Aside from a few games going down to the wire, round two of the NRL season went practically as expected. However, from a Fantasy perspective, there’s still much to discuss.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into round three of the NRL Fantasy season.
NRL Fantasy Round 3 preview
When does Round 3 kick off?
Thursday 21 March, 8:00 pm AEDT
Three rounds into the 2024 NRL season and we’ve got our first Grand Final rematch of the campaign. Reigning premiers Penrith hosts the Brisbane Broncos to kick round three of the NRL season off.
Brisbane, fresh from victory over the Rabbitohs, will be without halfback Adam Reynolds (714k I 5.4%). Payne Haas (896k I 55.65%) was scratched from playing on Wednesday, with Fletcher Baker promoted to start and Xavier Willison (263k I 31.2%) to make his first appearance of the season a doubt to play.
Penrith will be without their own middle forward enforcer, James Fisher-Harris, who is expected to spend a spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. This could prove to be the battle of the young superstar centres as both Izack Tago (659k I 1.85%) and Selwyn Cobbo (561k I 9.2%) are coming off exceptional round two performances.
Expect fireworks at the foot of the mountains when these sides clash.
Best buys
Josh Curran (514k I 20.1%) MID I EDG
Ethan Strange (254k I 50.0%) CTR I HLF
Terrell May (523k I 10.1%) MID
Joey Lussick (514k I 9.1%) HOK
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (293k I 13.6%) EDG
Best sells
Heilum Luki (492k I 6.2%) EDG
Adam Reynolds (726k I 4.5%) HLF
Xavier Willison (263k I 31.2%) MID I EDG
Siua Wong (475k I 22.5%) EDG
Soni Luke (311k I 6.5%) HOK
Team list Tuesday highlights
Panthers v Broncos, Thursday 8:00 pm AEDT
No James Fisher-Harris means Lindsay Smith gets the nod at prop for the Panthers. Daine Laurie retains his place on the bench, which is bad news for Soni Luke owners. JFH’s absence could impact Liam Henry’s (341k I 2.7%) minutes and Fantasy output, so he will be one to watch.
For Brisbane, no Adam Reynolds (726k I 4.5%) means Jock Madden will wear the number seven jersey, while Payne Haas is good to go despite a slight injury scare last week.
Warriors v Raiders, Friday 6:00 pm AEDT
Wayde Egan’s been named to start in the only significant change to Andrew Webster’s Warriors line up. Luke Metcalf will hope to build on a promising round two showing.
Ricky Stuart, on the other hand, has shocked the NRL world by dropping Zac Hosking (697k I 5.1%) to the bench in favour of Elliot Whitehead. We understand the need for loyalty but come on Rick, Hosking’s been the form back rower to begin the season. With Corey Horsburgh set to return soon, Ricky’s reversion to his old boys could be bad news for Morgan Smithies (560k I 6.3%) owners.
Roosters v Rabbitohs, Friday 8:00 pm AEDT
At the start of the season, this would’ve been the clash of the round. Would anyone say that now? Luke Keary is out, meaning Sandon Smith starts at five-eighth for the Roosters. Terrell May (574k I 16.3%) is named on the bench, though that was the case against the Sea Eagles before he was promoted to start.
Speaking of promotions, Conor Watson and Angus Crichton have been promoted to the bench for their first games of the season, while Nat Butcher (698k I 5.6%) returns to the starting line up. Who makes way? Siua Wong (475k I 22.5%). Why? We’re not sure.
The biggest news in the rugby league world this week was Lachlan Ilias getting dropped for Dean Hawkins. That is now South Sydney’s reality. Jack Wighton’s return will hopefully give Jason Demetriou’s side a jump start, while Davvy Moale’s (315k I 8.5%) impressive beginning to 2024 has been rewarded with a start.
Bulldogs v Titans, Saturday 3:00 pm AEDT
It’s pretty much as expected from the Bulldogs, except for one change. Liam Knight comes in for Poasa Faamausili, who suffered a nasty head knock in the opening hit up of their round two loss to Cronulla. Many will be wondering how much longer Blake Taaffe can last at fullback.
