NRL Fantasy winners & losers: Round 9
Magic Round produced a couple of majestic performances from two of the game's biggest stars, the new cash cows did their jobs and a few big names went down with injury.
Winners
At the start of the season Damien Cook was seen as somewhat of a risky buy, with a massive price tag of $969,000 after scoring almost 65 points a game in 2018. But those who have picked him up have been rewarded handsomely (Cook's own team 'Looky Looky It's Cookie' included) with the Rabbitohs hooker piling on 98 points on Sunday with a try and three assists to take his season average to a monstrous 66.7.
He pipped Melbourne's Cameron Munster to be the Fantasy player of the week, with the Maroons No.6 finishing on 95 points after a dominant display in the Storm's demolition of the Eels including two tries.
Elsewhere Anthony Milford (82) had his best game of the season in Brisbane's win over Manly, James Tedesco (81) showed why he's the best No.1 in the game against Canberra, bargain keeper Payne Haas (77) went big again in what's becoming a stunning breakthrough season, Tigers forward Ryan Matterson (77) continued his strong run of form and Paul Gallen (70) turned back the clock in an injury-hit Sharks forward pack.
Meanwhile captaincy options Jake Trbojevic (67) and Cameron Smith (63) scored well, David Klemmer (64) impressed yet again for Newcastle and Storm bench utility Ryan Papenhuyzen had three line breaks, two try assists and a try for a stunning 69-point rampage in just 32 minutes against Parramatta.
Every try from Round 9
Losers
Another week, another batch of big-injuries, headlined by last week's Fantasy standout Latrell Mitchell who left the field with a groin problem on Sunday.
Broncos centre Jack Bird is a definite sell after suffering a season-ending ACL injury, while fellow centre Curtis Scott had a bittersweet return to the Storm side with a superb individual performance that ended with a suspected broken foot.
Andrew Fifita suffered a hamstring injury early on for the Sharks which cruelled a lot of Fantasy teams that had the hulking Cronulla prop as their captain, scoring just 11, but he's expected to make a fairly quick return to the field.
In other low scores there were poor returns for Eels backs Jaeman Salmon (2), Clint Gutherson (8), Blake Ferguson (19) and Maika Sivo (19), Bulldogs cash cow Jayden Okunbor had his first price drop of the year after scoring 10, while Dragons forward Jacob Host (14) and Broncos prop Tom Flegler (19) also look like sells after hitting their peak prices.
NRL Fantasy team of the week
1. James Tedesco 81
2. Ryan Papenhuyzen 69
3. Curtis Scott 68
4. Josh Morris 61
5. Jack Wighton 63
6. Cameron Munster 95
7. Anthony Milford 82
8. Payne Haas 77
9. Damien Cook 98
10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 67
11. Ryan Matterson 77
12. Jake Trbojevic 67
13. Paul Gallen 70
14. Luke Brooks 75
15. David Klemmer 64
16. Cameron Smith 63
17. Ben Hunt 63
