NRL $5,000+ Sea Eagles v Panthers Line-Up

It’s a repeat of the preliminary final last season, with the Sharks and the Cowboys facing off on Sunday afternoon. This year, though, they meet in an elimination final, with both team’s seasons on the line. The Cowboys have struggled with injuries and have lost five of their last six matches, including in round 24 to the Sharks. The Sharks haven’t been overly convincing either, but will take plenty of confidence from that recent victory.

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $5,000+ Sea Eagles v Panthers competition

Front Row Forward

Jake Trbojevic ($16,900)

Trbojevic was phenomenal last week against the Panthers, controlling the middle beautifully to open up space for his backs. He was easily the best forward on field, ending the game with 38 tackles, 103 metres and a try. This wasn’t a one off performance; in the last three weeks, Trbojevic has made 127/128 tackles, scored three tries and has ran 393 metres. He’s the most in-form forward in the competition and his game will thrive under the immense pressure of finals.

Darcy Lussick ($6,800)

Lussick is free to play this week after escaping from the judiciary with a slap on the wrist. This is wonderful news for Draftstars players, who are free to select the bargain forward and spend the savings elsewhere. Lussick moved into the starting line-up three weeks ago at the expense of Brenton Lawrence, and last week he put in his best performance in the role to date, ending with 124 metres and 20 tackles in 41 minutes. Another performance similar to this would be enough to justify his selection given his basement price and the lack of value in this contest.

Hooker

Peter Wallace ($11,550)

Neither Wallace nor Api Koroisau were particularly impressive last week, but since Manly won, Wallace seems more likely to improve his output in attack. Wallace was the victim of Darcy Lussick’s trip last week and only ended up seeing 58 minutes of action after playing the full game in each of the prior five weeks since his return. In his limited time, Wallace still made 42 tackles, but had little impact in attack. He should go back to playing the full game this week, which will surely result in an increase in his output.

Second Row Forward

Isaah Yeo ($12,300)

Yeo was one of the few Panthers to hold his head high last week, with his running game on the edge causing issues for the Sea Eagles defensive line. He ended the game with five tackle breaks and a line break as the Panthers tried to get some attacking momentum. This week should be no different, and Yeo may even look to increase his tackling numbers after a poor defensive effort cost the Panthers dearly last week.

Frank Winterstein ($10,450)

Winterstein has proven to be an outstanding pick up for the Sea Eagles this season after starting all 24 games in the second row. Since round sixteen, he’s played the full game each week which has resulted in a noticeable improvement in his Draftstars scoring. Manly are trusting him to run the ball more often which is a good tactic considering he averages 10 metres per run. Defensively he’s been phenomenal of late, making 82 tackles with just two misses in the last three weeks.

Centre

Brian Kelly ($9,800)

If it weren’t for Tom Trbojevic, Brian Kelly would’ve been best on ground last week. He ended up with an incredible stat line: one try, two try assists, three line breaks, one line break assists, six tackle breaks, one offload and 182 metres gained. All in all, it resulted in 77.2 Draftstars points. His work on the left flank was phenomenal, and put simply, the Panthers had no answers. Given he is faced with the same defensive combination this week, there is no reason that Kelly won’t have another dominant game.

Half

Daly Cherry-Evans ($13,900)

DCE has been the best halfback in the competition this season, and on Saturday he will get the chance to lead his team to the second week of the finals. His ability to have multiple try involvements is impressive and is attributable to his immaculate passing game. His composure and smarts allow him to choose the right option most of the time and to create opportunities that other players could only dream of. He scored a try last week and almost had another assist before his pass to put Dylan Walker into space was called back for a questionable forward pass. He should continue his dominance this week and if the Sea Eagles win as expected, he will be one of the key reasons why.

Wing/Fullback

Tyrone May ($9,200)

The questions around Matt Moylan’s future continue to circle, but Panthers fans will surely be happy with the production of his potential replacement. In just seven games, May has already scored five tries, with his knack of putting himself in the right place at the right time allowing him to find the line with ease. His running game has been strong too, with May averaging four tackle breaks per game. He hasn’t dropped below 30 Draftstars points yet, and he has a highest score of 59.1; at just $9,200, you won’t find better value than May.

Matthew Wright ($8,600)

A dominant performance from Brian Kelly last week highlighted the Panthers’ issues with defending the left flank. Although Wright was unable to capitalise last week, he could be in for a big week this week as the Sea Eagles will surely be looking to run more action on his side of the park. Despite not scoring a try, Wright ended the game with 166 metres gained, three tackle breaks and four conversions in a solid performance that netter him 39.6 Draftstars points.

The Line Up

FR-F: Jake Trbojevic ($16,900)

FR-F: Darcy Lussick ($6,800)

HOOK: Peter Wallace ($11,550)

2R-F: Isaah Yeo ($12,300)

2R-F: Frank Winterstein ($10,450)

C: Brian Kelly ($9,800)

HALF: Daly Cherry-Evans ($13,900)

W/FB: Tyrone May ($9,200)

W/FB: Matthew Wright ($8,600)

Salary Remaining: $500