With the introduction of Stats Insider's Team of the Week after Round 5 comes the Team of the Month for June.

How is the Stats Insider Team of the Month Selected?

Based on Stats Insider’s NRL Player Ratings, a player’s game by game ratings (when named to start in each position) are added together for the relevant month. The players with the highest overall rating in each position are then selected in the Team of the Month.

Outside of players named to start on the interchange bench, players are only eligible to score in the position they were named to start the match. That is why you might see someone like Brett Morris, who had a great month of footy in June but played across three different positions, miss out on selection. Halves are also grouped into a single position for selection purposes.

So, who cracks it this month?

STATS INSIDER'S TEAM OF THE MONTH (JUNE, 2020)

1. James Tedesco

Despite missing two games throughout the month, it's no surprise to see James Tedesco here. 

His ridiculous haul of three tries, two try assists, two line breaks, five line-break assists, ten tackle breaks, four offloads and 231 running metres against the Bulldogs in Round 5 is enough on its own to justify his place. 

2. Daniel Tupou

Roosters winger Daniel Tupou remains one of the most underrated players in the NRL. Perhaps it comes down to the team he plays on and the names that surround his on the team sheet? The Stats Insider Player Ratings ignore all of that though. Here, he's one of the best wingers in the competition for June.

While he only scored two tries across the month, Tupou really earns his payslip in the hard carries he takes to get the Roosters out of their own end. The 29-year-old has averaged 197 running metres across his last four games to average 194.9for the season.

3. Bradman Best

Welcome to the NRL, Bradman Best.

We caught a glimpse of the 18-year-old in 2019, but he's announced himself to the rugby league world in 2020. 

He's scored five tries already this season; three in three games throughout June. A destructive ball-runner, Best also averaged 152.6 running metres while breaking 2.3 tackles per game. He's only going to get better as his combination with Kalyn Ponga develops, too.

4. Josh Morris

We're really starting to see why the Roosters are at the top of the SI Futures ratings to win the premiership at 25.9%. Three of the first four spots in the Team of the Month are already Chooks with another two to come further down the list.

An elite defensive centre that can read the game better than most, Josh Morris is the perfect fit for the Roosters. He's jumped straight in since arriving from Cronulla. Playing in a side that relies on effort, energy and being in the right place at the right time, this won't be the last we see of Morris in this monthly feature.

5. David Nofaluma

What a month for David Nofoaluma.

Consistency has always been a bit of an issue for the Tigers winger, but he's put together four strong performances through June. Bagging two doubles to score four tries in as many games, Nofoaluma also broke over seven tackles each game while failing to crack 200 running metres just once.

6. Shaun Johnson

Well, well, well, what do we have here?

Shaun Johnson - the guy every analyst wants to drop when the Sharks lose - cracks the Stats Insider Team of the Month.

It's no fluke either. Johnson leads the NRL in try assists with ten for the season after adding eight over the last four weeks. He also leads the NRL in line engaged runs as he goes about setting a new career-high in running metres per game.

Perhaps Johnson isn't always the only player at fault when his team loses?

7. Luke Keary

As the leader of a side that scored 151 points in June (more than what 11 clubs have scored all season), Keary was going to be tough to shift from this spot. 

He scored two tries himself while adding a helping hand in five others. Doing a bit of everything to kick, run and pass the Roosters to victory, Keary continues to be one of the best performers in the NRL despite losing his 300-game partner in the halves from last season.

8. Addin Fonua-Blake

Marty Taupau missed one game and only lasted eight minutes in another through June, but Addin Fonua Blake was there to make up for the loss of his partner at prop.

Round 4: 174 metres
Round 5: 254 metres
Round 6: 226 metres
Round 7: 207 metres

9. Damien Cook

You know, Damien Cook hasn't quite caught fire in that way many thought he would with the introduction of the new six-again rule. Perhaps the adjustment knuckling down on markers this week will unleash the beast? Nonetheless, Cook is still one of the best hookers in the NRL, and according to the SI Player Ratings, the best throughout the month of June.

His try, two try assists in total along with 104.2 running metres and 52.2 tackles per game are hardly numbers to scoff at.

10. Junior Paulo

Offloads, tackle breaks, running metres.

Junior Paulo is providing the Eels with everything they need from him at the moment and it has translated into a Team of the Month appearance.

Averaging almost an hour on the field every week, Paulo produced 162.5 running metres, broke three tackles, threw 2.75 offloads and made 26.5 tackles per game.

11. Ryan Matterson

Ryan Matterson is thriving on the edges of this Eels team. With his side dominating through the middle, Matterson is presented with space out wide which he turned into two tries throughout June while averaging 144.2 running metres and 2.25 offloads per game.

He's done all of that in attack while making 43.7 tackles per game, too.

12. Angus Crichton

There is no doubting that Angus Crichton has been the beneficiary of some Tedesco magic at times, but he's managed to always find himself in the right spot this season. Not many back rowers score four tries in a season let alone four in a month, but Crichton scored a double against both the Broncos and Bulldogs in June. In setting a career-high in running metres with 124.8 metres per game, Crichton has reassumed his place as one of the NRL's best in the position.

13. Jason Taumalolo

Who else?

Jason Taumalolo missed Round 4 but returned to run for 131 metres and make 53 tackles in 63 minutes in Round 5. With 259 running metres and 297 running metres in Round 6 and 7, Taumalolo returned to his barnstorming best to leave defenders lined in chalk across back-to-back weeks.

It's going to take quite the effort for another lock forward to unseat the hulking Tongan as the lock of the month any time soon.

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