NRL Fantasy's Top Five Performances of Round 26

Daniel Long

NRL Fantasy's Top Five Performances of Round 26 image

Walsh and Haas Getty

There’s just one week left of NRL Fantasy before the league switches into finals mode.

Round 26 saw some monstrous performances, with a handful of stars producing season-best scores at the right time.

Honourable mentions go to James Tedesco, Jacob Preston, Jayden Campbell, Hudson Young and Corey Waddell, who all posted 70+ points.

NRL Fantasy uses stats to measure the work and impact of players each week, and these were the standouts from Round 26.

MORE: Five NRL Fantasy players set to explode in Round 26

1. Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles) – 92 points

The Manly skipper wound back the clock with a massive all-round effort against the Dragons.

Cherry-Evans scored 1 try, kicked 6 goals, produced 5 try assists and 4 line-break assists, while also running over 100 metres.

It was a big turnaround after 12 consecutive games under the century mark in running metres — he’s now cracked 124m, 171m and 105m across his last three outings.

With a season average of 52.3, his last three games at 76 show he’s responded to critics and hit form at the right time.

2. Reece Walsh (Brisbane Broncos) – 90 points

Walsh has taken his game to another level since Adam Reynolds’ injury, and he delivered again in a win over the Cowboys.

His stats were stacked — 1 try, 5 goals, 2 try assists, 5 line-break assists, 3 offloads, 202 running metres, though offset by 5 errors.

Across his last three games, Walsh has churned out 35 tackle busts and 647 running metres.

With a three-game average of 91.7 compared to a season average of 48.8, his late-season surge is among the most impressive in Fantasy this year.

3. Terrell May (Wests Tigers) – 87 points

The Tigers forward was immense in defeat against Canberra, getting through 77 minutes of work.

He finished with 59 tackles for just one miss, alongside 121 metres, 4 tackle busts and 2 offloads.

May’s effort highlights why he is considered one of the hardest-working big men in the NRL.

He’s now averaging 73.8 for the season and remains a must-have Fantasy weapon.

4. Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins) – 80 points

Not usually a Fantasy standout, Nikorima was everywhere in the Dolphins’ shootout with the Titans.

He scored a try, set up two more, added a line break, two line-break assists, 24 tackles, 5 busts, 3 offloads and even forced two errors.

With a season average of just 37.9, his 80-point haul was one of the surprises of the round.

5. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos) – 79 points (tied 5th)

Haas has found rare try-scoring form, crossing in back-to-back weeks after scoring just once in the first 24 rounds.

Against the Cowboys he added 1 try, 1 line break, 35 tackles without a miss, 6 tackle busts, an offload and 149 running metres.

Settled into 60–70 minutes per game, he’s still churning out elite numbers with a season average of 73.7 and a three-game average of 80.

5. Mark Nawaqanitawase (Sydney Roosters) – 79 points (tied 5th)

The Roosters winger exploded with a second-half blitz against Melbourne.

He bagged 4 tries, 4 line breaks, 4 busts, 2 offloads and 161 metres in a standout attacking display.

Nawaqanitawase has been streaky in 2025 but now has back-to-back strong games with 61 and 79 points.

His season average sits at 46.9, but his late-season form is trending upwards at 55 across the last three weeks.

Daniel Long

Daniel Long is a contributing Wires Writer at The Sporting News based in Australia.