NRL $6000+ Roosters v Bulldogs Line-Up

What an opening week of NRL action! Thursday night’s clash between two traditional rivals is sure to capture the imagination of all involved, but who should you pick in your Draftstars line-up?

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $6000+ Thursday night competition

Front Row Forward

James Graham ($16,350)

James Graham may have only finished with 49 points last round, but bear in mind he was on 17 at half time. He came storming back in the second half with a bunch of tackles to make his score more respectable. The Englishman is arguably the best prop in the game, with a superb work rate in attack and defence, combined with a passing game that unfortunately goes largely unrecognised by NRL Fantasy scoring. Traditionally the Roosters v Bulldogs is always a tough game so expect Graham to get up for this one.

Jared Warea-Hargreaves ($10,150)

A healthy Jared Warea-Hargreaves will look to go back to his best where he has always been a pretty solid defender. On top of this, he will look to lead the Roosters forward pack into battle and in fantasy terms this means a rise in tackles, tackle breaks and offloads.

Hooker

Michael Lichaa ($13,600)

Lichaa played 79+ minutes in 14 of his 21 appearances last season and that certainly seems to be Hasler’s preference this year as well as he continues to load his bench with high impact forwards. Lichaa has played 20 games of over 75 minutes in the last two years and averaged 52.5 in them. Lichaa’s defensive game is very sound and he started to show some more presence in his offensive game. Given a proverbial license to run, he will look for more try assists and line break assists.

Second Row Forward

Greg Eastwood ($9,500)

Greg Eastwood will do what he does best – be a menace on the edge. Eastwood does not break as many tackles as you would expect for a man his size, but tackle breaks don’t reveal the number of tacklers Greg Eastwood attracts in order to be put down. He should get between 35-40 points and the fact that he loves running onto kicks – there is always a chance he gets a try.

Mitchell Aubusson ($11,250)

Aubusson looks like a steal here considering he is starting in the forward pack – where he scores more than 40 points a game. As a second-rower, Aubusson will get the job done. As long as the Roosters do not lose a man in the backs, this should be a safe gamble.

Centre

Josh Morris ($8,900)

Josh Morris can be a pretty intelligent player with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He will want to open his account for 2017 and although he will not be getting anywhere in the high 40s – anything around 30-35 points will be break even value. His scores will lift in games played in better conditions than the torrential rain that greeted the Bulldogs at Belmore last week.

Half

Luke Keary ($11,200)

Luke Keary is showing that he will be a pretty good fit as he is a nice foil for Mitchell Pearce. Despite being a Grand Final-winning half Keary isn’t a star but he’s in an ideal position combined with a star, which Pearce is. He can chip in when he wants rather than trying to carry a side. He should shine again.

Wing/Fullback

Blake Ferguson ($9,800)

Blake Ferguson was surprisingly quiet last game, but expect that to rise in closer games when he’ll get more kick metres and tackles. A player of his talent cannot go unnoticed at this price.

Latrell Mitchell ($9,750)

Mitchell only averaged 32.46 last season but his best stuff came at fullback where he averaged 38. This year he seems set to play centre and is coming off a 68-point score. He is almost guaranteed to play the whole 80 minutes and should average somewhere between 28 touches and 11 runs.

The Line Up

FR-F: James Graham ($16,350)

FR-F: Jared Warea-Hargreaves ($10,150)

HOOK: Michael Lichaa ($13,600)

2R-F: Greg Eastwood ($9,500)

2R-F: Mitchell Aubusson ($11,250)

C: Josh Morris ($8,900)

HALF: Luke Keary ($11,200)

W/FB: Blake Ferguson ($9,800)

W/FB: Latrell Mitchell ($9,750)

Salary Remaining: $0