Fantasy NRL Blog
ROUND 6Covering NRL.com Dream Team, Daily Telegraph SuperCoach & Fox Sports Fantasy NRL competitions in 2010.
UPDATE: April 28 - NOT The Footy Show Special Fantasy NRL Blog Podcast - look out for it on the front page of wdnicolson.blogspot.com before Round 8!
First up let me apologise for never finishing the player scouting reports on the FoxSports Fantasy NRL subsection of the website - you got Props, Hookers and Backrowers covered before the season started for free but there's a project I'm working on now that should top all that... let's just say - can you say 'Who are the NRL's Top 200 Players?'
Stay tuned to wdnicolson.blogspot.com and the NOT The Footy Show YouTube Videos for more information on probably the most exciting Rugby League publication of the decade...
Who will be #1?
Who will be #1?
But that's in the future - back to the present.
Be honest - just how bad is your Fantasy NRL team going in 2010?
Over the last few years I've dedicated myself to the Fox Sports Fantasy NRL competition because I found it to be the most interesting 'version' of the Fantasy Rugby League game in Australia. But when I learned that the kind folks at Fox Sports had scaled back their prize pool to some measly club game free tickets if you outscored 40,000 people every week... I've now turned my attention to the NRL.com's Dream Team (despite it's flaws) and am also actually doing quite well in the Fantasy NRL & AFL Games at sportsbet.com.au. The Daily Telegraph's SuperCoach competition probably has my number in 2010, as I didn't pay too much attention to the scoring system at the start of the year and have suffered from picking a similar squad to my Dream Team.
And my Fox Sports team is suffering mightily from a curse I have seemingly placed on the player I pick as skipper every week... the highest score any of my choices for captain in 2010 was Robbie Farah in Round 3 with 30... you can't compete (even for free NRL club game tickets) with such poor production from your skipper.
But enough about me - let's get to The NRL Tweet's Fantasy NRL Talk for Round 6.
Injury Update - Key notes for Round 6
Who is OUT worth dropping?


Who is IN worth picking up?
The next section looks at the players you should realise are the go-to picks if you have any hopes of moving up the leaderboard in any form of Fantasy NRL but it looks mainly at it from a Dream Team perspective. Beware when browsing the top point getters in any league though - because not every player will have the same role for the rest of 2010 as they have had for the opening 5 weeks of the season.
Top 5 Players in Each Position
Who should you keep? Who should get get? Who should you punt?
The golden rule in NRL.com Dream Team is pick players who make Tackles. It is really that simple. Attacking stats aren't that valuable comparatively speaking and only kicking metres make a playmaker worth selecting. Metres Gained is the other 'big' stat but a player might run for 150m in a game yet that's only going to score you as many points as a player who makes 15 tackles... getting it?
Here's an updated on the top players in each position...
The golden rule in NRL.com Dream Team is pick players who make Tackles. It is really that simple. Attacking stats aren't that valuable comparatively speaking and only kicking metres make a playmaker worth selecting. Metres Gained is the other 'big' stat but a player might run for 150m in a game yet that's only going to score you as many points as a player who makes 15 tackles... getting it?
Here's an updated on the top players in each position...
Fullback
- Lance Hohaia 235k - 170 points @ 34ppg
He's now playing in the halves so that means extra tackles and that means more points. - Todd Carney 154k - 145 points @ 29ppg
Needs to be kicking a lot of goals to get you big points but the Roosters will score in bunches. - Jarryd Hayne 198k - 134 points @ 27ppg
If his kicking in general play increases the points you get from metres from kicks will boost his numbers significantly - as will his running game. - Michael Gordon 150k - 114 points @ 23ppg
Penrith sharpshooter has already missed as many goals this year as he did in all of 2009 - but he also should be a very solid point getter every week. - Sam Perrett 135k - 105 points @ 21ppg
His biggest strength is dummy half running... but points come from Metres Gained not simply the number of hitups.
- Ben Lowe 264k - 200pts @ 40ppg
This is the positional category that savvy Dream Teamers take advantage of the game creators. Lowe is a backrower and is on fire - playing in the backrow. Is suspended this week and faces a tough task holding his 80minute role when Michael Crocker comes back. - Mitchell Aubusson 177k - 177pts @ 35ppg
80 minute backrower for only 177k... I shouldn't have to list his stat value outside of the 80 minute backrower part. SIGN HIM. - Luke Lewis 207k- 166pts @ 33ppg
Has been a beast for the Panthers at lock and at five-eighth... yet not centre funnily enough. Moving back to lock this week - he's a wise investment for his all-around game. - Beau Scott 233k - 166pts @ 33ppg
Defensive centre (he used to be a backrower) who will make 20 tackles and add an off-load or two each week. He's solid but not spectacular for that price. - Chris Lawrence 191k - 145pts @ 29ppg
Tryscorer with a willingness to defend. That's a decent combination but it'd be even better if Dream Team rewarded tries with some actual value.
