2017 NRL.com Fantasy thread part 15

Hey Guys, gearing up for round 2 now and after using one trade (Phythian - Moga) my team is looking like this:

Smith (Brailey)
Fifita Wallace Kaufusi (Yates)
JDB ET McGuire KBrom Siro SMat
Gutherson Lamb (Jacks) (Elgey)
Moga Talakai (Idris) (Kelly)
Hayne Suli RTS (Cotric) (Holmes)

I'm not happy about Holmes sitting on the bench not scoring points, but I reckon it'll be worth having saved the trade when he gets back (Have I missed any news on that front?) Does anybody see any glaring omissions in my team apart from that? I'm used to making double trades first few weeks of every season!

Liverpool_Bulldog wrote:
Saifiti to Wallace so I'm not alone in this journey haha.

Haha no honestly that sounds like the goer to me.

If I hear before tomorrow night that he's playing I'll do the Moga trade also, but if I don't hear anything, will do the Saifiti to Wallace one and wait and see.

Warriors wrote:Just summing up my thoughts on some trade ideas.

I think any gun deserves another shot this week e.g people jumping off players like Gallen/Merrin/surgess etc to bring in JDB/tedesco on the back of try scoring games is ludicrous.

I would only be chasing JDB if I didn't have good captaincy options in Fifita/smith/McInnes.

People jumping off midrangers that scored 40 points e.g KBrom and ET I think is a wasted trade. Looks like they will both make money.  Hell they scored better than a lot of guns I will mention below.

The way I see it JDB and Tedesco and Barnett are now all overpriced compared to their average. Players will score above their average and below their average all year, an average is an average.

It's a long season and you need to be patient. Think about your team as a collective 17 scoring points per dollar. You are better off in the long run picking up Jbrom/ mannering/ b Thompson/ Merrin/ burgess/ whitehead underpriced than paying a premium for JDB/Barnett now based on 1 game. But I guess we can all be short sighted at times. People also seem to be forgetting the byes as all three of these targets don't play round 12.

Save trades and play the long game, plan for byes

Good thoughts & very sensible.

Liverpool_Bulldog wrote:
Saifiti to Wallace so I'm not alone in this journey haha.

Haha no honestly that sounds like the goer to me.

I've ended up going Saifiti to Sironen - I don't have Wallace but with Sironen playing 80 I think they will average similar and Sironen is $56K cheaper.

awanamafia wrote:

I've ended up going Saifiti to Sironen - I don't have Wallace but with Sironen playing 80 I think they will average similar and Sironen is $56K cheaper.

Yeah, I started with Sironen, I think he'll go alright.

superbucks wrote:Thoughts on Barnett vs Taumololo?

I like Barnett much more for base stats. Looked very good on the weekend and went off with a knock - so he was meant to play more minutes.

Lolo played 70 mins last week. There was OT but wasn't he like a 50min dude in 2016? There wasn't any injuries that forced a change in rotations from what I remember of the game.

Lolo - 70
Lowe - 57
Cooper - 84
Hess - 34
Asiata - 27
Scott - 60
Bolton - 51
Kaufusi - 37

I didn't watch the positional rotations, but it looks like Hess comes on in the back row, while Asiata/Kaufusi come into the FR. I can't find tog for 2016, but I was sure Lolo was around 50 with Lowe around the 70. Is there a change here? If so then Lolo could be a very good buy.

Atm I have Barnett in line for a trade in, but Lolo is under serious consideration.

I think Barnett is the safer bet as you are suggesting.

If Lolo gets those minutes going forward then he will be ridiculous, but that's s big if. He is also up and down with his Fantasy plays, whereas Barnett is all base stats.

The only thing with Barnetts minutes is they may have changed because he came off when not originally planned to, so there is the possibility he was not going to play quite that many? As in, the injury could have changed the pack rotation and Barnett actually got more minutes due to it. Doubtful, but a possibility.

Play Suli or Cotric this week?

Warriors wrote:Just summing up my thoughts on some trade ideas.

I think any gun deserves another shot this week e.g people jumping off players like Gallen/Merrin/surgess etc to bring in JDB/tedesco on the back of try scoring games is ludicrous.

