NRL Fantasy: Lone Scout's Winners and Losers Round 24

Round 24 saw some of the best highlights and unbelievable play yet, still Fantasy coaches had their dramas with late withdrawals and more of the very best NRL talent hitting the decks. 

Let’s go through the highs and lows featured within the action-packed weekend of rugby league. 

Lone Scout's Winners and Losers

Winners

The battle for the top spot on the ladder opened the weekend of top tier footy, with the Panthers going down to the Roosters at home. The low-scoring arm wrestle meant the Fantasy scores that came through were also on the lower end. Those that had the luxury were more than rewarded with Lindsay Smith (69) improved rotation with Isaah Yeo in injury recovery. Though many have moved on from the string of 30s put up in the middle rounds, Isaiah Papali’i (66) has gone under the radar and scoring strongly regardless of the scoreboard the past few rounds. Nathan Cleary (57) put together a quieter night than would have been expected with the high stakes, but still saw his score tick over 50 to hit his usual standards. 

A bounceback game for Sam Walker (61) who is helped along with his veteran partner in Daly Cherry-Evans (75) scoring his ninth career double. Posting huge 55 and 48 tackles respectively, Reece Robson (51) and Siua Wong (61) put up some very nice numbers for those owning these two decent PODs. Having ridden the pine for most of 2026, Salesi Foketi (56) has been a cash down target worth owning the past couple of weeks and now the question is, will he have this left edge spot in 2027 and will the price not blow out before then? 

Another tough outing for new coach Kieran Foran as Manly were held scoreless at 4 Pines Park on Friday. For the second week running we have just Haumole Olakau’atu (52) reaching the half-century mark which probably sums up the on field result as well. Interestingly it was a couple of bench players that managed to muster up the effort in Nathan Brown (49) and Jake Simpkin (46) worth mentioning. 

The Dolphins raid in Sydney was successful as they head towards their first finals series. On track for his third top pointscorer trophy, Jamayne Isaako (69) furthered his lead to ice the win, scoring once and adding three goals. Jeremy Marshall-King (59) went back to the good end of the leaderboard, thanks to a tidy 51 tackle count without a miss among them. Marshall-King benefited from a rotation that suffered an unexpected second-row injury so don’t jump on expecting this output every week. Halves Kodi Nikorima (56) and Isaiya Katoa (49) were next in line but again aren’t quite consistent enough to be Fantasy relevant this late in the year. 

The Bulldogs couldn’t replicate their recent good form in a game that had serious top-eight implications. Jacob Preston (69) continues to be the pinnacle late-season trade in with another near 70 result for his selectors, congratulations if you made the move. Furthering his lift in confidence off his successful stint last week, Lachlan Galvin (56) took the lead in in directing the men around the park and still dabbled in the last-tackle kick options. Enari Tuala (50) shifted to the wing halfway through this one but it didn’t hamper his Fantasy resolve, he was the only Bulldog to break the stiff Souths defensive line. 

Despite a difficult opening, the Rabbitohs showed just how much they wanted the win. Captain Cam Murray (73) led the way, he showcased at nearly a point a minute and therefore topped Fantasy for the winning locker room. Bouncing back to seasons past, Campbell Graham (52) and Cody Walker (53) were busy and earnt plenty of points throughout the night. Since reinstated to the No.1, Matt Dufty (69) has gone on a rollercoaster ride the last five weeks with this week no different. Holders of Tallis Duncan (56) continue their celebrations after yet another four-pointer to the young centre. Dragons-bound Keaon Koloamatangi (66) continues a little purple patch, he is shifting out to the edge rather than being rested mid-game which aids his Fantasy numbers. Specialist edge runner David Fifita (54) was lucky to avoid much time off with a HIA check as it happened over the half-time break. He has plenty of upside but still not enough security to be a pick-up. Same can be said of Euan Aitken (51) who came on early due to an injury but still was spelled for a second break later in the game. If you own these players, definitely hold them because despite the inconsistent scoring, trades are simply to valuable to waste. 

