NRL $3,000+ Broncos v Panthers Line-Up

After being touted as Premiership contenders in the pre-season, the Panthers are currently flailing at 2-6 and sit in 14th spot on the ladder. Since disciplining four players, including captain Matt Moylan, for breaking curfew, the inexperienced Panthers have gone 0-4 and have looked lacklustre in attack. This makes Thursday’s trip to Brisbane a must-win clash for Penrith, but there is no doubt the Broncos will be hungry for victory in front of their home crowd.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $3,000+ Broncos v Panthers competition

Front Row Forward

Josh McGuire ($12,800)

McGuire was a notable omission from Mal Meninga’s squad for the Anzac test with his opposite number in this match, Trent Merrin, named at lock. This will make for interesting viewing on Thursday as there is no doubt that McGuire will be looking to prove Meninga wrong. Expect a massive tackle count and some big running metres too from McGuire, who averages 56.47 at home this season.

Herman Ese’ese ($7,650)

Ese’ese has bolstered what looked on paper to be a fairly poor pack with some excellent play so far this season. His tackling work-rate is second to none and his ability to provide runs early in attacking sets after working hard defensively is commendable. For this reason, Ese’ese has been given the start in the past three games despite being named on the bench in each team sheet, so don’t be scared off by him being named in the sixteen jersey.

Hooker

Peter Wallace ($11,400)

Andrew McCullough is easily in the best form of the options available, but after hyper-extending his knee last round there are serious doubts as to whether he will play. This leaves Peter Wallace as the best option, with the 31-year-old former Bronco playing some of the best football of his career. Since moving to dummy-half, Wallace has been one of Penrith’s best in both defence and attack thanks to his creativity and kicking game. If McCullough plays, he’s a solid choice and if he’s out, Travis Waddell will be a bargain buy, but either way Wallace will score well.

Second Row Forward

Matt Gillett ($13,100)

Gillett has been fantastic this season for the Broncos and was rightly rewarded with selection in the Australian team for the ANZAC test. As one of the most skilled second-rowers in the competition, Gillett has been pivotal for Brisbane this season with his ability to also impact games with massive effort plays such as charge downs and big tackles making him one of the best-rounded forwards in the competition. Luckily for Draftstars owners, he also impacts the base stats with some massive tackling numbers and an ability to break tackles with his devastating running game.

Corey Harawira-Naera ($10,250)

Last week Harawira-Naera played the full 80 minutes for the first time this season, ending up with a try, two line breaks, four offloads and four tackle breaks. Clearly his attacking game – which revolves around his impressive running game – is being utilised by the Panthers, which allows him to fill out the attacking stats and gives him a massive upside for Drafstars. With Trent Merrin in poor form, the next best option is Bryce Cartwright who doesn’t score as well from five-eighth as he does in the back-row. As such, Harawira-Naera is a great option.

Centre

Alex Glenn ($8,050)

Glenn has replaced Sam Thaiday in the starting line-up for the past three weeks which has seen an increase in his minutes and his Draftstars scoring. With Tyrone Peachey being used in a utility role and question marks over all the other options, Glenn is a safe play to score over 30. He doesn’t have the upside of the other guys but he won’t lose you the contest thanks to his tackling numbers that ensure he will never burn you with a sub-20 score. Waqa Blake and Tautau Moga are the best of the rest, but it really is a lottery as to which of the other centres will score well meaning that Glenn is a good option.

Half

Anthony Milford ($11,650)

For all the furore regarding whether or not Milford will play for Samoa next week, it seems to have been forgotten that he has a game this weekend. The mercurial five-eighth has been asked to play a more structured role than he is used to since Ben Hunt’s injury, with Milford playing as more of an organiser than a game-breaker. However, this role could be advantageous if Milford manages to find a happy medium as it may end up with him further filling the attacking stats to complement his usual dose of tackle breaks and kicking metres.

Wing/Fullback

James Roberts ($12,350)

With the lack of decent value options, Roberts is a natural go-to-guy in the outside backs. He doesn’t come cheap, but his ability to pile on monster scores thanks to his blinding speed and powerful runs which lead to tackle busts, line breaks, metres and tries. Against the Panthers, who have struggled with consistency in defence, there is every chance that Roberts finds openings in their defensive line and manages to score a try or two.

Darius Boyd ($8,700)

Boyd isn’t known as a particularly high-scoring fantasy player as he usually impacts games in other ways, but in what has been a career-best start to the year, Boyd has filled the attacking stats brilliantly. Whether it’s assisting on tries and line breaks with damaging cut-out passes or making line breaking runs himself, Boyd is certainly one of the most influential attacking players in the competition. With Ben Hunt out, he’s even become more of a playmaker which has been good for the Broncos as well as his scoring.

The Line Up

FR-F: Josh McGuire ($12,800)

FR-F: Herman Ese’ese ($7,650)

HOOK: Peter Wallace ($11,400)

2R-F: Matt Gillett ($13,100)

2R-F: Corey Harawira-Naera ($10,250)

C: Alex Glenn ($8,050)

HALF: Anthony Milford ($11,650)

W/FB: James Roberts ($12,350)

W/FB: Darius Boyd  ($8,700)

Salary Remaining: $4,050