The Fantasy King: Round 10
By Michael Adams
THE ORIGIN CONUNDRUM
Well, it’s finally here. The jewel in the crown of Rugby League, but the scourge of fantasy competition, State Of Origin season is upon us. I guess it adds another layer of intrigue and makes the strategy just that more difficult for fantasy players, but in no other sport do fantasy leagues have to deal with having a third of the season so profoundly disrupted. And this applies equally in real life, as the miles of column inches devoted to solving the Origin conundrum last season demonstrated. Teams such as the Broncos and the Storm have their seasons routinely disrupted by the representative season, while the wheels fell off completely and irrevocably for the Dragons last year after about half their top squad were picked at various stages over the three games.
The best solution I’ve read came from the suddenly silver fox Phil Gould, who suggested a three week suspension of the regular season, an Origin fixture played over each of those weekends. To satisfy the hunger of the league loving public, who would not cop such a long stretch without multiple games of footy each week, a Challenge Cup-style knockout competition would be played out, the winner to receive a lucrative prize to make it in each team’s best interests to field competitive sides and treat the competition seriously. Thus, the burden shouldered by clubs and players, who pay the price for their good form with selection, is alleviated, we still get plenty of meaningful football action, and best of all, the Origin period becomes something like a carnival, with the months of speculation, intrigue and controversy condensed into a self-contained three week pressure cooker.
Of course, the chances of such a situation materialising are precisely zero. The upcoming TV rights deal will ensure we are locked into something resembling the current set up for the foreseeable future. But it would be nice wouldn’t it. No longer would we see situations like that of Round 12 this year, where Brisbane and Melbourne will clash on Friday night. What should be one of the games of the year will be devalued by having each club’s top players backing up from the Origin match two days prior.
The ramifications for fantasy would be even more pronounced, with the end of those pesky byes and the unavailability of the top players. NRL fantasy would thus operate on the same terms as leagues in NFL, Baseball, Soccer and the AFL. No longer would we have to envy the regularity fantasy leagues in those other sports are afforded. As I said, such an Origin format will in all probability never eventuate. But a guy can dream.
IN OTHER NEWS
Kevin Kingston
Kevin Kingston’s footballing career is not over yet, but its’ epitaph has already been written, and it is three words long: an honest toiler. So it should come as no surprise to see him in the top ten of fantasy front row/hookers this season, but I must say this one crept up on me, and after he cracked a Supercoach ton against the Dragons I did some research. As far as hookers go he is beaten only by Cameron Smith and Isaac Luke in average points, and he hasn’t had a dud game since Round One. He may have priced himself out of being a genuine Buy option at this stage, but massive props to the 1.55% of Supercoaches who own him.
Trent Merrin
One of the few selections Ricky Stuart got right, Merrin has really stepped up this year, and should have a much bigger impact for the Blues than he was able to in the limited opportunities he got in his two games last year. He has been on fire in fantasy this season, and had another great performance on Monday night. It might be silly to bring him in now that his place on the Blues squad has been confirmed, but Merrin is definitely one to consider drafting in down the home stretch, especially considering the news that Michael Weyman is likely to miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
Jamie Lyon
Had his second big game in a row. Could the one-time Fantasy superstar be back? In other backline developments, Will Chambers repaid my endorsement last week by turning in a middling performance well below his season average. As a result his break even is now quite extravagant, and he comes with a strong buyer beware caveat. Thanks Will.
ROOKIE ROUND UP
There has been little to say about the class of 2012 thus far, Adam Reynolds proving the best of a so-so bunch in this year’s crop of fantasy fresh meat. That has changed of late, with Parramatta’s Matt Ryan exploding onto the scene. He is on track to become a genuine must-have, not just a must have rookie, and anyone who doesn’t own him should make this their next priority.
Elsewhere, Konrad Hurrell had a huge game against the Roosters, and is finally starting to live up to the hype. He had a juicy price rise as a result, and has emerged as an excellent cover option for those (i.e. everybody) whose squads are affected by Origin and byes. Josh Mansour fits into a similar category, but I personally couldn’t justify burning a trade on the Panther winger. If you’ve got plenty up your sleeve it’s a no-brainer, but the rest of us need to play it a little safe.
And I couldn’t end this column before mentioning the man on everyone’s lips in the preseason- Tautau Moga! The big Roosters youngster finally got his chance on Saturday night, and did just okay. That’s all you need to see big price rises at rookie rates though, and the potential is undoubtedly there. He has been named again this weekend, so after what looked like being a massive anticlimax, Moga-watch is well and truly back on.
