NRL Fantasy 2024 Part 2 - We've all been waiting for Weekes

my tv broke wrote:


I dont think I'll be spending any time in LA. Actually, maybe a night or two just to break up the travel. Heading south. Friend is getting married in Colombia. Probably do some other south american countries. Got a month over there. Never been east coast US either so theres a bit to figure out

Sounds like a pretty awesome trip you've got there MTB.
Never been to America (any of it) but would love to travel around Canada one day.
US ... hmmm not so sure anymore.
Maybe Colorado and the Rockies.

Anyone with the good oil watching Panthers trainiung etc. got info on the chances Alamoti has of jagging a centre in the 13?

The Bludger#2 wrote:Anyone with the good oil watching Panthers trainiung etc. got info on the chances Alamoti has of jagging a centre in the 13?

There were some posts around mentioning he'd been training as a bit of a utility/edge/etc, or something to that effect.

I don't think he makes their best 17, but i'm just making assumptions taylan may is in the centres.. or Peachey ?

my tv broke wrote:

There were some posts around mentioning he'd been training as a bit of a utility/edge/etc, or something to that effect.

I don't think he makes their best 17, but i'm just making assumptions taylan may is in the centres.. or Peachey ?

Cheers.
Damn centre, trash-heap of a position.

Smithies will be playing lock with Horsburgh suspended when he returns does Smithies go to the bench or does J. Papalii go to the bench (he said he likes coming off the bench) & Horsburgh starting prop leaving Smithies in the starting team at lock.

Smithies may be the reincarnation of Fensom

my tv broke wrote:


I dont think I'll be spending any time in LA. Actually, maybe a night or two just to break up the travel. Heading south. Friend is getting married in Colombia. Probably do some other south american countries. Got a month over there. Never been east coast US either so theres a bit to figure out

Haven't been that far south yet so can't really give any recommendations but if you end up in Belize Caye Caulker is fantastic for a few days

Could the Raiders rotation look something like this? Whitehead played 80 every week last year in the backrow but who knows; retiring at the end of the year in all likelihood (https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/elliott-whitehead-drops-further-hint-about-canberra-raiders-future-as-he-prepares-for-ninth-nrl-season)

Horsburgh 50
Woolford 55
Tapine 50
Whitehead 70
Young 80
Smithies 60

Starling 25
Papali’i 40
Guler 30
Mariota 20

Alfie wrote:Could the Raiders rotation look something like this? Whitehead played 80 every week last year in the backrow but who knows; retiring at the end of the year in all likelihood (https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/elliott-whitehead-drops-further-hint-about-canberra-raiders-future-as-he-prepares-for-ninth-nrl-season)

Horsburgh 50
Woolford 55
Tapine 50
Whitehead 70
Young 80
Smithies 60

Starling 25
Papali’i 40
Guler 30
Mariota 20

Think there's a bit of hopium around Smithies' role/minutes when they have young players who've been in their system for longer that can fill in well. In these interviews Fogarty and Whitehead both namecheck "Ata"(Mariota) and "Trey"(Mooney), not Smithies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAgEn94moKE

Also in that interview, Fogarty mentions both Weekes and Strange as possible halves partners, but Whitehead singles out Strange.

Try this speculation instead (without having any real clue who the hookers will be. Could be Levi. And it might be Hosking on the bench because he can cover centre):

Papalii 40
HookerA 50
Tapine 55
Young 80
Whitehead 70
Hors 60

HookerB 30
Mariota 40
Mooney 30
Hosking/Smithies 25

That would make Mariota the most interesting, but there's a limit to how many Raiders cows you can comfortably hold.

rhinoceroo wrote:

Think there's a bit of hopium around Smithies' role/minutes when they have young players who've been in their system for longer that can fill in well. In these interviews Fogarty and Whitehead both namecheck "Ata"(Mariota) and "Trey"(Mooney), not Smithies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAgEn94moKE

Also in that interview, Fogarty mentions both Weekes and Strange as possible halves partners, but Whitehead singles out Strange.

Try this speculation instead (without having any real clue who the hookers will be. Could be Levi. And it might be Hosking on the bench because he can cover centre):

Papalii 40
HookerA 50
Tapine 55
Young 80
Whitehead 70
Hors 60

HookerB 30
Mariota 40
Mooney 30
Hosking/Smithies 25

That would make Mariota the most interesting, but there's a limit to how many Raiders cows you can comfortably hold.

So there’s a chance the international footballer who just won a grand final might not even make the team? Definitely some hopium on my part (love that term by the way) but that’s just silly to suggest he only plays 25mins.

