NRL Fantasy winners and losers: Round 19

Author: Lone Scout NRL Fantasy guru
Timestamp: Mon 29 Jul 2019, 08:00 AM

Round 19 wasn't quite as high scoring as the previous week but there were still enough handy scores from popular Fantasy guns to ensure some big team scores as coaches enjoyed a second straight week with very few major headaches.

Winners

After a few weeks of reliable but unspectacular scoring, Raiders forward and Fantasy favourite John Bateman was back to his belligerent best with a round-high 88 including a late try in the win over the Raiders.

The Knights may have slipped to a fourth straight loss but that didn't stop fullback Kalyn Ponga posting 80 – the highest score ever to also include a sin bin (probably).

Matt Lodge (78) was surprisingly the best scorer of the Brisbane props thanks to a try, though it's a measure of how well Payne Haas is going that 63 seems underwhelming for him.

Anthony Milford (68) and Kotoni Staggs (62) also enjoyed the romp over the Titans. Nathan Peats (60) had a second straight 60-plus score in a second straight 80-minute game since Garth Brennan was sacked and presents an intriguing cut-price option for the run home.

Issac Luke (77) produced a second huge score in three games but faces a 2-3 week ban for a lifting tackle while Jazz Tevaga (58) continued his purple patch. In the same game, Nathan Brown (67) showed signs he may be returning to keeper status and Mitch Moses (65) continues to dominate.

Get Caught Up: Round 19

Shaun Johnson (76) now has a five-round average nudging 60 and appears to have put his hamstring and groin niggles behind him.

Jake Trbojevic (69) tackled himself to a standstill in a thrilling golden point win over Melbourne and could be on the winners' list twice after attracting just a grade one charge for a lifting tackle that should mean he misses no games, in a blessing for his Fantasy owners.

Manase Fainu (73) would be in a lot more than 2.3% of teams by now if not for the looming threat of Api Koroisau's return from injury.

Losers

Mitchell Pearce's hot streak is well and truly over; his 24 was his fifth sub-50 score in his past six games and he now has a five-round average of just 34.

Alex Twal's demotion to the bench wasn't a total disaster but 36 points in 51 minutes is a little bit worrying for his owners.

Siosiua Taukeiaho (30) limped off early in his second stint with a calf injury and must be in huge doubt for round 20. Angus Crichton (22) didn't even make it onto the field until the second half and still managed to register five missed tackles. His role as a bench middle is now a major worry for his owners.

Braidon Burns (33) saw very little ball against the Dragons and registered his lowest non-injury-affected score of the year but it could've been far worse – he was on 19 with a minute to play before laying on the match-winning try and earning some post-match upgrades.

The loss to Canberra not only ended Penrith's seven-game winning run, it ended the run of impressive Fantasy scoring for young outside backs Brent Naden (5) and Brian To'o (27 despite scoring another try). Nathan Cleary (38) also had a below-par score.