Brisbane Broncos Season Preview

  

Key player:  Darius Boyd


Rising star: Jamayne Isaako

Predicted top try scorer: James Roberts (17)


Goal-kicker: Jordan Kahu

Biggest fixtures: Round 2 vs Cowboys (H), Round 14 vs Storm (A), Round 24 vs Roosters (A)

Predicted line up:

Fullback - Darius Boyd (c)

Wing - Jamayne Isaako

Centre - James Roberts

Centre - Jack Bird*

Wing - Jordan Kahu

Five-eighth - Anthony Milford

Halfback - Kodi Nikorima

Prop - Korbin Sims

Hooker - Andrew McCollough

Prop - Matt Lodge

Second-row - Matt Gillett

Second-row - Alex Glenn

Lock - Josh McGuire



Interchange - Corey Oates

Interchange - Sam Thaiday

Interchange - Joe Ofahengaue

Interchange - Tevita Pangai Jnr


*Jack Bird expected back round 4. In his absense, Jonus Pearson or Tom Opacic will start.



Top 3 SuperCoach assets: Anthony Milford ($622,100), James Roberts ($533,300), Matt Lodge ($208,900)

Jerseys:

                         Home                                                      Away   

                       Alternate


Predicted finish: 9^th

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17

World Cup Watch - Australia - Players Who Could Be Useful Bolters in the Socceroos Squad

After the longest ever World Cup qualifying campaign, the Socceroos are off to Russia.

Going into the tournament, many Australia fans have high hopes and are expecting the squad to strongly contest for a place in the knock-out stages of the tournament. 

It's fair to say that the majority of the squad is already locked in, with players such as Mat Ryan, Trent Sainsbury, Mile Jedinak, Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic and Mat Leckie all guaranteed a ticket to Russia (barring injury). However, new boss Bert van Marwijk will bring a new philosophy to the side and still have numerous spots to fill in his final 23 man squad.

As a result, even after all the stars and key players are selected, many other players will still be in the running for a World Cup berth. 

So, we at WFC have looked into those not guaranteed of a place in the Australian World Cup Squad. These players all offer something the Socceroos team could use, and should at least be considered by van Marwijk.

Tomislav Mrĉela

Age:27

Position/s:Centre back

Club/s (appearances): Imotski (41), RNK Spilt (0), NK Mosor Zrnovnica (12), NK Hrvatski Dragovolljac (27), NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (59), Jeonnam Dragons (49)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: Mrĉela has been a journeyman amongst Croatian football clubs, being a mainstay at centre back since the age of 20 at each club he has been at. As a result, Mrĉela is experienced at defending against quality European opponents. The 195 cm giant would also add some much needed height to the Australian backline and is a threat from set pieces.

Alex Wilkinson

Age:33

Position/s:Centre back

Club/s (appearances): Central Coast Mariners (172), Jiangsu Sainty (12), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (86), Melbourne City (10), Sydney FC (50)

Australia appearances: 16

Our say: A member of the Australian World Cup squad in 2014, as well as the 2015 Asian Cup winning squad, Wilkinson is an experienced and proven defender. Once stand in skipper of the Socceroos, Wilkinson has proven at Sydney FC that he still has much to offer, and his cool head and game reading abilities could prove vital at the 2018 World Cup, especially in mentoring the younger defenders such as Sainsbury, Jurman, Wright and Degenek.

Luke Wilkshere

Age:36

Position/s:Right back

Club/s (appearances): Middlesbrough (22), Bristol City (112), Twente (69), Dynamo Moscow (170), Feyenoord (27), Akhmat Grozny (7), Sydney FC (20)

Australia appearances: 80

Our say: Australia’s 8^th most capped player of all time was unceremoniously frozen out of the national team by former manager Ange Postecoglou, despite playing at two World Cups, two Asian Cups, and one Confederations Cup. Along with 80 Socceroos caps, Wilkshere has also been a key player at high level clubs. Despite not being as quick as he once was, Wilkshere is as skilful and defensively solid as ever, as shown by his sublime performances for Sydney FC. With not many Australian right backs standing out, it’s hard to argue that Wilkshere isn’t Australia’s best right back heading into the World Cup.

