NRL Dream Team - one player per club

[Notes From The Nest]

Okay so Dad and I talked about this on our podcast a few weeks ago and it was super fun to think about.

If you could create your best NRL team (17 players), but only choose one current player from each team (injured or uninjured), what would the team look like?

It gets fun to think about strategically putting players in certain positions, obviously four teams will end up on the bench too. Interested to see how similar people's ideas are.

 

[snickers007]

Here's my team:
1. Ponga (Knights)
2. To'o (Panthers)
3. Crichton (Bulldogs)
4. Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
5. Young (Roosters)
6. Munster (Storm)
7. Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
8. Haas (Broncos)
9. Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Fonua-Blake (Warriors)
11. Nanai (Cowboys)
12. Whitehead (Raiders)
13. Murray (Rabbitohs)
14. Hunt (Dragons)
15. Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans)
16. Campbell-Gillard (Eels)
17. Talakai (Sharks)

My strategy
I started by making a list of each teams Top 5 players in order. Then I took those players, and put them in another list by position - again in order.

I only had 3 Wingers total - so they were my first position filled.

Then I put all my top ranked players per club in their primary positions - if I had more players than available positions, I made judgement call based on already filled positions (eg. I had 4 halfbacks for one spot - so Hunt went to bench, and DCE partners Munster like in Origin)

For those interested I ended up with 12x #1 players. 1x #2 players. 1x #3 players. 2x #4 players. 1x #5 players.

Whatever I had left, I spot filled - trying to keep everyone in their primary positions, and maintaining a bench of utility/prop/prop/second row.

 

[nick87]

I've got a couple of double ups with mine as above, but tried to do something a little different

1 Ponga (Knights)
2 Young (Roosters)
3 Turbo (Manly)
4 Hammer (Dolphins)
5 Taulagi (Cowboys)
6 Munster (Storm)
7 Cleary (Panthers)
8 Haas (Broncos)
9 Korisau (Tigers)
10 AFB (Warriors)
11 Fifita (Titans)
12 Kikau (Bulldogs)
13 Murray (Rabbitohs)

14 Hunt (Dragons)
15 Tapine (Raiders)
16 RCG (Eels)
17 Nikora (Sharks)

My main strategy was to think about the teams with not a lot of great players (Tigers, Dragons, Raiders, Knights, Dolphins) and filled in the team with their best players first, and then worked around the team from there

 

[yobbo84]

1. Connor Tracey (Bulldogs)
2. Reimis Smith (Storm)
3. Dylan Walker (Warriors)
4. Dane Gagai (Knights)
5. Braidon Burns (Cowboys)
6. Luke Keary (Roosters)
7. Adam Reynolds (Broncos)
8. Nathan Brown (Sea Eagles)
9. Apisai Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
11. Jaydn Su'A (Dragons)
12. Shaun Lane (Eels)
13. Cameron McInnes (Sharks)

14. Emre Guler (Raiders)
15.
16.
17.

All former Rabbitohs or Souths juniors. I can't find anyone in the Top 30s of Penrith or the Titans.

 

[The Man Shake]

Here is the Man Shake's Mean 17. Note, I've gone with players who aren't necessarily the best players, but in many ways would be considered the meanest. I've chosen factors like size, strength, power game, aggression, intimidation. The sort of team that would just run over the top of the opposition, or at least overwhelm them with long kicks, towering bombs and brute force hits. I threw in Jordy Raps for that final lunatic touch.

1. Jordan Rapana - Raiders
2. Maika Sivo - Eels
3. Bradman Best - Knights
4. Selwyn Cobbo - Broncos
5. Dom Young - Roosters
6. Matt Burton - Bulldogs
7. Daly Cherry-Evans - Sea Eagles
8. Addin Fonua-Blake - Warriors
9. Reece Robson - Cowboys
10. James Fisher-Harris - Panthers
11. Briton Nikora - Sharks
12. Jaydn Su'A - Dragons
13. Keaon Koloamatangi - Rabbitohs

14. Ray Stone - Dolphins
15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona - Storm
16. David Fifita - Titans
17. Stefano Utoikamanu - Tigers

 

[Bazal]

Is the off season already?

Wait I'm an Eels fan it's always the off season

1-Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle)
2-Xavier Coates (Storm)
3-Joey Manu (Roosters)
4-Hamiso Tabui-Fido (Dolphins)
5-Sione Katoa (Sharks)
6-Mitchell Moses (Parra)
7-Nathan Cleary (Penrith)
8-Payne Haas (Brisbane)
9-Api Koroisau (Tigers)
10-Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors)
11-Jeremiah Nanai (Cowboys)
12-Haumole Olakau'atu (Manly)
13-Joe Tapine (Raiders)

14-Ben Hunt (Dragons)
15-Moeki Fotuaika (Titans)
16-Keon Koloamatangi (Souths)
17-Villiame Kikau (Bulldogs)

My strategy was I was bored in a meeting.

But also, I just built the kind of spine and a few key positions in the forwards and backs that I would want if I was a coach with totally unlimited resources (but with the one from each club rule obvs), and then loaded up the next player/fit for the 17 from the other clubs leftover. If I thought harder I might swap Moses for Dylan Brown, just stylistically, but it's basically the same either way.

 

[JamesRustle]

1. Connor Tracey (Bulldogs)
2. Reimis Smith (Storm)
3. Dylan Walker (Warriors)
4. Dane Gagai (Knights)
5. Braidon Burns (Cowboys)
6. Luke Keary (Roosters)
7. Adam Reynolds (Broncos)
8. Nathan Brown (Sea Eagles)
9. Apisai Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
11. Jaydn Su'A (Dragons)
12. Shaun Lane (Eels)
13. Cameron McInnes (Sharks)

14. Emre Guler (Raiders)
15.
16.
17.

All former Rabbitohs or Souths juniors. I can't find anyone in the Top 30s of Penrith or the Titans.

