NRL $2,000+ Rabbitohs v Eels Line-Up

The Eels and Bunnies kick off the first of the bye rounds this Friday, with both teams needing a victory to keep pace with eighth place. Both teams fought admirably in close losses last week and with plenty at stake, this has all the ingredients of a great contest.

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

Front Row Forward

Nathan Brown ($13,700)

Last week Brown left the field with a rib injury, which resulted in him scoring just 8.80 Draftstars points. This means that you have to be wary when selecting him – so definitely wait until final teams are out before finalising your team – but it also means that he comes at a handy discount. As long as he’s named, he’ll provide premium scores at a fraction of the price of Sam Burgess, which makes him the best front-rower available in this matchup. Suaia Matagi is a nice value option if Brown misses out.

Thomas Burgess ($10,900)

Out of the three Burgess boys, Thomas is the pick of the bunch in this contest thanks to an increase in his minute load in the past three weeks. After averaging 37 minutes per game in his first six games of the year, Tom has seen 51 minutes per game in the last three weeks. This gives him more time on the park to make metre-eating runs and make plenty of tackles on defence. Expect him to make plenty of tackles in what could be a tightly fought battle of the packs.

Hooker

Kaysa Pritchard ($12,250)

Although Robbie Farah has played the entire game in both of the last two weeks, with Damien Cook in the team, there is still a risk of him playing only half a game. As such, Kaysa Pritchard is the safest option in this contest thanks to his consistent 80 minute performances and huge tackling numbers. Whilst he offers little attacking upside, his defensive work ethic is one of the best in the league and it has led to an average of 48.11 Draftstars points in the last seven weeks since he’s been entrusted with big minutes.

Second Row Forward

Robbie Rochow ($10,050)

The bustling forward has returned to the Bunnies team and starting line up in the last two matches and has performed admirably both times. In the win against the Tigers, Rochow started in the back row and racked up 120 metres from 14 runs whilst also laying 26 tackles. Against his former club, Melbourne, he played in the front row and made 27 tackles in another solid performance. This week, he will start at prop, which makes him good value considering his scores have a massive disparity between games he starts (average 38.85) and games he comes off the bench (average 19.98).

Kenny Edwards ($10,000)

Edwards has been good for the Eels since returning from suspension, establishing himself as a versatile attacking threat. Last round against the Raiders, he saw 59 minutes of action and managed three tackle breaks, three offloads and 98 running metres from nine runs. At just $10k, he provides great value and with the possibility of Nathan Brown being out or playing less minutes, there is every chance that Edwards gets a boost in his minutes as part of a back-row reshuffling.

Centre

Brad Takairangi ($9,150)

Takairangi provides great value in a weak group of centres thanks to an injury effected score in his last game in round eight. After being used in the halves and on both edges, Takairangi will go back to his favoured combination with Semi Radradra this week, which could lead to an increase in his line break and try assists. Don’t be surprised if his kicking game gets utilised as well considering Corey Norman is still out. All these factors mean that Takairangi is a safe bet to provide a reasonable score at worst, whilst also giving him a handy upside.

Half

Adam Reynolds ($15,250)

There are a lot of question marks over the other options in the halves, with Cody Walker playing at fullback, Mitchell Moses adjusting to a new club and John Sutton lacking the attacking upside required at over $13k. This leaves Reynolds – who was overlooked for the New South Wales Origin team earlier this week – as the safe play to dominate the scoring in the halves. His kicking game is clearly elite, but his running game has been impressive this year as well, with a combination of tackle breaks and line breaks that haven’t been as prominent in previous years. Add to this his ability to set up his teammates and it shows why he already has a score of 86.15 this season.

Wing/Fullback

Hymel Hunt ($9,400)

Having a centre available in the wing/fullbacks is a dream considering the howler scores that the wingers occasionally produce. Hunt’s running game has been valuable for the Bunnies and is only getting utilised more frequently as the season grows. In the past two rounds, he’s had 13 and 16 runs for 104 and 97 metres respectively. Considering he also has the ability to break tackles and find the try line, Hunt is an excellent option.

Bryson Goodwin ($9,300)

The choice between Goodwin and Bevan French was a tight call, but after two excellent performances in the last two rounds, Goodwin gets the nod. This form has coincided with a move to the centres, which has allowed Goodwin’s running game to flourish, with 212 metres and 10 tackle breaks in the past two games. Against the Eels, who have struggled to defend the edge at times this season, Goodwin is every chance to dominate.

The Line Up

FR-F: Nathan Brown ($13,700)

FR-F: Thomas Burgess ($10,900)

HOOK: Kaysa Pritchard ($12,250)

2R-F: Robbie Rochow ($10,050)

2R-F: Kenny Edwards ($10,000)

C: Brad Takairangi ($9,150)

HALF: Adam Reynolds ($15,250)

W/FB: Hymel Hunt ($9,400)

W/FB: Bryson Goodwin ($9,300)

Salary Remaining: $0