2017 NRL.com Fantasy thread part 1

...but while I am popping my head in to start the season, I will may as well give my two cents on an important issue I saw whilst lurking. People talking about cheap hookers (heh) like Cherrington, Balin etc. I can never justify giving up one of just two hooker spots to try and milk a cash cow. You really should have about the same amount of cash cows in your team regardless of position (pretty much any NPR), so why is it so important to have one in hooker anyway? Unlike every other position, if that reserve hooker tanks (either through injury or poor scoring), and the gap to a good hooker is financially unassailable, then you could be stuck with them all season and have no backup for that position. Granted I am a conservative player, but is the reward from a POD cashcow really mitigating the potential of being stuck with a Scott Moore all season?

Okay, enough of the serious talk. Hope everyone has been well in the off season!
Cricket is great and all, but I'm usually thinking about footy while watching it.

flasSId* wrote: Pookus!  Generally last week of January allthough Nigel McFail on Renegades had me salivating yesterday.  He posted a hoax "It's Open" and I knew had to be bullshit but my Internet was absolutely fucked so there was about a minute of it opening where I was hoping against hope that it was legit.

Ah hey, didn't realize it was you SI! Yeah I saw that Renegades post. The worst part is, even know that 100% it was bullshit, and seeing the comments below saying how it was bullshit, I still couldn't help going for the 0% chance and checking. That is who I am now.

Pookus McFly wrote:

flasSId* wrote: Pookus!  Generally last week of January allthough Nigel McFail on Renegades had me salivating yesterday.  He posted a hoax "It's Open" and I knew had to be bullshit but my Internet was absolutely fucked so there was about a minute of it opening where I was hoping against hope that it was legit.

Ah hey, didn't realize it was you SI! Yeah I saw that Renegades post. The worst part is, even know that 100% it was bullshit, and seeing the comments below saying how it was bullshit, I still couldn't help going for the 0% chance and checking. That is who I am now.

Hahaha, yeah exactly. With the hooker scenario you were discussing, yeah, that is exactly how I look at it as well. You only have 2 spots, and they should be both some of your highest scoring players. It is way too hard to get a 2nd decent hooker if the cow fails. In saying that, the risk does pay off handsomely if you are brave enough.

Moore is a classic example of it failing, but Moore was owned by over 50% so t wasn't a season killer.

Then you have the success stories like Jeynolds/Lichaa/Parcell of previous seasons.

Actually was JReyn a hooker in his 1st season? I'm thinking he was but must have been DPP because most of us had him in the halves.

flasSId* wrote:

At your behest, I changed my avatar from me on a train to you on a train.

I appreciate it!
A fresh start to the new year

If I thought Ballin, King, Kostjasyn, Cherrington etc would be good value I'd grab them in a heartbeat.

I just think at this point that they are all trap city.
Maybe a quality option will emerge in the next 2 months, but for now 2 guns seems the go at hooker.

So who would be a good value Hooker to team up with Smith without breaking the bank?

Who would be best value for money?
Peats? Farah? Moore?

Chewie wrote:So who would be a good value Hooker to team up with Smith without breaking the bank?

Who would be best value for money?
Peats? Farah? Moore?

I know the argument for and against playing 80 mins etc etc but Peats needs to be playing 80 to get back to the elite hooker level in fantasy

something he only did once playing for the Titans last year with 2 games over 70 minutes

I like the look of a settled Issac Luke, especially if he retains GK duties for the whole season

Once bitten, twice shy in my books.
I don't like to mess around with my hookers, set and forget. It has the smallest player pool by far, so when you are waiting for the next big wave to ride upward, you sometimes just find yourself treading water.

Welshy wrote:
I know the argument for and against playing 80 mins etc etc but Peats needs to be playing 80 to get back to the elite hooker level in fantasy

something he only did once playing for the Titans last year with 2 games over 70 minutes

I like the look of a settled Issac Luke, especially if he retains GK duties for the whole season

I was considering Peats with the thought that he would definitely get 80 minutes. Maybe I am wrong. But I mean, who is there to take them off him?

Pookus McFly wrote:Once bitten, twice shy in my books.
I don't like to mess around with my hookers, set and forget. It has the smallest player pool by far, so when you are waiting for the next big wave to ride upward, you sometimes just find yourself treading water.

tough to get over a debacle like Scott Moore. Personally I've gotten a decent return from secondary cheap hooking options over the years like Lichaa, Peats, Garvey and Parcell to an extent last year

It is a position where it can be very costly if it doesn't pan out though!

Pookus McFly wrote:

I was considering Peats with the thought that he would definitely get 80 minutes. Maybe I am wrong. But I mean, who is there to take them off him?

I was looking at Peats then did some digging, Off last years stats...

He played for the Titans 14 times and averaged 60 minutes for a 43 point average, tough to know with Peats if any of those games were injury induced as he is pretty frail

Welshy wrote:

Pookus McFly wrote:

I was considering Peats with the thought that he would definitely get 80 minutes. Maybe I am wrong. But I mean, who is there to take them off him?

I was looking at Peats then did some digging, Off last years stats...

He played for the Titans 14 times and averaged 60 minutes for a 43 point average, tough to know with Peats if any of those games were injury induced as he is pretty frail

Friend and Morts though right? Really keen to get Peats but yeah, fuck knows if he plays 80.

flasSId* wrote:

Friend and Morts though right?  Really keen to get Peats but yeah, fuck knows if he plays 80.

Friend mate, retired now though hasn't he, Morts didn't play after R7 but he may play the same role Friend did

May take a run at Macca to start the season

Welshy wrote:

flasSId* wrote:

Friend and Morts though right?  Really keen to get Peats but yeah, fuck knows if he plays 80.

Friend mate, retired now though hasn't he, Morts didn't play after R7 but he may play the same role Friend did

Morts has moved on as well so if the rumours are correct Roberts potentially the bench utility.

Adam Elliot to get more game time? Wasn't he named in the emerging Blues squad?

flasSId* wrote:

Morts has moved on as well so if the rumours are correct Roberts potentially the bench utility.

Didn't know that, could well change things in regards to my views on Peats...

Would think the Titans have a decent backup option due to his long injury and concussion issues mind you

Thanks for that other team planner, been fucking about with a no Smith option...

Luke, McCullough
Tolman, Gurgess, Sipley, Cowboy Prop
Merrin, Surgess, Friz, Elliott, Arrow, Capewell
Norman, Api K, Elgey, Rookie
Chambers, Idris, CScott, RJennings
Tedesco, RTS, Hayne, Uate, Rookie

overbudget slightly

Ok, I'll throw my hat in the ring re the hookers, I'm FOR using it as a cash cow spot... if it makes sense for your team of course.

I've done just fine only ever having one gun hooker all year so I don't believe you NEED two as your end goal. Sure its nice to have, but often enough I find targets in other positions that i see as better value. I could go on for a lot longer in the justification but... i now have a website to feed the addiction (thanks!)!!