Vote for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week

Tonga’s likely World Cup halves pairing of Isaiya Katoa and Isaiah Iongi produced five-star performances to lead the Dolphins and Eels to victory, while Alex Seyfarth pushed his selection claims in front of England coach Brian McDermott as Wests Tigers edged the Titans.

Katoa, Iongi and Seyfarth are among the players nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week after matches in Round 1 of the NRL matches and Round 14 of Super League.

Iongi ran 175m with the ball from fullback in Parramatta’s 15-12 defeat of last year’s minor premiers Canberra but his real impact was in the front line of attack, where he largely played as second receiver, produced two try assists and three line-break assists.

After spending the week in camp with the Blues squad, Katoa was electric for the Dolphins, scoring a try, setting up another and having a hand in several others as the in-form Kristain Woolf coached team defeated Sydney Roosters 48-10.

The pair played together in the halves for Tonga during last year’s Pacific Championships and Iongi is again expected to be the first choice scrumbase partner for Katoa at RLWC2026, as Woolf has a number of other fullback options, including Manly’s Tolu Koula and Lehi Hopoate.

The nominations for RLWC2026 Team of the Week include Dolphins centre Jack Bostock, who was called into the NSW squad for State of Origin II at the MCG on Wednesday after Casey McLean was ruled out with an ankle injury.

The Dolphins and Sharks, who won 10-8 in Auckland, have seven players each nominated for the World Cup Team of the Week, while Wests Tigers, the Rabbitohs, Titans and Warriors have five apiece.

Seyfarth earned his first Team of the Week nomination after moving from the secondrow to lock in the absence of Lebanon forward Alex Twal, scoring a try and making a game-high 54 tackles as Wests Tigers came from behind to beat the Titans 36-28.

The 27 year-old, whose mother was born in Bradford and moved to Australia in her teens, is keen to represent England at the World Cup and couldn’t have picked a better match to push his claims as McDermott is on the Titans coaching staff.

Samoa playmaker Jarome Luai was among the other Wests Tigers stars, scoring three tries including a 79th minute effort which drew comparisons with coach Benji Marshall at his brilliant best after stepping four Titans defenders in a jinking run to seal the victory.

Sharks pair Will Kennedy and Braydon Trindall have also been nominated after their match winning efforts against the Warriors, along with Kiwis winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, Cook Islands centre KL Iro and forwards Cameron McInnes, Teig Wilton and Tom Hazelton.

Kumuls winger Alex Johnston was one of five Rabbitohs players nominated after scoring four tries in an emotion-charged 48-6 defeat of Brisbane as both clubs paid tribute to Jai Arrow, who has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Each week, fans vote for their RLWC2026 Team of the Week from players nominated after the previous weekend's NRL and Super League matches who are eligible for the 10 nations contesting Rugby League World Cup 2026. 

The RLWC2026 Team of the Week is announced each Wednesday.

Among the players in contention for this week's World Cup Team of the Week are:

• Tonga halves Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins) and Isaiah Iongi, who plays fullback for the Eels, props Tevita Pangai Jnr (Hull KR) and Moeaki Fotuaika and secondrower Arama Hau (both Titans)
• Kiwis fullback Keano Kini (Titans), wingers Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks) and Jamayne Isaako, hooker Jeremy Marshall-King (both Dolphins), halfback Te Maire Martin, lock Erin Clark (Warriors) and prop Joseph Tapine (Raiders).
• Toa Samoa halves Jarome Luai (Wests Tigers) and Tyrone May (Hull KR), winger Phillip Sami (Titans), prop Terrell May (Wests Tigers), and secondrowers Jacob Laban (Warriors) and Connelly Lemuelu (Dolphins).
• England lock Morgan Knowles, centres Herbie Farnworth (both Dolphins) and Harry Newman, playmaker Jake Connor (both Leeds), wingers Josh Charnley (Leigh), Tommy Makinson (Catalans) and Noah Hodkinson, secondrower Junior Nsemba, hooker Brad O’Neill (all Wigan), and Wests Tigers backrower Alex Seyfarth, who has declared his ambition to represent his mother’s nation of birth
• Fiji fullback Jahream Bula, secondrowers Sione Fainu (both Wests Tigers), Kitione Kautoga (Eels) and winger Maika Sivo (Leeds)
• Papua New Guinea winger Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs) and hooker Edwin Ipape (Leigh)
• Cook Island centre KL Iro (Sharks)
• Lebanon centre Jordan Samrani (Eels)
• France-eligible back Latrell Siegwalt (Rabbitohs) and prop Romain Navarrete (Catalans)

Vote for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week