Hey team, apologies for no Round 18 wrap podcast, I’ve been struggling with a cold so best to have a night off and be back pumping for Tuesday, but I've been making a few notes as each game passes for you guys to have a read.
I’ve had a pretty solid round my only issue really being the Knights pair of Barnett and Frizell and also Ramien not going on with it. I don't own DCE or Manu so any break out week was never going to happen not owing them. I scored a nice 976. I still haven't scored a 1000 in any round lol. Slight move in rank from 207 to 192.
I ended up trading in David Fifita and Aaron Booth and trading out Will Penisini and Brandon Smith. Leaves me with 1 trade left before the new allocation of trades. I’ve got $359k in the bank so it will be either Frizell traded out to Harry Grant, sometimes you just got to cut your loses. The week later Mam will probably go for one of Doueihi, Ponga, Haas or Carrigan but someone needs to step up and win my love in round 19.
Injuries
Huge news out of the Roosters losing Sitili Tupouniua and Billy Smith to suspected torn ACL’s. Siosiua Taukeiaho also fractured his cheekbone.
Knights also in the Wars, Edrick Lee suffered a foot injury, Simi Sasagi did his shoulder while Tyson Frizell and Dom Young were second half casualties with rub injuries.
At the Dragons, Moses Suli rolled his ankle. High grade hamstring confirmed for Mikaele Ravalawa from the Brisbane game and he is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.
Sharks flyer Sione Katoa with a strange right shoulder injury scoring the match winning try. Thoughts for a sublux at this stage but he is said to have felt a pop.
The Tigers big boy Stefano Utoikamanu will miss 6-8 weeks with a wrist fracture.
Luke Keary has participated in contact drills without any issues and is expected to line up in round 19.
Ryan Papenhuyzen straight to hospital with a suspected patella fracture, unfortunately looking at the season.
Josh Addo-Carr hobbled off with a knee injury.
Judiciary
Jason Taumalolo facing a fine for a grade one shoulder charge on Toby Rudolf.
Fines for Tino, Gagai and Burton out of Origin.
Big Nelson looks in trouble for a shot in the Storm & Raiders game and possibly Rapana also.
Sharks
Ramien looked set for a 100 but literally did nothing but miss tackles in the second half. 10 tackle breaks and 10 miss tackles, add in an error and set restart and he was annoying. Still if you need a centre for the run home, Ramien is heating up.
McInnes knocked out a handy 51 in 54 mins. If you’re low on trades really you can continue to hold. Hamlin-Uele did increase mins to 24 and I can see this slowly creeping up till 35-40 mins when he starts again.
Will Kennedy with a handy 34 for those who had a stack out. Continue to hold as your 21st man.
Brailey’s sin bin really hurt him. Hold if you have him.
Put Jesse Colquhoun in the blackbook. Was impressive in the trials and did the job out there on Friday night replacing Wade Graham on the left edge late in the game.
Cowboys
Robson knocking out a 45. Given how many tries he has scored the past month it was always going to be difficult for him to hold form. HOLD is you have him and if you don’t Harry Grant is $50k less and has far more upside.
Lolo with a 47 could have been much more if the try wasn’t disallowed. I thought it was a try but get the rule. It wasn’t match costing but definitely was match influencing with the Sharks scoring next set.
Leilua showing us what he can do with an 80 minute gig. Issue is the amount of mouths to feed and the Gilbert starting on an edge working so well. I still expect a 50 minute gig off the bench. He played on Nanai’s right edge so don’t go buying just yet.
Drinky a little quieter but they had a stack of players out so don’t go selling just yet. Keep him on the radar.
Warriors
Tohu Harris and Euan Aitken with huge 60+ games. Massive hold on both. To think both are final 17 keepers coming from the Warriors.
Walshy just ain’t there any more. I sold him last week for Trell. Time to move on, just like he has.
If Josh Curran was a Queenslander he would play Origin. NSW doesn’t understand Origin so they don’t realize his the type of guy they need to choose.
Eels
Reed Mahoney must of heard the haters as he looked like Cameron Smith out there today. Got a nice rest which is great for the back end of the year. Massive HOLD as a second hooker option on your bench.
Ipap with a solid 55, could of been more. He looks close to his best again.
Sivo looks 48 and is now running like his 48. Love the bloke though and he had his best game since return, however do not buy him.
Mitch Moses with a controlled game and solid 52. HOLD.
Dyl Bags with a mediocre 44. Been struggling for points, not an urgent sell but if you have trades and cash upgrade to DCE.
If you didn’t cop our tip this week on Penisini, he is an URGENT SELL. He leaked another $40k, so you have your final warning.
Roosters
Joey Manu what a man. Robo is going to be a cruel man, with news Luke Keary is returning next week. Very likely back to the centres, but given his huge scores of the past month you may as well hold him as his return is still way past expectations.
I’ve said all year Walker is a better 7 than Keary and he proved it again. If he was 7 every week he would be so fantasy relevant, the kids a stud.
Angus Crichton just hurting Snake Corby by bombing two tries. Still a handy 55 post Origin.
Teddy with a 59 and looked so comfortable in the second half. A steal at his price for the 47% of the top 5000 that don’t have him.
Nat Butcher is now again very relevant. Scored a 21 in 51 mins playing every where. But will lose $30k to sit around $550k. We know what he can do in an 80 minute role and the injuries just present him with the right edge spot full time.
Manly
DCE was looking like a Harlem Globe Trotter. Just find a way to get the bloke.
Garrick with a 79 with no tries and no goals. Is a stud, do not sell him ever.
Saab finding relevance with close to a career best game. Looks way better on the left wing than right. Manly just love attacking down the left edge to the winger.
