After much debate and discussion, we’ve locked in our Rugby League World Cup Team of the Week from the second weekend of the men’s tournament.

Five games took place in the men’s international showpiece, with wins for Australia and New Zealand in Pool A along with victories for England, Tonga and Samoa in Pool B/C.

Without further ado, here is our Team of the Week…

AJ Brimson (England)

Brimson was the standout as England thumped France 82-0, creating havoc when he got his hands on the ball and carving out plenty of opportunities for his team-mates, with 289 metres made in total from 19 carries. Five line breaks were included in that, and he deservedly got a try of his own at the back end of the game.

Jamayne Isaako (New Zealand)

The Kiwis ran riot in the second half against the Cook Islands to win 82-16, but it was Isaako that did the damage and made the difference in a much tighter first half with a double which he then turned into a hat-trick late on. Four line breaks helped towards a return of 169 metres.

We’ll provide our mentions here for fellow hat-trick scorers Tom Trbojevic, Dom Young and Semi Valemei who have just missed out on spots in this Team of the Week. All three very good in their own right for Australia, England and Fiji respectively.

Herbie Farnworth (England)

It was a first half hat-trick for Farnworth, with his treble completed inside 13 minutes. France couldn’t live with the centre, who clocked up 168 metres and remained a threat throughout. The attention Les Bleus paid to him in the second half in particular helped to create gaps elsewhere.

Tolatau Koula (Tonga)

Koula makes it into our Team of the Week after making the most metres of anyone on the field (270) as Tonga swept aside Lebanon, winning 36-0. He produced two assists and helped to carve the Cedars open repeatedly in a one-sided affair.

Sualauvi Fa’alogo (Samoa)

Fa’alogo retains his spot in our Team of the Week for the second Sunday running after adding another two tries to his World Cup haul as Samoa won 64-6 against Papua New Guinea. The winger was absolutely electric in Port Moresby, making 173 metres, aided by three line breaks.

George Williams (England)

He comes in for plenty of stick, but England skipper Williams helped to run the show on Saturday against France and was rewarded for his efforts with a try. The experienced half-back was given a rest for the closing 22 minutes as Mikey Lewis got his chance, but still managed to accrue 137 metres and did not miss a single tackle.

Kurt Donoghoe (Fiji)

Donoghoe scooped the Player of the Match award as Fiji were beaten 36-22 by Australia, and that accolade was richly deserved, which tells you all you need to know. The playmaker was the architect for the Bati and almost clawed them to a famous win in Brisbane. It wasn’t to be, but his three assists were all absolute moments of beauty. A really high quality all-round performance.

Tanner Stowers-Smith (New Zealand)

Stowers-Smith played 39 minutes across two stints for the Kiwis as they romped to victory against the Cook Islands, with the bulk of those coming in a punishing first stint which saw him grab two tries. Those were the rewards for a huge effort which included 174 metres made and 13 tackles on the other side of the ball.

Jez Litten (England)

Litten was deployed off the bench effectively in England’s big win against France, and enjoyed a starring role in his 56 minutes on the field, looking every inch an NRL player. The Hull KR ace more than deserved the try he got in the second half for his contributions.

Addin Fonua-Blake (Tonga)

Fonua-Blake is the second and final man to have retained his spot in our Team of the Week for the second Sunday running, with this inclusion coming after another dominant display as Tonga beat Lebanon. Across two stints which saw him on the field for 48 minutes, the powerhouse made 141 metres, came up with three offloads and produced 21 tackles.

Jacob Preston (Australia)

Preston featured off the bench as a first half interchange for the Kangaroos as they edged past Fiji, and helped to make all the difference with a powerful back-row performance which was crowned with a late try. The Canterbury Bulldogs ace ran a great line to get that try and also chipped in with 22 tackles, which can’t be underestimated given how tight a contest it was for the majority.

Taane Milne (Fiji)

Departing Huddersfield ace Milne put in a big shift for Fiji as they were beaten by the Kangaroos, making 95 metres including 35 post-contact and coming up with two offloads as well as scoring a try. On the other side of the ball, he made a whopping 35 tackles. Utterly brilliant work and desperately unfortunate to end up on the losing side.

Francis Manuleleua (Samoa)

No one on the field in Port Moresby made more metres than Manuleleua’s 260 as Samoa beat PNG, with the forward providing an absolute masterclass. 108 of those metres were made post-contact and as well as scoring a try, he contributed 21 tackles on the other side of the ball. Remarkable stuff.