Wicky, NRL Fantasy Scout & Kyle Bedford break down each side’s players by which side of the field they play on for every NRL game in Round 18 in 2024. Whether it’s to decide your NRL Fantasy or NRL Supercoach Captain or to lock in the last leg of your multi – we have you covered!

You can check out all of Wicky’s content, tips and more here and you can follow NRL Fantasy Scout on Instagram for regular updates.

Wicky’s breakdown – The Cowboys have conceded 11 tries to middle forwards this season and 29% of their tries conceded have been through the middle – the 2nd worst of all teams in 2024. This bodes well for our Aloiai and Sipley try scorer tips this weekend!

Roosters v Dragons

Sun 7/7, 2pm

Wicky’s breakdown – Joey Manu will be out for a few weeks for the Roosters. They still have an elite squad on paper from 1-17, but we think this game will be closer than most are expecting. The Dragons likely get Jack Bird back (he’s in the extended squad currently).

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
D Young	M Jennings	Radley	S Walker	Keary	A Crichton	Tupouniua	Tupou
Tuipulotu	Suli	Su’A	Flanagan	B Hunt	RFM	Max Feagai	Lomax
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Roosters have been on fire on both edges – Manu’s spark on the right and Angus Crichton on the left. With Manu missing, we could potentially see more ball to Crichton.

For the Dragons – it’s the same story every week. It’s all about their right edge in attack. RFM scored a dynamic try early in the game last week in the rain against the Dolphins. Their right side winger has scored 13 tries, 2nd most of any team this season. Zac Lomax is back in that position.

Raiders v Knights

Sun 7/7, 4.05pm

Wicky’s breakdown – Kalyn Ponga is BACK! Marzhew and Best scored 4 tries between them last week, the Raiders aren’t in much better form than the Eels – we’re expecting the left side of the Knights to be humming with KP back. The Knights have scored 45% of their tries through their left edge in 2024 with KP missing the last couple of months.

Dylan Lucas and Leo Thompson also return for the Knights and honestly, their team looks pretty good on paper!

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Rapana	Timoko	Whitehead	Strange	A Cook	H Young	A Hopoate	Savage
Marzhew	Best	KPP	Hastings	Pryce	Frizell	D Gagai	Tuala
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Raiders are going to have to hope that rookie Adam Cook and Hudson Young can gel quickly – because aside from Young, it’s really only their forward pack that would be giving Raiders fans hope. The Raiders are the only team in the NRL to not score a try through their middle forwards this season – heartbreakingly for us, that means no tries from Tapine or Papali’i so far! Are they due? We bloody hope so.

Eels v Rabbitohs

Thu 4/7, 7.50pm

Wicky’s breakdown – Maika Sivo is replaced by Jack Tago (Izack’s brother). It means Sean Russell and Jack Tago will likely be defending together on the Eels’ left edge. Like we spoke about a couple of weeks ago – the Rabbitohs’ right edge now has more potency with Cody Walker moving there. Cam Murray also joins that side. We know where we’d be looking for to identify players for try scorer plays!

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Talagi	Penisini	B Cartwright	Moses	D Brown	R Matterson	Russell	J Tago
Johnston	Milne	Arrow	Wighton	C Walker	Murray	Kennar	J Gagai
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Eels and Rabbitohs concede almost 50% of their tries through their right and left edge respectively. This would indicate the Rabbitohs’ left and Eels’ right are the places to look in attack. Mitch Moses backed up his heroic Origin performance with 2 inspiring tries last week for Parramatta. And they conceded 4 tries to Best and Marzhew from the Knights’ left side.

Moses has been great in sending Blaize Talagi over for tries on the right wing and ‘AJ‘ has had a relatively quiet season try scoring wise but maybe this is the week he scores a couple!

Sharks v Titans

Fri 5/7, 6pm

Wicky’s breakdown – Sione Katoa is out due to concussion, replaced by Daniel Atkinson on the right wing for the Sharks. Jayden Campbell is out for the Titans but AJ Brimson returns in his place at five-eighth. Everyone will be hoping Foran switches back to the left with David Fifita!

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Atkinson	Ramien	Nikora	Hynes	Trindall	Talakai	Iro	Mulitalo
AKP	Kelly	D Fifita	Foran	Boyd	Alick	Fermor	J Fifita
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Titans concede 32% of tries through the middle this season – the most of any team in the NRL. The Sharks have scored the most tries from middle forwards of any team this season.

Hazelton, Oregon Kaufusi, Royce Hunt and McInnes have all scored tries this season. Hazelton has scored 5 just by himself! He’s been quiet the last few weeks – maybe this is the week he’ll crash over again.

