Each week we will do a deep dive into a player that had a strong performance in the previous round. The player may not have had the top score of the weekend but a solid outing nonetheless. I’ll look to cover the previous rounds performance, outlook for the season ahead, outlook for 2024 and beyond and my recommendation for this player. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
Player of the Week
Player Name: Greg Marzhew Age: 26 Club: Newcastle Knights Position: Winger/Fullback Round 13 Score: 95 2023 Ave Score: 60
Round 13 Performance
Marzhew was the home run hit of the weekend as he showed us his tackle breaking best on the way to scoring three tries. In this performance he came away with 3 tries, 3 line breaks, 11 tackle breaks and 1 offload on attack, this came to 77 points. He also made 1 tackle and 173 running metres; this came to 18 points in base.
2023 Outlook
The Knights have a tough month in front of them with matches against the Broncos, Roosters and Panthers. However, Marzhew is one of the WFBs that is rarely affected by tough matchups. With his two lowest scores of the season coming against the Panthers (30 points) and the Eels (39 points), this is pretty good for a WFB. What makes Marzhew game so relevant for GDS Fantasy is his tackle breaking and try scoring. He’s averaging 8.5 tackle breaks and 1.1 tries a game, that’s 36 points. I’m aware that these aren’t base stats and can’t really be relied on as a fantasy coach but if you’re after a POD (point of difference) for your squad, Marzhew can be that man. To begin the season, I had Marzhew ranked outside my top 10 in the WFB position but after this weekend’s performance, he has jumped up to 5th in my season projections.
GDS Dynasty Ranking
At 26 years old, Marzhew should have many years ahead of him in the NRL. He is contracted to the Knights until the end of the 2025 season. He is relatively inexperienced in first grade and has only made 34 appearances since debuting in 2021. I think he is the best winger in GDS Fantasy at the moment and I believe he has a good chance of retaining this crown for this season and possibly the next one or two. The future is always a little bit murky when it comes to a winger’s job security, but I believe Marzhew will keep his starting role for the next couple of seasons. This is due to Dominic Young leaving to the Roosters at the end of the season.
JT’s Call
Marzhew is a powerful winger that is a handful for any defence. He is the third best WFB on the season with an average of 60 points. He is the best tackle breaking WFB in GDS Fantasy and provides coaches with an average of 190 running metres a game. Just in these two stats alone, he averages 44 points a game. With a season high of 97 points and low of 30, this is very good for a WFB. Marzhew only has four scores of less than 50 points this season and has three scores of 70+. He doesn’t have to touch the ball much to be effective, he’s had 211 touches and scored 566 points with ball in hand, that’s 2.6 points per touch and this is outstanding. Most coaches are likely to run with the likes of Mitchell and Edwards in their starting sides this year, Marzhew can be a great third option.
We all know that WFBs can have really quiet games but we have seen this season that the Knights like to get the ball out to their big wingers. As long as Best and Gagai are in the centres commanding the opposition's attention, this should provide the Knights wingers more opportunities than some other wingers. I’m more than comfortable starting Marzhew in my squad most weeks but it really comes down to the depth of your squad and the matchups of other WFBs. If you don't have his card, I would be doing what I could to acquire one as soon as possible. This would be a play for this season and your squad's future.