Amateurs Fantasy Sports

After an impressive month of football—posting scores of 50, 62, 53, and 81—Erin Clark has surged into fantasy relevance, currently the most traded-in player. The key question now: can he sustain this form and become a genuine asset over the bye period?

Upside:

Lock Games 45-60 minutes –	AVG	BASE	ATT	NEG
9	52.7	41.3	15.4	-5.2

Lock Games 50-60 minutes –	AVG	BASE	ATT	NEG
7	54.7	41.4	16.7	-4.9

Admittedly, I’ve overlooked Erin Clark for the better part of three years, but what stands out most now is how much tread he still has left on the tyres. Despite being 27, Clark has only played 84 NRL games pre 2025, with 51 of those coming off the bench and just 28 at hooker — numbers that don’t match the perception of a player who feels like he’s logged 150 appearances. This matters, particularly as he approaches the “age cliff” of 28 that Amateur Ryan highlighted in the preseason, where output historically starts to dip. However, his performances this year suggest that Clark still has untapped potential, and his keeper credentials should not be overlooked.

Clark’s upside is clear, particularly in his best position — lock. Even when you relax adjustments for minutes, he boasts a career average of 50.7 at lock with an impressive 0.97 points per minute (PPM). We’ve long seen flashes of keeper potential in him, but consistent opportunity previously behind a crowded Titans forward pack has been the primary barrier to unlocking it. It’s more than evident this year with an impressive 1.03 ppm.

From a pure football perspective, Erin Clark has been one of the Warriors’ standout forwards, both by the eye test and statistically. He’s averaging 152.3 metres per game, 2.3 tackle busts, and 1.6 offloads, offering that rare blend of a high-work-rate middle who also poses a genuine attacking threat. He’s increasingly becoming a key part of their attacking structure, regularly helping to create time and space for the halves — a contribution that adds significant value. There’s a case to make that he’s, their guy.

With James Fisher-Harris still at least two to three weeks away and the Titans running a three-forward bench, Clark looms as a strong short-term fantasy play. His dual-position status (HOK/MID) is particularly valuable ahead of Round 12, where many coaches will be scrambling for coverage in both positions. Realistically, he should play around 50–55 minutes in the short term, with upside to push closer to 60.

For many teams — mine included — the lack of viable hooker options and uncertainty around that third MID spot, especially with Corey Horsburgh likely locked in for Origin, makes Clark a timely solution. While I see more value in him at hooker, particularly compared to options like Jayden Brailey or Ryley Smith, he can still do a job in the MIDs if needed. Flexibility and opportunity make him a compelling prospect in the weeks ahead. He also pairs quite nicely with Peter Mamouzelos during this bye period as he covers Rd 12 & 19 which Peter misses.

Downside:

There’s a valid concern raised by sceptics regarding Erin Clark, and it’s worth addressing before rushing to lock in a trade.

The imminent return of James Fisher-Harris raises the possibility that Clark reverts to a sub-50-minute role.

Lock Games 40-50 minutes –	AVG	BASE	ATT	NEG
6 games	43.5	39.3	9.7	-5.8

In games played alongside Fisher-Harris this season, Clark has averaged just 45.2 minutes and hasn’t played over 50 in any of them. While his 1.0 PPM remains intact, sustainability becomes a concern if his minutes stay low—something that needs to be considered.

This ties into a broader issue: rotation predictability. From a fantasy perspective, the Warriors’ rotation has been notoriously difficult to read:

1. In the preseason, Fisher-Harris was expected to be the dominant forward playing big minutes. However, coach Andrew Webster shifted course, giving Jackson Ford more time, including multiple 60-minute games—a move few predicted.
2. Fisher-Harris owners were frustrated, relying on his strong PPM as consolation. This isn’t a knock on Ford, who’s performed well, but the shift was unexpected considering Fish is a 4 time premiership winner and NZ International.
3. The Warriors’ rotations have been affected by HIAs in the past two weeks, and it begs the question whether Clark’s minutes have been inflated.
4. Another example: a few fantasy coaches backed Leka Halasima last week, expecting around 65 minutes as a starting edge. Instead, he played just 39.

Will Erin Clark be impacted by similar unpredictability? Honestly, I don’t think so—but the uncertainty in rotations remains a legitimate factor, especially for a player already priced at 48. When combined with Fisher-Harris’s return, it’s understandable why some are hesitant.

That said, I believe Mitchell Barnett is a strong chance for Origin selection, given his form and incumbency. If that happens, it could create a clearer path for Clark to maintain solid minutes.

With that addressed, I want to briefly touch on two final concerns:

1. Is Erin Clark purely a Round 12 option?
2. Is he just a short-term, six-week play you’ll need to trade out?

In short—no, not necessarily. Clark offers DPP (MID/HOK) flexibility and can average in the mid-to-high 40s over this Origin period. Given the likelihood of players being rested or managed during this time, Clark becomes a reliable depth option who can consistently deliver around 40 points—or be used as a looping candidate in worst-case scenarios.

As Intern Austo (hopefully soon Amateur Austo) pointed out, Clark is a strong candidate for the 18th man slot, especially in a season where the HOK position has been thin outside of Connor Watson and Wayde Egan. The current fantasy final team meta appears to favour one starting HOK with solid cover—Clark fits that mould perfectly (given he’s not a pure HOK) and much like Samuela Fainu did last year, he can be a good 18^th man.

Conclusion:

This has been a hot topic on Discord all day, with Erin Clark topping the charts as the most-viewed player on the fantasy break-even stats. Realistically, you need to cover Mamouzelos, who misses Rounds 12 and 19 — and Clark does just that, making his HOK coverage particularly valuable.

Fundamentally, I don’t think he’s a bad buy. I know the boys are warming to him as an option, and honestly, after writing this, so am I. While I prefer Plath, the uncertainty around his foot injury makes that a risky move. At this point, it has to be Erin Clark — unless you want to roll the dice and wait for a cash-out hooker in Round 12, which, based on current projections, doesn’t look promising.

He’s not in my team at the moment, but that will likely change in the next 24–48 hours. It’s probably a simple matter of buying him due to positional scarcity and the need for coverage at hooker.

Enjoy Magic Round everyone — and in the spirit of jumping on Erin Clark: Up the Wahs!

THE ANONYMOUS INTERN.

Game Theory:

AGE: Fair

DURABILITY: Good

TEAM: Fair

PROTOTYPE: Good

Then the “ethical fantasy” factors…

VERSATILITY: Good (HOK minutes potentially but with a utility probably not)

GRUB FACTOR: Excellent

COACH PREDICTABILITY: Concern

ROTATION PREDICTABILITY: Concern

FITNESS: Good

VALUE/UPSIDE: Fair