NRL Fantasy 2024 Part 1 - Gates are open, come on in

Hard to see the rabbits being competitive without any props, minimal bench depth, and a fullback who goes missing in defence.

I'd love to punt on Murray as a premium mid, but feels like he'll be carefully managed.


JMK vs Egan will be a fun toss-up.


Edit, forgot Koro and Jailey in that wheelhouse too.

Could be time for ye old stable of Booz hookers!

L-Jimmy wrote:Hard to see the rabbits being competitive without any props, minimal bench depth, and a fullback who goes missing in defence.

I'd love to punt on Murray as a premium mid, but feels like he'll be carefully managed.


JMK vs Egan will be a fun toss-up.


Edit, forgot Koro and Jailey in that wheelhouse too.

Could be time for ye old stable of Booz hookers!

I currently have 1 HOK with no cover

It’s definitely not the year of the hooker for me. There’s a few dicey picks that could be worth waiting to see upside/rotation/team lists (Verrills/Clark, Eels HOK, Liddle, Brailey)

Camo123 wrote:

I currently have 1 HOK with no cover

It’s definitely not the year of the hooker. There’s a few dicey picks that could be worth waiting to see upside/rotation/team lists (Verrills/Clark, Eels HOK, Liddle, Brailey)

I have Robson/JMK at the moment. Might need to cut one though if I go with Cleary/Hynes combo

Camo123 wrote:

I currently have 1 HOK with no cover

It’s definitely not the year of the hooker. There’s a few dicey picks that could be worth waiting to see upside/rotation/team lists (Verrills/Clark, Eels HOK, Liddle, Brailey)

I currently have Robson/Cheese but probably going to get rid of Cheese unless it seems likely he'll get 65+ mins at hooker.

Never write off a cult hero...

Te Whare, 23, has been welcomed back to the Dolphins, after an intensive programme that has reduced his weight closer to 110kg.

"He came to me around 122-123kg and he weight in this week at just under 114kg, so he lost about nine kilos," boxing trainer Mark 'Chopper' Burgess told News Corp.

"He has changed his mindset completely. I couldn't believe he was the same bloke who came to me last month - it's impressive.

"Talking to Wayne, he is ecstatic with Val's weight."

I'm less anti hooker at first glance, but am aware that I'm arguing with better players than I.

Thoughts:

Depending on starting and the Eels bench, Hands could be a very useful DPP for 406k. I rate him over Lussick, but Brad is odd.

Cheese at 540k could well have 100k in him as he grows into his role with Trent. Can score, can tackle, can get suspended for stupid shit though.

JMK only looks 50k cheap, which at 650k probably sinks his little red wagon.

Egan averages 48 as a 60+ hooker, which makes him shiny at 587 until a head knock, but good to watch in the meantime.

Koro doesn't need a huge improvement from the Tigers spine to move from 608 to mid 7s - more an upswing in pack form, which could happen with a full Benji pre-season settling some forward souls.

If JBrails can go 17 seconds without an ACL he should be up towards 700, from a comfy 575

Liddle doesn't scream value, but should have to make bulk tackles in a shit pack. Reasonable bye schedule makes him worth a watch at 536 - would a useful swap out when Jayden fucks his other knee.

Alfie wrote:

No Worries wrote:

Have you seen pictures of NRLFF catch ups ? Let's not be too hasty on using bald as an insult

Reminded of this classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAF9mg7Df7k

I thought that link was going to be me passed out ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh them ol days

L-Jimmy wrote:I'm less anti hooker at first glance, but am aware that I'm arguing with better players than I.

Thoughts:

Hands could be a very useful DPP for 406k. I rate him over Lussick, but Brad is odd.

yeah i have hands atm due to the dpp but you're right who knows what brad will do. ofc if lussick is on the bench hands is gone but i have read little bits of info here & there inferring he'll go with hands starting he seems a better distributor from dh & that he could handle 80 mins.

Mahoney another interesting option at hooker

Long term average of about 50 as a starting hooker but had some absolute shockers last year(5 starts with scores of 25 or less!)

Priced at low 40s could be that guy that makes 150k jump to sell or hang around as a keeper

multiple.scoregasms wrote:Mahoney another interesting option at hooker

Long term average of about 50 as a starting hooker but had some absolute shockers last year(5 starts with scores of 25 or less!)

Priced at low 40s could be that guy that makes 150k jump to sell or hang around as a keeper

mahoney in 2023 was the top missed tackler (missing 132 tackles) esp. in the final quarter of games...if he's going to make the leap he'll have to improve his defense imo.

Liddle just needs the minutes, but I don’t think he will get them

robelgordo wrote:Liddle just needs the minutes, but I don’t think he will get them

mbye is gone there is currently no hooker other than liddle on their roster & in the halves volkman & amone are gone which leaves b. hunt, flanagan, turner maybe turner will be the utility on the bench spelling liddle but you'd think liddle would play big mins nearing 80.
the dragons are going to have to pull out the cheque book to buy some replacements.

White Lightning wrote:

mahoney in 2023 was the top missed tackler (missing 132 tackles) esp. in the final quarter of games...if he's going to make the leap he'll have to improve his defense imo.

Isn't it more that the Bulldogs need to improve their defence. Mahoney is a little guy... can't change that. If he makes first contact and he's on his own he'll get regularly run over. If he has teammates wrapping up the tackle with him (as he presumably had at the Eels) then the tackle misses drastically reduce.

The other thing to consider is that with all these utilities and with Mann, Hutchinson and Turpin in the squad he isn't guaranteed the 80 minutes he'd need to get back to his old scoring even if the defence fixes.