Michael Zullo

Age:29

Position/s:Left back, left midfield

Club/s (appearances): Brisbane Roar (53), FC Utrecht (36), Adelaide United (24), Melbourne City (15), Sydney FC (48)

Australia appearances: 10

Our say: Australia has an embarrassment of riches at left back, but Zullo’s form has put him well in the race for a World Cup spot. A key cog in Sydney FC’s dominance, Zullo has registered 2 goals and 8 assists in 17 appearances for the A League leaders this season. If he keeps his form up, Zullo will be hard to look past.

James Meredith

Age:29

Position/s:Left back

Club/s (appearances): Derby (0), Cambridge United (1), Chesterfield United (1), Silgo Rovers (4), Shrewsbury Town (3), AFC Telford United (28), York City (131), Bradford City (223), Milwall (32)

Australia appearances: 2

Our say: A member of Australia’s large left back brigade, Meredith has been a consistent performer in England’s lower leagues for years now. He has recently claimed that he is Australia’s best left back, but will face a tough task to make the squad ahead of the likes of Aziz Behich, Alex Gersbach and Michael Zullo. His downfall may be his attacking output, which does not compare to his aforementioned competitors.

Andy Rose

Age: 27

Position/s:Centre midfield, defensive midfield, right midfield, left midfield, attacking midfield, right back

Club/s (appearances): Seattle Wolves (now Washington Crossfire) (8), Ventura County Fusion (18), Seattle Sounders (107), Coventry City (40), Motherwell (33)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: The brother-in-law of former USA, Toronto, Roma and Borussia Mönchengladbach superstar Michael Bradley, Rose is possibly Australia’s most versatile footballer. Bringing with him experience at quality clubs, Rose would provide decent cover in many positions.

Brandon O’Neill

Age:23

Position/s: Defensive midfield, centre midfield

Club/s (appearances): Perth Glory (17), Sydney FC (75)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: O’Neill has had a very fast rise to prominence. In two seasons, he has gone from someone who was considered a risky signing by Graham Arnold, to one of Australia’s best central midfielders. O’Neill is an accomplished passer, effective tackler, and a player who exudes an air of class around him. A future Socceroos star, capping O’Neill would give him exposure to the national team set up, and prevent Ireland trying to persuade him to align with them.

Josh Brillante

Age: 24

Position/s:Defensive midfield, centre midfield, right back

Club/s (appearances): Gold Coast United (14), Newcastle Jets (46), Fiorentina (2), Empoli (1), Como (21), Sydney FC (47)

Australia appearances: 5

Our say: Since Brillante’s national team axe after the 2014 World Cup, he has developed into a truly dominant defensive midfielder. Time in Italy helped him to refine his skills and learn from great players, and a return to the A League at Sydney FC has provided Brillante with the perfect chance to showcase how good a player he is. Completing the 1^st most passes and 3^rdmost tackles in the A League this season, Brillante is a player who has an enormous engine and does not mind getting his hands dirty. In the mould of a Mile Jedinak, Brillante’s combatant style of play may come in handy against the type of attacking players Australia will face at the World Cup.

Kenny Dougall

Age:24

Position/s:Defensive midfield, centre midfield, left back

Club/s (appearances): Brisbane City (34), Telstar (29), Sparta Rotterdam (80)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: To be honest, it’s a surpise that Kenny Dougall hasn’t been given at chance at international level yet. A regular in the Eredivisie for Sparta Rotterdam, Dougall is a composed passer and skillful dribbler, but also adept at tackling and making interceptions. Dougall’s all round midfield play would see him fit seamlessly into the Australian set up, and we have a hinting suspicion that new boss Bert van Marwijk will take a liking to Dougall and select him the World Cup squad.

Brad Inman

Age:26

Position/s:Left midfield, right midfield, centre midfield, attacking midfield, left wing, right wing, striker

Club/s (appearances): Newcastle United (0), Crewe Alexandra (134), Peterborough (12), Rochdale (31)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: Despite representing Scotland at junior level, Inman has pledged allegiance to Australia, and was subsequently called into the Socceroos squad for the 2016 friendly against England. Able to play anywhere in midfield or attack, Inman is a very dangerous player who possesses speed and directness. Given he has been playing in the English lower leagues for his whole career, Inman has quality, and could be a useful player at the World Cup.

