Skill – Alex Brosque
We needed a couple of instant replays to completely understand what Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque had done on Saturday night. Sprinting to meet a cross on the edge of the six-yard box in Sydney’s A-League semi-final against Adelaide, Brosque pulled off a sublime backheel that snuck between the keeper and the post and put the home-side out to a 2-0 halftime lead.
Mental toughness – John Sutton
After copping a whack to the eye in the first half of the Rabbitohs’ win over St George on Monday, John Sutton played the rest of the game “half blind,” with most spectators unaware he was even injured. The Bunnies edged a hard-fought 16-10 victory, but Sutton was rushed to the hospital immediately after fulltime with fears he may have a detached retina.
Endurance – Michael Matthews
Don’t be fooled by the pink jersey…that’s a good thing. Canberra-born cyclist Michael Matthews is leading the gruelling three-week Giro d’Italia after sprinting to a stage three win ahead of Fabio Felline and seven-time Grand Tour stage winner Phillipe Gilbert. Matthews’ Orica GreenEdge teammate, Simon Clarke, sits in second after three stages, six seconds behind Matthews.
Strength – Taqele Naiyaravoro
The Waratahs had an off night against the Western Force, but at least rampaging winger Taqele Naiyaravoro had something to cheer about. The rugby league convert channelled All Blacks great Jonah Lomu in bumping off a couple of defenders on a barnstorming run to the line.
Waratahs OPTA Stats