Welcome back to TK’s playbook where I break down the winners, losers and black bookers from each game. The PlayBook article is Brought to you by - GameDay Squad. Create, Coach, Compete in Fantasy Footy. Be the coach & WIN. Download the app and play now.
Round 3 (The Bounce back)
Score 844, Rank 7951
A pretty good round considering I captained Hopgood and I have $618k in the bank. After being ranked 17924 after round 2 I cut that in half. Rank right now isn't important. Just remember Rome wasn't built in a day so continue to pick up some good cashies and I've also got a thought around downgrading one MID and building more of a 21 man squad to be able to get through the byes without burning too many trades.
For any of our NZ based listeners heading out to the Warriors vs Dogs game this weekend, we are doing a live podcast from Garrison Public House from 12pm prior to the game in Auckland. Would love to meet you guys and have some fun.
Trades on my mind
I have $618k in my bank account Trades on my mind
Tricky Trindall to SJ or Reynolds
Doorey to Sloan
My thoughts on Nicho Hynes is I want him but be patient. Fitz confirmed he is back next week against the Dragons. However I am cautious of picking him up straight away particularly before a round 6 bye. Gives us a good 2 game sample of where he is at as its a bit of guessing game on how restricted he could be. Also given the amount of money I think 2 games without injury would give me plenty of confidence. Round 7 we are able to use 3 trades so much easier to trade him in during that round.
Player charges
Fines for Maika Sivo, Mitch Moses, Regan Campbell-Gillard, Taniela Paseka, Josh Aloiai, Michael Chee-Kam, Cody Walker, Fletcher Baker, Dylan Lucas, Jeremiah Nanai, Te Marie Martin, Marata Niukore, Justin Olam, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, David Fifita.
Jahrome Hughes - Grade 2 Dangerous Conduct - 1 to 2 matches
Felise Kaufusi - Grade 2 Dangerous Conduct - 3 to 4 matches
Joey Manu - Grade 2 Careless High Tackle - 1 to 2 matches
Injuries
Joey Manu - Swelling around cheek bone / eye
Hame Sele - HIA
Shaq Mitchell - Foot
Matt Doorey - Knee, ike Sublux via NRL Physio analysis
Jack Murchie - HIA,
Mitch Barnett - Neck
Wayde Egan - HIA
Ezra Mam - Knee
Daniel Saifiti - Shoulder
Danny Levi - Jaw
Adam Doueihi - Turf Toe
Sea Eagles vs Eels
Observations
Tommy Turbo is back in a big way and the haters must be hating this one. I wish i had as much guts as Andy did. Will add $30k to around $660k so might be last chance to get him this cheap. He’s looking very lively and I like him sniffing around Schuster. Only 13.5% owner and expect this to rise significantly. Currently averaging 1.5T and 1.5TA with 7.5TB and 188MG. Will be coming into a tough period of Souths, Newcastle (not tough) then Penrith and Storm. Rugby League is great because of Tom Trbojevic.
If you’re looking for a downgrade to raise some cash then I think your man is Sean Keppie. Nicely priced and I think is thriving in the first of the bench rotation. Average base of 24 TCKs and 113MG means he will continue to make money weekly. Great team player this bloke.
Is there a more skilled player than Josh Schuster. Looks like he belongs on the Harlem Globetrotters at times. He 3 try assists and Turbo stole his chip and chase for a try. Would need to heavily increase his base stats output for any consideration however worth continuing to watch. Probably unlikely given his style of play.
The injury to Doorey I think wil buy Cartwright a minimum of 3 weeks unless Lane comes back earlier. Could easily be $550-$600K be the time you sell him. I have to ask if Carty, Greig and Simonsson would make a single other NRL team?
Hopgood disappointed the 20% of coaches that backed him as Captain. School boy error by all of us. BA has over played him the first two rounds and he looked cooked with 12 demerits in a sloppy display. I can see him working back towards 65 mins. The current mid rotation is cooked, he gives Paulo 5 minutes on the sideline before sending him back out there.
Will Penisini is doing some great things at right centre. Lots of chat around centres atm. I think we will see Parra reverse their fortunes shortly. A 45 average against three teams of top 8 calibre seems very good. Has only scored 1 try also so with a base of 19 TCK, 3.7TB, 1.3 OF and 135MG he has a very attractive base. Track for potential after the Roosters game where they then face Tigers, Bulldogs, Broncos, Knights and Titans in a much softer schedule.
Black book
None
Knights vs Dolphins
Observations
Tom Gilbert is a beast and is averaging 53. Leader of the pack playing decent minutes and knocking out decent base. If you need to downgrade from a heavy MID consider. Probably the pick of the dual mid/edge atm.
