Round 22 DT Team Analysis

It’s the final regular season round for our head-to-head players and with plenty of changes across the board, you’ll need to think long and hard before making the final call on your team this week.

Each Wednesday, we’ll take a look at the teams named and give you the rundown on what this means for the wonderful world of Dream Team.

The Storm’s unchanged side means there aren’t many cheap options from Melbourne this week, however the big three of Cameron Smith ($579,800), Billy Slater ($272,600), Cooper Cronk ($360,600) are all premium DT players who you should be holding onto at this time of the year, particularly Slater considering his form in the past few weeks. Tohu Harris’s ($313,200) move to the bench hasn’t impacted his scores either, although if you have some trades in hand and cash to upgrade, he might be the man to sell.

The Rabbitohs one change will cause plenty of headaches for DT coaches, with John Sutton ($385,500) out for 2-4 weeks with an ankle injury. For 12,041 coaches hoping he’d be their difference maker come the finals, that means the big decision of whether to trade or keep the five-eighth. His halves partner Adam Reynolds ($396,500) becomes a very enticing prospect taking over the running of the team, but it would be best to avoid his replacement Luke Keary ($132,100) unless you want to upgrade somewhere else. Tom Burgess ($138,700) is also a great downgrade option if you need some extra cash.

The Eels biggest star Jarryd Hayne ($298,200) returns after a long hamstring injury layoff, which will please the over 15,000 coaches who have stuck by him. At his price he is definitely an outside back prospect, particularly with Chris Sandow ($264,500) still in reserve grade. Luke Kelly’s ($198,100) return at halfback is overshadowed by the above, and probably means he’s not a great asset any more. 

Big changes were mooted at the Tigers, however only the absence of captain Robbie Farah ($464,900) will trouble DT coaches. Debutante Joel Luani ($101,600) replaces him at hooker, but isn’t a prospect in Dream Team at this time of year, while Marika Koroibete’s ($179,300) return to the side on the wing for the injured Chris Lawrence ($185,300) isn’t as big a DT story due to the form of youngsters David Nofoaluma ($232,400) and Tim Simona ($289,000). Aaron Woods ($370,800) should also be sold after being ruled out for the remainder of 2013.

The Roosters have a very big change for DT coaches, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ($227,500) moving into fullback for the injured Anthony Minichiello ($178,500). His footwork and evasiveness has made him a handful on the wing, but at his natural spot of fullback, Tuivasa-Sheck has the potential to be DT gold. They’ve also found a starting spot for Aidan Guerra ($266,900) who knows his way to the try-line and can break some tackles running off James Maloney ($345,900) and Mitchell Pearce ($358,400).

The Raiders welcome Blake Ferguson ($306,700) back to the lineup, and after being a point of difference earlier in the year, Reece Robinson ($174,600) finds himself on an extended bench and DT coaches’ transfer list. Ferguson’s return in the centres also pushed Joel Thompson ($217,700) back into the second row, where he can be a very dangerous runner of the ball and will get more defensive work. Despite a quieter game this week, Anthony Milford ($291,700) is still a wildcard option for his ability to break tackles and find a way across the try-line. 

An unchanged Sharks side means DT coaches are safe in the knowledge Paul Gallen ($410,700) and Andrew Fifita ($512,400) will continue to deliver the big scores. This week would be the perfect one to bring Gallen into your side if you haven’t already, with 74 minutes under his belt, and a more than affordable price for a premium second rower. Those who stuck with Michael Gordon ($258,600) have been rewarded in recent weeks as well, with the injury-prone fullback playing his fifth straight game this weekend with an average in the mid-30s.

The few changes at the Knights could have a big impact on the DT spectrum, in particular Chris Houston’s ($331,600) starting spot in the second row. He scored 82 from the bench last week, which included 62 tackles in 72 minutes on the field, and could possibly play 80 minutes with Beau Scott missing this week. He is definitely a point of difference that could win your team a spot in the head-to-head finals. Kade Snowden’s ($312,900) return also makes him a healthy option against his old club, as well as pushing David Fa’alogo ($235,600) into the sell basket, back on the bench.