Haumole is a beast and if you want a POD edge well even though his bloody expensive his in such good form.
Both Koula and Davey are great holds on your emergency for those who have them.
What's up with Schuster, surely he can play more than 10 mins LOL.
Knights
Ponga just cranked out another 50. Thats two in a row at club land plus his 100 in Origin 3. Looks interested and his backing up well up the guts. Will be just under $500k on open tomorrow and could be a very nice investment when we get our 4 extra trades.
Frizell was tracking well with a 29 in 46 minutes before sustaining a rib injury. Has had an happy month and i’m thinking of cutting my losses and selling him.
Mitch Barnett with a 35. I just hate NRL coaches, he was doing so well on the edge but he moves him to lock to cover Mann. Hold for now but have thoughts on an upgrade.
Tuala must be the worst defender in the NRL hands down. His attempt in the Koula try was embarrassing.
Titans
I made the last minute (SOBER) decision to buy David Fifita as a punt. Looked super interested also and did well to score 63 given how targeted he was by the Broncos right edge. Entering the round he was 0.02% owned by the top 5000, I’m assuming this would have raised slightly but he has massive value and potential if you want to stand out. Looked way more comfortable running off his Keebra Park high teammate Tannah Boyd.
Erin Clark knocked out a 76 playing this Cotter style lock role. Given the success of this move I can see this continuing for the remainder of the season.
Booth with a handy 48 on debut. Great cashout at $240k and was lively throughout particularly in defence. Only had 4 run metres so will only continue to improve but a handy guy to buy to spread your cash and have a good 20 or 21st man.
Jo Jo Fifita was great on the wing and scored an impressive 50. Another nice cashdown as I think we will only see more of the young kid.
Moe Fotuaika was back to his best but Fermor had a very unhappy game and is an urgent sell.
Broncos
Zac Hosking is actually 25 years old, how’d he slip through the system. Was super impressive unfortunately probably makes way out of the top 17 now.
Tesi Niu was lively but does lack the playing of TMM.
Ezra Mam with a nice 47, no reason to sell just yet particularly if you’re low on trades.
Pereira would be super fantasy relevant if he played ever week. Poor fella back to outside the 17.
Keenan Palasia with a handy 41. Be interesting to track his minutes with the return of Carrigan and Haas. Corey Jensen is also out with a calf injury so could be a nice one for holders.
Billy Walters we spoke about on Tuesday as an urgent sell. And his 21 in 45 mins sums this up.
Stags delete him off your list. Could only manage a 30 against the Titans.
Tigers
Doueihi with a huge 82. Because of his huge BE his price hardly changes. The good was the run metres and kick meters. But Penrith fielded a NSW cup team, to put things in perspective Staines scored a 52 and Tuilagi a 47. I’d watch him against the Cowboys next Sunday and make a decision. Trades are too valuable to waste right now.
Hastings back to a huge score with kick meters replaced by tackles. Actually looked good at 13, but how long till Kimmorley just punts Brooks and puts him at 7.
Joe Ofahenhaue with a disappointing 45. Disappointing given his form but his move to prop takes 10 minutes off his work.
Pole making money with a 25 but well off his two previous games while I was glad I moved away from Nu Brown who only scored a 12 despite playing 53 minutes. Hold both.
Panthers
Huge score of 79 for Fisher Harris but also played 71 minutes so don’t get sucked in.
Mitch Kenny with a 51 showing us one of the cheapies of 2023.
Tago with a handy 46. Not an urgent sell and probably makes a good 18th man who you can play match up depending.
Storm
Poor Paps. Just not his season, urgent sell and will lose $50k. In order of preference of replacement i’d have Trell, Ponga then Doueihi.
Munster was 3.6% owned by the top 5000 coming into the round, while DCE was 24%. Very similar now given both have their star fullback out. Munster had the higher BE so is now the better priced, so if you can’t afford DCE get Money.
Harry Grant with a nice 58. Poor fella had to play 80 despite Origin. Great try and looks dynamic. I can’t wait to own him this week. Grant vs Cook this week too.
Those holding Meaney would be loving life. Should see scores 40-55 range playing fullback and goalkicking.
Raiders
Sticky makes it impossible to want to buy any of new players. Tapine, Elliott, Young are holds if you have them. Be hard to drop Schiller on that effort so he might become a nice cash down if he holds his spot, but the risk there is huge.
Bulldogs
RFM is turning into a nice purchase. Getting his usual 60 mins and knocking out a 54. A very handy 18th man to hold for a long time.
Poor Max King. Was killing it then his coach forgot about him. Got 48 minutes which could shrink again as it looks like Luke Thompson is back next week.
Josh Jackson only a sell if you have the trades other wise just be content with you mid 40's every week. His steady and old fashioned but you know this.
Declan Casey great second game after his disaster of a debut. Played centre but could fill in for Addo Carr if his out as Schoupp had Covid. I don't need any more cashies but not a bad one if Addo Carr is long term.
Rabbitohs
Trell is fit, hungry and heating up with his 92. I told you to buy him 2 weeks ago so don't let me down giving it another week. Will add $50k but is still reasonable given his quality. Trell and Cody is like the Showtime LA Lakers, they put bums on seats.
Jed Cartwright is a nice little cashdown. With Host out his got that edge role. Probably played a little more mins than usual given Murray being out.
Alex Johnston is a freak. His probably $100k too expensive just to carry as his going to get plenty of tries with Trell and Cody heating up.
We will be back Tuesday night for the post TLT podcast so join Andy, Corby, Pat and I as we launch into round 19 and be sure to be reading all our articles that the boys have been producing every week.
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