Super Rugby - Australia Conference and Fantasy Players

With the Super Rugby starting this weekend, I thought I would take a shot at predicting the finishing order of the Australia Conference, plus provide a few names for people who need cheap players for the fantasy teams.

The finishing order will be Qld and NSW at the top, but I dont really know what order the next three will finish.

I'm having a crack at a fantasy team comp this year for the first time, so if anyone has tips on NZ and SA teams it would be great if you post them up. The players I have provided are not necessarily future world beaters, but they should all get a fair amount of game time, arent Poopie, arent much known outside of oz and will be cheap. The bolded ones are the best options in my view.

1. Reds: They have the most talented squad an Aust team has put together for a long while and there are players capable of playing 10 while Cooper recuperates. Him missing will have to change their dynamic a bit though, not least of all in the comfort it will provide for people defending against them. Their strength is that every important player with the exception of Samo is young or young enough that more improvement can be expected, and with McKenzie in charge I would expect to see that improvement. Dealing with the added pressure of being the Champion when they are as young as they are is another question. My expectation is they will finish high, but will suffer a bit of second year blues unless Horwill, Genia and McKenzie can steer around it.

Fantasy team bargains: Forwards - Jake Shatz, James Hansen; Backs - Luke Morahan, Ben Tapuai

2. Waratahs: The Waratahs have a strong group of players, but we are cursed. Without a significant change in luck, expect the same lower finals place finish as usual. As we've just lost Turner for the season, real doubts emerging on Mitchell and Vickerman coming back to rugby at all, plus Rocky on his last roll of the dice with his hamstring, I doubt that luck has changed. That's before I even think of TPN, Palu or Berrick Barnes.

Fantasy team bargains: Forwards - Kane Douglas, Dave Dennis; Backs - none.
3. Force: They will again be solid, but unsuccessful. Good super rugby level backrow stocks are their strength, along with Sharpe and Wykes in the second row. Nalaga is their biggest signing, but Ripia's thieving ways was a real blow for them as there weren't many good enough unsigned 10's floating around that close to the season. Upside might be the chance to see 19 year old Kyle Goodwin get a few runs. He is Perth kid who played 10 for our Schoolboys side and gets a lot of wraps from school rugby officionado's.

Fantasy team bargains: Forwards - Sam Wykes, Ben Whittaker or Nathan Charles (not sure which will start); Backs - Justin Turner (SA born and Perth raised - first of many perhaps), Nick Cummins, Pat Dellitt.

4. Brumbies: The Brumbies apparently lost 13 of their preferred game day 22 at the end of last season and now boast the youngest side in the competition, but after the embaressing train wreck of last year, the clean out was the only answer. I like their list, but without doubt it would have been reassuring if there were a few harder heads still around. A lot will come down to White, Fisher, Jones and Larkham this year, but it is a pretty decent coaching group so some reason for encouragment.

Fantasy team bargains: Forwards - Dan Palmer, Peter Kimlin, Michael Hooper, Ita Vaea; Backs - Nick White, Matt Toomua.

5. Rebels: Setting aside the coupe they pulled off in getting JOC and KB, they havent strengthened their forwards enough to threaten consistently. This year they have a couple of weapons to cause a few upsets at least with reports suggesting Cipriani and JOC have been combining well in their trials, and once Kurtley is added in they will have some genuine backline strikepower. Being their second season together, I expect they will improve somewhat in defence and organisation, but they will again be too weak in the forwards to do much.

Fantasy team bargains: Forwards - Hugh Pyle, Laurie Weeks, Luke Jones, Jarrod Saffy; Backs - Cooper Vuna, Mitch Inman, Lloyd Johannson.