The Sea Eagles stick with the same 17, but all of their DT goodness sits with Daly Cherry-Evans ($377,200) and Jamie Lyon ($374,300). DCE has almost bottomed out, but with Origin behind him and the Sea Eagles hitting form, he’s a great option to upgrade to a premium half without the massive price tag (attention John Sutton owners). Lyon has also hit some form, but is a consistent scorer in the centres, while Jorge Taufua ($322,100) has been scoring very well of late and has a good record against the Warriors.

The Warriors stuck with the same 17 as well, although on form you’d only really be looking at Elijah Taylor ($368,600) or Shaun Johnson ($366,900) to pick up this week. Both could act as a point of difference, and should give you 45 points minimum, unless Johnson has an afternoon like he did for most of last week. Konrad Hurrell’s ($320,100) scores are also starting to level out, and without a great previous record against the Sea Eagles, he might be one to sell up on.

The Broncos biggest change comes with Ben Hannant ($365,300) moving back into the starting lineup, with Mitchell Dodds ($178,500) missing through injury. Hannant returns at the right time, with a few premium front rowers missing through injury at the moment, and with the potential to score big and an average of 55.71 against St George Illawarra. He may take some points away from Corey Parker ($488,100), however not enough to make you offload the back rower. Only one of Lama Tasi ($172,500), Jarrod Wallace ($116,600), Nick Slyney ($132,800) and Scott Anderson ($163,200) should play.

Plenty of changes at St George Illawarra mean there are a couple of very interesting options available in the forward pack. Ben Creagh ($266,700) will start at prop, which means more time with the ball in hand than running decoys on the edge, and a heavier defensive workload. It also opens up the door for the return of Bronson Harrison ($301,000), who looked like returning to his former DT glory with offloads galore. Josh Dugan ($435,500) is also becoming a must-have at the back, particularly as he is now the centre of their attack and the number one goal-kicker.

Injuries have again struck the Panthers. If you haven’t sold Sika Manu ($229,500) or you bought Adam Docker ($168,500), it’s time to offload them after they were the latest to join the rehab group. It does open up the option of Lewis Brown ($196,800) who will start in the second row, and Ryan Simpkins ($222,500), who starts at lock. Luke Lewis lookalike Nathan Smith ($145,200) also regains a spot on the bench, but isn’t likely to get much game time.

Not much change at the Cowboys this week, which would be good news for the Rob Lui ($288,500) owners as he retains his place at halfback. Those who amazingly hung with Scott Moore ($156,600) have another kick in the guts, with Rory Kostjasyn ($184,600) taking his spot on the bench. Joel Riethmuller ($230,900) will also be a valuable pick-up, maintaining his starting spot at lock again, however Kane Linnett ($291,000) should probably be avoided this week as he’s jumped by $16,100 in price, and has been inconsistent in the past.

Minimal changes at the Bulldogs mean not much news on the DT front, although Tony Williams ($263,200) did find his way to the line twice against the Dragons last week, and finds a starting spot on Monday night, which could make him an interesting prospect as the Bulldogs heat up for finals footy. While Sam Perrett ($205,200) has been named in the number one jersey, Josh Morris ($245,900) spent plenty of time at the back and could do so again this week, which means good value for money compared to his time in the centres.

Just one change for the Titans this week with Luke Douglas ($311,200) back starting and Ryan James ($190,300) moving to the bench. James may still start, and if his 48 last week is anything to go by, could be a wildcard option, however Dave Taylor ($241,400) may be a better option for this role given how fired up he was against the Tigers. Albert Kelly ($319,200) owners should definitely sell up now, while Jamal Idris ($313,300) is reportedly close to a return.