Cheapie ChitChat – Round 7

With the COVID protocols wreaking havoc amongst some teams and the usual dose of injuries and suspensions there is still a supply of cheapies coming through the ranks. While some of them you’ll want to avoid as they won’t play many games to give you the needed cash, there is some sleeping gold to find lurking in the shadows if you’re brave enough.

TE MAIRE MARTIN              FLB | 5/8               $205,100

With Tesi Niu out with a hamstring injury until round 17 and Cobbo is still working out how to play on the wing, TMM is now a serious option. Not only does he have an exotic name, he is also a half decent player. It’s so good to see him back playing NRL after a promising career was cut short from a brain bleed in 2020. TMM was a quality player at both the Panthers and Cowboys so if he can remember how to lace up his boots, he will be playing first grade at the Broncos with their current squad. The downside is his positioning, both FLB and 5/8 are pretty important positions to get right, fortune favors the bold though.

JOSEPH SUAALII  FLB|CTW               $259,500

He finally made his long-awaited return to first grade last week, while he didn’t set the world on fire, at $260K he is definitely someone you can bring into your side to free up cash and perhaps use on match-ups once he starts to see more quality ball. The upside with Suaalli is that he will give you an extra number come round 13 bye round.

XAVIER SAVAGE   FLB          $286,400

Savage was a very popular choice in the preseason for many coaches and it looks as though Sticky isn’t happy with his team so he may just be a beneficiary. You would prefer to have him playing fullback and he may just spend some time there throughout the game however the upside is that he should also earn dual status at the next lot of changes so plenty to think about here. Do you have a Teddy that isn’t firing? Are you preparing your team for the bye rounds?  

HARRY RUSHTON                2RF         $175,400

Gets his chance to impress Ricky after some great performances in the NSW Cup. Given the current form of the Raiders forward pack, he only needs to turn up to training on time to keep his spot you would think. Listed as a 2RF in SC however he will most likely play in the middle so he should receive a positional upgrade in a few weeks so he looks like a good gamble. We have the luxury of watching for a couple of weeks but if you need cash now then he is worth the gamble.

ROYCE HUNT        FRF          $243,000

With the injury to Braden Hamlin-Uele, Hunt gets his turn to impress from the bench. His PPM are up and down in a small sample size of stats but he certainly passes the eye test and looks as though he could easily rack up some attacking stats. He has already played 2 games so his value will start to change after this game however it could be worth watching for another week to see how the bench changes when Finucane is back.

KURT DE LUIS       FRF          $239,600

Finally given the chance on the bench this week with Keppie out with a HIA and Aloiai injuring his shoulder, KDL is a good player so I’m not sure who he upset to sit behind some of these Manly forwards. He has a great PPM, can bust a tackle and offload at will so he only needs minutes. If Marty keeps playing like a busted cat, he may just keep that spot on the bench but worth watching for a few weeks as this is his first game.

DAVVY MOALE    FRF          $205,100

The Tass experiment didn’t seem to work last week for the Rabbits so Moale gets another chance to impress. I really like him and I’m not sure why he is so far down the pecking order, especially seeing as though the Rabbits pack has been dominated in plenty of games this year. He has already played 2 games so this week he will see an increase of $10k-$15K so you can afford to watch him if you’re not convinced on his role. If you a looking for a downgrade option for a J King then he might just be your man.

HAYZE PERHAM   FLB|HFB                $255,500

If Arthur had his time over again, he would probably should have played Hayze on the wing last week and Penisini in the centres. We will get to see whether he is a good enough to grab some quick cash or whether Russell is in fact back in a few rounds. Worth watching this week and seeing whether there is a further update on Russell.

CHRISTIAN TUIPULOTU     CTW        $188,700

On the surface CT looks like a bit of a trap as he is in the side due to injury however, Tommy is not back for few more weeks plus Manly play round 13 so he should play even if Manly are fully fit with Turbo playing Origin. His breakeven is 7 so he is not the most attractive cheapie but a score of 40+ should see a nice rise of over $30K however if you want to go down this path then you will need to get him in this week otherwise, you’ll miss the majority of his increase.

JACOB KIRAZ        CTW        $175,400

Injuries and COVID protocols have given Kiraz his shot at first grade. Despite languishing in last place (again), he is probably a miss as he will most likely only see a game or two however worth watching just in case he has a cracking game.