Kieran Foran returns for the Titans as they head to Belmore, though David Fifita and Jayden Campbell remain sidelines. Titans fans will hope Foran’s experience will give them the direction they seemed to lack in round one.
Dragons v Cowboys, Saturday 5:30 pm AEDT
After being held to nil against the Dolphins at the end of round three, Shane Flanagan has resisted the urge to switch things up. All the Dragons coaches’ changes are enforced. Jacob Liddle is sidelined, meaning Jesse Marschke gets his NRL debut. Francis Molo’s suspension sees Jack De Belin move to prop and Tom Eisenhuth start at lock.
After a nailbiter against the Knights in round two, Todd Payten’s side is largely unchanged. Heilum Luki (492k I 6.2%) is out for up to six weeks, allowing Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (293k I 13.6%) a chance to start and impress.
Wests Tigers v Sharks, Saturday 7:35 pm AEDT
Justin Olam will start his first game for the Tigers, replacing Starford To’a in the centres. Aiden Sezer has been given the starting nod, with Bud Sullivan moving to the bench and Lachlan Galvin (261k I 25.0%), their standout performer against the Raiders, maintaining his starting five-eighth role.
The Alex Seyfarth at lock experiment last one round, with Fonua Pole resuming the role he held for much of 2023.
For Cronulla, no Briton Nikora opens the starting door for Jack Williams. Otherwise, it’s a near-unchanged line up for Craig Fitzgibbon’s side as they aim to go 3-0 to start the year.
Parramatta v Manly, Sunday 4:05 pm AEDT
Brad Arthur has done what we all expect him to do this season, name one 80-minute hooker. That man is Joey Lussick (514k I 9.1%), whose first two games of the season have been steady and reliable. Morgan Harper moves to the wing to cover for Bailey Simonsson’s absence, with promising youngster Blaize Talagi given the starting berth at centre.
Manly are largely unchanged.
Knights v Melbourne, Sunday 6:15 pm AEDT
Jackson Hastings becomes the second halfback to be axed this week. Jack Cogger starts in his place. Jayden Brailey makes his long-awaited return from the bench, while Enari Tuala returns to replace the injured Greg Marzhew, who’s expected to miss at least a month.
Craig Bellamy will be without his starting halves after Jahrome Hughes incurred a one-week suspension. Tyran Wishart will start at seven, though this will likely be Jonah Pezet’s side this week. Christian Welch, who’s been impressive from the bench to begin the season, is out with a HIA, which could mean increased minutes, and Fantasy output, for Josh King and Trent Loeiro.
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Round 3 preview notes
Reece Lightning strikes Rabbitohs down
Everyone knows what Reece Walsh (672k I 29.5%) is capable of. After a quiet, by his standards, opening round of the season, Brisbane’s fullback returned with a bang at Suncorp Stadium, scoring twice, kicking two goals, breaking five tackles, running for 127 metres and scoring 63 Fantasy points.
Worryingly for Brisbane, Adam Reynolds (714k I 5.4%) couldn’t see out their victory. The halfback looks set for a spell on the sidelines, which could significantly inhibit their fortunes over the next few weeks.
For Souths, it was a head-scratching evening. Tallis Duncan (413k I 5.3%) was named to start on an edge but was shifted to the bench, with Shaq Mitchell starting and Cameron Murray (794k I 15.51%) moving to the back row. Weird behaviour from Jason Demetriou. Sili Havili influenced the game from the bench. He was the only performance of note for the Rabbitohs.
Dubious decisions help Sharks overwhelm Canterbury
Two very questionable refereeing calls in each half saw the Sharks down the Bulldogs 25-6. Nicho Hynes (976k I 16.4%) and Sifa Talakai performed remarkably, as did rookie Tuku Hau Tapuha. His 10 minute stint turned middle forward momentum in Cronulla’s favour.