A true arm wrestle at Cronulla, with the Sharks run down by a desperate Raiders side who still fought hard despite enduring a difficult season. A passable result for Nicho Hynes (56), though a shadow of his back-to-back centuries from 3-4 weeks past. He was forced to cover the halves on his lonesome and would have been expected for greater heights given Braydon Trindall joined the ever-growing list of Casualty Ward members just seven minutes into the clash. As we have come to expect in 2026 yet another back-row partnership has shone regardless for the games result in Briton Nikora (56) and Teig Wilton (59).  

Canberra claimed the win and then got some results in their favour over the rest of the round to still give themselves a chance at finals. With not only the highest score of the game but also topping out the round, Joe Tapine (85) more than redeemed himself for those who kept the faith through a few sub-par rounds. Another that coaches are happy to see back in the highlight reels is Owen Pattie (57), he started this one and even pinched his fifth career four-pointer despite the referee referring the try to the bunker. We couldn’t go without mentioning the reliable Zac Hosking (54), who once again finds a way to make the winner’s circle. And a blast from the 2025 season, the returning Savelio Tamale (59) was another of the high achievers playing in the centres, after falling from favour a few weeks back and enduring a stint in NSW Cup. 

The Eels were more than up for the task to continue their home streak in front of a CommBank crowded house, with a penalty handed to Parramatta proving to be the clincher. An incredible opening play of the match came via Brian Kelly (51) nearly clearing 60 metres and five tackle breaks to boot, setting up his big day. Winning from the tee it was skipper Mitch Moses (67) that closed out the proceedings and was a big part of Parramatta claiming their eighth win of the season. Tallyn Da Silva (54) scored handily due to pinching his second double of his career and showcased why the Eels were so keen to lock him up on a long-term deal last year. As we have come to know and love, nothing can stop Jack Williams (55) getting a 50+ result, despite moving to the edge in recent weeks, he is Mr Consistent in the realm of Fantasy.  

The Cowboys started slowly and despite a big comeback effort ended up falling two points short in a bitter blow. Captain Reuben Cotter (72) did everything he could to try and get the win, it was a bit of a throwback to his Fantasy scoring from a few years back. Though not getting the result he would’ve liked against his old club, Reed Mahoney (60) had the determination required in his return match from injury. Braidon Burns (59) has been flying under the radar for almost two seasons now and once again hit the winner's list and no doubt had many draft owners pulling through to next week in the knockout phases of that competition. Jaxon Purdue (56) has been a long-term project of coach Todd Payten but now he is showing his time at centre is likely reaching its end even when co-captain Tom Dearden finally returns to the park. 

The Broncos suffered more key injuries and let the game slip fairly early in this one despite playing at home. Though with little left of their season, the forward pack are still giving their all with Payne Haas (68) and Pat Carrigan (67) making the most of their final weeks of football before Haas heads to Souths. And those 16.81% of coaches still rocking the MID/EDG Xavier Willison (65) were no doubt happy to see the utility forward crash over for a try this week to boost his day. Jordan Riki (56) was the other Bronco to pass 50 in an otherwise tough day for the home side. 

The Warriors put on a masterclass against the 2025 premiers even with a further spanner put into their works at halfback. Blues prop Mitch Barnett (55) showcased plenty of ticker up against his future clubmates. Jacob Laban (63) furthers his incredible numbers at the back end of the season as Fantasy coaches are pulling their hair out he couldn’t show this kind of form at the start of the year when many plumped on the exciting Warriors junior. Ali Leiataua (49) and Chanel Harris-Tavita (49) were the other two worth mentioning, Harris-Tavita took over the goal-kicking which boosted his overall result. 

Starting fast in Newcastle, the hosts were denied points in their opening set of six but not in their second as the Knights really got things moving attack-wise on Sunday. Stuck on 19 with just 20 minutes of time left, a solo long-range try that included tackle breaks galore quickly started the uptick for Fletcher Sharpe (67), as he would later score a second time in the back end to really pump up his day. Though without a try or a try assist to his name, star WFB Kalyn Ponga (62) was heavily featured in the leading actions for most of Newcastle’s tries on Sunday afternoon and the top WFB to bring in for those still with a trade in their pocket. Trey Mooney (57) and Jermaine McEwen (63) got through plenty of their workload with both of their regular counterparts still missing and coach Justin Holbrook needing them to step into the big shoes to fill.  

