Position Forward Discussion

[Bomber18]

Which is why I'm avoiding the pain and going with Whitfield, Dusty and 6 rookies.

Spending cash doesn't always mean no pain though! I remember taking Nick Riewoldt one season for full price and he got injured straightaway! Hawkins and Westhoff in 2019 and Menegola in 2018 also provide recent examples of expensive forward starting selection not quite paying off.

I think a balance is key, you'll need to take a punt on at least some value selections otherwise, you may struggle to fully upgrade your side if you've not been able to catch that "breakout" selection and had to overspend later on or the rookies don't quite make enough cash and you're forced to upgrade into a compromise selection anyway.

 

[Eagling]

Spending cash doesn't always mean no pain though! I remember taking Nick Riewoldt one season for full price and he got injured straightaway! Hawkins and Westhoff in 2019 and Menegola in 2018 also provide recent examples of expensive forward starting selection not quite paying off.

I think a balance is key, you'll need to take a punt on at least some value selections otherwise, you may struggle to fully upgrade your side if you've not been able to catch that "breakout" selection and had to overspend later on or the rookies don't quite make enough cash and you're forced to upgrade into a compromise selection anyway.

Dusty is head and shoulders above anyone else in reliability up forward. Whitfield is insanely talented and the lynchpin of the Giants side. Heeney is the next safest option, but with a few niggles and Sydney not having their best 22 it's reasonable to leave him out.

Maybe Devon Smith works out; Lynch has a good reason to be picked, but the dozen other players are all hit or miss. $400k on a guy who might hit 85-90 is not a safe investment, so I've taken that money and invested it in the midfield.

If there were players like Dunkley or Worpel up forward I'd be fine with using them - I might end up using a forward, it depends on the rookies.

Any one of those dozen or so mid-pricers could break out. But none of them have the real potential to really hurt you by missing them - even the best of the best will be lucky to push 95 in all probability - and I'm banking on beating all the people who pick up the real duds - the 75-85 bracket players who completely fail.

 

[Tails]

Looking at the early games from last year ,,, Dusty aint a hard task master to beat ...
- A long way off Brownlow form ... and his contract year ...

 

[Juzzo]

I seem to go a year or 2 early on my breakout/midprice options. So this guy may be cherry ripe this year (or next, lol). Not in any teams I've seen yet, but Gresham with plenty of CBAs in Marsh 1 looks an option for a POD punt (probably the only punt in my team this year). If he gets through unscathed in Marsh 2, I will seriously consider him, anyone else considering Gresh?

 

[PC]

I seem to go a year or 2 early on my breakout/midprice options. So this guy may be cherry ripe this year (or next, lol). Not in any teams I've seen yet, but Gresham with plenty of CBAs in Marsh 1 looks an option for a POD punt (probably the only punt in my team this year). If he gets through unscathed in Marsh 2, I will seriously consider him, anyone else considering Gresh?

Thought about him last season, didn't pick him in the end thankfully. There are a lot of unknowns with the Saints for me particularly how their new players integrate and what Ratts wants out of the side. Too many risks to start Gresh over the Petrock, Lynch, Smith, Stevens types.

 

[Grundogging]

Threw togther a new team with a 5 + 6 midfield and a 5 + 3 forward line, with Devon at M5 and Lynch at F5 to see what a team with Petracca and Ceglar might look like.

It's a little tight, the top end super premos aren't really there on any line (Sicily at D1, Cripps at M1, Dusty at F1), and the rookie quality is much lower as a result so I'm not sure if I like it, but it does fit in theorerically.

 

[Grundogging]

Thought about him last season, didn't pick him in the end thankfully. There are a lot of unknowns with the Saints for me particularly how their new players integrate and what Ratts wants out of the side. Too many risks to start Gresh over the Petrock, Lynch, Smith, Stevens types.

You'd need some sort of guarantee that Gresham would be playing 90+% in the midfield before you could comfortably pick him and I can't see that happening with Jones, Hill and Hannebery there.

He will get some time in the middle I suspect but not enough to push him into the 100-110 PPG range (a 15-25 ppg increase over last year) which is what you'd need to retain him.

 

[Hondo]

Which is why I'm avoiding the pain and going with Whitfield, Dusty and 6 rookies.

When has a GnR forward line deliberately avoiding the value forwards worked though? I can’t remember a time since the year Rocky started when he was a forward rookie.

Value forwards generally are good options. Danger and Sidebottom in 2012 being good examples.

 

[jarveg]

And thats before trying to find 6 playing fwd rookies, including 4 scoring high enough to want to have on field.........

 

[Hondo]

The position lends itself naturally to value picks because juniors progress through that spot and seniors retire through that spot.

 

[BigRuss]

Hey @Connoisseur have you run your magic comb over Petracca yet? If not, would be greatly appreciated if you have the time.

I’m trying to decide whether my remaining 60k is better spent on upgrading Lynch or upgrading to a higher priced rookie. I was burnt by Trac in 18 (?) so I’m a little bit hesitant. Thanks again.

 

[frosty1]

Dusty is head and shoulders above anyone else in reliability up forward

Season to season, but not necessarily week to week though. Which I think is why people are considering passing over him now. There's a feeling that he'll be 480k at some point in the season.

 

[THCLT]

The position lends itself naturally to value picks because juniors progress through that spot and seniors retire through that spot.

That's a different way of looking at it which hasn't crossed my mind before reading your post.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Which is why I'm avoiding the pain and going with Whitfield, Dusty and 6 rookies.

When has a GnR forward line deliberately avoiding the value forwards worked though? I can’t remember a time since the year Rocky started when he was a forward rookie.

Value forwards generally are good options. Danger and Sidebottom in 2012 being good examples.

Yeah I don't mind it, would be much stronger and safer to replace a rookie with Devon Smith which is likley what I'll be starting with. There are too many value picks being touted in the forward line and the liklihood of nailing them in the starting team is low. There's only 6 spots with Dusty and Whitfield probably filling the first 2, Walters, Heeney could also be a class above so that's 1 spot for half a dozen candidates to fill the top 6 in that line. I'll watch for a while I think and use the money in Defence.......but like everyone knows, it will depend on where the rookies are.

 

[THCLT]

There's only 6 spots with Dusty and Whitfield probably filling the first 2, Walters, Heeney could also be a class above so that's 1 spot for half a dozen candidates to fill the top 6 in that line.

Nice of you to give us all a handicap in the FWD line...

 

[NT.Thunder]

Nice of you to give us all a handicap in the FWD line...

Okay, I see the error of my ways now..........2 spots.

 

[THCLT]

Like with half the positions in our team, timing is the ultimate deciding factor. Doesn't really matter who or how many we decide to start with, being decisive and having the conviction to jump on/off when the opportunity present will be the difference between an ideal or good set at the end.

 

[Pieman17]

Like with half the positions in our team, timing is the ultimate deciding factor. Doesn't really matter who or how many we decide to start with, being decisive and having the conviction to jump on/off when the opportunity present will be the difference between an ideal or good set at the end.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Having mid pricers to jump off can be beneficial.

 

[Eagling]

To be honest, a big factor in not liking midprice breakout options is me - I have no talent or knowledge of the game that helps me identify them.

 

[Eagling]

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Having mid pricers to jump off can be beneficial.

Why spend your $$$ and a trade when I can just invest that $260k into a Dangerfield?