That was the best I've seen Euan Aitken play centre. He was unselfish and set up his winger twice with plays. Looks like they want him out there but if injuries happen and he moves back to an edge he could easily average 45-50 and be a top centre choice.
Nicholls came back to the pack and only played 28 minutes. Strange considering that Wallace was out.
Really hard to get excited about any one but Leo Thompson at the Knights. There was one stage they filmed the players out. Mann, Ponga, Elliott, Brailey and Saifiti all sitting there. Thats the issue atm picking up Knights as we have no idea how long these guys are out for so there is a massive risk of you picking up a player and their role changing considerably the next week. But if you do it for any one its Eeyore Thompson as thats back to back impressive games.
Black book
Thomas Cant played well on debut. A tidy 34 in 42 minutes in a heavy defensive performance which included 29 TCK / 2 MT and a turnover . Only 20 and not overly massive physically, the local junior handled himself really well. Has been with the club since he was 13.
Roosters vs Rabbitohs
Observations
Kind of repeating myself but Koloamatangi is the best edge in the NRL. Freddy would be mad not to pick him this year. Campbell Graham is slowly becoming the best centre in the NRL also. They both play on the right where Souths are slowly favouring.
Really love what I see out of Jaxson Paulo. Is just an athlete who could become anything if he backed his athletic talent. Must be a tough gig playing outside Sam Walker and Joey Manu. Dual and player to watch closely particularly if you don’t want to overspend.
Heading into the bye we have both Teddy and Manu falling below $700k and will both have considerable BE’s when they return in round 5 against Parra. Teddy just hasn’t cracked it for a try yet. The rest of his game has been solid given he averages 167MG, 1TA and 4.3 TB. Anything in the mid 600’s would suit me just fine. Manu is still working into the season, given he dropped the ball over the try line and a sinbin his score could of been much higher. Another if he gets low 600’s would be juicy. Draw ahead after the bye is Parra, Storm, Sharks, Saints and NZ. Both could great value around the Sharks game.
Tatola is an interesting one. Great to see him back from the HIA and punched out a 41FP in 53 mins. I expect him to build on this significantly over the next few weeks. Loses around $36K to $539K and with another big BE could fall under $500K where he presents a lot of value given his quality and their late bye. Watch and be patient.
Lesser minutes for Shaq (injury) and Moale putting a bit of a pause on their money making. Love what I see out of Michael Chee Kam. Scored a 41FP even with a sin bin which i felt he was unlucky to get given the role Cam Murray played in that. 41 TCKS and 99 MG and would of gone 80 mins again if not for his sin bin. Still presenting value but would love to see where Arrow sits before buying this late in the piece.
If you have Egan Butcher well I think now’s the time to consider a trade. With scores of 31, 44 and 37 he just hasn’t produced fantasy wise. With a bye and Angus Crichtons pending return use your mid $500k else where.
Cheese with a new role from the bench and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is the tactics moving forward. My Kayo was all over the place so I actually watched the last 20 mins on Channel 9. Post game he revealed he doesn’t have a rib injury but a torn obliques.
Best moment was Sam Walker smashing Trell Mitt to force a turn over. Shout out to both young half backs who didn’t have huge fantasy scores in this game but love watching both young fellas lead their teams around the park.
Black book
The HIA to Hame Sele on return will force a huge BE on his return. Might end up mid 200’s in the coming weeks which isn’t bad to have a starting prop on your emergencies at that price.
Titans vs Storm
Observations
The Storm has some serious issues. The pack is getting beaten and they have a lack of creativity coming through the spine which is forcing both Grant and Hughes to try a little too hard. Hughes could be in some trouble particularly for a shoulder charge on Boyd. Young Pezet was solid on debut and Meaney is solid but they are no Lil Paps and Munster. Welch only played 32 minutes, is Belly losing the plot in his final year?
Talking about coaches losing the plot. Titans coach Justin Holbrook benched Foran and Fifita, then replaced their best player on ground Kelly to then move their smallest player Campbell into the centres. The call on Foran was he looked beat up, LOL why put him back on then? Confused by this bloke.
At this stage Katoa is way better than Loiero. Has a lot to do with Hughes getting extra ball and the lines he is running. But credit to Katoa he has picked up his work rate and is a great BUY if you want to downgrade an expensive mid and push Hopgood to the MID. Loiero had some really dumb moments. He's a very vanilla player. I’d say hold him into the round 10 bye then move on.
Tino is a massive let down this year. Scored a try to inflate his score last week. Despite 3 off loads and 145MG he only has 21 tackles in 65 minutes. Elite props would have 35-40 TCKS in this time out put. Yeah it's hot but its hot for everyone and his the leader so he need to get down and dirty. Could be in trouble for a shoulder charge on Katoa. I would sell him and move on.
