Ask the Doctor: Ryan James for Sam Perrett?
Question: Should I accept a trade of Sam Perrett for Ryan James?
This is a tough one. You are pairing a proven commodity in Perrett against an up and coming prospect in James. Wingers are generally one of the easiest positions to fill, and props one of the hardest. All of these things need to be taken into account and more in your decision making.
Sam Perrett – Bulldogs
Position: Winger
Ppg 2013: 3.29
Positives:
- In 2013, Perrett crossed the stripe 17 times in 24 appearances. Since moving from to the Dogs he has score 23 tries in 37 games. This is a top strike rate that would please any NRLCEO coach.
Negatives:
- Despite scoring 17 tries last year, there were 13 games where Perrett failed to cross the stripe. Three trebles and two doubles really helped pad his numbers.
- Through 148 games with the Roosters, Perrett managed only 45 tries. Was last year a statistical outlier or a sign of a player working well in his new surroundings?
- In his first 16 games in 2013, Perrett managed an anaemic 3 line breaks. Sam Kasiano averaged nearly double the line-break rate over a similar span. Just let that sink in.
Ryan James – Titan
Position: Front Row
Ppg 2013: 2.18
Positives:
- Youth: Ryan James could end up getting major minutes in a pack that includes ageing and oft-injured talent in Bull Bailey and Ash Harrison
- Work Rate: James has shown a high work rate in limited minutes. I believe he will secure more minutes in 2014 this could mean he will be worth a starting spot in most sides.
Negatives:
- 2.18ppg is 2.18ppg. If the minutes stay the same as last year, he isn’t a starting quality player. Simple as that.
- Pack Depth: Myles, Douglas, Bailey, Harrison, Bird, Taylor, Minichiello… Minutes are limited- how many will James actually get?
Things to consider:
- How does the move to fullback affect Perrett’s value? If Josh Hoffman is anything to go by, wingers without a passing or kicking game lose most of their NRLCEO value when they make the shift to fullback
- How does Ash Harrison’s hand injury impact James’ minutes early on? If you expect an expanded role early and start to see results, James could be a great player to flip to an unsuspecting rival the week Harrison returns!
Verdict: In case I didn’t make myself perfectly clear, I am not a fan of Sam Perrett. Perhaps I remember his Roosters days too much, as he has shown himself a more consistent scoring threat with the Dogs. I am just not a fan and wouldn’t want him starting in my team.
Ryan James remains a still relatively unproven commodity as he is yet to put up any sort of numbers over a reasonable length of time. Hell, he is still fighting for enough minutes to make a real NRLCEO impact. For mine James is worth holding for the first couple of rounds to see how he is panning out before accepting this deal.
If you have a question for the Trade Doctor, tweet @aussiepiston or ask in the comments
Ryan
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