NRL Fantasy club profile: Sea Eagles

Author: NRL.com
Timestamp: Thu 23 Jan 2014, 06:00 AM

The Sea Eagles look very familiar across the board in 2014, with most of last year's grand final squad intact. The big exception is the front row, where a number of high profile departures have set the stage for some NRL Fantasy bargains.

Fantasy Guns

Daly Cherry-Evans ($418,700) is easily the most expensive half in NRL Fantasy, and with good reason. He makes stacks of tackles for a halfback and doesn't miss many; he's the first choice kicker, especially on long kicks; he sets up plenty of tries and his fantastic running game means it's not at all uncommon for him to rack up piles of tackle breaks and running metres – with more than his share of meat pies. He's now a surefire starter on the representative scene meaning he'll miss a couple of games around the Fantasy bye weeks but that shouldn't faze head-to-head players too much.

Jamie Lyon ($316,800) will be one of the most popular players in his position once again. The Manly skipper rarely gets injured (no NRL player played more minutes than Lyon in 2014), doesn't play rep footy, racks up plenty of metres and tackles, is the side's goal kicker, and as part of arguably the NRL's most potent backline can occasionally go very large when the side has a big win.

Value Buys

Prop Jason King ($133,100) is ridiculously cheap after seeing very little footy in 2013. If he does get onto the field in Round 1 he'll have a big role to play in leading Manly's new-look pack around and could be a handy little early season money-earner. He does come in under an injury cloud having had a shoulder reconstruction in the off season, and was never among the elite fantasy front-rowers, so if you do take a punt on King you'll be looking for an upgrade or a downgrade before too long.

Cash Cows

Manly have a host of rookie-priced players who are a chance of making the side during 2014, if not even for Round 1, some of whom have already tasted first grade.

In the front row, former Rabbitoh Josh Starling ($107,000), former Bronco Dunamis Lui ($107,000) and Irish World Cup representative James Hasson ($107,000) are hardly rookies, while young Jake Trbojevic ($107,000) is well regarded. At least one, if not two or three, of those players could well make the 17 for Round 1, meaning some potentially tasty bargains for Fantasy coaches.

Fullback Clinton Gutherson ($107,000) looks a prospect after playing one game in 2013, and could be in line for another run if anything happens to the injury-prone Brett Stewart.

Sea Eagles player prices

Daly Cherry-Evans (HLF) $418,700

Anthony Watmough (2RF) $364,900

Matt Ballin (HOK) $339,400

Brenton Lawrence (FRF) $321,000

Jamie Lyon (CTR) $316,800

Jorge Taufua (WFB) $286,000

Brett Stewart (WFB) $245,300

Justin Horo (2RF) $242,900

Peta Hiku (WFB) $241,900

Jamie Buhrer (2RF, HOK) $239,500

Kieran Foran (HLF) $233,200