NRL Fantasy 2023 Part 8 - Hopgod!

Liverpool_Bulldog wrote:Second CTR spot is a pain at the moment. Have Thompson but probably best to just save the cash and go HSS. Any stats to back the Raiders lad up?

I have HSS and Alamoti in my CTR spots.

High risk, probably low reward. But F*ck Centers right?

Liverpool_Bulldog wrote:Second CTR spot is a pain at the moment. Have Thompson but probably best to just save the cash and go HSS. Any stats to back the Raiders lad up?

I have him too....best not to research it too deeply

Warriors and Knights 1-17 (Kosi in for DWZ though)

I'm rolling the dice with Ponga
Trbo with a 2nd round bye then I have to play absolute rubbish next week.

If Ponga does go down I can swap him to Walsh without too much trouble, and if he stays fit I'm backing at least 1 big score in the first 5 weeks. If he can make a little bit of cash then I'll have some options open for when his bye gets closer.

Play Ford or Blore at 17 (Blore would become Preston if somehow he starts)?

Finch wrote:Warriors and Knights 1-17 (Kosi in for DWZ though)

I’m trying to add this stuff to a late mail thread

I’m like a wish version of Paceys Best

rhinoceroo wrote:Play Ford or Blore at 17 (Blore would become Preston if somehow he starts)?

I’d go Ford

Aardvark wrote:

I have him too....best not to research it too deeply

Positive with Thompson is that there should be an ok base because Latrell palms all the kick returns and hard grunt stuff off to his wingers.

Negative is he's on the Souths right, which is definitely not their go-to side, and even though they're one of the better teams their draw is hard and doesn't scream "tries".

Have swapped Tedesco to Latrell, if Latrell fires will be fun owning him.

standard-issue wrote:

I've missed a lot of the Ponga talk.  He was on my no go list but certainly has his admirers.  Thinking he scores mid 30's?  I'm kind of thinking about taking the risk now because my backs are horrible.  Ponga owners want to sell me?

If you only want what he is priced at in mid 30s you would be happy unless injured. I am looking for much more than that. His lowest score at 6 is 28 (excluding goal kicking), with an average of 40. Only includes 1 try and 2 try assists in 5 games.

Would expect he can significantly improve on that in the first 6 rounds, with a draw of:
Warriors
Tigers
Dolphins
Raiders
Manly
Warriors

The last time they tried to convert him to 6 was 4 years ago, and expect that is worst case scenario.

Since moving to the Knights, before last season, he has had a low of 48 average up to 58 season average. Even last season he had a 102 early in the season and a 94 in Origin 3.

Having Brailey at HOK, (only 1 full game last season with him, average of 56 in all full games with him), Hastings to control things and Miller coming up from the back, should all really assist him.

He is mostly cheap due to low scores in short injury impacted games. If he stays healthy, no reason he cant hit 45-50 average again.

rhinoceroo wrote:

Positive with Thompson is that there should be an ok base because Latrell palms all the kick returns and hard grunt stuff off to his wingers.

Negative is he's on the Souths right, which is definitely not their go-to side, and even though they're one of the better teams their draw is hard and doesn't scream "tries".

It was more a comment on HSS' stats at centre (which aren't great...small sample size though)

Liverpool_Bulldog wrote:Second CTR spot is a pain at the moment. Have Thompson but probably best to just save the cash and go HSS. Any stats to back the Raiders lad up?

Smith-Shields didn't play last year due to ACL.

He has good enough NRL stats - 35 as a starter, almost exclusively as a winger. His sole centre stats weren't great but its only 1 game

in 2021 he played 2 games at centre in NSW Cup. Scored 85 points in the first, and then got injured in the second.

I'm pretty sure that means a banner in NRL, right?

mattnz wrote:

If you only want what he is priced at in mid 30s you would be happy unless injured. I am looking for much more than that. His lowest score at 6 is 28 (excluding goal kicking), with an average of 40. Only includes 1 try and 2 try assists in 5 games.

