Buying the Right Players for the Right Position

I was mentoring someone and I basically wrote a whole guide for player choice and positions for someone who's been at the game for a few seasons but struggling to pick the right players for a position:

So here it goes, every position should have fairly good stamina (11-13) with a TT on stamina too (forever basically for me).

() Props: 120kgs, similar height within 5cm. 13 strength should be what you are aiming for at your level.
You should be looking at players like these: http://grab.by/AkMw obviously super high weight but unlikely you'll get him.
Other potential: http://grab.by/AkMA

() Hooker: within 10cm of prop height (below) or 5cm above prop height (above). Good handling (14) and technique (13)
http://grab.by/AkMK

() Locks: 110kgs, at least one above 204cm (your main lock). I'd really recommend 120kgs weight is needed in your front five. No one on the market suits this. Here's what I'd look for:
Here's what I'd prefer:
Stamina: 11 Handling: 13
Attack: ? Defense: 10
Technique: 11 Strength: 13
Jumping: 13 Speed:?
Agility: ? Kicking: ?

() Flankers: 110kgs plus, 13 technique, 10 or 11 speed. 12 or 13 defense, These should be around collected discipline or better.
Openside: http://grab.by/AkMY
Blindside: http://grab.by/AkN6
If you can not buy tall locks, then having a tall blindside is a good compromise sort of as a 3rd jumping lock (so sort of between 195 and a low 200cm lock), the BR system seems to take into account "good jumpers" when it picks who will receive the throw.

() No.8: 120kgs pick someone heavy and 190cm+ tall, with good strength, technique, attack (doesn't have to better than your flankers for tech, but needs to be stronger.
I'd consider him almost perfect:
http://grab.by/AkNe
Obviously out of a reasonable price range but you get the idea. I'd prefer more tech but I'd be happy with him.

() Scrumhalf: I'd recommend a good kicker and also decent defense too.
Here's what I'd want:
http://grab.by/AkNg

() Flyhalf: Your main kicker should really be 14 or 15 kicking. With a look to improve kicking to 16 to be competitive at higher levels.
I'd consider him pretty damn near perfect:
http://grab.by/AkNi
If you could train kicking a couple levels and handling a couple levels too he'd be able to stay with your side for seasons to come (perhaps moved to fullback when you get a better flyhalf).

() Wingers: 13 or 14 speed, with at least 10 defense, preferably higher.
I'd prefer higher agility and stamina but he's a great start because he's got the added bonus of tech and strength and able to kick if your fullback is unable to cover:
http://grab.by/AkNo
Stretch would be him:
http://grab.by/AkNu

() Centers, 100kgs (or at least 95kgs+)
Sorta the skills I'd want at the position:
http://grab.by/AkNy
I'm a fan of crashballs, wish he had better speed and agility:
http://grab.by/AkNC


() Fullback: 12 kicking, 14 defense, 14 handling, 12 attacking. Other back skills should be at 10 or so+.
Around what I'd want:
http://grab.by/AkNw

This is really interesting. If you don't mind me asking, what division is this advice aimed at - Div 4?

I wouldn't know as I'm still starting out my team in England but I'd say Division 4 and building for Division 3 using these players as a base.

The real idea is to get allow managers to understand what type of players for which position as I have seen many rookie managers ( even 5 season+ managers) have skills out of place.

That's a decent guide for building in Div 4 in England. But I wouldn't advocate using those skills in Div 3, unless you promote into my league.

Ok, so I am in Div 3 and have been playing BR for a long time. I think I have a pretty good handle of what I'm doing and where I'm going, but I'm by no means the best manager in the game! What would your thoughts be on the above skills / what would you do differently in Div 3?

If I'm assuming Division 2 is equivalent to Division 1 Georgia? So I guess you'd need to build up to Division 1 Georgia. It's not about the CSR but the placement of skills to suit the game you want to play. While I wouldn't say tactics are my strength I'd say I'm relatively adept at them. When you are facing similarly strong teams you need to be able to play the right tactics that suit your players playing style. Which means picking the right players for the right position. I'd guess you'd want at least 16 technique in the backrow (really 17 or 18). To keep you competitive there. A heavy front row of 125kgs+ each with around 16+ strength. With a hooker who has high handling, technique and relatively high strength.