Daniel Arzani

Age:19

Position/s:Left wing, right wing, attacking midfield

Club/s (appearances): Melbourne City (15)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: One of the most prestigiously talented footballers Australia has produced in recent years, Arzani has been setting the A League alight this season. Mark Bosnich has called for Arzani to be capped in the near future to prevent Iran from capping him, and the perfect chance to do this may be in the lead up to the World Cup. This would provide Arzani with great experience to prepare him for the future, and also add some flair to the Socceroos side.

Nikola Mileusnic

Age:24

Position/s:Right wing, left wing, striker

Club/s (appearances): Adelaide United (42)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: Mileusnic’s performances this season deserve greater praise than he has received. In 24 games (all competitions), the 24 year old has scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists, often terrorising opposition defences with his pace and dribbling skills. His finishing has been wayward at times, but he could be a useful player off the bench for the Socceroos and has a big future in green and gold.

Dimi Petratos

Age:25

Position/s: Attacking midfield, right wing, left wing, centre midfield, striker

Club/s (appearances): Sydney FC (34), Kelantan (0), Brisbane Roar (98), Ulsan Hyundai (9), Newcastle United Jets (19)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: Having moved through the ranks of Australia’s national junior sides, Petratos is yet to make the move to the Socceroos. However, with his form this season, Dimi is right in the mix for a World Cup spot. Dominating the A League this season, Petratos has scored 8 goals (1 shot every 30.3 minutes) and provided 9 assists (1 shot assist every 30.3 minutes). His overall attacking skills, versatility and outstanding form would see Petratos fit very well into the Australian set up.

Brandan Borrello

Age:22

Position/s:Right wing, striker, left wing

Club/s (appearances): Brisbane Roar (88), FC Kaiserslautern (16)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: Borrello took a while to adjust to life in Germany, but has been performing at a high level over the past month or so. In 12 Bundesliga 2 appearances this season, he has scored 1 goal and provided 4 assists. Off the bench for the Socceroos, Borrello would bring energy and speed that would threaten defences late in games.

Andrew Nabbout

Age: 25

Position/s:Right wing, left wing, striker

Club/s (appearances): Melbourne Victory (45), Negeri Sembilan FA (12), Newcastle Untied Jets (44)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: After performing so well last season, Nabbout has taken his form to another level this season. In 20 appearances, he has netted 9 goals and provided 8 assists. Impressively, Nabbout hits the target with 50% of his shots, and is a perfect mix of pace, strength and aerial ability. With Australia looking for another striker, Nabbout could be van Marwijk’s man.

Golgol Mebrahtu

Age: 27

Position/s:Striker, right wing

Club/s (appearances): Gold Coast United (26), Melbourne Heart (now Melbourne City) (26), Western Sydney Wanderers (9), FK Mladá Boleslav (43)

Australia appearances: 0

Our say: We never thought that we’d be saying this, but Golgol Mebrahtu could be the man to lead Australia’s frontline at the World Cup. Since his move from Western Sydney Wanderers to Mladá Boleslav in the Czech first division in 2016, Mebrahtu has scored 19 goals and provided 2 assists in 43 appearances. In fact, this season has been his most prolific ever, scoring 9 goals and providing 1 assist in 17 appearances. Excelling in Europe’s 13^th best football league, as well as in Europa League Qualifiers, Mebrahtu looks ready to earn his first Socceroos cap in the lead up to the World Cup. If he performs well in the friendlies, the striking role could be his in Russia.

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17

Top 10 Team Power Rankings (Week 16/2/18)

The past week saw the return of European continental competition including the Champions League and the Europa League, where Europe's elite battle it out for dominance. This, in addition to Cup football and league competition in multiple countries makes for a sizzling Top 10 this week.

Here is the 10:

1. FC Barcelona (no change) - Despite a lacklustre 0-0 draw at home to Getafe in league competition, Barcelona stay atop the rankings due to the fact that the Catalan club is looking ahead to their Champions league match-up against Chelsea in the coming week. The goalless draw also doesn't impact Barcelona's title charge as they built quite a points buffer in the early part of the season.

2. Bayern Munich (no change) - Similar to Barcelona, Bayern are looking ahead to their Champions league fixture - at home to Besiktas. During the past week, Bayern won their league match 2-1 over a lively Schalke.

3. Manchester City (+2) - Bouncing back into dominant form, the blue side of Manchester obliterated a poor Leicester City in the Premier League 5-1 and then continued the punishment in the Champions league round of 16 against FC Basel, building a comfortable aggregate lead by scoring 4 goals away from home in a 4-0 win, to head back to the Etihad sitting pretty to advance to the final 8 in the competition.

