Draft depth: Rating stocks of every position

• DRAFT ANALYSIS: Strategies and tips to success
• DRAFT ANALYSIS: Top 20 pick for 2022

Most leagues are doing their drafting this weekend and this year we’ve gone deep into the analysis to rank all the players by each position.

There are a few players of interest that we will talk about in each position.

Hopefully the deep lists below help you with your final draft preparations

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HOOKER

Hooker is a relatively shallow position heading into 2022. The time of the 80-minute hooker is all but over.

Outside of the first two hookers of Grant and Cook, all of the number nines have big questions.

Will Cheese be in a similar role and can he score as many tries as he did last year?

How will the Sharks use McInnes? Are there any risks to Api and Mahoney’s role as they are moving clubs at the end of the year?

Even though it’s a shallow position I won’t go chasing at hooker and am happy to take some value late in the draft.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Grant	74		9	Cotter	48
2	Cook	66		10	Brailey	49
3	Smith	68		11	Robson	54
4	Mahoney	68		12	Nikorima	54
5	McInnes	76		13	Egan	49
6	Koroisau	55		14	Randall	35
7	Starling	49		15	Liddle	55
8	Watson	59

Tom Starling 7^th ranked Hooker

Starling is someone I think you can get relatively late in the draft as his 49 PPG average of last year is a little undervalued.

Starling had a breakout year in 2020, averaging 61 PPG game in the absence of Josh Hodgson.

When Hodgson returned in 2021, it’s fair to say that Canberra mucked around with how they used Starling.

They finally found some consistency at the back end of the year and looked much better with Starling averaging 50 mins and 53 PPG.

The club have chosen to stick with Starling over Hodgson (moving to the Eels at the end of the year) and that gives me confidence in the gametime Starling will get.

Whilst he probably doesn’t have the highest workrate for a hooker, he will find attacking stats throughout the year and could easily have a few 80+ point games.

Connor Watson – 8^th ranked hooker

Watson is someone that many people are high on and I am seeing him going very early in drafts.

I get it, Watson is a great attacking player and is great for SuperCoach if given the time.

I just can’t take a guy that early when I am uncertain on the role he plays in the Roosters side.

There’s a good chance he plays a lot of his time at hooker or hovering around the middle, but the Roosters have Verrils, Radley, JWH, SST and Collins eating up a lot of minutes.

I’ll cop the egg on my face if he kills it in a high-scoring Roosters team, but I think there’s a risk he doesn’t get anywhere near the game time to be worth an early draft pick.

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FRONT-ROW

As I mentioned in the draft strategy piece, FRF is a position I am not going to spending early picks on.

I think there is value in AFB and Welch if they slip far enough, but I am happy to take a 40-50 PPG  front-rower as my final picks.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Haas	68		16	Utoikamanu	52
2	J Papalii	60		17	SST	57
3	AFB	58		18	NAS	53
4	Welch	59		19	Lodge	57
5	JFH	62		20	Vaughan	55
6	I Papalii	78		21	Twal	57
7	TPJ	65		22	RCG	54
8	Fotuaika	60		23	Leota	47
9	Paulo	56		24	D. Saifiti	55
10	Arrow	52		25	Collins	59
11	Klemmer	56		26	JWH	52
12	Thompson	66		27	J Saifiti	46
13	Tino	56		28	Aloiai	44
14	Tapine	55		29	Burgess,	51
15	Taupau	58		30	Rudolf	51

Isaiah Papali’i – 6^th ranked FRF

I was vary wary of picking I.Pap after a career season. Prior to the trials he was even further down my list due to the Eels forwards depth and the uncertainty of where he would play.

He played on the right edge in last weekend’s trials and looked good!

Whilst I don’t think his 78 PPG of last year is achievable, I am becoming a believer in him holding an 80 minute edge role and being a great attacking option with big upside in your FRF.

TPJ – 7^th  ranked FRF

TPJ has great attacking upside when he is on, but can be a nightmare when he loses his cool.

