Could Josh Papalii go back-to-back to win his third Mal Meninga Medal?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The barnstorming way the Canberra Raiders big bopper has finished the season gives him every chance to.
But there's a number of contenders, including players new to the club or in new positions, when it's decided at AIS Arena on Tuesday night.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and John Bateman have both been revelations in their first year with the Green Machine, while Jack Wighton's shift to five-eighth has played a big part in the Raiders preparing to host their first preliminary final - against either South Sydney or Manly at Canberra Stadium next Friday.
Raiders co-captains Josh Hodgson and Jarrod Croker have been their usual consistent selves, while the work Elliott Whitehead gets through every week could see him poll well.
Papalii's been a revelation in 2019, making light work of his shift from lock to prop where Raiders legend Meninga himself rates him as the best in the NRL.
His past month has been especially eye-catching.
He scored the winning try against the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne a month ago, scored a cracker and ran for 205 metres in the final-round loss to the New Zealand Warriors and was again the Raiders' best forward in their qualifying final win over the Storm on the weekend.
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
The 27-year-old was again one of Queensland's best in their unsuccessful State of Origin series and he's seventh in the NRL for post-contact metres (1257m) .
He's the Green Machine's second biggest metre eater with 3486m - behind fullback Nicoll-Klokstad (4168m).
It's set to give him a tough decision at the end of the NRL season - should he represent Australia or Samoa?
Papalii hasn't played for the Kangaroos since 2016 and felt he didn't do his Samoan heritage justice with his efforts at the 2017 World Cup.
Nicoll-Klokstad's been outstanding since making a switch from the Warriors to Canberra just weeks before the start of the season.
Despite having hardly enough time to learn his new teammates' names, he has made the No.1 jersey his own to enter the conversation as one of the best in the business.
He's fifth in the NRL for run metres, first in the league for kick return metres (1637m), leads the Raiders with 98 tackle busts and is their second highest try scorer (11).
It's a fair effort for someone who only played seven NRL games before moving across the ditch.
Bateman has similarly had an impressive start in lime green.
Having won Super League titles with Wigan, the England international has become a fan favourite in his first campaign Down Under.
He's the Raiders' most prolific offloader (36) and is second behind Nicoll-Klokstad for tackle busts.
That's despite missing three weeks due to a broken eye socket.
Wighton will also be in the mix, having put a terrible end to 2018 behind him when he missed the final 10 matches due to a suspension for several late-night assaults.
His switch from fullback to five-eighth has been such a success it led to him making his Origin debut for the NSW Blues and has him in line to make his Kangaroos debut at the end of the season.
While they're probably the main four contenders, it wouldn't surprise if Croker, Hodgson and Whitehead also poll well.
Whitehead's defence is exceptional, Hodgson leads Canberra's attack and Croker finishes it off as their leading try scorer (12) and goal-kicking machine as the second highest point scorer in the NRL (216).
NRL PRELIMINARY FINAL
September 27: Canberra Raiders v South Sydney or Manly at Canberra Stadium, 7.50pm. Tickets available next week.