tackles – effectively an entire game's worth of defence – more than the next best tackler in the NRLW.

Her Mixer performances reflect it too and she's without a score under 60 this season, making her the best scoring MID whose played more than one game in either the NRLW or NRL. 

Simaima Taufa (MID)

Taufa has long been a stats machine in the middle of the park and as part of an inexperienced Raiders side she's taking on more responsibility than ever in 2023. 

She's had just one score under 50 and most recently comes off a monster haul of 88, helped by scoring her second try in three weeks. 

A nice point of difference option when most teams go with either Georgia Hale or Isaah Yeo at MID.

Isabelle Kelly (CTR)

With CTR such a tough position to get right in Mixer, Kelly's performances this year have been a gift.

The powerful Rooster has had good base stats the whole way through and started to produce more of the dynamic attacking plays from Game Week 3 onwards.

Just about a set and forget option at CTR each week who is going to get line breaks, run metres and tackle busts in big numbers more often than not.

Sarah Togatuki (MID)

After averaging just 31 points in Mixer last season, it's fair to say Togatuki's jump to being one of the elite NRLW options this year has come as a big surprise.

While her consistency is a worry compared to others and she has a low floor, Togatuki is averaging 56.5 this year and it's very hard to argue against a player who has scores of 70+ in half of her four games. 

Averaging 214 metres in running, the Wests Tigers enforcer has been pretty good at avoiding demerits too and is tacking at 95 percent efficiency.

Evania Pelite (WFB)

While she's always been a powerful runner and tackle breaker, Pelite's fulltime move to fullback has transformed her as a Mixer prospect this year.

Having averaged in the high 30s over the last two seasons, the 28-year-old has taken it to another level so far to average 54.

Pelite has registered a competition-high 38 tackle breaks across four games so far and is managing to score well despite making the equal-most errors in the NRLW. If she can tidy that part up, she could be huge on the run home.