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Who will be in your team?
As we count down to the start of the 2015 NRL Fantasy season, the Lone Scout takes a look at each club's best buys.
They have a new five-eighth yet again, but at the Melbourne Storm it's all about the 'Big Three' – Smith, Cronk, Slater – plus boom Kiwis prop Jesse Bromwich. Ex-Raider and one-time Test prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs is the club's new veteran forward looking to turn his fortunes around under Craig Bellamy, and he looms as the value buy of the squad.
Fantasy Guns
Cameron Smith ($582,000) – The Melbourne, Queensland and Australian Test skipper is a long-time captaincy favourite for NRL Fantasy veterans. Arguably the best player in the NRL, Smith simply does it all – he makes a ton of tackles, creates tries, kicks goals, and rarely misses a game through injury. He's not quite the most expensive player in the game this year (that privilege goes to Tigers skipper Robbie Farah), but expect Smith to be the first player picked for thousands of Fantasy teams once again this season.
Jesse Bromwich ($444,000) – A long-time star in the making, Bromwich had a huge season for the Storm in 2014 and has established himself as one of the game's best props, cracking out 50 points a week in Fantasy. Looks a safe-as-houses buy again this year.
Cooper Cronk ($426,000) – Ranks second in the NRL for try assists and kick metres, and that generally means big scores in NRL Fantasy. Dominant playmakers are what you want in the halves, and Cronk is up there with the best. He burst out of the blocks lasts season with four straight scores in the 50s, averaging 55 after 10 rounds, before an unusually quiet back half of the season that featured six scores below 40. That probably leaves him a little undervalued this year, which could make him a savvy buy.
Wild Cards
Dale Finucane ($286,000) – One of the Bulldogs' most promising players in last season's grand final run, Finucane is a great signing for Melbourne and has already signalled his intention to win a starting spot at his new club. He spent the majority of last season coming off the bench for Canterbury, still managing to eke out 32 points a week. If he can lift that to 40+ he could be very nice value.
Blake Green ($248,000) – After a year of failing to settle on a long-term replacement for England star Gareth Widdop, the Melbourne Storm have gone back to the Super League to find their next No.6 and hope they have their man in former Wigan five-eighth Blake Green. The ex-Bulldog, Eel and Shark won a grand final with Wigan in 2013 before signing on with Melbourne last June. He's unlikely to play a starring role in a spine featuring three current Kangaroos, but if Green can do the basics well and eke out 40 points a week he could make about $100,000 in price rises.
Potential Cash Cows
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs ($136,000) – First, the bad news. Learoyd-Lahrs didn't play a game in the NRL last season, and just eight the year before that, with injuries having been a constant feature of a career stretching back to 2004. For a four-time Kangaroos and NSW Origin player, failing to make Canberra's first-grade squad is a long way to fall. The good news? Learoyd-Lahrs is an Australian international on track for a starting berth at one of the league's top clubs, is still on the right side of 30 and costs a measly $136,000 in Fantasy. If he plays decent minutes and can hold his spot, he could be a steal at that price.
Matt Duffie ($137,000) – The luckless high-flying winger has missed the past couple of seasons with knee and shoulder injuries, starting the new season reasonably cheaply at $137,000. With the departure of Sisa Waqa Duffie could finally reclaim his spot on the wing, and if Cronk sends a few bombs his way early in the season his price could climb quickly.
Storm 2015 NRL Fantasy prices
Cameron Smith, $582,000
Jesse Bromwich, $444,000
Cooper Cronk, $426,000
Billy Slater, $388,000
Will Chambers, $351,000
Kevin Proctor, $340,000
Ryan Hinchcliffe, $338,000
Tohu Harris, $301,000
Ben Hampton, $291,000
Dale Finucane, $286,000
Jordan McLean, $280,000
Mahe Fonua, $257,000
Blake Green, $248,000
Kurt Mann, $240,000
Marika Koroibete, $238,000
Kenny Bromwich, $232,000
Young Tonumaipea, $224,000
Tim Glasby, $203,000
Travis Robinson, $150,000
Cameron Munster, $142,000
Matthew Duffie, $137,000
Slade Griffin, $137,000
Dayne Weston, $137,000
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, $136,000
Richard Kennar, $132,000
Hymel Hunt, $128,000
Shaun Nona, $128,000
Felise Kaufusi, $128,000