White Lightning wrote:

mbye is gone there is currently no hooker other than liddle on their roster & in the halves volkman & amone are gone which leaves b. hunt, flanagan, turner maybe turner will be the utility on the bench spelling liddle but you'd think liddle would play big mins nearing 80.
the dragons are going to have to pull out the cheque book to buy some replacements.

Yeah, you'd think they'll have to sign someone. Liddle isn't exactly a stranger to injuries either so they'd be a bit lost if he goes down. (They could move Ben Hunt there I suppose, in a popular move for fantasy coaches but then they'd have no halves)

White Lightning wrote:

mbye is gone there is currently no hooker other than liddle on their roster & in the halves volkman & amone are gone which leaves b. hunt, flanagan, turner maybe turner will be the utility on the bench spelling liddle but you'd think liddle would play big mins nearing 80.
the dragons are going to have to pull out the cheque book to buy some replacements.

Connor Muhleisen is there and was the bench hooker for the end of last season.

mintotheimmortal wrote:

Connor Muhleisen is there and was the bench hooker for the end of last season.

went on mtb's awesome site & he costs 1.2m i won't be going near him he's more expensive than cleary

mintotheimmortal wrote:

Connor Muhleisen is there and was the bench hooker for the end of last season.

On development contract which can’t play until R11 (but I’d expect upgrade given utility issues)

This is mostly a summary of Fantasy Amateurs' predictions for 2024 moneymakers.  https://amateursfantasysports.com/nrl/  

Thanks for the insights Fantasy Amateurs.

I put in a few other names I'd read about on Fantasy Fantatics or on team prediction lists.

CLUB	SURNAME	PRICE	POSITION	BE	PROJECTION	COMMENT
RAIDERS	WEEKES	252K	HLF/WFB	18	28-32	WIGHTON'S HLF SPOT
	STRANGE	250K	CTR	18	27-31	CROKER'S CTR SPOT OR 5/8 SPOT
	COTRIC	261K	CTR/WFB	19	29-33	WNG SPOT (KRIS AVAILABLE RD 5?)
	STEWART	230K	WFB	17	?	FLB SPOT (KRIS AVAILABLE RD 5?)
	FOGARTY	637K	HLF	46	50-54	HFB SPOT
BRONCOS	BAKER	360K	MID	26	34-38	FLEGLER'S MID SPOT
	HETHERINGTON	334K	MID	24	30-34	FLEGLER'S MID SPOT
	PIAKURA	399K	EDG	29	37-41	CAPEWELL'S EDG SPOT
	MARINER	450K	CTR/WFB	33	38-42	FARNSWORTH'S CTR AND COBBO'S WFB SPOT
ROOSTERS	LENIU	395K	MID	29	33-37	PRP SPOT
	CRICHTON	501K	EDG	36	47-51	EDG SPOT
	SMITH	540K	HOK	39	45-49	HOK SPOT
	WONG	444K	EDG	32	?	EDG SPOT
KNIGHTS	PRYCE	400K	WFB/HLF	29	38-42	5/8 SPOT
	BRAILEY	575K	HOK	42	49-53	HOK SPOT
	MAPAPALANGI	250K	HLF	18	?	YOUNG'S WNG SPOT OR CTR SPOT
	CARTWRIGHT	250K	EDG/CTR	18	?	FITZGIBBON'S EDG SPOT
BULLDOGS	HUGHES	250K	MID	18	24-28	BENCH MID SPOT
	XERRI	450K	CTR	33	34-38	CTR SPOT
	CURRAN	501K	MID	36	44-48	LCK SPOT
	MAHONEY	580K	HOK	42	49-53
COWBOYS	COTTER	587K	MID	42	49-53	PRP SPOT
	ROBSON	660K	HOK	48	51-55	HOK SPOT
	VAILEA	360K	CTR	26	?	HIKU'S CTR SPOT
EELS	SIVO	429K	WFB	31	35-39	WNG SPOT
	LANE	558K	EDG	40	48-52	EDG SPOT
	HANDS	406K	HOK	29	11-15	HOK SPOT
RABBITOHS	TATOLA	485K	MID	35	42-46	PRP SPOT
	DUNCAN	413K	MID	30	26-30	BENCH MID SPOT OR EDG SPOT
	MUNRO	350K	WFB	25	?	WNG SPOT
DRAGONS	FLANAGAN	349K	HLF	25	31-35	5/8 SPOT
	EISENHUTH	424K	EDG	31	43-47	RUSSELL'S EDG SPOT
	LIDDLE	536K	HOK	39	44-48	HOK SPOT
STORM	PAPENHUYZEN	495K	WFB	36	50-54	FLB SPOT
	BLORE	518K	EDG	37	47-51	EDG SPOT
TIGERS	FAINU	230K	HLF	17	29-33	HLF SPOT
	SEZER	477	HLF	35	45-49	HLF SPOT
SHARKS	IRO	230K	CTR	17	30-34	CTR SPOT
TITANS	CAMPBELL	459K	WFB	34	46-50	FLB SPOT
SEA EAGLES	SCHUSTER	408K	EDG/HLF	30	41-45	EDG SPOT
DOLPHINS	MARSHALL-KING	650K	HOK	47	49-53	HOK SPOT
WARRIORS	ANY  STANDOUTS ?
PANTHERS

Camo123 wrote:

On development contract which can’t play until R11 (but I’d expect upgrade given utility issues)

Muhleisen started rounds 25-27 in 2023 with Liddle bench & played averaging 37 mins starting so that's a worry for Liddle who came off the bench

Camo123 wrote:

On development contract which can’t play until R11 (but I’d expect upgrade given utility issues)

I was of the belief that had changed. I thought it had changed to Development (supplementary players) can play from round 1. Train and triallists can play from round 11.