I thought he had turned a corner after what he went through last year and spending time playing with Penrith.

I can’t trust him as an early pick, despite his upside.

Alex Twal – 21^st ranked FRF

Twal managed to average 57 PPG last year but was playing an average of 59 MPG.

There’s going to be a year where those minutes are cut.

Yes, he is a great workhorse, but you are playing a dangerous game trusting Madge to keep up those big minutes each year with no real upside.

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SECOND-ROW

2RF is where I really want to target players with attacking upside in good teams.

Players that get through a lot of work are great, but I’m moving away from those players that bang out 50-60 each week and want players that could go 80+, despite the risk they could only score 40 points.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Fifita	85		21	Barnett	64
2	Crichton	75		22	Thompson	66
3	Murray	70		23	Yeo	57
4	Smith	68		24	Capewell	49
5	Schuster	61		25	J Trbojevic	56
6	Olakau’atu	58		26	De Belin	55
7	Leilua	62		27	Arrow	52
8	Aitken	55		28	Brown	58
9	Bird	57		29	Kolo	60
10	Curran	67		30	Tino	56
11	Harris	69		31	Riki,	52
12	Kikau	59		32	Tapine	55
13	Frizell	65		33	Tupouniua	55
14	I Papalii	78		34	Martin	49
15	Matterson	65		35	Elliott	55
16	Young	61		36	Tago	33
17	TPJ	65		37	CHN	61
18	McInnes	76		38	Carrigan	53
19	Taumalolo	55		39	NAS	53
20	Nikora	55		40	D Walker	44

Josh Schuster – 5^th ranked 2RF

Schuster is the perfect example of a player that could score poorly as evidenced with an average of only 37 in base points last year, but obviously he has the great ceiling scores when Manly are firing.

There is also the added benefit that he will move into the 5/8 role if Foran goes down where he scored well last year.

Briton Nikora – 20^th ranked 2RF

Nikora went through some form issues in 2021 which saw him relegated to the bench for a few rounds.

The fact that SJ wasn’t on the field for a lot of his time at the Sharks also hampered his SuperCoach potential.

He is one that has crept up my rankings after recent trial form and I wouldn’t be opposed to taking him earlier.

Jai Arrow – 27^th ranked 2RF

Averaging on 47 MPG playing in the middle last year, a move to the left edge at South Sydney should see his scores increase.

Jordan Riki– 30^th ranked 2RF

Averaged 52 PPG last year with only three tries to his name.

Reynolds will create many more opportunities to have some decent growth this year.

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HALFBACK

Another shallow position this year and there is a clear drop off after Keary, the 7^th picked HFB this year.

If I miss out on any of these halfbacks or there is a mad rush for them, don’t panic and draft the next guy on your list. Look for value later in the draft.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Cleary	108		9	Moses	58
2	DCE	79		10	Hasting	N/A
3	Hughes	73		11	Reynolds	58
4	Hynes	78		12	Brooks	54
5	B. Hunt	67		13	Clifford	46
6	S. Walker	62		14	Sexton	62
7	Keary	75		15	Fogarty	59
8	Johnson	53

Sam Walker – 6^th ranked HFB

Last year Sam Walker had some huge games but also some very poor ones from a SuperCoach perspective.

This year he won’t have to run the team and gets the opportunity to inject himself when he sees an opportunity.

Jake Clifford – 13^th ranked HFB

Looking great in trials and even though I’m not high on the Knights, I do think Clifford is a better player than his 46 PPG average last year suggests.

Toby Sexton – 14^th ranked HFB

He has a very misleading 62 PPG average from last year and I expect to see a lot more 40’s in his SuperCoach scoring this year.

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FIVE-EIGHTH

The 5/8 position has some really good elite options in Munster and Walker, and then has some very good options up until Dylan Brown.

After Brown there is a fair bit of depth where there are a number candidates that could finish as the 8^th best 5/8.

