NRL Fantasy winners & losers: Round 18

Author: Lone Scout NRL Fantasy guru
Timestamp: Mon 16 Jul 2018, 08:26 AM

Another Bulldog was the star of the show this week as five hookers scored 70 or more and post-Origin late withdrawals tested the depth of even the best Fantasy squads.

Winners

After his teammate Rhyse Martin brought up the ton last week Bulldogs fullback Will Hopoate was the Fantasy star of round 18, with a line break, a try assist, 10 tackle breaks and 10 offloads in a superb 96-point effort in a losing side for the Bulldogs.

His performance at fullback edged out a former superstar custodian in Jarryd Hayne, who was also the best player in a beaten side with 90 points in a dazzling individual display against the Knights.

Elsewhere Cameron McInnes (83) made 67 tackles as the Dragons lost to the Tigers, Matt Moylan (82) turned on the style with a try and an assist against his old Panthers teammates, Damien Cook backed up from Origin with a superb 79 against the Bulldogs, Manly cheapie Manase Fainu went large with 77 and Panthers wrecking ball Viliame Kikau (76) gave more evidence he could be a gun for the run home.

Dragons and NSW prop Paul Vaughan (76) was another big performer in a beaten St George Illawarra outfit, ditto Titans and Maroons prop Jarrod Wallace (73), while Mitchell Pearce (73) was the match-winner for Newcastle in his return from injury, Robbie Farah (73) was the standout for the Tigers and Jake Trbojevic (70) backed up strongly from Origin again.

Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah. ©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos

Losers

The effect of the State of Origin series was still being felt on Sunday night when James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell and Jai Arrow withdrew from the Roosters' win over the Titans, leaving many Fantasy sides down on troops or relying on auto emergency reserves for the round.

Of those that took the field Jarrod Croker (6) had a week to forget, suffering a knee injury that (eventually) forced him from the field against the Cowboys. Croker's centre partner Joey Leilua (10) didn't fare much better on the other edge while popular Rabbitohs utility Adam Douiehi (5) only played eight minutes for Souths and Jamayne Isaako (14) had a rare quiet game for Brisbane.

Fantasy Team of the Week (featuring not one, not two, but five hookers)
1. Will Hopoate (96)
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (63)
3. Jarryd Hayne (90)
4. Waqa Blake/Solomone Kata (63)
5. Jordan Rapana (62)
6. Matt Moylan (82)
7. Mitchell Pearce (73)
8. Paul Vaughan (76)
9. Cameron McInnes (83)
10. Jarrod Wallace (73)
11. Viliame Kikau (76)
12. Shaun Lane (74)
13. Jake Trbojevic (70)

14. Damien Cook (79)
15. Manase Fainu (77)
16. Robbie Farah (73)
17. Issac Luke (72)