NRL Fantasy 2018
Taane Milne, CTR, $228,000
Fiji international Taane Milne showed his tackle-busting and ball-playing potential in a dominant World Cup campaign for Fiji at the end of 2017 and heads to new club Wests Tigers from the Dragons buoyed by his success in the tournament.
Scoring potential: 3/5
Milne scored more than 20 just once last year. He also started at his preferred position of centre just once last year – scoring 62, with a try and five busts. We're not saying he'll get that every week (he averaged 33 in seven games in his debut 2016 season) but his five World Cup games for Fiji netted four tries, seven try assists, 15 busts and 15 offloads (plus seven goals from 11 attempts) and he certainly has the potential to go big.
Reliability: 2/5
Milne's big issue is competition for spots. The back five at Wests Tigers is one of the most open in the NRL at this stage with the likes of Moses Suli, Esan Marsters, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Mahe Fonua, Corey Thompson and Milne all competing for two spots in the three-quarter line alongside first-choice NRL backs David Nofoaluma and Kevin Naiqama. If he does start in round one he'll need to race out of the blocks to hold onto the spot with so many experienced players breathing down his neck.
Value: 4/5
Milne starts absurdly cheap due to being used almost exclusively off the bench in small stints by coach Paul McGregor at the Dragons last year. His $228,000 price tag equates to an average around 15 which he will easily more than double and then some if he gets a solid run in first grade, with a $300,000 price increase well within the realms of possibility.