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Bargain Hunting: 3 high performing Premiership Fantasy League forwards who won’t break the bank

By Dan Johansson
Worcester Warriors celebrate a dramatic win over Leicester Tigers

It is an inevitable fact of life that there’s simply never enough money to go round. You get all excited for pay day, make big plans about how you’re going to treat yourself to something you’ve had your eye on for a while whilst also putting a little aside for a rainy day then boom – a takeaway and a bus ticket later and you’re googling how much you could get for your kidney and eyeing up the dog a little too hungrily.

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Well, as in life, so in Fantasy League. So we went rooting through the bargain bin to find five high performing players you could add to your team with whatever loose change you find down the back of the sofa.

Ross Harrison (Prop, Sale Sharks)

Price: 4m

There was nobody else we could start this list with. The Sale prop may not have been a big name going into the Gallagher Premiership season (indeed, he doesn’t even have a picture on the Fantasy League database), but he’s absolutely blown away all competition this year in the battle for the starting loosehead jersey.

Not only is Harrison’s total of 26.4 points way out in front of his nearest competitor, he’s also got the most impressive average points-per-game of any prop with 5.69. For reference, second-placed Nathan Catt is on 5.32 and costs half a million more than Harrison.

Indeed, whilst Harrison might be topping the charts in terms of points (both average and total), you have to scroll all the way down to 50th (!) position to find his name if you sort props by price. The most expensive prop in the league is Joe Marler, valued at 6.1m, but with an average points-per-game of only 3.53 it’ll be interesting to see whether his recent international retirement enables him to justify his worth in the domestic game.

Ted Hill (Lock, Worcester Warriors)

Price: 3m

Having only played once so far this season Ted Hill’s inclusion might seem to be something of a punt, but for just 3m it might just be one worth taking. Hill’s only run out this campaign came in Worcester’s dramatic win over Leicester at Welford Road this weekend, with his bench appearance enough for him to make our Team of the Week. In 64 minutes, Hill managed to rack up an astonishing 16.8 points, thanks largely to scoring two tries and making a very impressive 11 tackles.

Admittedly, he may be unlikely to be popping up on the scoresheet many more times this season, but with the likes of George Kruis and James Horwill costing double Hill’s salary (or more) for returns of 7.29 and 6.05 average points respectively, you might wish to take a paraphrased page out of Kate Bush’s book and go running after Hill. (You’re fired – Ed.)

Jake Polledri (Flanker, Gloucester)

Price: 3.5m

Averaging 8.6 tackles and 9.4 carries a game, Gloucester’s Polledri is second only to Thomas Young when it comes to the average points per game, with a very respectable 10.32 (Young has 10.72, Nizaam Carr in third has 8.63). In terms of total points, Polledri is also up there, with only Mark Wilson (55.9) ahead of him (50.8). There’s not much daylight between Polledri and third placed Sam Simmonds however, with the Exeter Chief on 50.5 points and consistently one of the top performers in the league.

Nevertheless, with Simmonds commanding a salary of 6.5m and a further 50 players more expensive than Polledri in the league, the Italian flanker is perhaps the biggest bargain of the season so far.

By planning your spending wisely on a few high performing players you can maximise your points return whilst leaving plenty of your budget available for the superstars you want in your team. Or alternatively, you’ll have enough players bringing in the points that you can afford to bring in a player you don’t like purely for the satisfaction of dropping them next week – otherwise known as “doing an Eddie Jones”.

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Next week we’ll take a look at the best bargain backs available, and I’ll be trying to shoehorn in yet another reference to a 1980s avant-garde pop icon for no discernible reason.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

11 Go to comments
T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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