So again, if I miss out on the good options I’m not going to pick a 5/8 until very late.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	C. Walker	84		9	Douihei	77
2	Munster	74		10	Wighton	47
3	Keary	75		11	Hastings	N/A
4	Schuster	65		12	Brimson	61
5	Burton	64		13	Tracey	48
6	Luai	59		14	Mann	44
7	Brown	53		15	Clifford	46
8	Johnson	53

Matt Burton – 5^th ranked 5/8

I think there are some mixed feelings about Burton.

Obviously, you don’t want to read into his average from last year much in a different position and team.

Although, his scores in the six jersey last year are very good and the Panthers had a few missing when he got those scores.

I think everything will go through Burton and Dufty in this team and he has the talent to jag the attacking stats.

Jackson Hastings – 11^th ranked 5/8

There is some great value in drafting Hastings late.

He will be heavily involved in all the Tigers attack and he gives his all each week, but he is still playing in a relatively weak attacking side.

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CENTRE-WING

The CTW rankings are continuing with the theme of chasing the upside and don’t be afraid to get the elite options early.

There is also some value in relatively unknown CTWs that will be further down people’s lists, and you can get the likes of Penisini, Tago and Suli very late.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Garrick	88		31	Naiqama	N/A
2	To’o	84		32	Harper	54
3	Tupou	59		33	Penisini	42
4	Ramien	63		34	Thompson	58
5	Staggs	62		35	Saab	47
6	Manu	62		36	Mann	44
7	Johnston	73		37	Feldt	52
8	Aitken, Euan	55		38	R Smith	51
9	Lomax	57		39	Hammer	48
10	Bird	57		40	Tracey	48
11	Graham	56		41	Suli	39
12	Nofoaluma	53		42	Cobbo	41
13	Kelly	59		43	Mulitalo	51
14	Doueihi	77		44	Fermor	46
15	Best	52		45	Paulo,	43
16	G Jennings	54		46	Sami	49
17	Ravalawa	57		47	Paulo	43
18	Farnworth	52		48	Schoupp	44
19	Olam	56		49	Lee	N/A
20	Momirovski	55		50	JAC	61
21	Tago	33		51	Maumalo,	55
22	Rapana	63		52	Cotric	48
23	Coates	41		53	May	48
24	Holmes	64		54	Naden	43
25	DWZ	53		55	Gildart	N/A
26	Timoko	43		56	S Katota	58
27	S. Crichton	49		57	Niukore	41
28	D Walker	44		58	Sivo	55
29	Niu	58		59	Herbert	44
30	Gagai	68		60	Hiku	43

Daniel Tupou – 3^rd Ranked CTW

Tupou went from a 71 PPG average in 2020 to a 59 PPG average in 2021 and arguably suffered the most from the Roosters injuries.

With the Roosters back to full strength and Sam Walker a big fan of the cut out pass, I expect him to get back to that 71 PPG average.

Valentine Holmes – 24^th ranked CTW

Like most, I see a big drop off for Holmes playing in the centre position.

Maybe he gets the fullback position back, but centre is even worse than the wing position for Holmes from a SuperCoach scoring perspective.

Tesi Niu – 29^th ranked CTW

Niu is currently out with a hamstring injury but was in line for the fullback jersey at the Broncos.

You can get value for him now that he is injured and although Cobbo is a decent player, I think there’s a good chance Niu takes back the fullback jersey and is in a better team than last year where he averaged 58 PPG.

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FULLBACK

Elite options will fly off the board in the first round, but I’d be happy to get Walsh or Kennedy late if it means I get high scoring/elite players in other positions.

Rank	Name	2021 AVG		Rank	Name	2021 AVG
1	Trbojevic	143		9	Walsh	64
2	Tedesco	87		10	Kennedy	65
3	Papi	79		11	Manu	62
4	Mitchell	82		12	AJ	73
5	Gutho	75		13	Campbell	64
6	Hynes	78		14	Edwards	56
7	Ponga	68		15	Laurie	57
8	Dufty	68