Welcome to this week's Squad to Beat for the GameDay Squad Starter competition. Here's the full 18-man squad, with a quick word on every call, position by position.
Hooker
Brailey — a dependable hooker, and the big selling point is his minutes. He's a consistent 80-minute hooker, averaging 53 with the tackle volume the backbone of it, regularly into the 40s and 50s, and a high of 71. He chips in with the odd try assist out of dummy-half, and the floor is rock solid.
Middle
Haas — no overthinking this one. He's arguably the best middle forward in the game and you pick him on that alone. He's averaging 59 with a high of 82 and 62 across his last five, and the output rarely dips when he's on the field. Set and forget.
Lindsay Smith — a middle whose ceiling is all about minutes. He's averaging 42 off a rotation role around 45 minutes, but when he's been handed a lock role and bigger minutes he's gone big, a 92 and a 74 among those games. He pushed to 71 minutes last week for a 56, so if the workload stays up there's plenty of upside.
May — a genuine points machine up front. He's averaging 65, one of the best-scoring middles going, built on huge tackle counts and strong run metres, with a high of 90. The output's cooled a touch lately, but the base is as good as any front-rower in the competition.
Edge
Ryan Couchman — in red-hot form, and one to jump on. He's averaging 61 but has gone to another level lately, a 76, a career-high 98 and an 82 in his last three, the last of those off a monstrous 66 tackles. The base from his lock role is elite, and the form is as good as anyone's.
Olakau'atu — one of the premier edge forwards in the game and a top-end pick. He's averaging 67 with a monster high of 101 and 70 across his last five, built on relentless tackle breaks, big run metres and a genuine try threat. About as good as it gets in the second row.
Halves
Cleary — the easiest lock in the squad. He's averaging 77, comfortably the best half you can pick, with the goal kicking giving him a floor nobody else can match. He's strung together a 90, a 96 and a 73 in his last three, and he owns a high of 100. Auto pick.
Hynes — genuine boom, and one of the highest scorers in the game when he's on. He's averaging 68 with a big goal-kicking base and an enormous ceiling, a 108, a 105 and a 96 all inside his last five, with a high of 108. He's averaged 76 across those five games, so even a quiet 32 last week does nothing to dent the case. Elite upside.
Centre
Farnworth — the standout centre in the squad and an easy inclusion. He's averaging 66, one of the best in the position with an enormous ceiling, a monstrous 114 to his name and double-digit tackle breaks a feature of his game. Class pick.
Doueihi — a huge positional edge, and one of my favourite picks. He's classed as a centre in GDS but he's playing halfback for the Tigers, which is exactly why he scores like a half. He's averaging 65 in the No.7 with a big kicking game and a high of 102, which he hit a fortnight ago, miles above what you'd get from a genuine centre, where he's historically closer to 42. A starting half in a centre slot is about as good as it gets.
Wing
Faulalo — a set-and-forget this week. He's classed as a winger in GDS but he's slotted into the fullback role for the Sea Eagles, and in his four games there at 70 minutes or more he's averaged 56, with a high of 71. That's the kind of output you want from the position, so he's a confident lock-in.
Isaako — the boom winger with a goal-kicking floor. He's averaging 54 and owns one of the biggest ceilings going, a huge 119 to his name this year, and the kicking points give him a base most wingers can't match. The tries stack on top when they come.
Fullback
Walsh — the explosive one at fullback with a monster ceiling. He's averaging 56 and coming off a 73 last week, with a high of 90 and a big kicking game that adds another layer. He can run cold, but when he's on he's one of the most dangerous players in the game.
Bench
Preston — the boom edge with real try-scoring upside, and he's in form with a 78, a 68 and a 60 in his last three. His overall average of 51 undersells it, because in games where he plays 65 minutes or more he averages 55, and he owns a high of 83. There's variance in his game, but the ceiling makes him worth it.
Toby Couchman — a strong middle when the minutes are there, but there's a wrinkle this week. He's named to come off the interchange rather than start, which makes me a touch nervous. The reassuring part is that the one time he came off the interchange this year he still played 58 minutes for a 57, so the workload may not drop away too much. He's returning from HIA protocols as far as I'm aware, though it's worth listening out for any news through the week in case there's a bit more to it. He's averaging 59 with a high of 83 and big run metres, so if the minutes hold he's a handy pick. If he becomes a late exclusion, there's the option to pivot to Alex Twal or Hamish Stewart, who both play in the same game as Couchman. Looking to include him for now, but watch this space.
Campbell — a playmaker with a big ceiling, though the form's cooled. He's averaging 61 with a monster high of 110, but he's tailed off with a 43 and a 28 in his last two. The goal kicking and running game keep his floor respectable, and the top end is as high as any half here if he rediscovers it.
Kini — an explosive fullback with a big ceiling. He's averaging 50 with a high of 90, and the run metres, line breaks and tackle breaks give him plenty of ways to score, including a 13-tackle-break game earlier in the year. The output's been modest lately, but the upside is there.
Ponga — an elite fullback and one of the best scorers in the game. He's averaging 65 with the goal kicking, running game and try-scoring all in the mix, and a high of 96. He's coming off a 51 last week, a touch below his best, but the ceiling is always there.
