NRL $3,000+ Saturday Line-Up
The action this Saturday kicks off with the struggling Panthers taking on the surging Sea Eagles. After losing by 28 points last week, Penrith will be looking to keep their slim finals hopes alive, but will have to overcome a red-hot Manly team who have won their last five games. Saturday night sees two top-eight teams clash as the full-strength Eels attempt to get a win over a depleted Storm outfit.
Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $3,000+ Saturday competition
Front Row Forward
Andrew Fifita ($17,150)
After being locked down by the Maroons on Wednesday night, Fifita will undoubtedly be frustrated and raring to go on Saturday as he comes up against his Origin opposite number, Jarrod Wallace, once again. At his best, Fifita is an unstoppable running machine who is impossible to bring to the ground. This results in massive running numbers, plenty of tackle breaks and the second most offloads of any forwards in the competition. A fired up Andrew Fifita is a force to be reckoned with and there is every chance that the Titans feel his full wrath on Saturday night.
Josh McGuire ($12,100)
It’s uncertain whether McGuire will back up from Origin, but if he does he provides excellent value. A concussion against the Storm means that he is significantly discounted given that he averages the third most Draftstars points of any front-rower in this contest. McGuire was inspirational defensively again on Wednesday, racking up 39 tackles and if he puts in a similar performance against the Knights, he will produce an excellent Draftstars score.
Hooker
Fa’amanu Brown ($6,450)
Brown has been named to start at hooker for the second game in a row after a solid outing against the Roosters. He made 22 tackles and ran five times for 41 metres in 52 minutes of action however he never looked fully comfortable out of dummy-half. However, with some time under his belt to familiarise himself with the position over the bye, he should be more confident and have more impact in his second run at hooker. At just over $6k he is great value, but before selecting Brown, ensure that he has been named to start in the final team as fellow hooker James Segeyaro has been named on the extended bench.
Second Row Forward
Wade Graham ($14,900)
Graham was once again one of the better players for the Blues in Origin three, running 81 metres from 8 runs and making a whopping 34 tackles in just 49 minutes of action. At club level he’s been in similarly good form, with his powerful running game causing plenty of issues for opposing defences and his ability to read the game like a half resulting in a couple of Sharks tries. As one of the most versatile attacking back-rowers in the competition, he will be incredibly tough for a shaky Titans defence to stop.
Tevita Pangai Junior ($7,850)
Apart from an injury affected score of just 1.60 in round seven, Pangai Junior has scored over 25 Draftstars points in every contest this season. Even though he only sees limited minutes, his impact off the bench is unquestionable and his edge running is incredibly dangerous. He averages 9.8 metres per run and has made 17 offloads in just nine games this season despite playing a maximum of 35 minutes in any given game. If he comes off the bench, Pangai Junior is good value, but with Matt Gillett and Josh McGuire potentially being late outs after Origin, he is also an outside chance to start for Brisbane.
Centre
James Roberts ($11,200)
Despite not scoring a try in the last four games, Roberts has still been threatening in attack for the Broncos. Coming up against the lowly Knights, there is every chance that Roberts ends his dry spell and has a massive attacking performance that will fill the stat sheet. Newcastle have had trouble defending speed out wide and there aren’t many quicker than Roberts, who could end up with multiple tackle breaks, line breaks or tries.
Half
Trent Hodkinson ($9,900)
Despite allowing Brock Lamb to take the kick that eventually lost the Knights the game, Hodkinson had a brilliant game in just his second match since his return to first grade. He set up two tries with some excellent playmaking, had some great kicks that resulted in line drop-outs and ended up with 27 tackles on defence as well. Given he is in form and comes at a cheap price tag, Hodkinson is a solid option in a tough group of halves.
Wing/Fullback
Valentine Holmes ($11,450)
Holmes was phenomenal for the Maroons in Origin three, scoring a hat-trick of tries in a vintage winger’s performance. He moves back to fullback on Saturday, where he has been in good form at club level too, scoring a try, assisting on another and running 183 metres last round against the Roosters. His incredible speed allows him to gain plenty of metres when returning kicks, while his footwork and agility makes him a constant try scoring threat.
Sosaia Feki ($8,650)
Feki has been in good form recently, scoring three tries in the past four weeks and seven in the last eight. As a finisher out wide, he’s incredibly tough to stop and has a quick burst of speed which allows him to find the line more often than not. His ability to break the defensive line allows him to gain plenty of metres as well, which allows him to score well in Draftstars when he’s involved in attack.
The Line Up
FR-F: Andrew Fifita ($17,150)
FR-F: Josh McGuire ($12,100)
HOOK: Fa’amanu Brown ($6,450)
2R-F: Wade Graham ($14,900)
2R-F: Tevita Pangai Junior ($7,850)
C: James Roberts ($11,200)
HALF: Trent Hodkinson ($9,900)
W/FB: Valentine Holmes ($11,450)
W/FB: Sosaia Feki ($8,650)
Salary Remaining: $350
NRL SCORING SYSTEM
Try Scored = 8 points
Goal = 2 points
Field Goal = 5 points
Try Assist = 5 points
Line Break = 4 points
Line Break Assist = 2 points
Tackle = 1 point
Tackle Break = 3 points
Missed Tackles = -2 points
Offload = 2 points
Run Metres Gained = 0.1 points
Kick Metres Gained = 0.05 points
Error = -2 points
NRL