NRL $1,000+ Eels v Dragons Line-Up

Both the Dragons and the Eels enter this game after losses last week, with the Eels getting thumped by 26 points against the Cowboys and the Dragons losing a tight one to the Bulldogs. The Eels are at full strength and the Dragons are missing only Josh Dugan and Tyson Frizell to Origin, so it should be a fantastic game which will make for a great Draftstars contest.

PLAY NOW

Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $1,000+ Eels v Dragons competition

Front Row Forward

Nathan Brown ($12,250)

Brown appears to be fully recovered from a rib injury that saw him play just 21 minutes in round eleven before missing round twelve. In the past two weeks he’s put in some hearty performances for the Eels, ending up with solid tackling numbers and huge minute totals despite his Coach Brad Arthur saying that he could’ve done with another week off. This sort of toughness is a distinguishing characteristic of Brown and is a reason that he is already a leader of the Parramatta forward pack. His injury-impacted score of just 8.8 in round eleven means that he has received a huge discount and makes him the perfect option in this contest.

Daniel Alvaro ($11,800)

Alvaro began the year playing as a low-minutes impact guy off the bench, but after being given the opportunity to start at lock in round twelve as Nathan Brown was out with a rib injury, Alvaro hasn’t looked back. He was moved to the front-row when Brown returned but has still been impactful through the middle, averaging 128 metres from 15 runs per game over the course of his three starts. His defence is always solid as well, which makes him a fantastic option considering he’ll be asked to make plenty of tackles as the Dragons forwards attempt to dominate with their running.

Hooker

Kaysa Pritchard ($8,450)

A score of just 6.0 Draftstars points due to a concussion in the ninth minute against the Warriors means that Pritchard is incredibly cheap for this contest. Give that he averages 42.1 Draftstars points per game when this score is taken out, he is a clear value pick. His scoring is usually built on his solid defence, where he sits fourth in the league for tackles and leads the Eels in that statistic by over 150 tackles. Don’t let his slight frame put you off, as Pritchard is as tough as nails and won’t let this Dragons pack roll over him.

Second Row Forward

Joel Thompson ($14,300)

Thompson has been a revelation this season as Paul McGregor has unleashed him to be able to run on the edge and hit the line hard. His hard running makes him a handful to defend and has seen him become a try scoring threat on the edge of the ruck this season as he is tough to stop close to the try line. His tackling has improved in recent weeks which has seen an uptick in his scoring and this should continue against the Eels due to their propensity to use their back-rowers as ball runners.

Tariq Sims ($12,050)

Sims has been solid in limited minutes this season, but will get the opportunity to start this week as Tyson Frizell misses due to Origin. After playing as an 80-minute back-rower at the Knights, Sims is yet to play more than 55 minutes in a game this season due to his bench role. With Frizell out, however, this should change this week and Sims will be looking to do some damage with his power running on the edge. Similarly to Thompson, he will also get a few extra tackles against the Eels due to their edge attack.

Centre

Brad Takairangi ($7,650)

The versatile back has returned to his favoured position in the centres in the last couple of weeks after being used at five-eighth and on the opposite side of the park at times this season. His combination with Tepai Moeroa and Mitchell Moses is developing and although his lethal final passes to Semi Radradra haven’t been sighted in his three games, the damage that those two possess was there for all to see in 2015. Takairangi’s ability to read the play, draw the defender and make the right call makes him a threat in attack, whilst on the other side of the ball he is always a solid tackler. He is great value under $8k.

Half

Gareth Widdop ($13,000)

Widdop was the form player in the competition before suffering a knee injury in the Anzac game against the Rooster that saw him miss five weeks of football. He was averaging 64.2 Draftstars points in the three weeks prior to that game thanks to some incredible attacking play that saw him involved in nearly all of the Dragons scores. In just nine full games, Widdop has scored eight tries this season, assisted on eight more and has provided consistent line breaking and tackle breaking runs while firmly establishing himself as one of the best attacking players in the competition.

Wing/Fullback

Nene Macdonald ($10,400)

Macdonald has been a superb attacking threat out wide this season, leading the Dragons in line breaks and sitting second in tackle breaks due to his power running out wide. The beauty of Macdonald is that when he’s on song, he ends up with a massive score and with Josh Dugan out, Macdonald will get even more opportunities to make metres and break the defensive line this week.

Bevan French ($9,850)

After scoring 19 tries in just 13 games last season and becoming one of the hottest names in the NRL in the process, French has had a tough second season. He sustained a knee injury in round five which saw him miss five games and interrupted his momentum, but with four games under his belt since returning, the speedster is starting to look like his old self. His blinding speed ensures that he is a try scoring and line breaking threat in each match, whilst his improving kick returning has been notable this season as well. Incredibly, despite playing just nine games, French leads the Eels in tackle breaks, highlighting just how impactful his running is in attack.

The Line Up

FR-F: Nathan Brown ($12,250)

FR-F: Daniel Alvaro ($11,800)

HOOK: Kaysa Pritchard ($8,450)

2R-F: Joel Thompson ($14,300)

2R-F: Tariq Sims ($12,050)

C: Brad Takairangi ($7,650)

HALF: Gareth Widdop ($13,000)

W/FB: Nene Macdonald ($10,400)

W/FB: Bevan French ($9,850)

Salary Remaining: $250