NRL Fantasy: Lone Scout's Winners and Losers Round 17

Upsets aplenty and some significant entries added to the casualty ward this week spells pressure for Fantasy coaches coming into the third and final set of the Origin bye rounds.  

We run through the impacts of Round 17 and the best way to approach the two remaining weeks before we get those all-important eight extra trades. 

Lone Scout's Winners and Losers

Winners

After a tight first half at CommBank Stadium, Souths had the scoreboard ticking over after the break and they closed out the game with 20 unanswered points. Even with skipper Mitch Moses back on board, Ronald Volkman (53) still held a respectable Fantasy result but the only other notable was Kitione Kautoga (57), who also managed to earn a mention for the Eels. 

Many of the Bunnies' forwards garnished their inclusion on the high end with Keaon Koloamatangi (69) one to look at now he is over his lingering knee injury from earlier this year. Edges David Fifita (51) and Euan Aitken (75) both put up strong scores as did NSW star Cameron Murray (66) who many will want to trade-in after he has finished his representative duties. Tallis Duncan (63) still polled well in the unfamiliar centre position, crossing for a double in another solid result for those who held, despite yet again lining up at the less preferred position. Latrell Siegwalt (45) also did well considering he only added four of seven off the kicking tee, however he will have selection question marks moving forward with Jack Wighton reportedly returning this week and Campbell Graham the week following.  

The Titans couldn’t get the win but still had some strong showings Fantasy-wise. On the cusp of Origin Three selections, it was Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (68) who showed his Fantasy prowess of old. Keano Kini (65) has another of his high-powered games following a lesser result last week. Phillip Sami (69) shone yet again, adding another three tries to his career tally. Another notable is Josh Patston (49) who surprisingly took over from Arama Hau early and will be one to eye off come team list Tuesday post the Titans' Round 18 bye. 

The Bulldogs continue their now three-game win streak with a second stellar workday in the No.6 for captain Stephen Crichton (63) who will start to tempt Fantasy coaches with his availability in the difficult to fill CTR position. Matching his result, it was two tries, two line breaks and two tackle breaks put together by Jethro Rinakama (63) that led to his strong outing. Another crossing the white stripe twice was edge runner Josh Curran (75), if only we had some reliability on his starting role as he is always Fantasy relevant when allowed the full 80 minutes on the field. Max King (78) put together another incredible PPM performance, this time also scoring his own four-pointer. He would be a nice POD after the Bulldogs come off their bye. 

The Broncos slump to seven losses on the trot after going into the sheds six points up at half-time but then were held scoreless for the remainder of the night. Payne Haas (83) stood tall like a beacon with a tremendous score and rewarded those owners happy to take the one giant score to be followed by two weeks of red dots. Most other Fantasy coaches will be eagerly awaiting the eight extra trades coming in Round 20 with Haas to be their first trade-in made. 

The Roosters scored a terrific away victory in Brisbane to stay in the top four heading into their final bye of season 2026. Newly converted winger Billy Smith (64) managed two tries and a try assist and is loving his current role. Smith did benefit from having the half turned centre Hugo Savala (52) feeding quality opportunities at the line which reflected in Savala’s own Fantasy score. Sam Walker (74) continues his purple patch and could be an intriguing option once back from his stint in rep land. 

A nailbiter between the Dolphins and Warriors with a late try the winning factor allowing the home side to make it eight wins on the trot. Jeremy Marshall-King (54) proves his new owners correct, after crossing the half-century this week on pure base stats and will be a nice hooker fill-in for Round 18. Long-term resident in the winner's circle, Herbie Farnworth (65) benefits from a four-pointer this week but still threatens to go even larger. Connelly Lemuelu (50) records another solid performance even when shuffled into the backline for periods of this one. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (53) and Jamayne Isaako (51) cleared plenty of points from the back and Isaako has been a useful Origin fill-in for those coaches that took the risk. Bench utility Brad Schneider (52) made the most of his increased game time and could be a pick-up for those looking for a cash out option with Isaiya Katoa set for a lengthy time on the sidelines. 

For the Wahs, Te Maire Martin (54) again showed his quality, and could be a season long keeper at this point, even with Luke Metcalf lurking in the extended reserves. Jacob Laban (56) bounced back from a very quiet game last week and now has three good scores in his past four outings. Mitch Barnett (54) is going to be a very interesting pick-up post-Origin after picking up the slack left by injured Jackson Ford. Two more to get their flowers are Kurt Capewell (61) and rookie bench forward Eddie Ieremia-Toeava (50), the EDG who also spends time in the middle, had  an epic stint off the pine in just his fifth game this season. 

The upset of the high-octane weekend of footy came with North Queensland downing Penrith, who have been handed only their third loss of the season in a low Fantasy scoring bout. Though winning the competition points in front of a home crowd only Jake Clifford (67) managed to pass the 50-point milestone on Saturday, with a collective share of Fantasy scores spread out amongst the rest of the outfit had no other Cowboy manage the feat. 

