South Sydney will be a popular team for Holden NRL Fantasy coaches this season, with several massive stars, a good bye schedule, and one genuine cash cow who could be a star of the future.
Fantasy Guns
Greg Inglis ($394,400) obviously leads the list for South Sydney – the hulking fullback is arguably the best rugby league player on the planet and can just about do it all. His devastating ball-running ability had already made him a valuable fantasy player in recent seasons but the inclusion of points for try saves and kicks defused in Holden NRL Fantasy this year will make the Rabbitohs No.1 one of the most sought-after players in the game. On the negative side, South Sydney's bye schedule will mean the Queensland star will miss five games in eight weeks in the middle of the year.
NSW contenders Adam Reynolds ($393,900) and John Sutton ($380,900) are two strong options in the halves (with Sutton a chance to be given dual-position status down the track as a second-rower should Luke Keary get the nod at five-eighth) while international trio Sam Burgess ($376,700), George Burgess ($357,200) and Issac Luke ($357,900) loom as great buys for the middle of the season, considering they'll play in all three major bye rounds. Sam's dual-position status and Luke's potential as an 80-minute player after the exit of Nathan Peats make them a couple of very strong buys for the start of the season.
Value Buys
If any player has the obvious potential to make an impact on the NRL this season, it's Thomas Burgess ($190,900). His twin George was one of the breakout stars of 2014, and if Tom is given a similar amount of game time as George this season he could become just as destructive. Tom averaged 25 points over nine games last year, but with his twin averaging close to 50 there is good reason to think he's got room for improvement this time around.
And while we're at it, there's also Luke Burgess ($126,300). The oldest Burgess brother was only given three games in the top grade in 2013 and missed England's World Cup campaign, but he starts very cheap and is just about guaranteed to make money for your squad if he gets a decent run this year.
Cash Cow
Promising half Luke Keary ($107,000) is the man here. Keary wasn't much to write home about in terms of fantasy scoring last year, averaging in the mid-teens from his 10 appearances for Souths, but the talk is he could be promoted off the bench and into the starting five-eighth role this season, with John Sutton being moved to the back row. If that happens, Keary will be one of the most popular rookie-priced players in NRL Fantasy. Keep a close eye on the Rabbitohs' trial games and their Round 1 team list.
Rabbitohs player prices
Greg Inglis (WFB) $394,400
Adam Reynolds (HLF) $393,900
John Sutton (HLF) $380,900
Sam Burgess (FRF, 2RF) $376,700
Issac Luke (HOK) $357,900
George Burgess (FRF) $357,200
Ben Te'o (2RF) $289,100
Chris McQueen (2RF) $251,600
Bryson Goodwin (WFB, CTR) $240,200
Dylan Walker (CTR) $235,100
Ben Lowe (2RF) $224,700
Nathan Merritt (WFB) $209,900
David Tyrrell (FRF) $195,400
Beau Champion (CTR) $192,500
Thomas Burgess (FRF) $190,900
Jason Clark (2RF, HOK) $178,900
Joel Reddy (CTR) $157,100
Luke Burgess (FRF) $126,300
Joe Picker (2RF) $111,900
Luke Keary (HLF) $107,000
Apisai Koroisau (HOK) $107,000
Kyle Turner (2RF) $107,000
Kirisome Auva'a (WFB, CTR) $107,000
Aaron Gray (CTR) $107,000
Alex Johnston (WFB) $107,000
Nathaniel Neale (FRF, 2RF) $107,000
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