Or Souffs by the look.

 

[Rising from the Ashes]

1. Tom Trbojevic (Manly)
2. Valentine Holmes (Cowboys)
3. Latrell Mitchell (Rabbits)
4. Joseph Manu (Roosters)
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks)
6. Matt Burton (Bulldogs)
7. Ben Hunt (Dragons)
8. Payne Haas (Broncos)
9. Api Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors)
11. Liam Martin (Panthers)
12. Tyson Frizell (Knights
13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans) (c)

14. Harry Grant (Storm)
15. Junior Paulo (Eels)
16. Joseph Tapine (Raiders)
17. Jesse Bromwich (Dolphins)

 

[skeepe]

1. Connor Tracey (Bulldogs)
2. Reimis Smith (Storm)
3. Dylan Walker (Warriors)
4. Dane Gagai (Knights)
5. Braidon Burns (Cowboys)
6. Luke Keary (Roosters)
7. Adam Reynolds (Broncos)
8. Nathan Brown (Sea Eagles)
9. Apisai Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
11. Jaydn Su'A (Dragons)
12. Shaun Lane (Eels)
13. Cameron McInnes (Sharks)

14. Emre Guler (Raiders)
15.
16.
17.

All former Rabbitohs or Souths juniors. I can't find anyone in the Top 30s of Penrith or the Titans.

I like this. Here's mine of former Raiders/Canberra juniors.

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Warriors)
2. Mikaele Ravalawa (Dragons)
3. Harley Smith-Shields (Titans)
4. Bailey Simonsson (Eels)
5. Xavier Savage (Raiders)
6. Jack Wighton (Souths)
7. Brad Schneider (Panthers)
8. Jordan McLean (Cowboys)
9. Lachlan Croker (Sea Eagles)
10. Ryan Sutton (Bulldogs)
11. Jack Williams (Sharks)
12. John Bateman (Tigers)
13. Adam Elliott (Knights)

14. Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
15.
16.
17.

Coach: Craig Bellamy (Storm)

No Storm, Roosters or Broncos players fit the brief.

 

[Captain Apollo]

You'd want players who don't have an injury history or nagging injuries. That would in my opinion rule out selecting Turbo for example, no point having a player who might only play 6-12 games in a season.

Also, you'd want players who are also goal kickers. So guys like Sam Walker, Zac Lomax, Reuben Garrick, Matt Burton, would be worth looking at.

 

[Someone2]

1. Tabuai Fidow (Dolphins)
2. To’o (Panthers)
3. Turbo (Manly)
4. Crichton (Dogs)
5. Mulitalo (Sharks)
6. Munster (Storm)
7. Moses (Eels)
8. Hass (Broncos)
9. Api ( Tigers)
10. AFB (Warriors)
11. Fifita (Titans)
12. Nani (Cowboys)
13. Koloamatangi (Souths )

14. Hunt (Dragons)
15. JWH ((Roosters)
16. Tapine (Raiders)
17. Hetherington (knights )

 

[MRN]

Kalyn Ponga - KNIGHTS
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak - WARRIORS
Stephen Crichton - BULLDOGS
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow - DOLPHINS
Maika Sivo - EELS
Cameron Munster - STORM
Daly Cherry-Evans - SEA EAGLES
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - TITANS
Ben Hunt - DRAGONS
Thomas Hazelton - SHARKS
Liam Martin - PANTHERS
Elliot Whitehead - RAIDERS
Patrick Carrigan - BRONCOS

Apisai Koroisau - TIGERS
Lindsay Collins - ROOSTERS
Reuben Cotter - COWBOYS
Cameron Murray - RABBITOHS

AND... To future proof my team.
18th Man either:
First player announced - PNG
OR
Perth Red - WA BEARS

 

[Tweed Titan]

1. Connor Tracey (Bulldogs)
2. Reimis Smith (Storm)
3. Dylan Walker (Warriors)
4. Dane Gagai (Knights)
5. Braidon Burns (Cowboys)
6. Luke Keary (Roosters)
7. Adam Reynolds (Broncos)
8. Nathan Brown (Sea Eagles)
9. Apisai Koroisau (Tigers)
10. Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
11. Jaydn Su'A (Dragons)
12. Shaun Lane (Eels)
13. Cameron McInnes (Sharks)

14. Emre Guler (Raiders)
15.
16.
17.

All former Rabbitohs or Souths juniors. I can't find anyone in the Top 30s of Penrith or the Titans.

Keep making it about you and Souffs mate

 

[chrisD]

Hammer (Dolphins)
Lomax (Dragons)
Manu (Roosters)
Best (Knights)
Crichton (Dogs)
Hughes (Storm)
Cleary (Panthers)
Haas (Broncos)
Api (Tigers)
AFB (Warriors)
Murray (Souths)
Olakau'atu (Manly)
McInnes (Sharks)

Moses (Parra)
Fifita (Titans)
Tapine (Raiders)
Taumalolo (Cows)

 

[hrundi99]

Why are people picking Whitehead?

 

[cooko]

Walsh
To'o
Crichton
Manu
Ronaldo
Munster
Johnson

Murray
Nanai
Fifita
Paulo
Api
Tapine

Hunt
Ponga
Jake Turbo
Bromwich

 

[mozza91]

1-Ponga
2-To’o
3-Crichton
4-Manu
5-Lomax
6-Munster
7-DCE
8-AFB
9-Koroisau
10-Haas
11-Nikora
12-Fifita
13-Murray

14-JMK
15-Cotter
16-Paulo
17-Tapine