With the new season quickly approaching, many tipsters are scrambling to assemble their starting 25s right now. Achieving expert NRL tips status is a long road, but soon you’ll be putting your team together with more confidence and success. The key is to be ready with research and develop your keen eye for picking up talent before the rest of the world discovers him. The following is a list of examples to describe the type of research that expert NRL tips coaches are considering right now. If you’re a beginner, then start here before you put pen to paper and sign your dream team.
Simply Put: Start With the Stats
Before you make any decision on who should start this season on your dream team, look at their stats. Stats-driven selections should account for more than half of your team choices. Instead of looking entirely at the 2013 season, you should do some research to discover how your prospects are doing in training camp. This will give you an overall view of any physical preparation highlights or issues that may be developing before the season, but after the previous records that are in the book. Injuries, for example, can show themselves during this period of training. As well, if a player has suddenly found his stride, you’ll discover a super-sleeper and cash cow in the making. Once you’ve got your stats-worthy players lined up, don’t forget to put in some of your own personal favourites. Whether they out-perform their statistical info or not, you need experience in playing through your intuition. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
Take a Look at Your Rookie to Veteran Ratio
While you may be gunning for the younger players, holding on to a few key veterans may be the deciding factor in your success this season. Right now, a lot of attention is focused on the likes of the South Sydney Rabbitohs winger, 30-year-old Nathan Merritt, who seems as if he’s getting his second wind, career-wise. Following on the heels of two back-to-back amazing seasons, he’s looking to be in top form. His current playing is comparable to his 22-year-old self, who scored 114 points in the 2006 season. The difference now seems to be that his winning percentage has gone up, which means this may be his season. Is he a cash cow? Check out his ranking in your NRL tips league and you may be surprised to find him available for less than you’d expect. That being said, don’t disregard young talent. They are, after all, the future of the league and your statistical advantage when putting together your 25.
Research the Premier Finishers From 2013
Now that you’ve researched how players are doing during the training period, focus heavily on the 2013 season. If history repeats itself, now is a good time to review the performance of those breakout players who seem to simply have the knack for scoring tries. While Corey Parker may be at the top of the expert NRL tips list for highest point getting in 2013, also consider the Knights player, Akuila Uate, who is poised to become the first Knights player to score 100 premiership tries. When a reputation is on the line, a player may surprise you in their ability to produce. Merritt, for example, played the 2013 State of Origin series, but only because of the suspension of Blake Ferguson. Will this compel Merritt to prove himself in some greater way this season? If this season is your second or third tipping attempt, look at your own performance and decisions from last year as well.
Research the Success of Their Teams, Too
A good player who is adept at backyard running also needs a team behind him for success. While some players seem to defy the win-loss ratio of their team, many others are affected by the outcome of their team’s playing. For example, looking at the Storm’s underachieving performance last year, one wonders how this will affect the mindsets of Billy Slater, George Rose, and newly-acquired Ben Roberts as they continue to work together. The Storm may be a team on the brink to have a banner year. They’re stocked full of talent and they have managed to retain their star players. As well, they’ve survived the adversity of a failed run at the premiership. An expert NRL tips suggestion is to take into account the “destiny” of a team since this will greatly encourage its star players to perform at their best during key parts of the season. This means that a player’s performance may vary between the opening and final rounds. As pressure mounts towards the end, the true talents of a player may emerge. Don’t discount the drive of a team to push harder as the season goes on.
Discipline Factor: Matching Player With Coaching Style
While the success of a team can affect a player’s point getting, so can the coaching style. If you’re familiar with Ben Roberts’ performance when he was with the Eels, you’ll know that he is going to have to prove himself under the Storm system of discipline. Will he be able to fit in, or will his independent nature destroy his – and his team’s – chances this year? In this case, simply looking at his stats won’t show you the bigger picture. Research your player’s stats, but also examine the reasons why the stats are the way they are. A player will be more successful if they are allowed to play to their full potential, and this will be determined by the discipline they show when working alongside their teammates.
Take heart that there is a large component of luck at work. Sure, you can put your back into the research, but when you factor in injuries and other random occurrences, you have as much chance of striking your mark as any other league player, supercoaches and the rest. The field, as they say, is completely level. Almost. The remaining territory is made up by your diligence and preparation towards learning the game and each of its players.
