Opinion: Pre-Season Dream Team
23 Jan 2020
You have to choose one player from each Super League team and one wildcard player, who makes your pre-season Dream Team?
Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons)
There are an array of options at full-back, but I like Tomkins as the Catalans player in my side. A legend of the sport and capable of changing a game on his day.
Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield Giants)
The Huddersfield and England legend enjoyed another fruitful campaign in 2019, crossing for 17 tries in 24 matches. There are plenty of potent finishers in Super League and McGillvary remains among the best of them.
Mahe Fonua (Hull FC)
There were a few options from FC, with the likes of Jake Connor and Josh Griffin available in the centre, but I’ve gone with Fonua and his return is a massive boost for the club.
Konrad Hurrell (Leeds Rhinos)
Hurrell was one of Leeds' better performers in 2019, in what was a difficult year for the Rhinos. The 28-year-old scored 14 tries and made 138 tackle busts, the fourth most in the league.
Sosaia Feki (Castleford Tigers)
Signed from the Cronulla Sharks, a club he had spent his entire NRL career at, Feki brings an x-factor to the Tigers on the wing.
Jonny Lomax (St Helens)
Choosing a Saints player for the team is a difficult task, simply because there is so much quality across every position, but Lomax just oozes class. His 2019 included 16 tries and 21 assists.
Jackson Hastings (Wigan Warriors)
There are so many quality halves in Super League and Hastings is up there with the very best. The 2019 Man of Steel finished with 36 try assists for Salford, 14 more than anyone else.
David Fifita (Wakefield Trinity)
Fifita led the Man of Steel race in the early stages of last season with a number of barnstorming performances. Injury derailed the second half of his campaign, but I am still very happy to add him to my front row.
Daryl Clark (Warrington Wolves)
Warrington are another side it is hard to choose a player from, but I have gone with Clark at hooker. He finished 2019 with 19 try assists and 882 tackles and won the Lance Todd Trophy as the Wire won the Challenge Cup final.
Luke Thompson (St Helens)*
Unsurprisingly, I have chosen Saints as the side who are represented by two players. Thompson was described as the ‘best in the world’ by teammate and fellow prop, Alex Walmsley following the Grand Final. He was named in the Super League Dream Team for the second year in a row in 2019.
Sonny Bill Williams (Toronto Wolfpack)
An easy decision. Williams is the Wolfpack’s and Super League’s marquee signing heading into 2020 and brings undoubted quality to the Toronto forward pack.
Weller Hauraki (Hull KR)
The New Zealander was one of KR’s better players in 2019 and did not miss a Super League game. This season will be his final year at the club and he will be hoping to finish on a positive note.
Luke Yates (Salford Red Devils)
Many of Salford’s heroes from 2019 have departed the club, but the acquisition of Yates is an excellent one. He finished with the second most tackles in Super League last season and was one of London Broncos' most consistent performers.
*Wildcard