Penrith went down on the scoreboard and also had a quieter evening Fantasy-wise in this one. One to bounce back to his best was Tom Jenkins (56) who added another two tries to his 2026 achievements which brings his season tally to 22. Nathan Cleary (64) met his normal quota as expected by the captaincy favourite but many owners would’ve been hoping for even more with Cleary now missing in action for the next two NRL rounds.  

The return of the Battle of Brookvale showcased a red-hot Manly putting an end to the Storm’s recent win streak. There was no stopping Haumole Olakau'atu (72) who was eager to show NSW coach Laurie Daley his desire for inclusion back within the Blues side for Origin Three, after scoring twice and an unbelievable seven tackle breaks throughout the clash. His offsider Ben Trbojevic (68) continues as one of the 2026 top scoring quiet achievers to date. Jamal Fogarty (57) had a terrific first half but then put the brakes on, but is still a good one to own for the remainder of the season. Another useful pick-up is hooker Jake Simpkin (54) who is near the top of his position for those playing in Round 18 and should make a bit of cash as well. Tolutau Koula (56) was another who shone, and being pushed to the bench for NSW, makes him a likely starter in Round 19. 

Melbourne may have lost handily but fullback Sualauvi Fa’alogo (76) again showed himself as the top keeper to have this season and one that some coaches will be regretting that they made such an early exit. Middle men Josh King (62) and Trent Loiero (51) lead from the front to try and break Manly’s pinnacle defence but to no avail. Senior leaders looking to inspire the troops, Cameron Munster (58) and Harry Grant (57) were highly involved throughout the night but Melbourne were unable to chase Manly down. 

Back in Canberra, though behind at the break, it was the Green Machine who chased down and held out the Dragons who are still looking to grab a second win for the season. In a welcome bounce back Joe Tapine (53) showed last weekend’s low innings was a once off and not one to be overly worried about. Those who risked the fresh starting dummy half Owen Pattie (53), were heavily rewarded with his score and now healthy price rises to come. EDG paring of Hudson Young (56) and Zac Hosking (51) weren’t without merit having plenty of contribution towards the Raiders sixth win of the season, Young will be a nice keeper option for the run home.  

The Dragons may not have won but their forwards again laid the platform in encouraging signs for the club’s long-term future. Another tidy effort for the dual position MID/EDG brothers Toby Couchman (69) and Ryan Couchman (51). Middle turned edge Hamish Stewart (70) outshone both however and shows why he should now be kept for the full season with a huge score leading the way for his team. 

It was a wet afternoon in the Hunter with Newcastle stealing the win late in the second half in what become torrential conditions to close out the weekend of footy. Dylan Lucas (79) scored a try and marks himself as a must-have for the run home with so much upside and very little downside. Though only on 13 points at half time, dynamo HLF Fletcher Sharpe (51) brought things home with some impressive tackle breaks and a line break to his name. Earning a recall to the Blues jersey, Bradman Best (53) was the only other tryscorer in the low-scoring game with his attack impressing fans, owners and the Origin section board alike. Moreover Phoenix Crossland (65) returned to form in a big way and will have fantasy coaches struggling for a No.9 next week pondering over the hard-working Kiwi hooker.  

Wests Tigers tried hard throughout but couldn’t wrangle the victory away from home. As usual Terrell May (84) tops the match and the round for Fantasy points with a dominant 80-minute performance. EDG cheapie Tony Sukkar (64) was fantastic for owners who trusted the cheapie forward however he didn’t survive a tough Jacob Saifiti tackle in the 65th minute and left the field soon after. Adam Doueihi (54) returned at halfback without skipping a beat despite missing seven weeks, he is a great choice for those in need of a HLF this week. Meanwhile Apisai Koroisau (51) was the one to miss out on rep sections for NSW though posting a solid effort in the poor conditions during the rounds closing bout and is a POD option for coaches this week. 

Losers 

It was a rough day for Mitch Moses (33) still yet to win a milestone game and missing the chocolates again on his 250th. Isaiah Iongi (27) was another that suffered with Moses not quite on top of his game with less second-phase and quality ball locations impacting the explosive fullbacks score. Alex Johnston (22) went tryless and as a result scored a lot lower than his average so far in 2026. 

The Titans' on-field result was matched by the lower output of star Jayden Campbell (35) who started slow but this time was without his trademark Fantasy point explosions later in the piece. Another who underwhelmed was Campbell’s halves partner Zane Harrison (28) who can be sold with confidence heading into Gold Coast’s Round 18 bye. Early 2026 Fantasy favourite Arama Hau (17) had returned to form in recent weeks but this round was denied the opportunity as he was subbed off during the first half and didn’t return. Oliver Pascoe (46) was also interchanged well before full-time and is a worry for owners considering his dwindling minutes. Jacob Kiraz (33) left the field clutching at his ribs just minutes into the second half and didn’t return for the night. Kiraz is a player who wouldn’t have been included in bye planning but will require owners to listen out for updates on his severity as may require a precious trade for those still holding the scare resource. Matt Burton (19) again was snubbed shifting out to the centres and is an urgent sell for any still holding him seeing the win streak with the current line up gives coach Cameron Ciraldo little need for a change back. 

