Springboks star dominates Japan Rugby League One season stats

The Japan Rugby League One semi-finals are upon us, rewarding the best teams with their shot at a title. Inevitably, not all of the best individuals, statistically, in the 18-game round-robin have made the big dance.

For the players who consistently performed above and beyond for their teams, their names feature prominently at the top of key statistical categories by season’s end.

Springboks flyer Cheslin Kolbe, whose move from Japan back to South Africa was confirmed this week, is a clear standout on paper, leading three major categories. Former Reds playmaker Issac Lucas is another whose name features repeatedly, as does that of ex-All Blacks Mark Tele’a, Shaun Stevenson and Brodie Retallick.

Here are the leaders in the major statistical categories for the Japan Rugby League One 2025/26 season.

Tries

1: Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)

Next-best: Matt Vaenga (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars), Faulua Makisi (Kubota Spears), Inkoke Burua (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Halatoa Vailea (Kubota Spears)

As All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has mentioned repeatedly, Brodie Retallick’s form for the table-topping Kobelco Kobe Steelers has been dominant this season. The All Black centurion scored a competition-high 17 tries in 18 appearances, including four in one match against BlackRams Tokyo in round 6.

The lock’s strike rate was bettered, however, by former Wallaby star Israel Folau, who scored eight tries in eight games, and former Hurricanes winger Tjay Clarke, who scored six tries in six games.

Former Blues fullback Matt Vaenga was second-best in the tries category, scoring 15, which is two more than his four prior seasons with the Dynaboars combined.

Among the international stars just missing the top 5 list are Kolbe and Tele’a, who each scored 10 tries this season. That mark was also equalled by Fijian hooker Tevita Ikinevere in his first season with MIE Honda Heat.

Points

1: Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

Next-best: Ichigo Nakakusu (BlackRams Tokyo), Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears), Takuya Yamasawa (Saitama Wild Knights), Rikiya Matsuda (Toyota Verblitz)

Kolbe added 43 conversions and 23 penalties to his 10-try haul this season, bringing his total points tally to 205 in 17 games. That’s 31 points more than ex-Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley, and 82 more than All Blacks pivot Richie Mo’unga, who just missed the top 5.

Ichigo Nakakusu will be hoping to add to his three Test caps for Japan after contributing 194 points for BlackRams Tokyo, 81 more than rising Brave Blossoms star Seungsin Lee managed for Kobe.

Fixture

Japan Rugby League One

Kobelco Kobe Steelers

20:05

29 May 26

Tokyo Sungoliath

All Stats and Data

Carries

1: Isaac Lucas (BlackRams Tokyo)

Next-best: Samu Kerevi (Urayasu D-Rocks), Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks), Keito Aoki (Toyota Verblitz)

Isaac Lucas left the Reds after just two seasons in Super Rugby, and the 27-year-old’s fifth season in Japan has been his most damaging statistically, including 231 carries. In the 2023/24 season, the fullback led League One in defenders beaten and finished top five in carries and metres gained.

Another Australian, ex-Wallaby Samu Kerevi, sits second on the 2025/26 ladder, while Retallick and Springbok Jasper Wiese also feature, having both made over 200 carries.

Kiwi outside backs Mark Tele’a and Shaun Stevenson made the top 10 in their first seasons in League One.

Metres carried

1: Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

Next-best: Shaun Stevenson (Kubota Spears), Isaac Lucas (BlackRams Tokyo), Inoke Burua (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Malo Tuitama (Shizuoka BlueRevs)

The electric Springbok didn’t make the top 10 for total carries, but certainly made his carries count, running for 1,421 metres this season. Kolbe started the first three games of the campaign on the left wing, then played fullback for the next 10 games before finishing the season with three appearances on the right edge.

One-time All Black Shaun Stevenson was used exclusively at fullback, and trailed Kolbe by 47 metres. Former All Black teammate Tele’a came in eighth, two spots below Samu Kerevi.

Clean breaks

1: Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

Next-best: Haruto Kida (Kubota Spears), Shaun Stevenson (Kubota Spears), Mark Tele’a (Toyota Verblitz), Halatoa Vailea (Kubota Spears), Viliame Takayawa (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

There goes that man again. Kolbe’s 25 clean breaks just edged ahead of two-time Brave Blossom Haruto Kida. Kida was one of three Kubota Spears in the top five, joined by Stevenson and Halatoa Vailea, who were involved in a four-way tie for third.

Brave Blossoms winger Malo Tuitama appears in the top 10 for clean breaks and metres carried after an 11-try season for the Shizuoka Blue Revs.

Defenders beaten

1: Mark Tele’a (Toyota Verblitz)

Next-best: Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Samu Kerevi (Urayasu D-Rocks), Richie Mo’unga (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo), Isaac Lucas (BlackRams Tokyo)

Proving he is still as evasive as ever, Tele’a led the pack in defenders beaten by a relatively wide margin in his debut season for Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz. While the 29-year-old was joined in the 100-plus club by Kolbe, his 132 tackle busts put him No.1, while his former Test rival broke free 105 times.

All Blacks fans eagerly awaiting the return of Richie Mo’unga will be pleased to see the playmaker’s name in the top 5, after a season in which he broke away in 94 tackle attempts. Mo’unga led the competition last season with 89 tackle breaks, and finished second in the category in his debut season.

Tackles completed

1: Tyler Paul (Kubota Spears)

Next-best: Tiennan Costley (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat), Harry Hockings (Tokyo Sungoliath), Lachlan Boshier (Saitama Wild Knights)

Former Sharks lock Tyler Paul now calls himself a blindside flanker for the Kubota Spears, and chewed through a mountain of defensive work in the 2025/26 season. The 31-year-old’s 284 tackles were just shy of 40 more than the next best tally. Fellow South African Franco Mostert came in third with 239 tackles.

Just missing the top 5 was All Blacks star Ardie Savea, who made 204 tackles at openside flanker for Kobe, good enough for eighth on the season’s list. Former Highlanders captain Billy Harmon came in one place below at ninth.

Former Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier had his most productive season on the defensive end with 223 tackles, and is eligible to represent Japan in the coming Test season.