Jerseys
Predicted Line Up
1. Clint Gutherson, 2. George Jennings, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Brad Takairangi 5. Blake Ferguson, 6. Dylan Brown, 7. Mitchell Moses, 8. Junior Paulo, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Daniel Alvaro, 11. Marata Niukore , 12. Shaun Lane, 13. Nathan Brown. Interchange: 14. Will Smith, 15. Manu Ma’u, 16. Tim Mannah, 17. Peni Terepo
Key Player
Mitchell Moses – When Mitchell Moses plays well, the Eels play well. When Mitchell Moses plays bad, the Eels play bad. He will need to bring his best form into the 2019 season if the Eels want to be a competitive side.
One to Watch
Clint Gutherson – King Gutho was a break out star in 2017, before rupturing his ACL at the backend of the year. He returned to action in 2018 and was solid, but nowhere near his best. Historically, players perform much better in their second season back from ACL injuries, so look out for Gutho to have a quality season.
Rising Star
Maika Sivo – The Fijian flyer was excellent in the NSW ISP for the Panthers last season, scoring nine tries in 13 games.
Predicted Top Try Scorer
Blake Ferguson (13)
Goal Kickers
1. Clint Gutherson, 2. Mitchell Moses, 3. Blake Ferguson.
SuperCoach
The Guns
Nathan Brown ($582,000 | 2RF) – In 30 matches as a starting lock since joining the Eels, Brown has averaged 67.2 PPG. Anytime a lock averaging 70+ minutes, they are a serious SuperCoach option, and with a base of 58 PPG over the last two seasons, Brown is one of the most consistent 2RFs in SuperCoach.
Manu Ma’u ($585,500 | 2RF/CTW) – Ma’u had a career best year in 2018, so I am always a bit wary of these players. However, with an average base of nearly 50 PPG last season, and the fact that he regularly breaks tackles and offloads, Ma’u should be one of the highest scoring CTWs in SuperCoach this season. Once his price drops, he will be a trade target. Please note, there have been rumours that Ma'u will start the season off the bench.
The PODs
Daniel Alvaro ($515,600 | FRF) – Despite playing only 46 minutes per game last season, Alvaro still managed to average 55 PPG. With a PPM of 1.2, he averaged over 50 base points per game, and if he continues getting around 40-50 minutes per game, Alvaro should be able to average 55+ PPG this season.
Clint Gutherson ($439,300 | CTW/FLB) – Gutho was an absolute SuperCoach beast in 2017, averaging nearly 70 PPG. Returning from an ACL injury in 2018, his average dropped to 47 PPG. That means that he starts 2019 at a discounted price. We know how good Gutho can be, so if he and the Eels can find some form, he will be very SuperCoach relevant.
The Cheapies
Bevan French ($242,800 | FLB/CTW) – French was terrible last season, but he did average a very respectably 50 and 46 PPG in his two seasons prior. A player heavily reliant on tries for SuperCoach points, French could earn some valuable cash if he can earn a starting spot, and then score some tries early in the season.
Dylan Brown ($168,100 | HFB/5/8) – Brown has supposedly won the race for partner Mitchell Moses in the halves. Thus, a basement priced starter with dual position status can only mean one thing for SuperCoach – cash cow!
Avoid
Blake Ferguson ($611,700 | CTW) – Fergo is an excellent signing for the Eels, but $611,700 is way to much to fork out for him in SuperCoach. The Eels backline isn’t as dangerous as that of the Roosters, so it’s unlikely Ferguson will score as many tries, which should see his average and price drop significantly.
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