Yet, many positives can be taken from this Canterbury performance. Matt Burton (627k I 2.73%) ran the ball more, Viliame Kikau had his best game for the Belmore club and Josh Curran (514k I 20.1%) was fantastic. Their goalline defence was resilient for much of the game too, though losing Poasa Faamausili in the first minute meant fatigue crept in towards the game’s end.
Faamausili’s injury opens the door for increased involvement from Curran and NRL Fantasy cheapie, Sam Hughes (258k I 40.3%), in round three of the NRL season and beyond.
Tago stars for Penrith
One try, six line breaks, one try assist, nine tackle breaks and 245 metres. Fair to say Izack Tago (659k I 1.9%) had a career game as the Panthers downed the Parramatta Eels. Penrith’s usual suspects, namely Isaah Yeo (880k I 6.69%) and Nathan Cleary (977k I 54.8%) also stood up but special mention must go to their booming centre, whose game-breaking potential was on show.
Battle of the rookie five-eighths gets Strange
It was a good old rookie five-eighth shootout between Canberra’s Ethan Strange (254k I 50.0%) and the Wests Tigers Lachlan Galvin (230k I 17.3%) down in Canberra on Saturday. Strange came out on top, as did his side, scoring once and breaking five tackles. That’s not to suggest Galvin was poor. He was probably the Tigers’ standout performer, running for nearly 150 metres and breaking three tackles.
Outside of the kids running around, Zac Hosking (616k I 3.5%) performed like prime Sonny Bill Williams. The former Penrith man scored once, assisted another try, created two linebreaks and made one of his own all while making 35 tackles without missing a single one. To put it plainly, it was a remarkable performance from Hosking marking him as an absolute NRL Fantasy must-have.
Cowboys v Knights goes down to the wire
The bad news for Newcastle? They don’t look to be fully clicking just yet. The good news? An impressive Cowboys beat them by a single point. For Todd Payten’s men, Heilum Luki (513k I 15.4%) went down early and looks likely to be out for some time. Reuben Cotter (586k I 28.4%) played like it was 2022, making 53 tackles without a miss, while Jeremiah Nanai’s (571k I 5.9%) season has started strongly.
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Did Xavier Coates score the greatest try of all time?
More of Xavier Coates’ body was out than it was in. Dangling through the air, almost suspended in time, the Melbourne winger scored one of the greatest tries we’ve ever witnessed to deliver the Storm late victory against the Warriors.
Truthfully, his try wouldn’t have been worth much without the performance of his fullback, Ryan Papenhuyzen (478k I 43.3%), who scored twice, including in the 77th minutes, to ensure Coates’ leg-flailing, gravity-defying, mid-air acrobatics was worth the two points.
Are the Roosters scared of the grind?
Andrew Johns predicted this to be one of the greatest games in recent years. He was so wrong. It was a bit of a slog at Brookvale, one dominated by Manly’s forward pack and also their halfback, Daly Cherry-Evans (867k I 8.4%).
Manly found good fortune on the Roosters edge, with Tolu Koula (447k I 7.8%) particularly proving to be a nightmare. But it all stemmed from Manly’s forwards, six of whom ran for 100 or more metres. By comparison, only Terrell May (523k I 10.1%) and Victor Radley notched triple-digit running metres. May, promoted to the starting side, was probably the Roosters standout performer and should be assessed as a genuine trade option from round three of the NRL Fantasy season and beyond.
But really, the Roosters never looked up for the grind. Both their halves, Sam Walker and Luke Keary, seem to lack the necessary kicking game to wrestle back control of the match.
Hammer time in Redcliffe
Last week, the Dragons were great and the Titans were poor. This week, the Dragons were poor and the Dolphins exceptional. Early on, the Dragons momentum seemed unstoppable. But errors, and a failure to capitalise on field position, allowed the Dolphins to wrestle control of the game.
Despite HIA disruptions, the Dolphins got on top of the Dragons, led by their dominant forward pack. Isaiya Katoa was brilliant too, but the star of the show was hat-trick hero Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (562k I 21.1%), who paired his three tries with 200 running metres.
Being held to nil is a worry for the Dragons, especially considering their inability to make the most of early field position and possession.