I would only be chasing JDB if I didn't have good captaincy options in Fifita/smith/McInnes.

People jumping off midrangers that scored 40 points e.g KBrom and ET I think is a wasted trade. Looks like they will both make money.  Hell they scored better than a lot of guns I will mention below.

The way I see it JDB and Tedesco and Barnett are now all overpriced compared to their average. Players will score above their average and below their average all year, an average is an average.

It's a long season and you need to be patient. Think about your team as a collective 17 scoring points per dollar. You are better off in the long run picking up Jbrom/ mannering/ b Thompson/ Merrin/ burgess/ whitehead underpriced than paying a premium for JDB/Barnett now based on 1 game. But I guess we can all be short sighted at times. People also seem to be forgetting the byes as all three of these targets don't play round 12.

Save trades and play the long game, plan for byes

This is indeed a great post.

Spectre wrote:Play Suli or Cotric this week?

Was gonna ask the same thing. Flip of a coin.

For you guys bringing in Talakai......don't be surprised if he's a bench forward when Gray returns or Jennings gets a chance. Also re Surgess - there is trouble brewing between he, the twins and the coach. Did anyone notice his nonchalant attitude and a couple of looks up to the coaches box last week? He is in my team, but worries me. He either goes gang busters, or flops this week. I know what Maguire is trying to do with the twins - fire them up - but it seems to be having the opposite effect on all of them. The treatment of Inglis last week exacerbated things. All does not appear to be well at the Rabbits. A revolt is brewing. I hope I'm wrong. Just my 2c. Good luck this weekend.

I have Bryce Cartwright with 0 intention of trading him out. However the news that he's not necessarily cleared to play scares me as I don't want to end up with an NPR score.

I have Norman-Cartwright-Jacks-Elgey. Which means if Cartwright gets plucked last minute on Sunday I can not move any of my reserves in as they would have played already. Anyone else biting the bullet and trading him out?

superbucks wrote:Thoughts on Barnett vs Taumololo?

I like Barnett much more for base stats. Looked very good on the weekend and went off with a knock - so he was meant to play more minutes.

Lolo played 70 mins last week. There was OT but wasn't he like a 50min dude in 2016? There wasn't any injuries that forced a change in rotations from what I remember of the game.

Lolo - 70
Lowe - 57
Cooper - 84
Hess - 34
Asiata - 27
Scott - 60
Bolton - 51
Kaufusi - 37

I didn't watch the positional rotations, but it looks like Hess comes on in the back row, while Asiata/Kaufusi come into the FR. I can't find tog for 2016, but I was sure Lolo was around 50 with Lowe around the 70. Is there a change here? If so then Lolo could be a very good buy.

Atm I have Barnett in line for a trade in, but Lolo is under serious consideration.

Mate im doing the same trade and its being doing my head in which way to go. Lowe and Gooper both played 80 majority of last year, Lowes minutes dropped near the end from memory. I wrote in a post earlier this week that i think Lolo may be filling in the void for the absence of Tamou and Hannant as he plays and has the size of a frontrower, though 290 metres is ridiculous if he can sustain 200 that would be ridiculous! Plus the other consideration is Fensom coming in and how he will be used. Shouldn't matter when Lolo assumes the position of prop but you have to consider it. Then have Lowe Hess Fensom fighting over minutes in the backrow as Gooper is the golden child and will always get 80. Lolo played 4 extra minutes but one run he net around 10 points in GP, with a few TBs and a 20 odd metre run.
Barnett is purely base stats, and playing for Newcastle, he should get plenty. But the minutes are still uncertain with that injury giving more minutes amongst the pack when Smat moved to centre. I would assume Smat and Buhrer play 80 each more often than not.
At the moment im slightly leaning towards Lolo for 2 reasons
1) Because SI just said he preferred Barnett
2)Because he has more potential for that one big play where he can net 20-30 points although Barnett has the potential to put through a grubber for a try. Although it worked i think Browny has barred him from further kicking duties.

Isn't Lowe coming back from neck surgery? Easing him back into 80 perhaps, sure he has one of the highest minutes per game played as a second rower in the entire NRL alongside whitehead?