Boyd with a great 42 despite spending 13 minutes off with the HIA check. His kicking game was great and his goal kicking was first class. Hold as your back HLF/HOK.
Brimo not having an outstanding fantasy game with 34FP but he would be doing himself favours in the race to the Origin full back jersey if Ponga is no good. Had some great touches and despite looking to pick up a slight leg injury was a menace for the Storm throughout. Really like what we are seeing from AJ.
Khan-Pereira rewarded those who didn’t panic after his awful round 1. Kid has some wheels so keep him as a slow cash burn and back up WFB. On the other side Warbrick i’m cautious against calling him a complete dud however was schooled on a number of occasions. When your not scoring you need to be keeping those demerits down and he had 10. Not seeing any attacking opportunities which is super strange for a Storm team. Will be the player to make way once Papi returns so no need to panic sell yet surely you have other fires?
Black book
Still like what we are seeing with Bronson Garlick. Super busy and energetic would be interesting if he ever started.
Cowboys vs Warriors
Observations
We have a huge NZ audience and I love the Warriors are hitting their strides. If they can get another couple of wins in a row they will be building some real momentum.
Love what we are seeing out of SJ. He is lively and constantly on the ball. To have a 59 FP game with no TA. But huge kick metres and what we are seeing is the return of his running game and putting his body on the line on both side of the ball. Consider him as I am.
Looking like the Genie from Aladdin, AFB or Aladdin as named by Arron Nicholls Mataiti on one of my Facebook posts. If we could get that out of him every week he would be close to the best prop in the game. He was busy and destructive. Jazz could easily be the best player in fantasy if he got more minutes. But welcome back, too expensive but a joy to watch.
Egan unfortunately will miss the next game with the 11 day stand down. The concern isn’t his ability but his durability. That's three games in a row scoring tries but also three games in a row that he has been badly beaten up.
TMM looking very solid out the back of shape. Set up a couple of pearlers and could now be trending in the right direction. Dual makes him handy but really he needs 3 dates to track if this wasn’t an outlier game.
Cotter is a serious concern for owners. That is back to back 40’s. Some unusual errors and the big stand out is the 55MG which is because his been used as decoy all the time. Was a little like this at the start of last season also before they changed up the change plan. Spending $740k on a 46 av MID is way too much. Consider moving him.
Robson is a gun however Nanai is a dud. For a bloke to get such a big contract then produce these performances is embarrassing for him. With 20 minutes to go in the game he had run for 4MG and finished with 43MG. Did a lot of defence but this team needs to get him going particularly when they are undermanned on the edge. Helium Luki made a nice comeback from the bench. Keep an eye on him as he could be starting in the next few weeks. Will lose $17k to around $470K with a high BE coming next round. If Todd slowly works him back into starting this guy could be a great buy just be patient.
Black book
The little fullback Taine Tuaupiki is a gun. Scored 45FP in a Walshy style performance which included 8 tackle breaks and 150 MG. Like all rookies needs serious work on his defence but could the coach move CNK to the centres? If he does id be all over this bloke.
Helium Luki (See above), will be handy if you’ve missed out on Katoa.
Broncos vs Dragons
Observations
I put it all on the line with my call of Staggs and if he didn’t hit 50 that i would retire from fantasy and the podcast. Well Fantasy God answered that debate for now. Staggs was brilliant throughout showing the skills we expected. 2T, 1TA, 5 TB and 153MB. Was a missile in defence in a very complete performance.
Adam Reynolds is currently the form half of the comp. His all round skill set but mostly his short and long kicking game is the best in the business. Strong in defence, running the footy, setting up tries and kicking goals. In my mind he’s a must have in my team.
Both Haas and Carrigan played a little less minutes as Kevie managed them a touch. Huge game against the Fins on Friday night, can’t wait for that one. Tom Flegler actually overshadowed them both. Scored 47FP in 47 minutes as he was promoted to start and was really eye-catching. That was a performance that would justify his new fat contract at the Fins.
Broncos were so impatient for the entire first half which was surprising. This team reminds me of Sharks 2016. We used to play cat and mouse with a team but we had levels, this Broncos team reeks of this. Their second half was much better and we saw the best from Eyeliner and co.
Birdy played 80 minutes in this one. Played a little bit of edge when BMM was hooked so that would be my only concern as prefer him in the MID and we should see de Belin return next week. His 47 FP was all base which is good to see as a player of his talent sometimes lacks this. Will only continue to get better in the role if given the spot long term, also think that Sullivans form in the 6 will mean keeping him out of the halves however Murdoch-Masila is a massive concern, the bloke literally has no work ethic and a heap of mistakes in him. Hunt with a very quiet 22FP as he just didn’t get going with the ball in hand.
