NRL $1,500+ Saturday Line-Up
Saturday showcases four of the top eight teams in the competition and is headlined by a massive battle between the fourth placed Broncos and fifth placed Roosters who will both have plenty of sore bodies after Origin. Throw in an all-Queensland matchup between the Cowboys and Titans in Townsville and there is plenty of talent to pick from for this Draftstars contest.
Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $1,500+ Saturday competition
Front Row Forward
Paul Vaughan ($13,550)
Vaughan has been simply phenomenal this season, going from being a bit-part player at the Raiders last season to a legitimate contender for the Dally M. This has largely come from his ferocious and unstoppable running game which has consistently seen Vaughan clock over 180 metres along with three tries and a multitude of tackle busts. Considering he is also incredibly reliable in defence – as evidenced by his 322 made tackles to just seven missed tackles – it is worth the extra coin to lock in the boom front-rower.
Jarrod Wallace ($11,500)
Calls for Wallace to be drafted into the Maroons side for the second State of Origin match have grown significantly louder since Wednesday night’s 24 point loss. Wallace has been one of the standout props in the competition this season thanks to his destructive running game which has led to significant meterage for the Titans. With an Origin spot on the line, Wallace will be desperate to put in a big performance against North Queensland, which should see him end up with some big numbers in both running metres and tackles.
Hooker
Cameron McInnes ($14,350)
McInnes has been incredibly consistent for the Dragons this season, with some exceptional tackling performances and an improving attacking game. McInnes currently sits fifth in the league in tackles with a whopping 479, but possibly even more impressive is that he has missed a total of seven tackles all year. After struggling in attack for the Bunnies, especially with his decision making, McInnes appears to be more comfortable at the Dragons and has shown off a shrewdness around the ruck that has made him a genuine threat in attack. Expect him to play well against the hapless Tigers.
Second Row Forward
Jack de Belin ($14,900)
After being named on an extended bench for the first Origin game, it is clear that de Belin has cemented himself as one of the best forwards in the NRL. He sits third amongst forwards for offloads, which gives him an edge over the other options in this contest who boast similar running and tackling numbers. De Belin’s ability to break tackles and even find the try line allow him to consistently hit massive Draftstars scores and against a mediocre Wests Tigers pack, he could be in for a field day.
Kyle Lovett ($10,650)
Lovett has been given the chance to cement a spot in the second-row after some strong performances in reserve grade saw him get an opportunity against the Broncos a fortnight ago. In that match, Lovett was one of the Tigers’ better players in a solid but unspectacular performance that resulted in 37 tackles and 67 metres from 12 runs. He played the full 80 minutes in that match and should do so once again this week which will give him every chance to have an impact and produce a big score.
Centre
Jack Littlejohn ($7,900)
Littlejohn has been thrust into a variety of roles for the Tigers this year, which has seen his stop-start career continue in that fashion. After being used as a bench utility early in the season, Littlejohn has found himself used in the halves with the flux around Mitchell Moses and injuries to Luke Brooks. In attack, he’s been solid but unspectacular as he’s struggled to show the creativity needed in the halves but has done a reasonable job as an organiser. Defensively, he’s been targeted in the halves and has had trouble with missing tackles and this has significantly impacted his scoring. If he can put in a better tackling performance, he will score 35-40 which will make him brilliant value at under $8k.
Half
Josh McCrone ($9,550)
McCrone has proven to be an excellent match manager this season for the Dragons and has thoroughly exceeded pre-season expectations. With his partner in the halves, Gareth Widdop, potentially returning this week, McCrone will be able to feed off of the zippy five-eighth and produce some nice attacking stats. For a guy who might be considered a journeyman, McCrone’s passing and ability to get his outside backs free has been sensational. His kicking game has been hit-and-miss in its productivity but has always resulted in some big numbers which have been the basis for some of his better scores. If the Dragons pump the Tigers as expected, there is no doubt McCrone will end up scoring well.
Wing/Fullback
Joseph Manu ($9,250)
Manu has played some excellent football this year in the centres for the Roosters, using his electric speed and agility to cut through defences. This has been shown in his four tries in the past six weeks which have mostly come from fleet-footed dashes that have broken the defensive line. Last week he was used on the wing as part of a massive Origin reshuffle at the Roosters, but he’s back to his favoured centre position, where he averaged 42.93 in the three prior matches.
Dale Copley ($7,950)
Copley has had a highly unusual season; from finally transferring from the Roosters to the Titans after weeks of limbo to three tries in his first two games as a Titan to some awful performances after that, Copley has had it all. Last week he ended up with seven tackle breaks and 154 metres in a different role as a ball running winger and considering he’s once again been named on the wing, there’s every chance he’ll play this role again. Picking him is risky, but given the inconsistency of the Cowboys left-edge defence, he’s as good a value option as any in this contest.
The Line Up
FR-F: Paul Vaughan ($13,550)
FR-F: Jarrod Wallace ($11,500)
HOOK: Cameron McInnes ($14,350)
2R-F: Jack de Belin ($14,900)
2R-F: Kyle Lovett ($10,650)
C: Jack Littlejohn ($7,900)
HALF: Josh McCrone ($9,550)
W/FB: Joseph Manu ($9,250)
W/FB: Dale Copley ($7,950)
Salary Remaining: $400
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