2016 NRL.com Fantasy Thread Part 6

Ive thought from the time Merrin signed he would be playing prop. I think he'll still play close to 60min and there is very little difference from lock to prop these days.

SportAL wrote:

Krump wrote:
Righto mate, I wasn't picking was just curious. I seem to remember it being a pain in the arse getting everyone into L1 by lockout last year now that you mention it.

It was also a pain in the ass getting everyone in L1 to play the season out last year, thereby giving our premier group quite the handicap! Have any of the culprits re-surfaced?

Yeah, we will be more stringent this year Al.  Phnom Penh Poets was the culprit that I remember.  Not sure if there were any other stragglers?  If so, PM me.

Golden balls was also MIA as well from memory?

Scouter wrote:Golden balls was also MIA as well from memory?

Yep, that's right.  GB was a funny one, he was keen as then disappeared right before 1st lockout, so not sure if something happened to him, or he was an alt to sabotage the league.  Sounds paranoid, but there are 1 or 2 blokes who would potentially be that much of a dick.

Shanbon wrote:Ive thought from the time Merrin signed he would be playing prop. I think he'll still play close to 60min and there is very little difference from lock to prop these days.

article on merrin today on DT:

"A hard-running backrower with the ability to ballplay, Merrin says he was held back at St George Illawarra last year under Paul McGregor’s game plan, which led the team to finals.

Merrin averaged 44 offloads over the two seasons prior, but that number fell to just 21 in 2015.

His linebreak assists also dropped from two to none.

But Panthers coach Anthony Griffin has given the forwards a licence to pass.

“I haven’t been pulled up by Hook (Griffin) yet,” Merrin told foxsports.com.au.

“He’s given us free will, not to be stupid but do it at the right times and keep possession in our hands.

“The game plan at the Dragons was more go forward, not to be too skill based"

“We had a structure that we had to fit in and it probably did limit those offloads a bit."

dragons trial side:

St George Illawarra Dragons Head Coach Paul McGregor has named a 21-man squad for Saturday’s trial match against the New Zealand Warriors.

Kurt Mann
Peter Mata’utia
Tim Lafai
Josh Dugan
Euan Aitken
Gareth Widdop ©
Benji Marshall
Leeson Ah Mau
Mitch Rein
Russell Packer
Will Matthews
Joel Thompson
Mike Cooper
INTERCHANGE
Jack de Belin
Ben Creagh
Jake Marketo
Siliva Havili
Taane Milne
Tyrone McCarthy
Josh McCrone
Dunamis Lui

Aitken on the wing, yeah this trial will determine who gets the other wing spot. They're now trying Cooper as starting Lock so I guess it's not entirely settled who gets the lock spot between Cooper and JDB.

Johnny B Goode wrote:Aitken on the wing, yeah this trial will determine who gets the other wing spot. They're now trying Cooper as starting Lock so I guess it's not entirely settled who gets the lock spot between Cooper and JDB.  

I thought Cooper was starting Lock in the last game as well and JDB was on the Bench?

Random wrote:

I thought Cooper was starting Lock in the last game as well and JDB was on the Bench?

I thought JDB started in the Charity Shield as seen here http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/02/13/st-george-illawarra-dragons-vs-south-sydney-rabbitohs-charity-shield-live-scores-blog-2/

Oh yeah fair enough, must have gotten confused.

I think JDB will start on the bench then come on after 20 minutes & play the rest of the game exactly like last year. When he comes on to spell a front rower Cooper will move to the front row. I see both Cooper & JDB scoring in the 50-55 points range with the occasional 55+ score. I don't think there is much between JDB & Cooper except price so the cheaper JDB is the way to go.

Am I the only one who can see Ah Mau scoring consistent 50s?

jstands wrote:Am I the only one who can see Ah Mau scoring consistent 50s?

Don't know what it is, just feel like he will be this years Jordan Mclean. Would rather Cartwright at that price or Vaughan for 20k more.

yeah i dont get the love for ah mau. he doesnt appeal to me.

SI wrote:
Yep, that's right.  GB was a funny one, he was keen as then disappeared right before 1st lockout, so not sure if something happened to him, or he was an alt to sabotage the league.  Sounds paranoid, but there are 1 or 2 blokes who would potentially be that much of a dick.

I never even considered something like that as an option. Hopefully that was it because GB didn't seem the type to just abandon his team unless something serious happened.

I think I've hopped off the Ah Mau train right now. Could hit those consistent 50's but Dragons pack is kind of a mystery around minutes right now so I've gone with Stockwell, good idea?
Way I see it if Stockwell starts at prop and gets at least 40 minutes which I think he would, he'll score above his average and make some decent cash to upgrade him later. Just don't know whether he'll go to the bench and Korbin starts when Tariq returns.

Krump wrote:

SI wrote:
Yep, that's right.  GB was a funny one, he was keen as then disappeared right before 1st lockout, so not sure if something happened to him, or he was an alt to sabotage the league.  Sounds paranoid, but there are 1 or 2 blokes who would potentially be that much of a dick.

I never even considered something like that as an option. Hopefully that was it because GB didn't seem the type to just abandon his team unless something serious happened.

I remember he was going overseas a couple of weeks out from lockout and that was the last time he posted.

Finchy was another one.  Posted numerous times a day every day for over 4 years, then just disappeared.  No issues with anyone and never said he was leaving-he was the kind of bloke who would have said something if there was an issue.  I miss Finchy 

SI wrote:
Yep, that's right.  GB was a funny one, he was keen as then disappeared right before 1st lockout, so not sure if something happened to him, or he was an alt to sabotage the league.  Sounds paranoid, but there are 1 or 2 blokes who would potentially be that much of a dick.

I deliberately sabotaged my league last year by scoring badly.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

filthridden wrote:

I deliberately sabotaged my league last year by scoring badly.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Welcome back you sexy son of a gun. Are you running your league this year Filth?

Bren wrote:

Welcome back you sexy son of a gun. Are you running your league this year Filth?

Probably not... but then again I say that every year.

Barely running my own life at the moment but appreciate being referred to as a sexy son of a gun! My Dad will also like being referred to as a gun.