2018 NRL.com Fantasy thread part 8

Hey lads - been a while as I'm overseas and on really rubbish internet.

On KNik - I have him (after ditching Jrey). Last year I learned to favour the guys who seemed overly active and keen on the ball. Thats why Slater was a pick and stick from the start, and Will Hopoate was my biggest regret late in the season.

Knik always seems to have the energy at taking on a tired line. Be interesting to see if he keeps it up with the traditional half role, but I'll milk him for a bit.

For info, my muppets that I'm starting with:

Smith
JBrom, Lodge
Merrin, Cartwright, Harris
KNik, Watson
Taka, Latrell
Teddy, Ponga, Thompson

RFM, Cook, NAS, Havilli

Croker, Rochow, Katoa, Kennar

$29K ITB

Not yet sure how I'm going to work the reserves, but I think this is how I'll go.

KNik has also had a preseason at (just) halfback with Walters as a half coach, which I think will make a difference to his performance this year. He's a pretty expensive gamble but I personally need a Broncos player in my team who isn't Lodge to cheer on every week

Choose 1:

Arrow (if lock for first two rounds then bench middle man - could still get 40-50 mins off bench), Tevita Pangai Junior (if starting prop) or RFM (starting second rower).

I am actually leaning towards Arrow to get off to a flyer. Don't like the Bulldogs draw vs. Storm and Roosters in first two games. And already have 1 Broncos prop.

I actually see Arrow making faster money to start the year, but there is a case to have all three in your team.

Warriors wrote:Choose 1:

Arrow (if lock for first two rounds then bench middle man - could still get 40-50 mins off bench), Tevita Pangai Junior (if starting prop) or RFM (starting second rower).

I am actually leaning towards Arrow to get off to a flyer. Don't like the Bulldogs draw vs. Storm and Roosters in first two games. And already have 1 Broncos prop.

I actually see Arrow making faster money to start the year, but there is a case to have all three in your team.

If you could guarentee Arrow would get 40-50 minutes in the middle each week he would be one of my first picked. Definite upside first 2 weeks but I just don't think he has enough time to make bulk cash

Warriors wrote:Choose 1:

Arrow (if lock for first two rounds then bench middle man - could still get 40-50 mins off bench), Tevita Pangai Junior (if starting prop) or RFM (starting second rower).

I am actually leaning towards Arrow to get off to a flyer. Don't like the Bulldogs draw vs. Storm and Roosters in first two games. And already have 1 Broncos prop.

I actually see Arrow making faster money to start the year, but there is a case to have all three in your team.

Pangai - would you still pick him round 1, if the starting spot went to Thaiday once McCullough was fit enough to start? I don't want to pick 1 round wonders. If he has earned the starting spot then for sure he is good value.
From a bye planning point of view there is nothing wrong with having 2 props from the same team.


RFM's draw is pretty much irrelevant. He is cheap enough that if he gets the starting spot he'll rise in cash from round 1. If you don't start with him you'll have missed your chance to get him at his cheapest


Titans pack round 1 is going to be annoying. I'd love Arrow, but pretty much anywhere he is named you can't trust to continue. I think Arrow at lock is probably the position he would be most likely to hold onto when Wallace returns. 
Possibly he might also beat Latu to be starting prop with Wallace, or force James back into prop and play in the back row. But wil be hard to know just from round 1 what the long term plan is.

Trajan wrote:What are your thoughts on Rochow getting a starting gig? I have not seen him play recently
but he is a great enabler and with the Tigers fixtures he will at least rack up some tackle stats
( IF ) he is in the starting team and stays there for awhile. TLT I suppose.

At this point, you really just have to wait for team lists. Nobody here actually knows, they are just going to repeat internet rumours, or just state want they want to happen for fantasy purposes.

I don't think he is in a best 17, but my opinion counts for nothing.

