Join us as JT puts on his general manager cap and selects his dream team going into round 12 of the NRL! He'll have the entire player pool to choose from, which should make selecting 3 winger/fullbacks, 2 centres, 2 halves, 2 edge forwards, 3 middle forwards and 1 hooker weekly easy right? Please note that the round rank is based on where the player ranks within their position. The same applies for the overall rank except the rank is calculated on the players average not total points. Well, let us know who you agree with and who else you might have selected down below on all of our social channels twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
Winger/Fullbacks (WFB)
Dylan Edwards
Penrith Panthers (Average 62, Round 11 Rank – 9th, Overall Rank – 2nd)
Verses Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Thursday at 7:50pm AEST
Edwards is set and forget for me. He can have quiet weeks, but he has been the top scoring WFB of a round twice this season. He is also a player that doesn’t seem to be matchup dependent, like a lot of other players can be in the WFB position. I’m comfortable starting him in my team to beat every week as he provides a very good floor in running metres and tackle busts. As we have seen this season, Edwards has the ability to put up a massive score at any time. I have him scoring 55+ points this week.
Latrell Mitchell
South Sydney Rabbitohs (Average 64, Round 11 Rank – 1st, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Eels at Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Friday at 8:00pm AEST
Latrell is arguably the most devastating fullback in the NRL at the moment. He can however have coaches regretting their decision to start him after 70 minutes, only to chalk up 50 points in the last 10 minutes. Since round six Latrell has either been the highest or second highest scoring WFB of the round, with the exclusion of round 10. I have him scoring 55+ points.
James Tedesco
Sydney Roosters (Average 39, Round 11 Rank – 51st, Overall Rank – 19th)
Verses Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Friday at 6:00pm AEST
This selection may surprise a lot of coaches but I’m going for a Teddy bounce back this week. With a number of unfavorable matchups to a lot of the WFBs this week and the Dragons allowing an average of 50 points to fullbacks this season, Teddy makes it into my team to beat once again. The Roosters have looked terrible over the last couple of weeks but with Joey Manu not suiting up this week, I’m expecting Teddy to be heavily involved. I have him scoring 50+ points.
Centres (CTR)
Billy Smith
Sydney Roosters (Average 61, Round 11 Rank – 3rd, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Dragons at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Friday at 6:00pm AEST
Billy Smith is my risky home run hit of the round. I’m going to continue to back my Roosters bounce back narrative this week. Over the last couple of weeks, he has shined in both of the Roosters losing performances. After a couple of injury hampered seasons, Smith has come out of the blocks firing in 2023. In base stats alone he is scoring 37 points a game, and this is fantastic for a centre. This week he lines up against Suli who is known to make some terrible reads on defence. With the Dragons not being at the pointy end of the competition, Smith might not need to do as much defending, but he should be able to score more points on attack. I have him scoring 45+ points.
Matthew Timoko
Canberra Raiders (Average 49, Round 11 Rank – 4th, Overall Rank – 5th)
Verses Sea Eagles at GIO Stadium, Canberra
Sunday at 6:05pm AEST
Timoko is having a great 2023 and he’s in red hot form. Since round seven he hasn’t had a score below 50 and averages 60 points. He has scored three tries in the last four games but even excluding these, he offers coaches a steady base of 29 points. He is also one of the better tackle breaking centres and has averaged seven of these a game since round seven. Manly haven’t been performing that well lately and have allowed three tries over their last four games to centres. Timoko might just be able to cross over for another try as the inform Raiders are on a five-game winning streak. I have him scoring 45+ points.
Halves (HLF)
Nathan Cleary
Penrith Panthers (Average 71, Round 11 – 2nd, Overall Rank – 2nd)
Verses Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Thursday at 7:50pm AEST
Cleary is set and forget every week for me. Last week he scored 90 points with only one line break assist and two tackle breaks on attack. Imagine what he can do when he registers stats in every attacking category. I have him scoring 65+ points.
Nicho Hynes
Cronulla Sharks (Average 78, Round 11 – 3rd, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Knights at C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour
Saturday at 3:00pm AEST
Like Cleary, Hynes is set and forget every week. I have him scoring 65+ points
Edge Forwards (EDG)
Isaiah Papali’i
Wests Tigers (Average 50, Round 11 Rank – 5th, Overall Rank – 6th)
Verses Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Saturday at 5:30pm AEST
Over the last two rounds, Papali’i has been one of the better edges in GDS fantasy. Over these two games he is averaging 50 points in base from running metres and tackles, these are great numbers for an edge forward. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t continue to provide fantasy coaches with 45+ points in base every week. We haven’t seen Papali’i produce much on attack this season, but it does look like the Wests Tigers are improving. It’s only a matter of time until their attack starts to click and I have a feeling it might be this weekend against the Cowboys. If this narrative comes to fruition, we may see Papali’i’s best game in attack this season. I have him scoring 55+ points.
David Fifita
Gold Coast Titans (Average 65, Round 11 Rank – 3rd, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Bulldogs at Accor Stadium, Sydney
Sunday at 2:00pm AEST
Fifita has been in the top three scoring edges over the last five rounds. Once again, I must keep him in my team to beat. I have him scoring 60+ points this week.
Middle Forwards (MID)
Jack De Belin
St George Illawarra Dragons (Average 53, Round 11 Rank – 4th, Overall – 5th)
Verses Roosters at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Friday at 6:00pm AEST
With an average 72 over the last three rounds, I can’t look past De Belin to take the third and final spot in the MIDs for my team to beat. With the Dragons hardly making any changes from last week’s team, I’m expecting De Belin to get 65+ minutes once again. I have him scoring 55+ points this week.
Payne Haas
Brisbane Broncos (Average 68, Round 11 Rank – 2nd, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Panthers at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Thursday at 7:50pm AEST
Haas is coming off his best score of the season after chalking up 87 points against the Storm. If the Broncos are going to win this match without Reynolds, I believe it will be off the back of Payne Haas’s performance. If we see him get 65+ minutes again, we may see him better last week’s score. I have him scoring 65+ points his week.
Isaah Yeo
Penrith Panthers (Average 61, Round 11 Rank – 9th, Overall Rank – 2nd)
Verses Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Thursday at 7:50pm AEST
Like Haas, Yeo is set and forget in the MID position. I have him scoring 55+ points his week.
Hooker (HOK)
Harry Grant
Melbourne Storm (Average 56, Round 11 Rank – 4th, Overall Rank – 1st)
Verses Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, Sydney
Saturday at 7:35pm AEST
Hooker is becoming one of those positions that is tricky to navigate each week but in my opinion, Grant is still easily the best hooker in GDS. Out of the ten games he’s played, he’s finished in the top three hookers of the round six times. He has also finished as the top hooker of the round three times. No other hooker has been this consistent and Grant will continue to hold the starting spot in my team to beat for the foreseeable future. I have him scoring 55+ points. Fringe players that just missed out on the starting 13:
Nick Meaney WFB – Storm
Jayden Campbell WFB – Titans
Valentine Holmes CTR – Cowboys
Daly Cherry-Evans HLF – Sea Eagles
Zac Hosking EDG – Panthers
Cameron Murray MID – Rabbitohs
Reuben Cotter MID – Cowboys
Jeremy Marshall-King HOK – Dolphins