4. PSG (-1) - Despite a win during the week over Toulouse (1-0), everyone's eyes where on PSG's clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League, this past week. The match turned sour for the French side as Real Madrid captured a 3-1 win despite PSG totally dominating the game. Neymar caused havoc on the Madrid back-line completing 13 successful take-ons, but the loss put PSG on the outer to qualify for the next round. A vital away goal from Adrien Rabiot, could be the only lifeline for PSG.

5. Liverpool (new) - The red's flexed their attacking muscles in the Champions League this week by sending FC Porto into oblivion with a 5-0 away win, almost guaranteeing a final 8 place for the team from Anfield. The front 3 all scored, with Sadio Mane grabbing a hat-trick and Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino hitting the back of the net for the other two goals. Along with this win, Liverpool also beat "Feeder Team" Southampton 2-0 in league competition to aid in attempting to solidify a top 4 spot.

6. Juventus (-2) - The team from Turin continued to push for a league title with a comfortable 2-0 win in the league against Fiorentina, but it was the Champions league where the Italian's structure fell apart. Big game veterans like Buffon, Chiellini and Khedira all had sub par games where opponents Tottenham were more than capable of capitalizing. The 2-2 draw after being up 2-0 within 10 minutes, through 2 Higuain strikes makes it hard for Juventus to qualify for the next round, heading to Wembley Stadium.

7. Atletico Madrid (+1) - Two wins in the past week in league play and continental competition (Europa League), 1-0 over Malaga and 4-1 over FC Copenhagen is enough to see Atletico rise in the ranks. Continuing the winning success in recent weeks has seen the Madrid based side rekindle the fighting spirit and fear put in opponents that was ever-present during Atletico's powerhouse years in recent memory.

8. Napoli (-2) - A big win over top 5 placed Lazio in league competition (4-1) was another huge step in attempting to clinch the Scudetto title, by staying ahead of Juventus. However, it was in the Europa league that Napoli let themselves down. Being a favourite to win the whole competition, the Naples side was swept aside by RB Leipzig 3-1 at home, making for a tremendously hard away tie to advance.

9. Tottenham (new) - A big win over North London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League gives Spurs a bit of breathing space in their pursuit for a top 4 finish. Despite still sitting 5th in the league, the win moved them 7 points ahead of Arsenal in 6th and leaves them 1 point behind Chelsea in 4th and 4 points behind Manchester United in 2nd. Additionally, in Champions League competition, Spurs showed they can match it with the big boys in pressure situations by coming back from 2-0 down to resurrect a 2-2 draw away to Juventus. They are now in the drivers seat in the tie.

10. Real Madrid (new) - A dismal season has now sprung to life! After beating Real Sociedad 5-2 in the league, Real then went on to beat the seemingly unbeatable PSG in the Champions league in the past week. With Ronaldo scoring 2 goals in that match, it put him on 11 goals in 7 Champions League games this season - a remarkable feat, including being the first person to score in 7 consecutive Champions League games. Albeit getting dominated by PSG when looking at the match as a whole, the score is all that matters. With the league title gone and out of the Copa del Rey, Real's focus is the Champions League. Could a three-peat be in the making?


OUTS - FC Porto, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen


By Luke Scali - Twitter @WFC _LS_Potzi      

Top 10 Team Power Rankings (Week 9/2/18)

Another big slip by perennial top performers Manchester City has seen them drop to their seasonal lowest in this weeks instalment of the Top 10 Power Rankings, while other big name clubs continued their dominance in league and cup performances.

So, here is the Top 10:

1. FC Barcelona (no change) - The Catalonia outfit continues to impress, heading into another round of Champions league fixtures. A 1-1 draw in the league against cross-town rivals Espanyol and a hard fought 2-0 away victory at the Mestalla over this seasons surprise package Valencia in the Copa Del Rey, to secure advancement to the Final 3-0 on aggregate over the past week. 

2. Bayern Munich (+1) - Two victories and no goals conceded is always a good way for a football club to be over the course of a weeks round of matches. Bayern beat both Mainz and Paderborn away from home with convincing scorelines - 2-0 and 6-0 respectively. With the Bundesliga wrapped up (18 points clear of second) everything now points to the Champions league.

