NRL Fantasy Winners & Losers: Round 9

After Nicho Hynes laid an impressive marker in the round's opening game, Mitchell Moses smashed it out of the park less than 24 hours later.

While it was the two star HLFs who led the way, a heap of lesser-owned players hit big scores over the weekend to give their owners a key boost in head-to-head and overall battles. 

Round 9 Winners

Mitchell Moses torched the Knights with his running game and playmaking wizardry in Round 9, in a performance which saw him join the Fantasy 100 club for 2023 with a 103-point haul. 

With the Parra half owned by less than 9 percent of teams, his score was a big factor for owners last week, as was the 95 scored by the game's top player Nicho Hynes, who continues to amaze with his consistently brilliant scores. 

Hynes smashed his break even of 75 and continues to jump in price, making it almost impossible for owners to bring him in without decimating the rest of their squad in the process.

Popular EDG/CTR Connelly Lemuelu had a breakout game on the Fantasy front with two tries helping him to 93 points, while J'maine Hopgood, who after a brief stint on the bench in recent weeks which led to plenty of teams punting him, is back starting and hitting big scores, had 86.

Nat Butcher's busy afternoon in Auckland saw him finish with 82.

A first career hat-trick saw Clint Gutherson to a 79, while Jack de Belin continues to outperform his $668k price tag, with a 76 which gives him a last three-game average of 65. 

If you are among the 0.4 percent of teams with Jamal Fogarty, you're likely still celebrating the Canberra halfback's 67 which included kicking the game-winning field goal in golden point. 

Round 9 Losers 

Speaking of celebrating, the Wests Tigers picked up their first win of the season in Round 9, but there was no joy for those who own CTR/WFB Brent Naden, with a sin-binning, two errors and three misses tackles contributing to a zero.

Despite playing 35 minutes for the Dolphins, Kurt Donoghoe, who is owned by over 11 percent of teams, managed just a sole point, while his teammate Robert Jennings wasn't much better on the wing, making three errors on his way to a 6.

After hitting 41 off the bench last week, Kalyn Ponga flopped in the heavy defeat to the Eels, with -16 points from missed tackles alone and a final score of 9.

Tevita Pangai Junior might be a sell for the 5 percent who picked him up after his impressive 51 a few weeks back in his first game of the year, with the Bulldogs big man managing only 15 points in 47 minutes, with missed tackles seeing him cop -16 in demerits.  

Popular WFB Reece Walsh's 18 was his worst score of the year and comes after a 28 in Round 8, which will have his owners sweating ahead of Magic Round. 

Round 9 Team of the Week

1. Clint Gutherson (WFB) — 79 points 
2. Jake Averillo (CTR, WFB) — 66 points
3. Connelly Lemuelu (EDG, CTR) — 93 points
4. Campbell Graham (CTR) — 74 points
5. Latrell Mitchell (WFB) — 64 points
6. Nicho Hynes (HLF) — 95 points
7. Mitchell Moses (HLF) — 103 points
8. Jack de Belin (MID) — 76 points
9. Reed Mahoney (HOK) — 60 points 
10. Corey Horsburgh (MID) — 77 points
11. J'maine Hopgood (EDG, MID) — 86 points
12. Nat Butcher (MID, EDG) — 82 points 
13. Addin Fonua-Blake (MID) — 65 points
14. David Fifita (EDG) — 77 points 
15. Dylan Brown (HLF) — 71 points 
16. Ben Hunt (HLF) — 70 points
17. Jamal Fogarty (HLF) — 67 points