NRL $2,000+ Dragons v Storm Line-Up

The round concludes this Sunday with a cracking top of the table clash between the evergreen Melbourne Storm and this season’s surprise packets, St George Illawarra. The Dragons have been hit hard by injury with their current captain and former Storm player Gareth Widdop sidelined, but there is still no doubt that they will be looking to establish themselves as a legitimate powerhouse with a victory in front of their home crowd.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $2,000+ Dragons v Storm competition

Front Row Forward

Jack de Belin ($15,250)

The Storm love to advance the ball through the middle in the early parts of their set, with the likes of Jesse Bromwich, Dale Finucane and Jordan McLean used heavily to gain metres. This will mean that the Dragons’ middle will be forced to make plenty of tackles, which will be perfect for their scoring. Considering de Belin is also used frequently as a ball-runner in attack, there is no doubt he will score well. Don’t be put off by his season-low score last week as he was forced to play in the halves to cover the injury to Gareth Widdop.

Paul Vaughan ($12,500)

The logic for Vaughan is very similar to that for de Belin, he will have massive tackle numbers defensively and should gain plenty of metres in attack. Vaughan is enjoying a breakout season in which he currently sits ninth in the NRL in hit ups and seventh in run metres amongst forwards. His sheer size makes him difficult to stop when he starts running and has led to multiple tackle breaks and even two tries this season. His ability to gather points in attack and defence makes him an excellent option in this contest.

Hooker

Cameron McInnes ($13,150)

While McInnes doesn’t possess the quick decision making skills or kicking game of his opposite number, Cameron Smith, he does have the ability and work ethic to lay a massive amount of tackles. It is tough to go wrong with either option, but with captain Gareth Widdop out, McInnes may be asked to shoulder some more of the offensive load whilst producing his usual defensive effort. This could lead to some extra running and kicking metres and possible even a try or line break assist. Couple this with his 44 tackles per game and McInnes should be able to bridge the gap between himself and Smith whilst saving you $3k.

Second Row Forward

Felise Kaufusi ($11,350)

Kaufusi has been a revelation for the Storm this season as he’s gone from bench player to playing the full 80 minutes and from defensive specialist to try scoring threat. In the last two rounds, he’s been especially good, crossing for three tries from line breaks and assisting another line break. He’s looking more confident as a passer every game and his ball running has seen an improvement as well. He’s also averaging nearly 39 tackles per game on the defensive end, which makes him the pick of the back-rowers.

Leeson Ah Mau ($5,000)

In order to pick the big names, there has to be some cost cutting measures somewhere in the team and Leeson Ah Mau is exactly that. The journeyman has been a stalwart for the Dragons in recent years and is one of their most consistent players in terms of production. His ability to come off the bench and impact games immediately is highlighted by the dirty work he does to set up his backline. He’s scored between 29.90 and 45.20 Draftstars points in every game this season which makes him an absolute bargain in this contest.

Centre

Will Chambers ($9,600)

Chambers has enjoyed another fruitful start to the season, which has led to him being selected for the Kangaroos on the back of his career best form. Chambers will be looking to dominate on the right-edge for the Storm as he will be forced to play out of position in the green and gold to accommodate his opponent in this match, Josh Dugan. The attacking weapon will no doubt be used to target the Dragons edge defence towards the end of sets, so expect him to fill out the attacking stats in this contest.

Half

Cameron Munster ($11,800)

After proving his worth at fullback over the last couple of seasons due to Billy Slater’s injury, Munster has been moved to five-eighth to accommodate the superstar. This move should be music to the ears of Draftstars owners as it means that Munster will be forced to make more tackles, leading to an increase in his scoring. He has already proven that shifting to the halves does not impact his attacking stats, as he is still a tackle busting and offloading beast that is able to throw the final pass to set up tries. With Gareth Widdop out, Munster and Cronk should dominate the halves which should lead to some big scoring for them both.

Wing/Fullback

Josh Dugan ($11,000)

The choice between Dugan and teammate Euan Aitken is a tough one as both are in sublime form, but considering Aitken’s best scores came with Dugan out, it is the fullback that gets the nod. Scoring 38 Draftstars points in his return game despite missing time for concussion is convincing enough that he has overcome his hamstring strain. Dugan will be asked to shoulder much of the Dragons’ attacking load with Widdop out and will also take over as permanent goal-kicker which will only increase his scoring.

Billy Slater ($9,100)

Billy the Kid lives for the big occasion and a top of the table clash certainly qualifies as such. Slater has not missed a beat in his return to top flight football, showing off the incredible attacking prowess and calmness under pressure that has made him a legend of the game. His ability to break both tackles and the defensive line to set up himself and teammates is unparalleled and it allows him to fill up the attacking stats for Draftstars. He still hasn’t scored yet this season, so don’t be surprised if he finds the try line for the first time since 2015.

The Line Up

FR-F: Jack de Belin ($15,250)

FR-F: Paul Vaughan ($12,500)

HOOK: Cameron McInnes ($13,150)

2R-F: Felise Kaufusi ($11,350)

2R-F: Leeson Ah Mau ($5,000)

C: Will Chambers ($9,600)

HALF: Cameron Munster ($11,800)

W/FB: Josh Dugan ($11,000)

W/FB: Billy Slater ($9,100)

Salary Remaining: $1,250