The 2012 season continues to be a tightly fought lottery on the field, and the same can be said of the situation in fantasy rugby. All three rounds have been low scoring affairs with only a few players chalking up consistent good scores. The G&GR league remains as tight as a chook’s proverbial, with the top ten looking like this:
Nick McGrath holds onto top spot for another week, with a few new appearances in the top ten since my last article. Well done to those gentlemen. However there is a long way to go this season and it’s fair to suggest any of our 250+ players can still take out the whole shebang, so don’t give up. The top 100 is separated by less than 200 points, which can be quickly evaporated in a high scoring week.
Going Up
Kurtley Beale (Rebels). Had his first game back against the Reds and looked the goods. Was a big point scorer for the Tahs last season, and despite moving south I expect him to rack up similar scores this year. There may not be as many tries or goals, but he is a class player and won’t let you down. Expensive at $451K but worth it in my humble opinion.
Kade Poki (Highlanders). Another player making his first appearance for 2012 last weekend, and like Beale he hasn’t missed a beat. Whilst he isn’t as flashy as Beale or his Kiwi counterparts, pocket-rocket Poki busts tackles like Young MC busts moves. He racked up 32 points against the Tahs when the ball rarely reached the wing. Imagine what he can do in a free-flowing game against the Hurricanes. A steal at $318K.
Hugh Pyle (Rebels). Has starred in both Rebels games so far, and with a game against the Cheetahs this week he is one worth picking up. He is shaping up as a real star of 2012 for the Melburnians, and can do it all- run, tackle, jump and hopefully in the coming weeks he will assume the goalkicking responsibilities. He’s only $177K and well worth it.
Liam Messam (Chiefs). The Chiefs are the real surprise packet of the season so far, and this bloke is one of their key talismans. Like Adam Thomson he just racks up so many points every game even if you rarely see him in the loose. At $429K he is pricey and I would consider waiting until after the Chiefs have the bye next week, but he is a guaranteed scorer so you can’t go wrong.
Siya Kolisi (Stormers). The value pick of the week, and possibly the season. Just $79K and a star of the future. He’s a workhorse who will rack up points reliably and playing for the Stormers he will get plenty of chances going forward. A great bench pick.
Going Down
Digby Ioane (Reds). Diggers is normally a star of Fantasy but this season he has hasn’t fired a shot, scoring a total of only 29 points in the first three games. The Reds are struggling for fluency in attack and Ioane is suffering because of it. I can’t justify holding onto him at $400K to the shareholders, so he is going out of my team this week.
Jerome Kaino (Blues). Picked up a knee injury against the Bulls and is gone for the season.
Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders). Last year he racked up a ton of points in a great Crusaders pack, but this year has been a different story. The Cantabrians haven’t had the same success and are looking a touch off where they were last year. The scrum is going backwards and was toweled up by the Chiefs last week. Crockett has barely been sighted.
Richard Kahui (Chiefs). A prime example of a great player not scoring points despite playing well. Kahui has put in three solid performances in 2012 but has scored only 19 points. It seems he doesn’t quite have the knack for scoring points this year, so I’d give him a rest until he rediscovers it.
Doppies La Grange (Lions). Another 2011 star who is struggling to put points on the board in 2012. The Lions may well unleash their full potential soon, but I am not going to be the one waiting weeks and weeks for it to happen. There are many better options elsewhere.
Remember to get those tips and transfers done by Friday at 5:25pm!!
Who are you picking in Fantasy Rugby this weekend?
