The 2022 Shute Shield competition continues to throw curveballs week after week this season and round six was no different. 

While it’s hard to look past the team performances of Manly and Western Sydney, a few individuals still caught the eye on Saturday. 

Alex Hills – Randwick

Is there anything better than big men in space? 

Big rangy Randwick lock Alex Hills turned the game in his sides favour with two barnstorming runs that led to tries on either side of half time in Saturday’s narrow loss to Hunter. 

In the first half, he found himself charging on to turnover ball and ran 50 odd metres to score untouched. Then shortly after the break, those big legs got going again when Hills busted through a tackle, took the space in front of him then offloaded to Tom Sippell who scored under the posts. 

Special mention also goes to Hunter lock Rob Puli’ivea who looked equally as graceful after taking an intercept and running 50 metres to set up the visitor’s first try. 

Max Burey – Norths

Burey single handedly kept Norths in the game in Saturday’s narrow loss to Uni. The flyhalf showed good pace to set up Dave Henaway for Norths’ first try. 

He backed that up with a piece of individual brilliance that will likely go close to being the try of the season. Burey dodged defenders, then kicked and regathered to score early in the second half and level the scores. 

Both Max and his brother Harry should be playing professional rugby somewhere. 

Phil Bradford – Hunter 

Hunter hooker Phil Bradford would have to be close to the form No.2 in the competition after six rounds and continued his efforts with two tries on Saturday. 

Bradford packed down as a prop alongside Ed Craig in the Australian Schoolboys side back in 2014 and looks in career best form back in Newcastle. 

Kemu Valentini – Manly

While a lot has been said of the young Manly forwards who have led Manly to the top of the Shute Shield ladder after six rounds, playmaker Kemu Valentini has arguably been the unsung hero of the Marlin’s revival. 

Valentini spent a number of years in the Melbourne Rebels system and is the older brother of Wallaby Rob Valetini. His game management has been brilliant so far this year and he’s now shown he can direct the game from several spots in the Manly backline. 

Alexander Pohla – Gordon

The former Samoan U20s winger continued his brilliant start to 2022, scoring a try out of nothing in Saturday’s tight win over West Harbour. 

Pohla somehow finds space when there isn’t any and is proving to be one of the most allusive attacking weapons in the competition this season.