3. PSG (+1) - Another relatively simple week in french football for PSG. A 3-0 league win over Lille away from home and then another breezy cup victory at Sochaux, 4-1, where Angel Di Maria grabbed a hat-trick and Dani Alves stepped into goalkeeper after Kevin Trapp was sent off.

4. Juventus (+1) - The Old Lady blew away their opponents in the past week, where only one fixture was played. Juventus trounced Sassuolo 7-0, with Gonzalo Higuain recording a late hat-trick and Sami Khedira chipping in 2 goals and an assist. Juventus had incredible scoring prowess, having only had 10 shots on target for the entirety of the game.

5. Manchester City (-3) - Having looked back on track, City again stumbled, by blowing a 1-0 lead late on in a Premier league fixture to hand Burnley a 1-1 draw. The game was summed up with Raheem Sterling putting a tap-in shot wide, when nothing else but scoring seemed the result. Even after having 71% possession and 20 shots, City couldn't put the game away.

6. Napoli (no change) - One fixture was played for Napoli in the past week, an away Serie A game to Benevento. A convincing 2-0 win keeps Napoli stable in the Top 10 rankings along with 1st place in the Serie A. A Dries Mertens and Marek Hamsik goal either side of halftime made for simple sailing the rest of the fixture. Some of the play down either flank for Napoli has been second to none this season and was again evident in the past fixture.

7. FC Porto (no change) - Two games and two victories for the Portuguese outfit. With an up and down schedule recently, with matches postponed and rescheduled, FC Porto has been resolute in their form. A 3-1 win over Braga in the league and a 1-0 win over fellow big name rivals and title competitors Sporting CP in the Taca de Portugal makes FC Porto a team to be feared in Europe.

8. Atletico Madrid (new) - The Madrid based side get in the Top 10 this week on the back of a big league win over fellow top 4 competitors, Valencia. The 1-0 win gives Atletico additional breathing room in the race for second place in La Liga. Atletico, having only lost one league fixture all season, now sit on 49 points, 9 clear of Valencia in third spot. 

9. Manchester United (new) - The red half of Manchester bounces back into the Top 10, after an impressive victory during the week, albeit over weaker opposition, 2-0 against Huddersfield. Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez grabbed the goals as United dominated possession of the ball and were effective at creating chances. Newcomer, Sanchez had a remarkable game individually, scoring a goal, registering 6 shots, completing 10 successful take-ons and working hard defensively, making 5 tackles.

10. Bayer Leverkusen (-2) - Not the best week for Leverkusen, but a reasonably steady one. Having got through the week playing two fixtures and not losing. A poor 0-0 draw with Frieburg in the league did enough to keep Leverkusen in second place in the Bundesliga on goal difference, ahead of RB Leipzig, but the side appear's to be on the downturn. However, the side was boosted by a 4-2 Cup victory over Werder Bremen, but didn't appear nearly as dominant, giving Bremen a 2-0 lead after 8 minutes, before clawing back and eventually winning the game in extra-time.

OUTS - Tottenham, Real Madrid

By Luke Scali - Twitter WFC_LS_Potzi

NRL SuperCoach - Low Ownership Players With Excellent SC Potential

Every NRL SuperCoach (SC) season, certain players are more popular than others. For example, this season, James Tedesco (41% own.) and Bryce Cartwright (51% own.) are owned by a large portion of players. Owning some players is essential, as they are such superb SC assets that not having them would impact your overall rank. However, if everyone owns the same players, a 'template squad' is formed, where most teams look the same. This results in players struggling to climb the ranks.

Due to this, NRL SC players should look to mix up their squads with highly owned players who are essential, but also lowly owned players with great potential to attain SC points. This will help you to stand out from the rest.

So, we at WFC have complied a list of what we like to call 'super differentials' (players owned by 5% or less of all SC players), and justified why our selections are deserving of your consideration.

Let's get into it.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | New Zealand Warriors | $533,700 | FLB | 3% Own.

RTS started off the 2017 season slowly, but finished in fine form, ending the year with 10 tries and 8 try assists, making almost 5 tackle busts per game. Despite New Zealand’s failure, Tuivasa-Sheck will gain confidence from his superb personal performances during the World Cup. In 4 games, the fullback scored 3 tries, provided 4 try assists, busted 29 tackles and made 8 line breaks. SC players shouldn’t be too worried about the rumours linking RTS to rugby union, and should seriously consider him as an alternative to popular players such as Tedesco, Trobjevic, Munster, Holmes or Ponga.

