1. Matt Moylan (Panthers)
Moylan put his hand up for NSW Origin fullback honours in the post-Jarryd Hayne era with his man-of-the-match performance against the Gold Coast. When he wasn't weaving his way through the Titans defence from the back Moylan was busy setting up tries, three in fact, in Penrith's 40-nil win.
2. Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs)
Scoring an early contender for try of the season within the first 15 minutes of the blockbuster against the Roosters, Johnston has seemingly picked up from where he left off last season. With no sign yet of the dreaded second-year syndrome, Johnston's 176 metres and try-scoring double against the fellow competition heavyweights proved once again that he is the real deal.
3. Jamal Idris (Panthers)
Scoring a hat-trick, running for 100 metres and setting up Penrith's final try – all against his former club the Titans – Idris was practically unstoppable on Saturday and showed that his back injury woes are well and truly behind him.
4. Joey Leilua (Knights)
Highly-publicised concerns over his fitness plagued Leilua's off-season but in Newcastle's comeback victory against the Cowboys he was able to put that to rest. While the Townsville heat took some of the sting out of his rampaging runs, it didn't stop the centre from crossing for two tries – including the match winner – and producing 131 metres.
5. Manu Vatuvei (Warriors)
The Beast, like a fine wine, appears to be getting better with age. With his experience allowing the veteran to better utilise his size and speed against often smaller and younger opposition, Vatuvei ran for the 190 metres and scored the first try of the match in the Warriors' win over the Raiders.
6. Luke Keary (Rabbitohs)
Greg Inglis and George Burgess captured the attention, and Adam Reynolds proved his worth simply by being off the field while the Roosters fought back, but at the centre of South Sydney's impressive win over the Tricolours on Sunday afternoon was Keary. The impetus behind the Rabbitohs' momentum shift when they looked down and out, when he strolled past Mitch Pearce to set up Johnston's second try, Keary's performance was all the more crucial considering his halves partner Reynolds wasn't himself for much of the game.
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
The classy halfback showed he was 100 per cent committed to Manly's cause for the 2015 season with a dominant performance against Melbourne, just a week after announcing he had signed with the Titans for 2016. Cherry-Evans eased the minds of Sea Eagles fans with two try assists that changed the game late in the first half, to go with three tackle busts and two line-break assists.
8. Aaron Woods (Tigers)
For the second week running, the Wests Tigers prop has been one of the NRL's best front-rowers. Against the lacklustre Dragons Woods ran rampant, keeping his opposition pack reeling all night by racking up 246 metres and 33 tackles.
9. James Segeyaro (Panthers)
The ever-elusive Segeyaro kept the plaudits coming in Round 2 with another strong display out of dummy-half. Segeyaro kept the metres coming and the Titans guessing all game long in a landslide victory for Penrith.
10. George Burgess (Rabbitohs)
Making up for the absence left by his older brother Sam, George Burgess continued his impressive early-season form with a dominant display against the might of the Roosters' pack. Producing Sam-esque numbers in the front-row, Burgess's 170 metres, 39 tackles and barnstorming try contributed hugely to the Bunnies' win.
11. Ryan Hoffman (Warriors)
The veteran forward is leading by example at new club the Warriors. Channelling former Warriors recruit Steve Price's impact in the Auckland-based team, Hoffman scored his second try in two matches as well as running for 175 metres and making 21 tackles.
12. Glenn Stewart (Rabbitohs)
It what is quickly proving to be one of buys of the year for South Sydney, Stewart's classy presence within the grunt of the Rabbitohs pack is paying off handsomely. Mixing it up in both attack and defence, Stewart was one of the Rabbitohs' best in Round 2 with 144 metres and 52 tackles against the Roosters.
13. Jeremy Smith (Knights)
After managing to play just over a quarter of the season opener, Newcastle lock Smith was able to bounce back in a big way in the Knights' win over the Cowboys. A constant threat in the middle of the park, Smith's 30 tackles and 84 metres played a huge role in Newcastle's comeback.
Interchange:
14. James Tedesco (Tigers)
The fate of the Wests Tigers in their big win over the Dragons was all but sealed within the first 25 minutes thanks to the exciting Tedesco. The revitalised fullback was able to set up each of his wingers Pat Richards and Kevin Naiqama for tries before scoring one himself in a demolition of St George Illawarra.
15. James Graham (Bulldogs)
In typical Graham style, the British Bulldog bullied his way through his Parramatta opposition on Friday night. Taking on an Eels forward pack that had dominated Manly just one week prior, Graham played a huge role in keeping them quiet and capped off the win by setting up Brett Morris for his second try late in proceedings.
16. Ben Matulino (Warriors)
Judged as Man of the Match in the Warriors' tight 18-6 win over the Raiders, Matulino's 187 metres and 20 tackles kept the ball rolling up front in the Kiwi side's first win of the season.
17. Feleti Mateo (Sea Eagles)
Named in the back row for Manly but quite clearly playing five-eighth in place of the injured Kieran Foran, Mateo wound back the clock against Melbourne with his offloading skill providing plenty of headaches for Craig Bellamy's men. His offload to set up his team's opening try was sublime.
