Fullbacks go big, Hunt's off night, the most popular player in NRL Fantasy ruled out for the season, and the premium hookers for the run home. The fallout and NRL Fantasy implications from Round 21.
Fullbacks fire...
It was a strong week for many of the men at the back, with James Tedesco (85), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (78) and Josh Dugan (70) among the top 10 scorers of the week. Both Tedesco and RTS have been reasonably consistent, and look like must-have purchases at the back (if they're not already in your side). Dugan has had a bit more of an up-and-down season, but costing almost $100,000 less than his Tigers and Roosters counterparts and with the added flexibility of being a dual WFB/CTR, the Dragons custodian looks to be a good pick up for the run home if you need a premium option under $400,000.
..well, almost all of them did
There were plenty of good signs that Greg Inglis was on track for another monster haul. Coming off scores of 79 and 90, it looked as though the South Sydney captain could do some real damage against an injury-depleted Panthers side. But that was not the case, as his new owners are acutely aware, with 'GI' managing just 21 – not exactly the kind of return you'd want from your near $400,000 recruit. Likewise Cowboys custodian and popular pick Lachlan Coote (21) didn't really deliver. With trades at a premium at this point of the season, Coote shouldn't really be a sell, but if you've got trades to burn and need to bring in one of the big guns, he could be one to send packing.
The curious case of Ben Hunt
Ben Hunt has continued to impress in 2015, but much like many of his Brisbane teammates, didn't come through with a great Fantasy return in Round 21. The halfback managed just 15 against Manly, coming off a season-high 98 last week. It's a similar scenario to his Round 7 performance. After scoring 90 against the Roosters in Round 6, Hunt could only manage 17 against the Dragons the following week. You'd expect him to bounce back against the Bulldogs on Friday night.
Soliola gone for the season
Already faced with numerous injury and suspension dilemmas in the final few rounds of the season, Fantasy coaches were dealt another blow with cash cow-turned-premium CTR Sia Soliola ruled out for the remainder of the season with a fractured cheekbone. Currently the most-owned player in the game in over 48,000 sides, most coaches will likely be forced into making another trade.
Jamie Lyon ($335,000) looks like an interesting POD after his 76 against the Broncos, as does Dylan Walker ($360,000) while Tedesco ($452,000), RTS ($460,000) or Dugan ($375,000) are viable options if you can manage that trade.
The man who will seemingly benefit most from Soliola's injury is Shaun Fensom ($434,000), who should see a slight increase in his minutes as Canberra look to crack the top eight.
Premium hookers for the run home
There were many looking to upgrade Michael Lichaa (43) over the past few weeks, but with the young Bulldogs hooker playing 80 minutes each week, there are no doubt other areas in your team that need addressing. It's not exactly like the alternatives performed that well either, but there could be a few under-priced options in a week or two. James Segeyaro ($422,000) came away with a solid 55, and with Apisai Koroisau a late exclusion, the dynamic dummy-half played 80 minutes for the second consecutive week. Robbie Farah is now just $424,000 thanks to his 45 at the weekend, and with a break even of 71 could even drop further. Andrew McCullough (27, $432,000) was the big loser this weekend. After playing just 58 minutes against the Sea Eagles, the Broncos hooker dropped $28,000, with his price set to plummet even further now his BE is 84.
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