Livewire Storm fullback Sua Fa'alogo is building a compelling case for Toa Samoa's No.1 jersey after earning selection in the RLWC2026 Team of the Week.
Fa'alogo, who is in a positional battle with Dolphins superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, was voted by fans as fullback in the World Cup Team of the Week after his starring role in the Storm's 42-20 defeat of the Raiders.
The 23-year-old scored a try, laid on two others, made two-line breaks and produced three-line break assists, while kicking four goals and running 145m with the ball as the Storm overcame a 16-0 deficit to win their third consecutive win.
Sualauvi Faalogo Try
Like Fa'alogo, Warriors star Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has shown that he won't give up his Kiwis jersey without a fight after a stunning four-try performance against the Cowboys.
Nicoll-Klokstad had been sidelined for two months with a neck injury and returned last week on the interchange before being chosen on the wing for Sunday's match against the Cowboys in Christchurch after an injury to Alofiana Khan-Pereira.
Usually a fullback, Nicoll-Klokstad faces stiff competition for the New Zealand No.1 jersey with Kalyn Ponga, Keano Kini and Taine Tuaupiki also vying for World Cup selection.
Kini and Tuaupiki have also been nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week after starring at fullback for the Titans and Warriors, while Ponga was rested by the Knight after his role in Queensland's Origin win at the MCG.
With the emergence of Kini in recent seasons, Nicoll-Klokstad has played in the centres or at five-eighth, as well as fullback, for New Zealand in the recent seasons, and his versatility could ensure him a place in the Kiwis squad.
However, he is also eligible for Cook Islands and played the first three of his 19 Tests for the Aitu.
With so many players in form, Kiwis coach Stacey Jones faces a welcome headache if they remain fit, with Jahrome Hughes, Dylan Brown, Te Maire Martin and Kodi Nikorima vying for playmaking roles.
All four were nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week, with fans voting for Martin and rookie Titans halfback Zane Harrison as the halves.
Charnze lights up Christchurch
Harrison, 20, earned his spot after kicking the match winning field goal for Gold Coast against the ladder leading Panthers.
IRL Golden Boot winner Harry Grant also had massive influence on the outcome of Melbourne's match against the Raiders, with the Kangaroos hooker coming off the bench with the Storm trailing 16-0 and leading them to a 42-20 win.
The RLWC2026 Team of the Week featured players from eight NRL teams who are eligible for seven nations.
The Warriors had the biggest contingent of players, with NSW Origin prop Mitch Barnett (Australia) joining Martin and Nicoll-Klokstad.
The Storm - Fa'alogo and Grant - and Roosters - winger Mark Nawaqanitawase (Australia) and centre Robert Toia (Tonga) - had two each.
Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth (England), Wests Tigers prop Terrell May (Samoa), Sea Eagles secondrower Haumole Olakau'atu (Tonga), Cowboys secondrower Jeremiah Nanai (Samoa) and Dragons lock Ryan Couchman (Australia) complete the team.
Zane Harrison wins it for the Titans
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.
The latest World Cup Team of the Week nominations featured 10 players who are eligible for England, nine for New Zealand and Tonga, eight for Samoa, two for Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands, Fiji cult hero Maika Sivo and France forward Julian Bousquest.
Among the players in contention were World Cup Team of the Week:
- Tonga outside backs Lehi Hopoate, Tolu Koula (both Sea Eagles), Paul Alamoti (Panthers), Robert Toia (Roosters) and Jo Jo Fifita, secondrowers Arama Hau (both Titans) and Haumole Olakau’atu (Sea Eagles), props Stefano Utoikamanu (Storm) and Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans).
- Kiwis fullbacks Keano Kini (Titans) and Taine Tuaupiki (Warriors), winger Will Warbrick, halves Jahrome Hughes (both Storm), Dylan Brown (Knights), Te Maire Martin (Warriors) and Kodi Nikorima, hooker Jeremy Marshall-King (both Dolphins) and prop Naufahu Whyte (Roosters).
- Toa Samoa fullbacks Sua Fa’alogo (Storm) and Charlie Staines (Catalans), halves Jarome Luai (Wests Tigers), Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs) and Tyrone May (Hull KR), prop Terrell May (Wests Tigers), and secondrowers Jeremiah Nanai (Cowboys) and Connelly Lemuelu (Dolphins).
- England centres Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins) and Harry Newman, playmaker Jake Connor, props Mikolaj Oledzki (all Leeds), Max King (Bulldogs) and Alex Walmsley (St Helens), winger Noah Hodkinson, secondrower Junior Nsemba and hooker Brad O’Neill (all Wigan). Roosters halfback Sam Walker is also eligible for England but wasn’t included in a 38-man squad named last week.