The Titans gave the Knights some cheek but ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard for the 15th time this season. The back-rower who never disappoints, Beau Fermor (82), recorded a double and could be a forgotten gun worth owning in the final three weeks. For the second week running Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (63) plays a full 80 minutes and lands solid scores at the wrong end of the season. Jayden Campbell (53) came through for his owners after a quiet match last round. Interestingly his new partner in the halves, Lachlan Illias (62), not only aided Campbell’s bounce back, but scored high himself as well. 

The Wests Tigers opened the scoring but couldn't go on with the job in a ding-dong battle with the Dragons. Captain and hooker Api Koroisau (75) always tries hard for his team and this week it resulted in leading the Fantasy results for Wests Tigers, amazingly all in base efforts. With no Alex Twal it was Terrell May (67), Fonua Pole (58) and Samuela Fainu (66) who had to roll up the sleeves and get extra dirty. Fainu having the added bonus of some supreme attacking moments. Adam Doueihi (65) showed his class at certain points of the game and also has goal-kicking which helps boosts his scores, he is still one worth getting if you held enough trades. The debutant Solomone Saukuru (52) had an evening he won’t evet forget after crossing twice, while Alex Seyfarth (51) deserves mention for setting up a try in the loss.  

The Dragons were relentless to first chase down and break ahead of Wests Tigers in a battle of the joint venture clubs. The reunited Ryan Couchman (58) and Toby Couchman (51) at least cleared par even with Ryan’s shorter minutes due to a concussion check mid-game. Hamish Stewart (64) endured a 15-minute stint out at centre, having some masterful touches including a last-tackle kick to add to his showreel that resulted in a repeat set for him to later break the line and snatch a four-pointer. Almost all the Dragon performed well with centre Moses Suli (53) and prop Loko Pasifiki Tonga (51) earning mention as they passed the 50-mark. 

Losers

A fantastic game of rugby league did encounter a couple of negative results Thursday night, but not many. It wasn’t until the dying minutes that Paul Alamoti (38) was assisted from the field with a suspected hamstring injury that made the loss even more costly. Though finally lacing up the boots, Dylan Edwards (31) couldn’t redeem much for his holders, although at least Edwards made it on the park, unlike James Tedesco who was a late scratching for the second week running. With a fairly even spread of the ball across the park the outside backs results were underwhelming for the Tricolours which included Billy Smith (31) who was an intriguing pick-up only a week ago.  

Manly going down to the Dolphins in a scoreless result had an impact on their Fantasy outputs including the popular Joey Walsh (24), but this can be expected with try assists and line breaks in extremely short supply. Herbie Farnworth (29) was a letdown due to uncharacteristic errors and perhaps he is still affected by that knock he took against the Broncos the previous week. Regardless, don’t put the C or VC on him until he shows us reason to trust him again. Connelly Lemuelu (15) was another to be stricken for the remainder of 2026 due to a hamstring issue just inside the second half that cruelled his day. 

The Bulldogs couldn’t match it with the Rabbitohs across the 80 minutes with perhaps some fatigue setting in after a huge month. With his shortest minutes in a while Leo Thompson (36) put up his lowest outing since donning the white and blue, this could have been due to the undesirable rotations that occurred earlier in the second half delaying his second stint. Though topping the run metres and four tackle breaks on Friday night, his out-of-character mistakes and ball-handling errors proved costly for Jacob Kiraz (32) and his owners in a very frustrating evening. Sent for scans, Adam Elliot (11) has a history of recurring groin issues that has arisen once again and is one to note for team list Tuesday considering the other Souths players who are Fantasy-relevant may get an opportunity. 