Would expect he can significantly improve on that in the first 6 rounds, with a draw of:
Warriors
Tigers
Dolphins
Raiders
Manly
Warriors

The last time they tried to convert him to 6 was 4 years ago, and expect that is worst case scenario.

Since moving to the Knights, before last season, he has had a low of 48 average up to 58 season average. Even last season he had a 102 early in the season and a 94 in Origin 3.

Having Brailey at HOK, (only 1 full game last season with him, average of 56 in all full games with him), Hastings to control things and Miller coming up from the back, should all really assist him.

He is mostly cheap due to low scores in short injury impacted games. If he stays healthy, no reason he cant hit 45-50 average again.

Been fairly high on Ponga through the pre-season for some of these reasons (though ignoring his 2019 half average as irrelevant. Different player in a different team.)

But seeing two Knights backs for nearly $1m in my back three was a bit of sickenener and goes too heavily against the "no bottom 4 backs" rule. Add the injury risk and it was ultimately no thanks. Good luck though.

mattnz wrote:

If you only want what he is priced at in mid 30s you would be happy unless injured. I am looking for much more than that. His lowest score at 6 is 28 (excluding goal kicking), with an average of 40. Only includes 1 try and 2 try assists in 5 games.

Would expect he can significantly improve on that in the first 6 rounds, with a draw of:
Warriors
Tigers
Dolphins
Raiders
Manly
Warriors

The last time they tried to convert him to 6 was 4 years ago, and expect that is worst case scenario.

Since moving to the Knights, before last season, he has had a low of 48 average up to 58 season average. Even last season he had a 102 early in the season and a 94 in Origin 3.

Having Brailey at HOK, (only 1 full game last season with him, average of 56 in all full games with him), Hastings to control things and Miller coming up from the back, should all really assist him.

He is mostly cheap due to low scores in short injury impacted games. If he stays healthy, no reason he cant hit 45-50 average again.

Just had a look at the stats and completely agree with you.

Two concerns are a worse knights team and concussions.

Might be a play instead of Latrell and spend the cash elsewhere.

I’m contemplating getting Ponga as Turbo plays bye next week if Ponga fucks up I can get Walsh round 3

If I go Turbo I have rubbish playing next week.

I am getting Haas too!!

Will I pull the trigger I’m on break at work!

Milchcow wrote:
I'm rolling the dice with Ponga
Trbo with a 2nd round bye then I have to play absolute rubbish next week.

If Ponga does go down I can swap him to Walsh without too much trouble, and if he stays fit I'm backing at least 1 big score in the first 5 weeks. If he can make a little bit of cash then I'll have some options open for when his bye gets closer.

Rabbits21 wrote:I’m contemplating getting Ponga as Turbo plays bye next week if Ponga fucks up I can get Walsh round 3

If I go Turbo I have rubbish playing next week.

I am getting Haas too!!

Will I pull the trigger I’m on break at work!

Milchcow with the telepathy

Have just been re-looking at the Cowboys bench and it is scaring me out of Cotter, based on the following expected minutes:
JTB 35
Lolo 55
Tamou 30
McLean 40
Neame 25
Cotter 55
Would really need 60+ minutes for Cotter to make him worthwhile.

Have $200k to spare so now evaluating both Haas and Tino who have each been in and out of my pre-season teams.

robelgordo wrote:

Finch wrote:Warriors and Knights 1-17 (Kosi in for DWZ though)

I’m trying to add this stuff to a late mail thread

I’m like a wish version of Paceys Best

Someone should register an alt account "Pacey's second best" to do the late mail from

Hastings, Ponga, TMM in this one for me. Will set the tone for my round

Camo123 wrote:
Milchcow with the telepathy

Keep quiet or they'll realise that Rabbits is just an elaborate alt of mine

I'd I say that or just think that.


Now off to the Duff factory tour