Magicians at work: The best individual performances at Magic Round

Across the short history of NRL Magic Round, fans in attendance at Suncorp Stadium and watching on from television screens around the world have been treated to some spectacular individual showings of skill, power and speed. 

As we celebrate another spectacular round of the greatest game of all in Brisbane, we've looked back on some of the greatest individual performances from Magic Round over the years.

The Magicians of Magic Round

Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm v Eels, 2019)

It was one of the most devastating 30-minute periods you’ll ever see from a player. After coming on from the bench as a head injury replacement for fullback Jahrome Hughes in the 49th minute, Papenhuyzen put Suliasi Vunivalu away for a try with his very first touch of the ball in an ominous sign of what was to come.  A line break to set Cameron Munster up followed minutes later before he scored one of his own via a dazzling 50-metre dart which gave Melbourne a half century of points. His final act might well have been the best, as he rose high to claim a Parramatta bomb, broke through the first contact and then put on some footwork before linking with a flying Josh Addo-Carr on the outside for his side's 11th try in a 64-10 drubbing.

Nathan Cleary (Panthers v Titans, 2021)

A double inside 17 minutes suggested something special was coming, but few could have predicted it’d end up being one of Cleary's most dominant individual performances at NRL level. After standing up Tanah Boyd with a dummy and step, Cleary left AJ Brimson tackling thin air for his first try, before he backed up to grab a Dylan Edwards pass for his second, following his own 20-metre break down field. When it came to his third you could have been forgiven for thinking you were watching a 110kg prop forward in action, as the NSW playmaker produced a powerful fend on Beau Fermor before bouncing through would-be tackles from Jarrod Wallace and Tyrone Peachey. For good measure he converted all eight of Penrith’s tries, adding to a stat sheet that included two try assists, 173 run metres and nine tackle breaks.

Nicho Hynes (Storm v Dragons, 2021)

After starting the game at five-eighth Hynes was called into action at fullback after just 14 minutes, following the loss of Ryan Papenhuyzen to injury, and he duly put on an attacking clinic. All up he had direct involvement in six of Melbourne’s nine tries as they hammered the Dragons 44-18, which included a 60-metre line break to set up Josh Addo-Carr and a special double act to set up a half break, loop back around to collect an offload and then pass for Jahrome Hughes to score in the second half. By full-time Hynes had run for a whopping 225 metres off 15 runs and had four-line break assists to his name, continuing the rich tradition of Storm fullbacks stealing the show at Magic Round. 

Jayden Campbell (Titans v Dragons, 2022)

A tough-as-teak performance across 89 minutes, amid a Brisbane deluge which made being a fullback an unenviable job. With his middle forwards feeling the full effect of a brutal game which went deep into golden point, it was 89kg Campbell that came to the fore, continuously putting his hand up for carries, which he had 22 of for a game-high 266 metres by the end of the match. After teammate Jamayne Isaako missed a couple of field goal attempts to win the game, it was Campbell’s ability to beat Ben Hunt directly off a scrum in the 89th minute which created an overlap and allowed Isaako to slide over in the corner for the golden try.

Selwyn Cobbo (Broncos v Sea Eagles, 2023)

Almost 12 months to the day since he had burned the Sea Eagles with a personal hat-trick that helped Brisbane to a 38-0 shutout, Cobbo created nightmares again for Manly’s left edge with another three-try showing. After collecting a kick and a pass from Reece Walsh for his first two four-pointers, Cobbo plucked a Tom Trbojevic pass out of the air and raced 80 metres downfield for the third with 10 to play. It wasn’t all about the pretty stuff either, with the Maroons representative getting involved with 16 carries for 203 metres and three tackle breaks. The good news for Cobbo is he gets another Magic Round match-up with Manly this year, with the Broncos taking on the Sea Eagles in the second game on Friday night.