NRL Fantasy winners & losers: Round 17

A new Fantasy favourite joins the hundred club and a star of the future emerges in the second and final of the bye rounds for the 2018 Telstra Premiership season.

Winners

Bulldogs second-rower Rhyse Martin had already emerged as a bargain buy with an 80-minute role and the goal-kicking duties locked up for the rest of the season, but on Saturday he cemented himself as a must-have Fantasy player. A hat-trick and six goals earned him 24 points for the match, in a losing side – equalling a record set by another goal-kicking forward in Corey Parker, one of the greatest Fantasy scorers of all time. Martin could be a Fantasy superstar in the making himself after finishing with 103 Fantasy points for round 17 and taking his average to 61 from his first six NRL games.

Speaking of stars of the future, Panthers halfback Jarome Luai produced probably the most eye-catching performance of the weekend in the absence of NSW halves duo Nathan Cleary and James Maloney with a stunning 98 including two tries and an assist as Penrith smashed the Warriors. Luai is a good chance of playing again this week if either of Cleary and Maloney is rested after Origin III but unfortunately may not be seen again this season when Cleary is back in the No.7 jersey.

One rookie half who will stick around is Bulldogs five-eighth Lachlan Lewis, who has made an excellent start to his NRL Fantasy career. With solid base stats plus three tackle breaks and a try assist against Canberra, Lewis followed up his 47 against the Knights with 52 on Saturday to jump $99,000 in value after two games. Not only has he been an excellent cash-out option, he also looks like being a safe 18th man for the run home.

Elsewhere Jarrod Croker scored a season-high 81 with a try and 11 tackle breaks as Canberra fought back to beat the Bulldogs, Cameron Smith did the job again for Melbourne with 72 as young guns Jahrome Hughes (76) and Brodie Croft (70) also fired in the absence of Origin stars, while Viliame Kikau (65) and Waqa Blake (62) shredded the Warriors on the left edge and Joe Ofahengaue (69) and Jamayne Isaako (53) excelled against the Titans on Sunday.

Losers

The Warriors were the weekend's most disappointing team and their big names came up short for Fantasy coaches hoping for some bye-round impact. With Tohu Harris already sidelined, Shaun Johnson made just 19 – easily his worst score of the year – while Peta Hiku's 10 included seven missed tackles, his worst defensive performance since round one. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck did a little better with 33 including a try save, but he also lost 10 points with five missed tackles at the back.

NRL Fantasy Team of the Week

1. Jahrome Hughes (76)
2. Darius Boyd (53)
3. Jarrod Croker (81)
4. Waqa Blake (62)
5. Jamayne Isaako (53)
6. Brodie Croft (70)
7. Jarome Luai (98)
8. Nelson Asofa-Solomona (60)
9. Cameron Smith (72)
10. Viliame Kikau (65)
11. Rhyse Martin (103)
12. Isaah Yeo (70)
13. Joe Ofahengaue (69)
14. Ryan Hoffman (60)
15. Tyrone May (59)
16. Anthony Milford (59)
17. Cheyse Blair (59)