- Papua New Guinea winger Nene Macdonald (St Helens) and centre Rhyse Martin (Hull KR), the Kumuls captain who usually plays in the backrow.
Cook Island centre KL Iro (Sharks). Warriors back Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is also eligible for the Aitu. - Fiji winger Maika Sivo (Leeds). Mark Nawaqanitawase is also eligible for Fiji.
- France lock Julian Bousquet (Catalans).
View voting for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week
Rugby League World Cup 2026 returns to Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Where nations clash, heroes rise, and legends are forged. 3 World Cups. 26 Teams. The World’s Best. Tickets are now on sale from $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.
WHEN the anthems play for the opening matches in the World Cup, everyone will have a story about how they got there.
Few will be as compelling as that of 26-year-old Papua New Guinea centre Alex Max, though.
If the hard-hitting and even-harder-running three-quarter is standing there at Santos National Football Stadium on October 17, he’ll be making a Test debut that should have come at least two years earlier.
“It was the year before (last),” the otherwise smiley and upbeat Max tells us at London Broncos’ Hazelwood training base in south-east London.
“I played for the PM’s XIII. “On Monday we were to travel out to Fiji and on Sunday I broke my wrist and I couldn’t make the team so - very sad.”
“Very sad” may sound like a self-mocking phrase if muttered by a hardened NRL or Super League pro but you can tell by looking at Chimbu Province-born Max that his sadness is real.
But in any case ... worse was to come.
Playing under PNG Test coach Jason Demetriou for London Broncos in the Challenge Cup against Bradford on February 8, Max reeled out of a collision and very quickly felt every one of those 14,500 km he was from home. He started coughing up blood and was rushed to hospital in a semi-conscious state.
“That was scary,” he says now. “My family was scared, even my coach here, my brothers here. Myself, I was really scared too.
“Some people (who helped me), I couldn’t even remember them when I was first injured. They brought me in and they took me to the hospital. Then I remember them. In the morning I woke up and I felt normal but still there was some bleeding inside my chest.”
As Demetriou said, just the mental scars of such an injury can be difficult to overcome for a young man. Having scored eight tries in his first four appearances for his new club. Max was on the sidelines for two months in a strange city on the other side of the world.
His comeback occurred in May and by the end of the month Max was sideline again, with a PCL injury from which he is currently recovering. But after coughing up blood and passing out, a knee injury is OK.
“I’m looking forward to being positive and staying away from negativity,” he says with a smile, looking ahead to an August return and a chance to push for World Cup inclusion.
“I’m getting myself fit, getting my rehab, always keep on smiling and have a positive mindset.”
Anyway, that’s left plenty of time to be a tourist and as they say: if you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life. “It’s good,” he nods. “Everybody loves London, they want to explore and see more of London, the big city, the big historical buildings and places here.
“I love London. On my off days I do go out and look at new places and, yeah, I love exploring.
“All the (PNG) boys are living together. It’s a really big house with six bedrooms.”
Surprises about living in such a foreign environment? “I guess it’s the weather. We have four seasons, unlike back down in PNG where we have wet and dry. I love to experience this.”
Broncos lock Connor O’Beirne says: “The PNG boys? They’re incredible people. They’re so nice. To be honest they’re a bit cheeky.
“They’re quite funny around the group and obviously they’re great players as well. To see them come here out of their comfort zone and really become part of a team … yeah, I love those boys.”
Former Australia and Fiji international Reagan Campbell-Gillard says seeing Max and his fellow Papuans experience life in the UK and develop as a footballers has been a privilege.
“They don’t train as well but come game day they flick a switch and you can obviously witness it,” the Broncos captain says.
“During the week they’re not that crash hot. That’s just the way they prepare themselves. Come game day, they’re 100 miles an hour.
“They’re over here experiencing a different world and sightseeing and putting up things on Instagram that are bit strange!
“.. yeah, they’re getting there and once the PNG Chiefs team is up and running I’m sure they’ll be pretty proud to go back there and try and play for that.”
Gairo Voro, Finley Glare, Morea Morea, Robert Mathias and Max are reportedly under serious consideration for Chiefs contracts and much depends on what division the Broncos are in next year.
But Demetriou has shown faith in Max through more bad luck than most footballers have in a career and out of loyalty, the centre shies away from talk of leaving London Town.
Yes, he says, his family back home “worry about me, during my injury and stuff like this.
“Jerome (Luai) was the first signing - everyone was very happy. All the boys are excited about the Chiefs, we’re looking forward to it.”
But ask him his ambition now and it’s not Chiefs contracts or that elusive Test jersey.
It’s “to bring the team to the final and win the Cup.”
Alex Max has learned not to look too far ahead.