Cronulla suffered a big blow against the Raiders beyond the loss with key half Braydon Trindall (8) leaving the field with a dislocated shoulder after scoring a try early on, we await scans later this week to determine the severity. Matching the disappointing results for most outside backs in Round 24 there was little to celebrate from KL Iro (27) who hasn’t been able to replicate his 2026 good form. Another one that underwhelmed was Cam McInnes (24), his punch card came in at only 31 minutes of game time with the Trindall injury upsetting the regular rotations. Also off very early was Morgan Smithies (2) with a Category 1 HIA, this may free up more time in the middle for the other Raiders forwards. 

Parramatta came through again at home in an entertaining battle against the Cowboys. Those keen on Api Twidle (28) after his huge debut game earlier in the year would’ve been excited with his first-half try, but a concussion check didn’t help the remainder of his day. Heilum Luki (31) did well considering the early sin-binning, but that score paled in comparison to his stellar 73 against the Titans last round. Another frustrating result for Scott Drinkwater (47) owners, while normally not the type of score to feature in this part of the column, considering the Cowboys have a bye next week, it makes Drinkwater a potential sell for those desperate to get 17 on the park. 

The Broncos-Warriors game had plenty of chaos early with Reece Walsh (7) injured in a likely syndesmosis injury that caused a major reshuffle to the Broncos backline. As predicted in my Q&A column last week, Billy Walters (39) went back to his usual output despite still playing well in real life. Somehow kicking for extras has claimed yet another casualty, this time Luke Metcalf (21) re-injured his hamstring and will spend his final rounds for the Warriors watching on from the bleachers. Leka Halasima (39) has looked superb since returning to the run-on side in the unfamiliar centre role but this result was only salvaged by a very late try and his scores are very reliant on the explosive part of his game. 

Newcastle earned their rights to play finals football in 2026 with a strong win at home. Though getting plenty of time at dummy half Phoenix Crossland (36) failed to make par which is an oddity for the international representative hooker. Those who risked the rookie prop Cody Hopwood (20) felt let down, as he was light on his usual PPM and then only earnt 39 minutes within the rotation. Worst still was top pick-up for the week in Francis Manuleleua (36) who output his lowest innings since earning the 80-minute starting gig on the edge. Though in the 40s it’s still short of the mark for Keano Kini (41) and Oliver Pascoe (44), who have showed true elite figures this season and seem to be in a minor slump. Josh Patston (16) though scoring handily early on, will now miss the clash against the Sharks next week having been given a Category 1 HIA and he will now go through the concussion protocols.  

The final game of the weekend added further drama with the Wests Tigers forced to withdraw popular Fantasy MID Alex Twal due to illness very late. A tough one for his owners, Valentine Holmes (31) was slightly impacted due to time spent clearing his HIA checks and was far short of the levels he has been throwing out the last two games. Also a low outing for Dylan Egan (39) and one of his slowest shifts for 2026, though nothing to be too concerned about if you did take a chance on the edge back-rower. 

Round 24 NRL Fantasy Team of the Week 

1. Fletcher Sharpe (HLF/WFB) – 72 points 
2. Jamayne Isaako (WFB) – 70 points 
3. Tallis Duncan (EDG/CTR) – 56 points 
4. Jaxon Purdue (HLF/CTR) – 56 points 
5. Matt Dufty (WFB) – 69 points 
6. Daly Cherry-Evans (HLF) – 75 points 
7. Mitch Moses (HLF) – 67 points 
8. Reuben Cotter (MID) – 72 points 
9. Api Koroisau (HOK) – 75 points 
10. Joe Tapine (MID) – 85 points 
11 Isaiah Papali’i (MID/EDG) – 66 points 
12. Beau Fermor (EDGE) – 80 points 
13. Cam Murray (MID) – 72 points 
14. Lindsay Smith (MID) – 69 points 
15. Payne Haas (MID) – 68 points 
16. Pat Carrigan (MID) – 67 points 
17. Terrell May (MID) – 67 points

Stay tuned to NRL.com for Team List Tuesday and get your questions in to thelonescout@nrl.com.au to feature in this Thursday Q&A article.