Your record indicates you don't need much help Snowman, but I think I recall you offering me good advice last year on the risks of running with a cheap R2, so I'll see what I can offer below:
- Laird is a great player, but unless he continues with some natural progression, he has hit around 97-8 for the last two years on my count, adjusting for low TOG games and so on. Priced at 97, it feels like there's not a lot of "fat" on offer to help ensure he's a top defender. I wonder whether he's a few points below that this year. I was also a little surprised at how his injury was handled last year - generally I'd prefer to know how long a player is out with some certainty, rather than have to guess and just have it dragged out. Could be a one-off or it could be ongoing - I think it's sometimes down to the player and often more down to the club, albeit it's the same club this year, so the risk may be ongoing. In any case, Laird is unlikely to derail you, but I'm not sure he'd be my first choice.
- Adams and Hartlett both seem to miss a lot of games - just something to be wary of.
- I see you are a Saints fan, which now makes a couple of you that have not gone for Montagna - is there any reason for that? To me he looks a somewhat safer bet than many others. I may be missing something on him?
- I like your mids, although I do think Gaz is a risk. I was prepared to take the injury risk given his record, ceiling and pricing, but I have recently chosen other options given Gaz's trade request and the fact that he's stepped down from the captaincy. To me his risk has gone up again, potentially significantly, so I'm not sure there's enough of a risk premium there to compensate. Personally, I've gone for Rocky, who might have similar attributes but potentially be a bit safer as an overall pick.
- I have the same ruck line. I personally think Sandi deserves the bold font (especially vs Ryder, Heeney et al), but that is semantics. I think Goldy and Sandi is the best risk-reward on offer by a distance.
- Out of interest, is Ryder being picked largely to cover for the cheap R2 issue? If so, I'm wondering whether R-F cover is less required this year, because Giles is probably a viable trade-in option if Sandi does get injured. [I currently have Ryder as a lineball keeper in my forward line notwithstanding the cover he provides, and he has the advantage of being a R9 bye player.]
Overall, I think this looks like a good side. If you needed to free up cash, I'd say the mids look heavy-ish, with Gaz or Bont the ones I'd consider trimming from that line, although I'd probably trim Adams or Hartlett as first choices from your overall side, given my comments above.
Interested in your thoughts on Montagna and the R2 situation.
Good luck.