have you settled on a consistant team spine yet and what is it ??

[ronl]

  Still interviewing suspects and piecing together information. That's going to take awhile.  Nowhere near formulating anything just yet.  It seems like there are about 200 rookies running around in my mind all shouting "pick me, pick me".

[GoLions]

Not really. Until rookies emerge I'm not locking in any structures.

[kilbluff1985]

Not really. Until rookies emerge I'm not locking in any structures.

[salver11]

  Still interviewing suspects and piecing together information. That's going to take awhile.  Nowhere near formulating anything just yet.  It seems like there are about 200 rookies running around in my mind all shouting "pick me, pick me".

Hahaha I like it. I had a complete rejig of my team today and now see that it is definitely doable, I've gotten to a 3/5/2/3 so far and I'd give a half to my next back and forward and the rest of the team looks capable of propping up their ends.

[Mat0369]

These are the guys that will find a way into my side if they are fit and named round 1

Simpson and Nathan Brown (D7/D8)
Gaz, Pendles, Sidebottom
Nic Nat
BJ, Buddy, Martin (was Lids before I heard about his achillies soreness), Salem, Hogan, Lambert

I think they are my locks at this point and I will work my structure around these guys

[Sabretooth Tigers]

 ::)
Changed mine a little to:-
Smith B,   Newnes,   Ibbotson.
Gazza,   Pendles,   Selwood.J,   Beams.D / Prestia,   Ward,   Crouch.B
Mumford,   Nicnat     T Read
D Martin,   Bennell,   Swan,   J Martin
Once I settle between Beams and Prestiathis will be very close to the player spine I take in to Rd.1.  Cheers    :) ::)

[Jackross10]

Simpson Shaw Newnes
Ablett Pendles NVB Biggs
Goldy NAT
Buddy Swan Martin Salem Hogan Clark Lambert

[Jackross10]

Do you guys think a certain structure suits overall score better? I think a 5 premo mids is the way to get the early points?

[Gigantor]

Do you guys think a certain structure suits overall score better? I think a 5 premo mids is the way to get the early points?

Yes in theory but if your back rookies fail and you are fielding a Nathan Brown 50 odd it might not look so good.
M5-110 + D5-70 +D6-50 = 230
M5-75 + D5-90 + D6-70 = 235

Obviously this could vary massively but if I'm really struggling for a back rookies I will be downgrading my M5 (currently Danger)

[Sabretooth Tigers]

 :-\

IF   D.1   say B Smith  scores 90 to 95 consistantly he's a pretty good buy.   BUT
Why would you take him in preference to say an   M.6    say B Crouch (about 6k more expensive) who you'd expect to ave higher and have a much higher ceiling ??  It's not about team structure so much as total points. Perhaps I'm missing something.    :-\ :)

[Gigantor]

:-\

IF   D.1   say B Smith  scores 90 to 95 consistantly he's a pretty good buy.   BUT
Why would you take him in preference to say an   M.6    say B Crouch (about 6k more expensive) who you'd expect to ave higher and have a much higher ceiling ??  It's not about team structure so much as total points. Perhaps I'm missing something.    :-\ :)

I think the problem is the rookies, what is safer, playing 2 back rookies and 2 mid rookies or playing 1 back rookie and 3 mid rookies?

[dmac07]

Basic spine as follows

D - Shaw, Hurn, Newnes, Macmillan
M - Ablett, Pendlebury, Selwood, Cripps, Freeman
R - Jacobs
F - Goddard, Martin, Swan, Slem, Clark

These guys basically haven't moved from my side. The exact structure around it I'm not certain on.

I would like to start 14 keepers, however this leaves impossibly little money for rookies so will almost certainly start with 13. The make of which is still to be finalised based on rookies available and the form/availability of a few mid pricers (Whitecross, Macmillan, Bellchambers) and the fitness of rucks Nic Nat/Luey

Loosely working with.

D - 3-4 premiums, plus 1-2 mid pricers if Ibbotson/Macmillan/Whitecross look ok. Worst case I have N.Brown and one rookie on the bench, best case there is 3 rookies, or 2 plus N.Brown for that last on field spot.

M - Min 4 top end premiums, this includes Ablett, Pendles, Selwood and Fyfe/Beams/Sloane. May squeeze in 5 if back rookies are ok. 1 or 2 200k 'rookies' at least 1 or 2 of Cripps/NVB/Netwon/Biggs/DeGoey/Brayshaw will be must haves, have to allow the money for at least of of these guys. 5-6 rookies under 150k

R - Jacobs or Goldy locked as first ruck. Nic Nat at second if he looks fit, if not or if I need the cash Luey or Bellchambers at R2. Rookie on the bench even if none is named round 1.

F - 4 premiums, or 3 + 1 mid pricer (Bellchambers only one considered here). 4 rookies/<200k players here (including guys like Clark, Salem, Karnezis)

Right now, on a premium - mid - rookie set up my team is. Counting Newnes as a premium, Cripps and Macmillan is mid pricers.

Def - 4-1-3
Mid - 4-1-6
Ruc - 1-1-1
Fwd - 4-0-4

[eaglesman]

:-\

IF   D.1   say B Smith  scores 90 to 95 consistantly he's a pretty good buy.   BUT
Why would you take him in preference to say an   M.6    say B Crouch (about 6k more expensive) who you'd expect to ave higher and have a much higher ceiling ??  It's not about team structure so much as total points. Perhaps I'm missing something.    :-\ :)

I think the problem is the rookies, what is safer, playing 2 back rookies and 2 mid rookies or playing 1 back rookie and 3 mid rookies?

[dmac07]

:-\

IF   D.1   say B Smith  scores 90 to 95 consistantly he's a pretty good buy.   BUT
Why would you take him in preference to say an   M.6    say B Crouch (about 6k more expensive) who you'd expect to ave higher and have a much higher ceiling ??  It's not about team structure so much as total points. Perhaps I'm missing something.    :-\ :)

I think the problem is the rookies, what is safer, playing 2 back rookies and 2 mid rookies or playing 1 back rookie and 3 mid rookies?

Say smith averages 90 and Crouch 105, big gap of 15 points. But then down back you have H.Goddard or N.Brown on the field averaging you 50 points, compared to having a mid rookie on the mid such as Freeman, Vanderberg, J.Anderson, Heeney or Boekhurst who average 65-70, maybe even 8- if you pick the right one, at worst I think you break even. Put simply, Mid rookies will average 10-20 more than back rookies, so back premiums can average 10-20 than mid premiums and still be as good a value.

[Sabretooth Tigers]

 :)

What you say makes a lot of sense Mr D.  But isn't it just the best of the mid rookies that score so well, and then the rest score more or less the same as the best of the defence rookies.  Were that the case you could have the best of both worlds couldn't one ??  The best of the mid and defence rookies and be a little stronger in the midfield and weaker in defence to score more points from the very beginning. Tis really a mute point ATM as we don't really have much to go on yet regarding the defence rookies. In reality the strategy I want to employ could become totally impossible  if none of them stand up to be counted.  Last year I went 3 / 7 in the midfield and spent all season trying to make up lost ground and didn't go close. Had my worst SC season ever and by showerloads, so not making the same mistake again.  Well at least I hope not. Thanks bigtime for the input Mr D. I wouldn't explain myself like this if I didn't have a very high opinion of your knowledge, cheers and best of luck mate