NRL $3,000+ Bulldogs v Sea Eagles

The Sea Eagles are seventh on the ladder and need to keep winning to keep their finals hopes alive. A loss to the Tigers last week continued their confusing form line which saw them thump the third placed Roosters a fortnight ago. They come up against the Bulldogs – who have won just one game in the last seven weeks – on Sunday afternoon and need a victory to cement their finals spot.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $3,000+ Bulldogs v Sea Eagles competition

Front Row Forward

James Graham ($14,650)

Graham was back to some of his best football last week, playing a lone hand in a disappointing loss for his side. He ended the game with 34 tackles, six tackle breaks, 132 metres and a try. His consistency of effort is something of which his teammates should take note given their lacklustre performances in recent weeks. Graham has the ability to rack up massive Draftstars scores thanks to his incredible metre-eating and ability to make multiple tackles in a set. The Sea Eagles pack have been a focal point of their attack and Graham will be looking to put a stop to their dominance.

David Klemmer ($12,800)

In a contest that has plenty of pricey props and few cheap options, Klemmer presents a reasonably priced alternative. He’s averaging 55 Draftstars points in his last three games and has been excellent with his fundamentals. In that time, he’s averaging 32 tackles with just over one miss per game, and 196.3 metres. While he’s not breaking many tackles or making line breaks, Klemmer’s big numbers still make him a great option in a tough group of front-rowers.

Hooker

Apisai Koroisau ($12,600)

Koroisau has become one of the best hookers in the league this season and is undoubtedly one of Trent Barrett’s favourites. His ability to make plays out of dummy-half is fantastic and gives the Sea Eagles an extra element to their attack. Last week he ended up with two try assists, a line break and three tackle breaks, with his two assists being particularly valuable. His ability to exploit bad marking defensively could be crucial against the Bulldogs, who gave up 28 points to the Rabbitohs last week.

Second Row Forward

Shaun Lane ($7,950)

Since returning to the top level via a Curtis Sironen injury, Lane has certainly shown that he belongs. He’s started in five of his six games since round 18 and has played the full 80 minutes in four of those contests. It’s a volume game for Lane, who is averaging 49.75 Draftstars points when he sees 80 minutes of action. He’s dangerous running the ball on the edge, but he is versatile enough to play through the middle as well. His big frame makes him tough to stop close to the line and with finals coming up, another big performance would cement his spot in Manly’s campaign.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner ($7,550)

Faitala-Mariner started in the back-row last week, with Adam Elliott coming off the bench. Although they’ve been named to reverse those roles this week, there is every chance that Des Hasler elevates Faitala-Mariner to the starting position once again, after he ended up with 25 tackles, two tackle breaks and 65 metres last week. Faitala-Mariner is the more damaging of the two but if Elliott is named to start when final teams are announced, it is worth considering him due to the extra minutes he will receive.

Centre

Matthew Wright ($8,800)

Wright has been a try scoring machine for the Sea Eagles recently, crossing for six tries in his last seven matches. He’s undoubtedly a classy finisher, which leads to some great Draftstars scores – especially against poor opposition. The Bulldogs certainly fit that criteria at the moment, so Wright could be in for a big day of terrorising their flank defence.

Half

Daly Cherry-Evans ($15,100)

DCE is easily the pick of the halves in this contest given his sublime recent form. Last week he finished with two tries and assisted on another, with his excellent decision making on show. The week before, he scored a try, broke six tackles and ran for 169 metres, which goes to show that he can build a massive Draftstars score multiple ways. He’s one of the best players in the competition at the moment and will be looking to lead from the front as his team continues to push for finals.

Wing/Fullback

Tom Trbojevic ($11,900)

The man they call ‘Turbo’ was at his worst last week, throwing two terrible intercept passes as the Tigers went on to steal a narrow victory over the Sea Eagles. He will be looking to bounce back with a massive performance this week and there is no doubt he will be looking to run the ball more often than he passes it. That’s great news for Draftstars owners, as it means he will have every chance to break tackles, gain metres and make line breaks which will boost his score nicely.

Chase Stanley ($8,400)

Stanley has been moved to the halves for the last two weeks and looked pretty good with the seven on his back last game. He managed to score a try and run 126 metres in what was a solid performance from the utility back. In the halves, he is required to make more tackles, do some extra kicking and extra ball playing; all of which is great for his Draftstars scoring. Even if the Dogs don’t win this week, Stanley is a nice option in a weak pool of outside backs given his lowest score can’t burn you like some of the other options.

The Line Up

FR-F: James Graham ($14,650)

FR-F: David Klemmer ($12,800)

HOOK: Apisai Koroisau ($12,600)

2R-F: Shaun Lane ($7,950)

2R-F: Raymond Faitala-Mariner ($7,550)

C: Matthew Wright ($8,800)

HALF: Daly Cherry-Evans ($15,100)

W/FB: Tom Trbojevic ($11,900)

W/FB: Chase Stanley ($8,400)

Salary Remaining: $250