What is Lodge's on-field history like? Heard Gallen on the radio this morning basically saying the guy is a grub....which got me to thinking...if I was playing against Lodge, I'd be sledging the crap out of him. Given the guy is undoubtedly a grub...what are the odds he snaps on a few occasions and cops suspensions?

mulvy wrote:

True, but (yes I know small sample) Croft two worst scores from non-try scoring games were 46 and 41 much better than Niko's. Croft's Km's average was 246 vs Niko at halfback 112. Small sample though.

Just to add a bit of context though, isn't it also true that:
A) Niko's kick metre average at starting half is brought down because he played a number of rounds when Hunt was at hooker late in the season, where he took a lot of kick metres off Niko and Milf?
B) Nikos lowest scoring games in those latter three rounds were where Hunt was stealing kick metres from hooker, part of the reason for the three low scores.
C) Croft's avg kick metres are high because Smith wasn't on the field stealing kick metres from him during a lot of his starting games?

I'm recalling this from memory, don't have the stats in front of me to check, so could be a bit wrong.

TheWeapon wrote:What is Lodge's on-field history like? Heard Gallen on the radio this morning basically saying the guy is a grub....which got me to thinking...if I was playing against Lodge, I'd be sledging the crap out of him. Given the guy is undoubtedly a grub...what are the odds he snaps on a few occasions and cops suspensions?

talking past onfield only, i actually don't know. nothing in the PNG trial to suggest he'll be grubby this season. TBH I think he'll probably be a "model citizen" as a player. Bennett (and the broncos heirachy) would not want him to bring attention on himself, leave the onfield grub to mcguire/sims/etc. He'd be expecting to cop some crap too.

Can't wait for TLT to clear up nothing, haha. Alright, ask me your TLT burning questions, I'll answer them now for you. I'll guarantee* my info will be correct


*no guarantee

Mannering shoulder injury - didn't travel with side. May miss up to a month according to article, though nothing concrete - http://www.radiosport.co.nz/sport-news/league/warriors-veteran-simon-mannering-out-of-season-opener/

Will people stop talking up Niko please? He was a nice POD a few weeks back haha

TLT bound to dish up its normal frustrations of not quite knowing whether your Takarangai or Arrow is good to go, but on the latter the one thing that pushes me towards Arrow other than huge upside is the coaches comments through pre season. Really sounds like his favourite player just in the odd quote here and there

TheWeapon wrote:What is Lodge's on-field history like? Heard Gallen on the radio this morning basically saying the guy is a grub....which got me to thinking...if I was playing against Lodge, I'd be sledging the crap out of him. Given the guy is undoubtedly a grub...what are the odds he snaps on a few occasions and cops suspensions?

He got suspended as an U20 for writing CUNT on his wrist strapping in Sharpie, so I don't think its beyond the realm of possibility he has a brain snap or 2.

ryno_ wrote:

He got suspended as an U20 for writing CUNT on his wrist strapping in Sharpie, so I don't think its beyond the realm of possibility he has a brain snap or 2.

If I didn't have him in my team previously, I would have definitely added him after that. Love it.

I think there is better value out there than Nikorima. Even Chad Townsend or Moses I would prefer. I have gone with Cody Walker due to round 13 and can effectively switch him to be a 3rd WFB gun when I have more clarity on what half I want.

GreenMachine wrote:TLT bound to dish up its normal frustrations of not quite knowing whether your Takarangai or Arrow is good to go, but on the latter the one thing that pushes me towards Arrow other than huge upside is the coaches comments through pre season. Really sounds like his favourite player just in the odd quote here and there

I would like to put him back in, but not sure if I can run Carty, Latu and Arrow, that can't be good.

multiple.scoregasms wrote:

If you could guarentee Arrow would get 40-50 minutes in the middle each week he would be one of my first picked. Definite upside first 2 weeks but I just don't think he has enough time to make bulk cash

I think at his price he is worth taking a punt on. To me the Titains need a worker like him to play big mins in the middle but as you say hard to know what the coach will do!

My hot tip (based on nothing) is that Arrow will start at 13 and soak up the early workload and Cartwright will come off the bench

Neither really helps me as right now I have both in my side. I have Cartwright in the halves and that seems like a problem waiting to happen.