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
Grant — the premier hooker, now two games back from his hamstring layoff. He's been building back with a 23 and a 42 since returning, not yet at his best, but he's the best dummy-half going, averaging 51 with a high of 86 and a genuine try threat. Expect him to keep climbing towards his best.
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 62 and in fine touch, a 90 two weeks ago and a 61 last week, with the base as reliable as any front-rower. Set and forget.
May — a genuine points machine up front, and he's in great late-season form. He's averaging 66, one of the best-scoring middles going, with a 70 and a 68 in his last two, and a high of 90. The base from his tackle and run-metre work is as good as any front-rower in the competition.
Fa'asuamaleaui — in career-best form to finish the year. He's averaging 51 overall but a huge 72 across his last five, coming off a 93 and an 86 in his last two. The workload and output have climbed together, and he's one of the form middles in the game right now.
Edge
Olakau'atu — one of the premier edge forwards in the game and a top-end pick, and he's just bounced back with an 82 last week. He's averaging 65 with a monster high of 101, built on relentless tackle breaks, big run metres and a genuine try threat. About as good as it gets in the second row.
Preston — the boom edge with real try-scoring upside, and he's finishing the year strongly with a 78, a 68, a 60, a 61 and an 80 across his last five. His overall average of 53 undersells it, because in games where he plays 80 minutes or more he averages 59, and he's played the full 80 in each of his last seven, so that's the number that matters. He's coming off an 80 last week, with a high of 83. Excellent form.
Halves
Cleary — still the best half you can pick, averaging 75 with the goal kicking giving him a floor nobody else can match. He's coming off a 76 last week and has cleared 90 plenty of times this year with a high of 100. There is an element of risk this week though. Depending on how the Panthers approach the game, and whether the minor premiership is still live after Saturday's Warriors-Manly result, he could be rested or get an early shower rather than play the full 80. With the Panthers in the last game of the weekend, if he's a late scratching you could be left scrambling for a starting half, so it's worth having a suitable backup ready. He's still the top pick on quality, but the risk is real, and whether you fade him comes down to your own read.
Campbell — a playmaker with a big ceiling, though the form's cooled. He's averaging 59 with a monster high of 110, but he's tailed off into the 40s and 50s lately, a 39 last week. The goal kicking and running game keep him relevant, and the top end is as high as any half here if he rediscovers it.
Centre
Farnworth — the standout centre in the squad and an easy inclusion. He's averaging 65, 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. He's coming off a 67 and a 98 in his last two. Class pick.
Crichton — a positional edge, classed as a centre in GDS but playing five-eighth for the Bulldogs, and he kicks goals, which lifts his floor. His season average of 44 is a little misleading, he averaged 42 back when he was at centre, but in the five-eighth role he's up at 47. He owns an 82 in the role, though the output's been up and down, a quiet 28 last week. A bit of variance, but a goal-kicking playmaker in a centre slot is still a real advantage, and the matchup sweetens it. The Broncos have allowed an average of 50 to opposing five-eighths over the last five weeks, and they've been leaking through the boot too, conceding around 15 points a game to goal kickers in that time, which plays right into Crichton's hands.
Wing
Faalogo — in cracking touch, and the fact he's getting the fullback job for the Storm is exactly why he scores like this. He's averaging 62 with a high of 100, and a 75, a 69 and a 65 among his recent scores. The big run metres, line breaks and try involvement come week after week, though he was a little quieter with a 45 last week.
Isaako — the boom winger with a goal-kicking floor. He's averaging 55 and owns one of the biggest ceilings going, a huge 119 to his name this year. The kicking points give him a base most wingers can't match, and the tries stack on top, though he was quiet with a 39 last week.
Fullback
Edwards — a reliable fullback anchor, and he's just snapped out of a lean patch with a 70 last week. He's averaging 56 with the huge run metres every week doing the heavy lifting, and a high of 100. He rarely gives you a genuine dud, so he's a dependable option at the back.
Bench
Murray — in red-hot form, and coming off a monster 116 last week. He's averaging 56 for the year but 73 across his last five, built on huge tackle numbers and the odd attacking burst. The base is dependable and the form is undeniable.
Koloamatangi — an edge in good late-season form. He's averaging 49 but has lifted to 56 across his last five, coming off a 73 last week, with a high of 79. The tackle and run-metre base is solid and he's trending up at the right time.
Moses — a boom-or-bust half with genuine ceiling, and he's coming off a monster 97 last week. His overall average of 50 undersells his recent form, since Round 21 he's averaged 59 with four scores of 60 or better, the only blips a couple of quiet ones against the Tigers and Dolphins. This week he draws a Dragons side leaking points at the moment, so there are plenty of attacking stats on offer, with the goal kicking adding another layer. He might be a POD, but he's well worth the shot.
Tabuai-Fidow — an explosive fullback with a big ceiling, and while he's been in a lean patch, this looms as the week to jump back on. He's averaging 50 with a high of 82, though his last five have cooled into the 30s and 40s, a 30 last week. The matchup is why there's optimism, the Titans have been a great draw for fullbacks lately, allowing 56 to the position over the last five rounds with four of the last five fullbacks clearing 50. Don't be surprised to see Hamiso roar back into form in a big way here.
Drinkwater — a playmaking fullback in good form, coming off a season-high 77 last week and averaging 56 across his last five. The try-assist and line-break-assist involvement give him plenty of ways to score, with the goal kicking a bonus on top. The game shapes nicely too, the Cowboys-Raiders clash looms as one of the highest-scoring games of the weekend, an evening kickoff in good conditions in Townsville, so if the points flow he's well placed to cash in.
