Recruit of the Willennium
Have you made many changes to your squad this season? You should have. The next big things don’t always make their NRL debut in Round 1.
This week I recruited Penrith’s new five-eight, Will Smith, with the slight hope that he could be the best #6 since Darren Lockyer.
DJ Jazzy Geoff Adams was quick to point out that in my PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, I picked up one of the MEN IN BLACK from the WILD WILD WEST. Thanks for that one Geoff!
What he didn’t realise is that there is a HITCH. ALI thinks I do, is simply cut one guy to recruit another. Many of my recruitments this year prove I AM LEGEND, but recruiting players means I have to cut one of my BAD BOYS too.
Let me explain how it all went down…
Now, this is the story all about how
My team got flipped-turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute, just so you know
I’ll tell you how I won a comp called NRLCEO
In West Newcastle, born and raised
For the Rosellas is where he played most of his days
Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool
And all kickin’ the footy outside of the school
When a couple of recruiters who knew he was good
Started watchin’ games in his neighbourhood
He signed one little contract and then forthwith
He said, “I’m movin’ to the team out west in Penrith”
I saw he was named: I didn’t know he existed.
But I recruited Will Smith, as soon as he was listed.
If anything I could say that this kid was rare
But I thought, nah forget it, recruit the Panther!
I put him straight into my team without any debate
And I yelled to Maranta, “Yo homes, smell you later”
Looked at my squad, I was all good to go
And sit on my throne as Prince of NRLCEO
Like I have stated in previous columns, in my squad, I have two or three fluid slots. That means, they are not an integral part of my core team, and on a whim, I will drop them for someone who is new to first grade, or is a last minute addition to their NRL team.
By checking the late mail right before round 11 Friday night kickoff, I managed to snag Nene MacDonald. Not only did he plug a hole left by Origin star Daniel Tupou for my team, he continues to cover the position due to injury. He only has 1 try, 1 try assist, 1 line break, and 1 line break assist – but it is better than nothing.
Charly Runciman was another Origin coverage player for me, and in 4 games, he has notched up 3 tries, and 5 line breaks. He is the epitome of why it helps to be a proactive recruiter throughout the mid-season. But, unless there is a major injury at the Dragons, I’m uncertain if he’ll play again this year.
Carlos Tuimavave was a round 1 recruit who scored me a try and managed a line break – though he hasn’t played first grade ever since.
Clint Gutherson has filled in out wide for Manly twice, racking up two tries, one try assist, and four line breaks. He has been a handy round 17 addition and is still sitting in my 25 – just in case.
Despite playing for all bar one game this year, it wasn’t until round 14 that I bit the bullet and nabbed Dylan Napa. That week he scored a workhorse try. He only has one other to his name, but whenever he is in the starting team – he goes rather close, and is worth the gamble.
Jack Littlejohn managed 3 try assists and 4 line break assists during his very limited time in first grade.
In his first three games, Jake Granville got 2 tries, 1 workhorse try, 1 try assist, and 2 line breaks.
Though not ALL of my fluid recruits have been as fruitful on the scoreboard. Some duds that have been through my ranks include Willis Meehan, Wellentony Tafua Satini, Tautau Moga, Sika Manu, Cody Nelson – and others who have done ok, but just not during their time with my club!
What’s my point?
My point is that no one gets through the entire season without some injuries, suspensions, or representative holes to their squad, and that you should always leave some spots in your 25 to accommodate an NRL newbie.
You never know what round the next Billy Slater, or Paul Gallen will get their start. Maybe they already have, and they’re still sitting on your league’s free list.
Go on – cut the deadweight in your team (you know you’re housing 2 or 3 rubbish players!) and take a chance on someone FRESH. You never know, they could become a fantasy football PRINCE.
Ok, time to get jiggy with Round 21
Sea Eagles v Broncos
It seems like Manly have put to rest any uneasiness within the club – for now. I really thought it was going to make the club implode. But if they have truly put it all behind them, there’s no reason they wont win this game, the minor premiership, and potentially the entire competition.
I’d like to suggest ways that Brisbane can win this match, but I just don’t foresee any.
Manly are all but at full strength, so Brisbane will have to get though a MASSIVE workload. Play your Bronco forwards if you have them.
Bulldogs v Panthers
The Dogs will be stinging after losing at home last week. And the Panthers must be pissed after getting done by the Sharkies.
Reynolds is back in the blue and white, and you would think he should be enough to get Canterbury home, but you can never rule out Soward and Moylan. I predict this will be a corker of a match, and the score will be very close. On paper the Bulldogs are the stronger team, but Penrith love an upset. There’s a reason the mountain men are in third.
I’m predicting a close Dogs win with a potential Panther upset. I know it sounds like I’m hedging my bets – but that’s how even I think these two teams are.