Dylan Edwards | Penrith Panthers | $510,900 | FLB | 1% Own. 

After breaking into the Panthers starting line up last season, Edwards impressed and took over from Matt Moylan with ease. In his 16 appearances last season, Edwards broke on average 6 tackles per game, and was a constant threat to opposition defences. His return of 2 tries and 5 try assists is not amazing, but expect Edwards to build on this and excel in 2018.

Tautau Moga | Newcastle Knights | $461,100 | CTW | 2% Own.

As expected of a player in his first season as a starting team regular, Moga was inconsistent last season. However, when Moga had a good game, he was unstoppable, such as in round 13 against the Roosters when he scored 1 try, provided 1 try assist, made 2 offloads, 1 line break, 9 tackle breaks and 2 line break assists. This was not a one off, as he scored 1 try and made 4+ tackle breaks on numerous occasions in 2017. In 2018, Moga will only improve, and expect him to exceed his 2017 SC average of 52.0 points per game.

Brenko Lee | Gold Coast Titans | $508,300 | CTW | 0% Own.

The former Bulldog performed very well in 2017. In his 18 matches, he scored 3 tries and set up 12, averaging 57.3 SC points per game. This was off the back of a 2016 season where he scored 8 tries in 9 games, averaging 50.7 SC points per games. With over 2 offloads per game last season, Lee is a player who has the potential continue his rise as a SC points bearer, and could be one of the top scoring centre/wing options in 2018. 

Euan Aitken | St. George Illawarra Dragons | $470,400 | CTW | 4% Own.

Euan Aitken has been a surprisingly consistent performer in NRL SC. In the past 3 seasons, he has averaged 50+ on each occasion. In this period, he has had a high ceiling, with season high scores of 92, 105 and 107. Despite missing the majority of last season, Aitken had his best attacking season ever. In just 12 games in 2017, he managed to score 6 tries and provide 1 try assist. In addition to Aitken’s productivity, he also attracts points from evasive actions and meters gained. In the past three seasons, he has averaged 4 tackle breaks per game and 1 offload per game. Impressively, he has also averaged 124m gained per game in the past 3 seasons. Fit and raring to go in the 2018 season, Aitken will almost certainly start at centre for the Dragons this season. If he manages to get a full season under his belt, expect Aitken to reward his owners with regular hauls in 2018. 

Luke Keary | Sydney Roosters | $521,400 | 5/8 | 2% Own.

Having enjoyed his best ever SC season in 2017 with an average of 58.8 and a season high of 126 points, Keary will only get better in 2018. The signings of Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco will improve Keary’s stocks greatly, and expect him to achieve even greater attacking outputs this season than his 8 tries and 16 try assists in 2017. For those concerned about his jaw injury, expect Keary to line up at five-eighth come round one. 

Matt Moylan | Cronulla Sharks | $526,100 | FLB - 5/8 | 4% Own.

Moylan has been one of the most consistently good SC performers over the past 4 seasons. Over this time, he has averaged 59.3, 63.0, 60.6 and 52.8, with season highs of 103, 115, 113 and 98. From 2015-2017, Moylan has provided 40 try assists and scored 14 tries in 50 games. Over this time, he has also averaged over 2 tackle breaks and 1 offload per game. At the Sharks, expect Moylan to be a far more important attacker than at the Panthers, regardless of whether he lines up at five-eighth or fullback.

Brodie Croft | Melbourne Storm | $476,800 | HFB | 5% Own.

The man leading the race to be the Storm’s first choice halfback post Cooper Cronk has to potential to be a far better SC asset than his predecessor. Cronk never averaged more than 60.0 in a SC season, but Croft is a more evasive player, as evidenced by his team of the tournament selection during the 2017 Auckland Nines. In 2017, Croft averaged 76.8 with a season high of 141 (Cronk’s highest ever is only 130), thanks to 4 tries and 1 try assist in 4 games. Furthermore, Croft makes minimal errors, only registering 1 in his 4 appearances last season. The young halfback is one to watch in 2018.

Jamie Buhrer | Newcastle Knights | $487,000 | 2RF - HOK | 2% Own.