- Terry Campese 338k - 251pts @ 50ppg
Has done a lot more defence this season than you would've expected and his kicking game is always nice and long... expensive though and that tackle count will fluctuate weekly. - Benji Marshall 273k - 212pts @ 42ppg
He's been the form player in the NRL over the first 5 weeks and you've got tries, goals and some handy metres (running & kicking) from him but his defensive stats will never be big, so he's a risk. - Johnathan Thurston 271k - 208pts @ 42ppg
Seriously if you keep him you'll be wasting 271k until the day he returns and succumbs to his shoulder injury in the first five minutes of the game. Great if fit sure... but he won't be. - Jamie Soward 318k - 202pts @ 40ppg
Has been borderline ordinary in 2010 yet the Dragons are 4-1 with him underperforming. Gets you goals and metres from his kicking game but the tries and playmaking skills have dried up for the time being... - Jamie Lyon 236k - 200pts @ 40ppg Unfashionable player but his stats this year have been superb. Is the Manly goalkicker and makes a good number of tackles per game - but he never seems like he's about to put up superstar numbers... but so far he's been very very good.
- Shaun Fensom 264k - 269pts @ 54ppg
Most Canberra fans didn't expect Fensom to play regular first grade at the start of the season because Josh Miller was favoured at lock by coach David Furner... but Fensom has been one of the form locks in the NRL let alone a form forward for the Raiders. But his job security may not be as secure as you think when Miller returns. - David Stagg 357k - 258 @ 52ppg
He's so reliable defensively and rarely makes an error so he's Dream Team gold. He is expensive considering you can get the same ppg from Fensom for almost 100k less. Still Stagg is a gem - stick with him. - Paul Gallen 329k - 231 @ 46ppg
His defensive workload has increased in recent seasons but his metres gained remain high. He's a ball hog which hurts the Sharks but only his errors and penalties will hurt you in Dream Team - the more he runs it the better. - Nathan Hindmarsh 336k - 227 @ 45ppg
Hindy is a Dream Team machine given he'll make 40 tackles per week and have a big week metres wise here and there. If he'd off-load more he'd be amazing in Dream Team land. - Scott Bolton 251k - 203pts @ 41ppg
Became Thurston's go to man on the left along with Willie Tonga but now Thurston is goneskis - Bolton might only be solid from here on out rather than above average.
- Aiden Tolman 257k - 222pts @ 44ppg If you didn't know Tolman was a work-horse from the top shelf before the season - you should know it by now. He's still cheap and is making 30 tackles + 100m a game in 65+ minutes each week - get him in your front row.
- Ben Hannant 307k - 220pts @ 44ppg
He's just so consistent and Canterbury coach Kevin Moore is leaning on him heavily with so many forwards out. You pay a premium but he's worth it. - Sam Rapira 261k - 212pts @ 42ppg
Has stepped up his work-rate in the absence of Steven Price - but as good as he's been will his numbers maintain the rage when Price returns from injury? - Luke Bailey 275k - 205pts @ 41ppg Is a great prop at club level and gets 55+ minutes per week to build up the tackle count and churn out the metres.
- Luke Douglas 285k - 202pts @ 40ppg
I love this kid - consistent and tough, he should be in the frame for NSW but fortunately for your Dream Team - he'll get overlooked for some over-rated hack like Brett White or Brent Kite.
- Robbie Farah 369k - 262pts @ 52ppg
His kicking game from dummy half teamed with his defensive workload makes him a must-pick, throw in his playmaking ability and you should've drafted him straight up. - Cameron Smith 356k - 246pts @ 49ppg
Has the long kicking game, the defensive work-rate and an added bonus over Farah which is goalkicking. His ppg suffered from a stint at halfback in the opening rounds. - Nathan Friend 296k - 220pts @ 44ppg
You want tackles in Dream Team and Friend delivers that in spades. You'll get exactly what you pay for - 40 odd tackles per game. - Issac Luke 269k - 207pts @ 41ppg
Dynamic out of dummy half so far this season but he'll have to lift his work-rate in defence and stop missing tackles to get his ppg to the Farah/Smith level. Also kicks which is a nice bonus. - Matt Ballin 251k - 185pts @ 37ppg
Much like Friend you pay for defence and that's about it. Solid but not a comp-winning pick by any means.
Currently sitting in 374th... solid but still plenty of points behind the leaders.
For next week...

Your Feedback?
If you've got any questions, suggestions or comments - let us know here via the comments section or on The NRL Tweet (@NRLTweet). Happy to produce what you want to read when it comes to Fantasy NRL - so don't be shy.