I thought Lomax really stood up in one of his better displays. What the hell is going on with his goal kicking though. That new low tee was a disaster, looked like he didn’t even practice on it.
Great to see Tyrell Sloan calving up. Had a 44 FP to be the Dragons best on ground. Will be around $320K with a negative BE so should be a trade in if you don’t have him. I grew up idiolising the great David Peachey, this kid is literally Peachey. Great to see him in a good mind space and backing his talents. BUY
Black book
Sloan and Sullivan. Sullivan I thought that was his best game in first grade in the 6. Was lively, scored a try and actually took a heap of kicking away from Hunt. No need to rush a buy but keep him in the book.
Bulldogs vs Tigers
Observations
Burton is back in a big way. 59FP with his great running game returning. Mahoney actually had more KM and he moved the goal kicking to Flanagan would be my concern. Plus its the Tigers so he will need a 3 date before any thought of buying.
Haze Perham is slowly working his way into the season and will be a handy cashy. Made another $35k and its not too late too get him if you want a WFB under $400k.
Jacob Preston was slow out of the blocks but from about the 20th minute looked like a vet. Will add around $70k and performances like that only makes his job security even higher. Alamoti showed classy skills and zero speed but continues to make some great cash with a 50FP performance. Love the fact his not greedy and set up Addo Carr for two nice tries.
A few demerits (-14) in Mahoneys game. Still pretty consistent and if you want an 80 minute hooker with role and security this is your man.
The Dogs targeted the right edge of Doueihi and Bateman given their injuries. Doueihi with a season low 31 FP. The halves have a real issue of combining. They have never played well together and I expect something to change next week. Wakeham was actually pretty good coming from the bench. Their major issue is really you have two five-eighths running the show.
Bateman started on an edge and moved to the middle. Knocked out 67 minutes for 32 FP however you could tell he was short of a run. Had one classy play but dropped the ball over the line. Will only get better but that price will drop and BE will get much higher.
Joe O was one of the finds of Fantasy 2022 but finds himself playing 30 minutes. Was injured in the preseason but surely his got more than 30 mins in him. Stefano was actually very good. Scored 57FP in 46 mins in more of the efforts expected. Was busy in defence with 40T so maybe a bit of an outlier game as that's unusual for him. Pole also can hold his head up.
Black book
None
Raiders vs Sharks
Observations
Great to see Jamal Fogarty back and playing like a halfback. Really took control of the team and had 466KM and 67MG to take the Raiders around the park instead of sitting back like he has for the opening two rounds.
Matt Timoko is playing really good footy. One of the games of his career to score a try, 4 TB, 4OF and 149MG. A mid ranger with value, ability and upside. Consider.
The Horse with a stellar performance. Two great tries, 6 tackle breaks and most importantly he baited Royce Hunt into punching him. Cheer Cheer the red heads.
Nikora was a man possessed out there. His hit on Fogarty was close to the hit of the year. Ran a great line off Tricky for his try and was a menace to the Raiders.
The good and bad news of the Sharks loss. The good is we are likely to see Nicho back next week with Fitz confirming this in the press conference. The bad is unfortunately its the end of Tricky's run in the starting line up. Another great performance with 2TA and a great kicking including a 40/20. Injured his ankle and gave Talakai potential the worst attempt on goal ever seen by a first grader. He adds $70k to around $390k so a tidy $140K in 3 rounds and time to put the funds to good use elsewhere.
Hudson Young bounced back with a nice 55. Was much more busy and not just angry. With an 83 BE he drops $30K and if he can hit another 50 next up he would be worth a consideration in those low $600's. Quality player. CHN a very quiet game with only 24FP, had a heap of demerits in this one. Not sure what to make of Harley Smith Shields also as he struggles to break a 25 average. Really I'm sure there's other fires to put out so keep him around another week.
Unfortunately Danny Levi broke his jaw. Left Tom Starling to show what we all know he can do. Had a blinder scoring 66 in 78 minutes. Will Sticky finally play him as the 80 minute man? Could be anything but I bet Woolford is there come Tuesday TLT but if not and you want a punt well Starlo could be your man. However for me way to risky with the Sticky factor
Not sure whats up with Cam McInnes. He was teachers pet last year now can't get much more than 30 minutes on the field. I think the Sharks need him out there longer.
Goose of the round goes to Royce Hunt who got battered by the big red machine. Some how the Sharks played better with 12 men.
Blackbook
Only a small cameo but great to see Trey Mooney get 10 minutes off the bench. He will be needed for longer minutes at some stage. Super talented so keep him in your sights.
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