Latrell Mitchell and Herbie Farnworth are regarded as the best centres in the game, but a breakout star from the Raiders is upsetting the world order.
The Rabbitohs are flying high despite a tight loss to the Knights in Round 9, and their superstar centre has led the way.
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Latrell Mitchell leads the Red Bull High Flyer Playing Rankings when it comes to players who wear the No.3 and No.4 jerseys this season, having slotted back into the role full-time this year.
The 28-year-old finished with a score of +6.33 as a clear-cut winner, sitting 0.52 above his nearest rival in breakout Raiders gun Simi Sasagi.
Read on for the Red Bull High Flyer Player Rankings for Centres.
1. LATRELL MITCHELL (Tigers) — +6.33
Mitchell has been back to his barnstorming best in his best position since returning to centre in 2026 and his running game has been a major factor in leading Wayne Bennett’s side to fourth place after nine rounds, as he has scored 11 tries in eight games.
The Souths gun has been lethal on the left edge and has been terrorising opponents with his mix of silky ball skills, speed, size and strength as seen when he steamrolled Kalyn Ponga for a try last start.
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2. SIMI SASAGI (Raiders) — +5.81
Who saw this one coming? Ricky Stuart sure did.
Simi Sasagi has been simply superb for the Raiders since moving to the centre position full-time in 2026 and has been scoring tries for fun, with four in eight games to start the season.
Sasagi was even moved to back row when Hudson Young was out and still scored a double, which shows how dangerous he has been on the edge, despite Canberra’s early struggles.
3. JAKE AVERILLO (Dolphins) — +5.13
Jake Averillo wasn’t even guaranteed to crack the Dolphins starting team this season, but he has been one of their most reliable and consistent performers and looks set to ink a contract extension.
The versatile star can cover any position in the backline, but he has shown that centre is his best position and he is benefiting from an extended run in the role in 2026, scoring six tries in seven games.
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4. HERBIE FARNWORTH (Dolphins) — +3.56
Widely regarded as the best centre in the game, Farnworth has been at his lethal best to start the season, despite the Dolphins getting off to a hot and cold start and has scored four tries in eight games.
No wonder the Englishman is being chased by half the competition to leave the Dolphins, but the NRL’s 17th team would be wise to give him a blank check.
5. CASEY MCLEAN (Panthers) — +3.54
In a team as good as the Panthers it isn’t always easy to stand out, but McLean has been just about the best player in the team this season, at least in attack.
The 19-year-old New Zealander is even being linked to a Blues debut such is his impressive form in 2026 and he has scored three tries and is setting them up with ease.
6. ROBERT TOIA (Roosters) — +3.12
Like the Roosters Toia got off to a slow start, but just as his team is starting to click he is finding his best form heading into the Origin period and has scored four tries in seven games.
Toia’s performances on ANZAC Day and in the win over the Broncos showed his class on both sides of the ball and he looks set for another crack at Latrell Mitchell for the Maroons this year.
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7. JAXON PURDUE (Cowboys) — +3.01
The Cowboys have been one of the surprise packets of the NRL this season to sit sixth and Purdue has been arguably their most damaging ball runner on the edge, scoring five tries in nine games.
The versatile star has the speed and skills to play five-eighth and fullback, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defences when he pops up all over the field for Todd Payten’s side.
8. KL IRO (Sharks) — +2.90
Iro became the first Sharks player ever to score back-to-back hat-tricks against the Cowboys and Tigers in his last two starts and like his team he is starting to find his form and consistency.
Iro has brilliant footwork and the speed and skills to set up tries and score them with ease and his defence is also brutal on the edge, while has scored eight tries in eight games this season.
‘Ran over Ponga like he was roadkill’ | 02:11
9. JOJO FIFITA (Titans) — +2.35
The Titans have had a mixed start to the season, but Jojo Fifita has been one of their most consistent performers, scoring five tries in eight games to start the season.
Fifita is a powerhouse ball runner and acts like another back-rower charging out wide on the end of the Titans backline.
10. TOM CHESTER (Cowboys) — +2.09
Chester is finally starting to realise his potential, after putting a wretched run of injuries behind him to play all but one game this season for the flying Cowboys.
Deceptively strong for his size, Chester has the ability to score tries himself and set them up for his wingers and has been solid off the ball in an improved Cowboys defensive unit in 2026.
HOW DO THE RED BULL HIGH FLYER RANKINGS WORK?
It is worth clarifying that PSV is not a score out of 10. Instead, each player is ranked relative to their PSV, a model which measures how much each player contributes to the final scoreboard.
The system processes more than 15,000 data points per game, analysing every run, pass, kick, error and penalty as the game unfolds.
The model is based on deriving the intrinsic value of every single action that occurs in a match relative to the final scoreboard using a proprietary AI model.
It means that every moment in the game is assessed based on how it changes a team’s likelihood of scoring.
For instance, if an action such as a linebreak or linebreak assist improves the chance of points, the player responsible gains PSV.
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If they concede a penalty or drop the ball, however, it reduces the chance and their PSV decreases accordingly.
These changes are tracked across the entire game to produce a total performance value for every player, allowing them to be ranked based on their overall impact on the game rather than just traditional statistics.
Because every action is valued on the same scale, PSV allows players across different positions to be compared fairly and highlights the moments that have the biggest influence on the result.
Now, of course, there is going to be some variation among positions as forwards generally build their scores through repeated involvements such as runs and tackles while spine players and outside backs are more involved in scoring actions and hence likelier to see bigger spikes in their score.
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