SpotTheOzzie wrote:I have Bryce Cartwright with 0 intention of trading him out. However the news that he's not necessarily cleared to play scares me as I don't want to end up with an NPR score.

I have Norman-Cartwright-Jacks-Elgey. Which means if Cartwright gets plucked last minute on Sunday I can not move any of my reserves in as they would have played already. Anyone else biting the bullet and trading him out?

I don't think many around here have Carty mate. I have him in my second row and the Panthers playing on Sunday makes it tough. Even if he doesn't play, it's a big call to trade him out just because of the one game, but I'm prepared to do it, cause I have the funds to upgrade him to JDB anyway. Hopefully we hear some news today or tomorrow. The other thing if he does play, I don't want to run with him and he plays like shit anyway, but he has apparently said that he wants to play, just waiting for the all clear. I think Panthers will get him out there on Sunday.

SpotTheOzzie wrote:I have Bryce Cartwright with 0 intention of trading him out. However the news that he's not necessarily cleared to play scares me as I don't want to end up with an NPR score.

I have Norman-Cartwright-Jacks-Elgey. Which means if Cartwright gets plucked last minute on Sunday I can not move any of my reserves in as they would have played already. Anyone else biting the bullet and trading him out?

I dont want to trade him out, but he is one of those players who screws me whether hes in or out of my team. I will trade him to Norman in a heartbeat if i have too! Hes just one of those players for me. I see you dont have that luxury plus in your position you dont want one of your guns a non player. I personally think he will play from what i have read. Im sure he knew what was about to unfold before he played last week. However no on other than BC or those close too him know whats going on in his head. Until more news comes to light can you play Elgey or Jacks and put the R on Cartwight so you can switch him with any other position if he is a late withdrawal.

If I have a good weekend too and he pulls out last minute, as long as you don't have Field,t, an AE might not be an issue. I might go that way too.

My trades for this week:

Dsaifiti OUT    - Charlie Gubb IN
K Hurrell OUT   - Mitchell Barnett IN (via SMat)

With reports of Ben Matulino being out for longer, Gubbs job security as a starting prop has improved, he's priced similar to Matagi and scored a good 43 to up his avg... He'll probably score a bit less than Wallace, but hey he's about 100k cheaper, and as a Cashcow will probably make the same amount as Wallace.

I took the safer route and started the season with Hurrell in the Centres instead of taking a punt on Talakai, Moga, Suli, Kelly, and Cotric... who knew that round 1 would produce a handful of good scoring cheap centres? I didn't see that coming. Hence there's plenty of reason to trade out Hurrell and bolster my 2nd row with a tackle monster like Barnett.

I wouldn't have been able to get Barnett if I got Wallace instead of Gubb... somethings gotta give right?  

And every man and his dog has Wallace in their team now...

Welshy wrote:Isn't Lowe coming back from neck surgery? Easing him back into 80 perhaps, sure he has one of the highest minutes per game played as a second rower in the entire NRL alongside whitehead?

He is mate, missed the last few games last year. He played 80 majority of games but if either were rested it would be Lowe, im certain Gooper plays 80 every game. Like usual no stats to back this up just observations as a Ethan Lowe Ambassador

I don't think I can watch Tigers matches without having Tedesco in my team. It seems like there's a big fantasy play coming every time he touches the ball. Death riding his score is gonna be an exercise in futility lol

Rabbit wrote:For you guys bringing in Talakai......don't be surprised if he's a bench forward when Gray returns or Jennings gets a chance. Also re Surgess - there is trouble brewing between he, the twins and the coach. Did anyone notice his nonchalant attitude and a couple of looks up to the coaches box last week? He is in my team, but worries me. He either goes gang busters, or flops this week. I know what Maguire is trying to do with the twins - fire them up - but it seems to be having the opposite effect on all of them. The treatment of Inglis last week exacerbated things. All does not appear to be well at the Rabbits. A revolt is brewing. I hope I'm wrong. Just my 2c. Good luck this weekend.

They were talking about this last night on NRL360. Definitely seems like Madge fighting a losing battle at the moment and losing control of the playing group.. I wish I went with my gut and not gone Surgess this year. He can't argue that both his brothers have been shit though. I'm hoping he proves me wrong.