The Knights workhorse looks primed for a big season. Last year, Buhrer averaged 35 tackles per game, 8 hit ups per game, 1 tackle break per game and 1 offload per game. This helped him achieve an average of 54.9 from 16 matches. Buhrer is a highly consistent performer, averaging 50+ in the past 4 seasons, and in the past 7 seasons achieving top scores of 84, 101, 81, 94, 101, 83 and 89. This season, Buhrer’s match involvement will be increased as he is expected to start the season at lock, boosting his SC stocks. He is also expected to spend time in the second row and also at hooker, meaning that Buhrer could well be an 80 minute player this season.

Curtis Sironen | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | $498,200 | 2RF | 1% Own.

The Manly second-rower was on fire last season until a serious pectoral injury ruled him out for about 10 games. However, this didn’t prevent Sironen from having his best season ever. In 16 games, he averaged 25 tackles per game at a success rate of 91%. He also averaged per game 8 hit ups, 2 tackle breaks and 2 offloads. Most impressively, he scored 6 tries and assisted 1. This means Sironen rewarded his SC owners with an attacking return almost every second game. In 2018, Sironen will look to stay injury free continue his great 2017 form, which should see him increase his 2017 SC average of 56.1 points per game.

Dale Finucane | Melbourne Storm | $489,300 | 2RF - FRF | 4% Own.

Finucane really announced himself as a top class forward last season. In his 26 games, he was extremely consistent, averaging 33 tackles and 11 hit ups per game. His meters gained were also quite impressive, averaging around 10m per hit up. This highlights Finucane’s great ability to gain base points, which means that his SC owners will most likely be rewarded with a score in excess of 50 even if he does not make an offload or score a try that game.

Ryan James | Gold Coast Titans | $530,100 | FRF | 3% Own.

After an amazing 2016 season where he averaged 72.9 points per game, Ryan James fell back to Earth in 2017, averaging 59.7. However, his stats suggest that in 2018, he could return to similar 2016 heights. Base stats wise, James averaged 37 tackles per game last season, as well as making 12 hit ups and gaining 114m per game. To go with this, he also made 1 offload per game and 2 tackle breaks per game. Most impressively though, James is a try scoring machine, recording 20 tries and 4 try assists in the past 3 seasons. With a massive ceiling, scoring as high as 156 points in one game, James is a consistent performer with explosive potential. A move from prop to the back-row should also boost his involvement in attacking play.

Kaysa Pritchard | Parramatta Eels | $388,700 | HOK | 1% Own.

Pritchard started off the 2017 season so well, before it was cut short in round 15 by a serious knee injury. However, he returned in the Eels’ semi-final loss to the Cowboys, and is all set for a big 2018. Before Pritchard’s injury last season, he was playing 80 minutes most weeks, as Eels coach Brad Arthur prefers to choose a bench consisting of props, second-rowers and locks only. In these matches where Pritchard didn’t have to share minutes at hooker last season, he averaged 43 tackles per game. His tackle success rate in the past 2 seasons has also been highly impressive, coming in at 92% and 93% respectively. One area that may concern SC players is whether or not Pritchard will even start, as Cameron King performed excellently in the role last season. Arthur has stated that he is unsure who his first choice will be this season, but many believe that Pritchard will get the role. If this is the case, SC players should expect Pritchard to be a very consistent performer due to his high tackle making output and success rate.   

Apisai Koroisau | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | $515,500 | HOK | 2% Own.

Last season, Koroisau was arguably the second best hooker in the competition (first being Cameron Smith obviously), seeing him finish the year with a SC average of 58.1 points per game. As a SC asset at hooker, Koroisau is very appealing due to his ability to gain base points but also evasive/attacking points. Base points wise, Koroisau averaged 40 tackles per game last season. Although impressive, this could have been so much more had he not missed 123 tackles. SC players should not be deterred by this too much though, as Koroisau is getting into great positions to gain base points, and only has to work on his tackling slighting in order for his SC base points to increase dramatically. Also, Koroisau averaged 6 hit ups per game last season at 10m per hit up, adding to his base points from tackling. Further, Koroisau possess immense potential to gain evasive/attacking points, as he averaged 2 tackle breaks per game last season, scored 3 tries (=2^nd most for hookers), assisted 6 tries (5^thmost for hookers), and made 8 line breaks (1^st most for hookers). In 2018, expect Koroisau to improve and become an even better hooker and SC option.

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17