Also, I didn’t really get anything out of that clip of Fogarty/Whitehead, maybe I missed something. Giving the young guns a rap is one thing, indicating they’ve cemented themselves in the rotation is another. Mariota suddenly doubling his minutes?? I think Mooney will fight it out for a spot with Hosking; if he plays more minutes than Smithies, the fabric of my reality will begin to unravel.

The most interesting thing I took out of the Fogarty/Whitehead interview was the suggestion that the loser of the Weekes/Strange battle could provide some utility value (quote from Fogarty). We saw last year Ricky experimenting with the idea a couple times, Cotric for a few games mid-season and Schiller and Croker later in the season, a game each. Would make Smithies all the more tempting for me if he gets the lock spot round 1.

Alfie wrote:

So there’s a chance the international footballer who just won a grand final might not even make the team? Definitely some hopium on my part (love that term by the way) but that’s just silly to suggest he only plays 25mins.

Also, I didn’t really get anything out of that clip of Fogarty/Whitehead, maybe I missed something. Giving the young guns a rap is one thing, indicating they’ve cemented themselves in the rotation is another. Mariota suddenly doubling his minutes?? I think Mooney will fight it out for a spot with Hosking; if he plays more minutes than Smithies, the fabric of my reality will begin to unravel.

International footballer is a 1 cap appearance in a meaningless game against France (who are certainly not at the quality they once were)

I'd suggest Horse who has played an Origin and been in the extended squad for a while is certainly the most likely to play the higher minutes of the two.

That being said; English forwards have often transitioned well into the NRL and Smithies might have been a lot more interesting (and less risky) if he was sub $400k

The Raiders bring over English players frequently. It's something they know well.

It's a critical part of their strategy. It's expensive, time-consuming, and requires a lot of man-management.

They very rarely bench them.

Smithies will start at lock and in my team.

easytiger wrote:

International footballer is a 1 cap appearance in a meaningless game against France (who are certainly not at the quality they once were)

I'd suggest Horse who has played an Origin and been in the extended squad for a while is certainly the most likely to play the higher minutes of the two.

That being said; English forwards have often transitioned well into the NRL and Smithies might have been a lot more interesting (and less risky) if he was sub $400k

Haha I knew someone would rubbish his international credentials. Fair play, that game was certainly of little importance (like most games at the World Cup unfortunately). Didn’t the Raiders have to pay a decent transfer fee for him though? Strange investment if he ends up playing cup. Just as strange if he plays 25mins I think, he’s not exactly Sam Kasiano.

EDIT: Also, as good as Horsburgh is, the best forward in the middle rotation doesn't always play the most minutes; Nelson and Andrew Fifita come to mind. Smithies won't be expected to hit up nearly as much, with more of a focus on defence (Raiders had the 4th worst middle defence last year), so it would make sense that he plays a few extra minutes.

Camo123 wrote:Smithies probably barely going to go up in price in R1 & R2 so it’s easily a wait and see until Horsburgh returns

Even moreso with the plethora of 500-600k options

You’re probably right, I already have too many Raiders as it is. Now that I think about, 60mins probably isn’t quite enough to get him to keeper tier anyway, assuming he even gets that role. I just don’t like the other value options at MID

Mariner if wing worth a look? For our centres?

Priced at 33 can he avg 37-40 would be 4-7 points value in a tricky centre position. Or should we avoid.

Currently have Penis at centre and Suli as a placeholder.

Gone cheaper at hooker if we get a cheap centre I can pivot back to Robson

easytiger wrote:

That being said; English forwards have often transitioned well into the NRL and Smithies might have been a lot more interesting (and less risky) if he was sub $400k

Also, Canberra, more than any other club have a lot of history of getting the most out of English forwards

Still a bit to iffy to start with him with Horse missing round 1, but would not surprise me at all to see him kick on.

Might be like Bateman's first season where everyone scrambles to get him in after 1 game (Bateman albeit having the advantage of being a CTR in his first year)

Alfie wrote:The most interesting thing I took out of the Fogarty/Whitehead interview was the suggestion that the loser of the Weekes/Strange battle could provide some utility value (quote from Fogarty). We saw last year Ricky experimenting with the idea a couple times, Cotric for a few games mid-season and Schiller and Croker later in the season, a game each. Would make Smithies all the more tempting for me if he gets the lock spot round 1.

If they have both Starling and Weekes/Strange on the bench, it makes a few raiders forwards much more appealing.