Forget the post-contact metres, forget the VB hard work index. All this focus on the science and the measurable leaves an intangible but important attribute off the whiteboard of coaching considerations. After reading about Jake Trbojevic and then watching the first two games this week, it struck me that this scientific approach often misses that popular or passionate personality that frequently lifts the performance of others.

How big of a difference did Mitch Moses and Clint Gutherson make to Parramatta against the Sharks? They are arguably Parramatta’s best two players, but they have more than just rugby league skills, they have the ability to lift their teammates.

Compare Parramatta to Newcastle on Friday night, similar circumstances, similar home game there for the winning. Newcastle were insipid. They had everything to play for and they didn’t turn up.

Would having Tyson Gamble in the team have changed the result? I don’t know, but I do think the game would have played out on a different trajectory. Players like Gamble will reset a game, start a niggle, create some outrage in their ranks to spark their teammates into action.

Interestingly, it is not just other players that are drawn to these individuals. The supporters feel it as well. These are the players who get a cult following, the Mark Riddells, the Alex Johnstons, the players the crowd stand and applaud when they come off the field.

It can happen for a variety of reasons, it can be by the confidence their skills inspire in others, it can be by their raw aggression, it can be by their effort and courage. It can be behaviours that occur during the week that we don’t see during the game.

Whatever it is, it is a driver of team culture and standards that cannot be measured in statistics. The ‘no d–khead’ policy is similar to this, but that is a collective recruitment approach. This article is about the one or two players in each team that make a difference when they take the field, beyond the sum of their football skills.

Below is a selection of players from each team that offer that something extra. The players that inspire and lift their teams by their simple presence alone. I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Bulldogs – Josh Curran, Reed Mahoney
Tigers – Api Koroisau, Alex Twal
Roosters – Victor Radley, Brandon Smith
Rabbitohs – Alex Johnston, Cameron Murray
Cowboys – Reuben Cotter, Kyle Feldt
Sea Eagles – Nathan Brown, Jake Trbojevic
Dragons – Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Ben Hunt
Raiders – Jordan Rapana, Hudson Young
Sharks – Cameron McInnes, Dale Finucane (retired)
Panthers – Jarome Luai, Scott Sorensen
Dophins – Ray Stone, Mark Nicholls
Titans – Beau Fermor, Kieran Foran
Broncos – Ezra Mam, Billy Walters
Knights – Adam Elliott, Tyson Gamble
Warriors – Wayde Egan, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Eels – Clint Gutherson, Mitch Moses
Storm – Christian Welch, Will Warbrick