The other clear edge we can see if AKP v Atkinson. Khan-Pereira scores tries for fun, he should easily have Atkinson covered for pace. With David Fifita back on that left edge creating space and potentially playing for an Origin jersey – we can see AKP scoring 2-3 tries in this one.

Broncos v Panthers

Fri 5/7, 8pm

Wicky’s breakdown – The Grand Final rematch. Haas, Carrigan and Walsh return for the Broncos but they are missing Staggs, Reynolds and Riki. The Origin stars return for the Panthers but they are obviously still missing Nathan Cleary.

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Arthars	Mariner	K Hetherington	Madden	Mam	Piakura	Cobbo	Oates
To’o	Alamoti	Sorensen	Luai	Cole	L Martin	I Tago	Turuva
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Broncos’ right side has been decimated – all 4 players are either not first choice players or playing out of position. With Luai getting more ball than usual with Cleary out – we think the Panthers’ left is the go to side in attack to look at here.

Sorenson, Alamoti and To’o should have a night out in attack on the fast surface at Suncorp.

The Panthers’ right edge concede 57% of their tries – Ezra Mam will look to step up in attack with the Broncos losing 4 in a row. Piakura is excellent in attack – him and Cobbo would be two we’d be looking at in try scorer markets.

Bulldogs v Warriors

Sat 6/7, 3pm

Wicky’s breakdown – The Bulldogs get Connor Tracey and Kurt Mann back and the Warriors go in unchanged. This should be a really good game, with the Dogs needing to win to stay in the 8 and the Warriors needing a win to not lose touch with the 8!

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Kiraz	S Crichton	Salmon	Sexton	Burton	Kikau	Xerri	Wilson
Montoya	Pompey	Capewell	CHT	TMM	Niukore	RTS	DWZ
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

The Bulldogs’ right edge 2nd rower has scored 7 tries this season, second most of any team. Jaemon Salmon is in this spot with Preston still out. The Dogs have threat across the park but the right side has been especially threatening in recent weeks. Their right winger has scored 12 tries, 14 is the most of any team. Look out for Kiraz in attack also.

The Dogs’ right side is also where they leak tries – conceding 54% of their tries season through there, the 2nd most of any team. Interestingly, since SJ has been injured or out of the team, the Wahs’ left edge has become more threatening in attack. CHT (Harris-Tavita) scored 2 tries in 27 mins to start the game last weekend and almost had a hat-trick!

Wests Tigers v Storm

Sat 6/7, 5.30pm

Wicky’s breakdown – The Storm have lost Xavier Coates (who will unfortunately miss the Origin decider also) and Harry Grant has not been named to return. The Tigers get Bateman back on the right edge and you’d think Olam returns (he’s named on the extended bench).

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Staines	Doueihi	Bateman	Sezer	Galvin	Samuela Fainu	Olam	Faataape
Bradley	Anderson	Blore	Wishart	J Hughes	E Katoa	Howarth	Warbrick
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

With the Storm – you can put the stats away and use the ‘eye test’. Munster’s still out, Papenhuyzen and Faalogo are in doubt. Jahrome Hughes has been on fire in recent weeks and Eli Katoa has been scoring tries for fun next to him. Running at rookies in Galvin and Fainu, expect them to hit the right side hard.

For the Tigers – we love Samuela Fainu on the left edge and their middle forwards, especially Utoikamanu and Pole who have both scored in the last fortnight. We’ve said it on our discord before but Fainu reminds us of a cross between Kikau and Olakau’atu! Api Koroisau is a genius at putting middle forwards over for tries – we like this even more with Harry Grant missing and the Storm needing to potentially play their 3rd or 4th string Fullback if Papi is ruled out.

Cowboys v Manly

Sat 6/7, 7.35pm

Wicky’s breakdown – The Cowboys have conceded 11 tries to middle forwards this season and 29% of their tries conceded have been through the middle – the 2nd worst of all teams in 2024. This bodes well for our Aloiai and Sipley try scorer tips this weekend!

R WING	R CTR	R EDG	R HLF	L HLF	L EDG	L CTR	L WING
Feldt	Vailea	Nanai	Townsend	Dearden	Luki	Holmes	Taulagi
Talau	Garrick	B Trbojevic	Brooks	DCE	Olakau’atu	Turbo	Saab
L WING	L CTR	L EDG	L HLF	R HLF	R EDG	R CTR	R WING

Both sides get their Origin stars back. Tom Trbojevic returns from injury at centre. Their right side looks lethal – DCE, Haumole, Turbo, Saab. 

The Cowboys will be desperate – a few of their players could be playing for Origin jerseys! Manly have conceded 12 tries to left side wingers – Murray Taulagi is one of the contingent potentially playing for their Origin jerseys, and Holmes is the centre inside him – they’ll want to put on a huge effort.

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