Sharks v Eels
Parra broke a bit of an away drought, and the Sharks won their first game since their big back-to-back upsets. So which team will continue with their form, and which will slip back into their old ways?
You’d think the Eels should get the money (especially if Hayne is on song) but being at Shark Park, there’s always the chance they could come away with the points. Remember when the Sharks were unbeatable at home on a Saturday night? It seems like it was an age ago now.
Gallen is only an outside chance of playing this weekend, and if he was a certainty, I might suggest the Sharks were going to win. But he’s not, so they wont.
I’m thinking Chrissy Sandow may have a big game here. There’s huge potential for him to set up plenty of tries for the Parra outside backs, and for him to slot the extras. Tim Mannah will also be keen to rip right in and tackle the house down, so I’d name him in my forwards.
Lichaa is probably the only Shark that will register a workhorse try, though Heighington is a very up and down scorer. If his pattern sticks, he is due to get a WHT. Arona will only get one if he starts, otherwise he wont get the minutes necessary.
Cowboys v Titans
I don’t see the Titans winning this one. Cowboys at home on a Saturday night are as close to a sure thing as there is in the NRL. The Titans are only nuisance value at this stage of the competition. They are poised to get some players back next week. So I’ll give them a chance then.
If your opponent has Thurston in their team, I pity you this week. I’m predicting that JT will be this week’s top scorer. Expect WHT’s from Luke Douglas and Mark Minichiello, and Dave Taylor – but only if he gets shifted into the forwards.
Captain Americas v Iron Men
In what (to me) is the most awesome farce in the NRL, the Roosters and Dragons will be sporting superhero themed jerseys this week. I’m torn. On one hand, I love comics and think the jerseys look phenomenal. But on the other, I think it’s terrible that the NRL has allowed the teams to be pimped out, wearing whatever the marketing department wants us to buy this week.
Lets look at the Dragons. On any given year they have a Charity Shield jersey, a Home jersey, an Away jersey, Dragons heritage, Steelers heritage, Women In League jersey, Indigenous round jersey, Anzac Day jersey, and this year there was a Nines jersey, and now a Marvel Heroes jersey. The Warriors and Bulldogs are almost as bad. /rant
I think the Roosters will be so fired up after their shock loss to the Knights that they will blow the Dragons out of the water and shorten their odds to win the comp.
Prepare for Mini to score and for the commentators to waffle on with Club Captain-Captain America nonsense. The Dragons forwards will also have a mountain of work, and there should be a few WHT’s among them. Look for Rein to get a double.
I imagine that a few well placed cross kicks on the last will yield points for the Roosters outside backs, so it goes without saying that you should play them in your 17.
Hulk v Warriors
No, this is not Wrestlemania VI, this is CanberraSlam brother!
The Warriors are away this week, and without Johnson. My prediction: Hulk SMASH!
This will be a win that Ricky Stuart will use to secure his future at the club for at least the rest of the season. Sunday afternoon footy in the Capital can be glorious if the sun is out, and the home team is in form. I predict that the Green Machine’s backs will perform well. The Warrior forwards will get a few WHT’s, but then again, they usually do.
Rabbitohs v Knights
The Bunnies seemed to struggle with the Raiders in the first half, before they applied the blowtorch in the second. The Crystal Steeden tells me that the Rabbitohs big push has already begun.
After their HUGE upset last week, Newcastle will get steamrolled on Sunday with a Cardinal and Myrtle coloured reality check. When teams get big scores put up against them, their forwards usually manage to make a lot of tackles. Besides Clydesdale, I can’t see many Knights coming close to a WHT.
Though with Sammy Burgess out, there is a big hole to be filled. Brother George, and Dave Tyrrell look most likely to step up and plug it.
If JT doesn’t top the points tally this week, Adam Reynolds definitely will – provided he’s practiced his goal kicking!
Tigers v Melbourne
If Wests aren’t already embarrassed with the whole Farrah-Potter fiasco, a butt-whooping at the hands of Melbourne will certainly make the Tigers faithful blush.
And that’s exactly what I predict is going to happen. The fact that Melbourne are away will be Wests only saving grace. The Storm are currently sixth, and at the moment, very few would consider them a realistic title winner. The outcome of this match will show if they are contenders or pretenders.
The Crystal Steeden says that the Storm will win convincingly, but not by a blow-out.
Bromwich and Smith should get WHT’s, but the fringe guys like Hinchcliffe and Hoffman will miss out.
My big prediction for this week will be, that at some point in this match, Robbie Farrah will lose it and give his team an absolute mouthful in the Tigers in-goal after one of the Storm’s many tries.
The Crystal Ballboy
Latest posts by The Crystal Ballboy (see all)
- Don’t Draft That Guy! - February 26, 2016
- New Season – New Ludicrous Predictions - February 26, 2015
- Where did we all go wrong? - September 4, 2014