Broncos fill-in lock Xavier Willison (10) gains the ire of his owners having failed his HIA which gave him a low score for this one and also a likely red dot in the all-important Round 18. With Pat Carrigan back this week for Origin, Willison is probably a sell. The biggest drop in score comes from Mark Nawaqanitawase (15) who posted a huge 65 points last week after backing up from Origin. It will be tough to plump for Marky Mark after Game Three with his variance between games too high. 

The Dolphins suffered a huge blow with dynamic playmaker Isaiya Katoa (2) leaving the game very early holding his wrist. The injury confirmed as a fracture with six weeks on the sidelines, meaning Katoa is another who will need replacing for a like for like who players in next weekend’s bye round. Though a higher score than normally appearing here, the shorter innings for Erin Clark (42) paid no favours for those expecting more post the Jackson Ford injury.  

A great win for the Cowboys but not so good for those holding onto the likes of Scott Drinkwater (38), Tom Chester (36) and Heilum Luki (41) as none got closer to the half-century mark. With North Queensland missing next week and still another bye to come, all three can be safe sells if you need to make adjustments to your roster. For the Panthers, Dylan Edwards (34) had some out of character errors and infringements which cruelled his potential output while Isaiah Papali’i (48) was on track for another big score before a HIA ended his day early and he is now likely out the next two weeks thanks to HIA protocols and then a Round 19 bye. 

Manly’s Luke Brooks (19) suffered an ACL which will see the end of his season, which poses an interesting cash cow option for Joey Walsh (26) who looked strong at five-eighth, despite a sin bin hurting his overall score. The 10 in the bin was after a tackle went wrong on Ativalu Lisati (40) who now is out for an extended period. Stefano Utoikamanu (37) had a quiet outing after two back-to-back giant scores and owners will now be tempted to make a move during the Storm’s bye round. Moses Leo (-1) had been coming good in recent weeks but a head clash meant his night was done early and is now a must sell. Joe Chan (6) is another concern for coach Craig Bellamy this time due to back spasms occurring after just 28 minutes and depending on severity he may see some time watching from the sidelines. 

The Raiders got away with the home victory but Savelio Tamale (-4) had a terror of a time dealing with the Dragons kicks and eventually was pulled from his misery after 32 minutes of play by a sympathetic Ricky Stuart. Kaeo Weekes (24) was a POD option a few weeks back but it hasn’t worked out for those risk takers who now should be trying to sell prior to the Raiders second bye of the year. Another who struggled to get going was Matt Timoko (36) who excelled last round but didn’t see the same ball in space this week. Fellow centre Simi Sasagi (36) came back from injury in this one and this lower than expected score will put Sasagi at an attractive price point in a few weeks from now. Dylan Egan (39) notes his lowest score of the season despite getting the full game, with the ball largely heading the other direction in this one.  

Despite the favourable match-up, Knights captain and Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga (37) was fairly well handled by the Wests Tigers defence in slippery conditions at Newcastle. Fellow spine member Dylan Brown (37) was denied a breakaway try in the opening minute of the game and couldn’t bounce back on the Fantasy scoresheet with a quieter than usual performance. Owners frustrated by Brown’s up and down nature will want to see improvements against a red-hot Dolphins outfit next week or they may move to greener pastures. A recurrence to his shoulder injury hit Taylan May (9) causing an early shower and probably a lengthy lay-off. Heamasi Makasini (15) earned the call-up at left centre but didn’t have any answers to the hard running of Dane Gagai and Makasini may not make the roster this weekend as a result. Cash cow Alex Seyfarth (32) struggled to avoid some negatives to his game on Sunday with the weather somewhat the cause. 

Round 17 NRL Fantasy Team of the Week 

1. Sualauvi Faalogo (WFB) – 76 points 
2. Phillip Sami (CTR/WFB) – 69 points 
3. Euan Aitken (EDG/CTR) – 75 points 
4. Herbie Farnworth (CTR) – 65 points 
5. Keano Kini (WFB) – 65 points 
6. Jake Clifford (HLF) – 67 points 
7. Sam Walker (HLF) – 72 points 
8. Terrell May (MID) – 84 points 
9. Phoenix Crossland (HOK) – 65 points 
10. Payne Haas (MID) – 83 points 
11 Dylan Lucas (EDG) – 79 points 
12. Josh Curran (MID/EDG) – 75 points  
13. Max King (MID) – 78 points 
14. Haumole Olakau'atu (EDG) – 72 points 
15. Hamish Stewart (MID/EDG) – 70 points  
16. Toby Couchman (MID/EDG) – 69 points 
17. Keaon Koloamatangi (MID/EDG) – 69 points  

One more go at 13 players starting this week and considering so many of your team will be out, make sure to get your questions in to me at thelonescout@nrl.com.au for my Q&A write up dropping on Thursday on NRL.com where you can catch all the best NRL Fantasy advice, news and updates.