Added to which your locks should be around at least 15 or 16+ jumping with relatively good handling (14+ or so) with good enough strength and tech that they don't fall short in the shove. You want at least 203cm+ locks of this quality which usually cost around 2 mil plus.

Now on to the backs.
Scrumhalf, optimum would be a heavy scrumhalf who can kick so it allows a dual option but in one scrumhalf. Meaning he can pick and go and kick so it makes your players less predictable. Your flyhalf should have at least 16 kicking and great back skills. I feel like flyhalves are involved in every back play so I'd want at least one of your stars there.

Your centers need to be great too with great attack (16+), defense (16+) and other back skills added to which I prefer them to be 100kgs+ with relatively good strength and tech (9+).

Your wingers should be your finishers. But one of them should have good enough kicking 12+ so that if your fullback is out of place he can cover. Your fullback should basically be your flyhalf but with better defense.

Honestly as you get higher and higher you want to optimize your players so that you have no weaknesses anywhere and they all are "perfect" for each position. That's how I'd figure you win games.

As a ballpark figure I figure my starting side is worth 25 million (inclusive of 2 fairly old halves 33 and 29 turning 30). The majority of which I've trained (10 too a fairly high degree). Really no normal club would get that much money from playing competitively so you've got build on players. Use your YA to get some monster untrainables (just keep scouting and promoting until you get them (basically I focus on locks as it gives me the most money if I need to sell).

I had a bit of time so i thought I'd give a description of my squad:
1. 1. Kokhta Urushadze Georgia Add Shortcut
20 y/o (R1, D3) | 129,796 CSR (+794) | $16,445 p.w. | 201cm | 131kg | Georgia
Right handed, right footed, in decent form Stable.
A collected player with collected discipline, average leadership, and horrible experience.
Ya scout recruit that I trained in my YA.

2. Kobe Geerts Add Shortcut
21 y/o (R1, D2) | 173,789 CSR (+705) | $18,185 p.w. | 197cm | 115kg | Belgium
Left handed, left footed, in decent form Stable.
A conservative player with controlled discipline, satisfactory leadership, and limited experience.
Bought for 1.8 million recently as part of my plan. Did not train.

3. The "Win in a Landslide" Boulder Georgia Add Shortcut
19 y/o (R1, D4) | 94,314 CSR | $12,628 p.w. | 195cm | 132kg | Georgia
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Stable.
An aggressive player with controlled discipline, horrible leadership, and horrible experience.
Trained him since he was 17 years old to be my other prop.

4. John "Men in Tights" Little Add Shortcut
21 y/o (R1, D4) | 185,222 CSR | $18,433 p.w. | 207cm | 123kg | Georgia
Right handed, right footed, in average form Decreasing.
A collected player with flawless discipline, satisfactory leadership, and moderate experience.
My pride and joy, scouted, promoted and train in senior facilities since he was 26.3k

5. Big Friendly "BFG" Giant Add Shortcut
25 y/o (R9, D7) | 159,773 CSR (+649) | $16,344 p.w. | 205cm | 117kg | Italy
Right handed, right footed, in decent form Stable.
A collected player with collected discipline, horrible leadership, and average experience.
Bought him when he was 70k for a mil (s17) trained him a bit to round his skills to what I want. My next player to be probably replaced.

6. Blaine "Blaze" Joscelin Add Shortcut
25 y/o (R1, D5) | 194,758 CSR (+564) | $18,502 p.w. | 199cm | 111kg | Georgia
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Stable.
An aggressive player with flawless discipline, satisfactory leadership, and limited experience.
Bought did not train I payed the extra money to buy what I believe was an excellent 6.

7. Princess "Lady Di" Diana Remove Shortcut
23 y/o (R2, D7) | 223,751 CSR (+655) | $21,524 p.w. | 198cm | 121kg | Georgia
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Increasing.
An aggressive player with collected discipline, horrible leadership, and moderate experience.
Was an experiment where I scouted all forwards and then trained only back skills in the YA for a season. The only one who turned out well. Started at "only" 33k but amazing rounded skills. Trained till he finished his u20s.

8. Lemuel "Lilliput" Gulliver Add Shortcut
25 y/o (R3, D7) | 167,310 CSR (+791) | $17,246 p.w. | 201cm | 123kg | South Africa
Left handed, left footed, in satisfactory form Increasing.
A conservative player with controlled discipline, moderate leadership, and moderate experience.
I trained him on 5-7 sessions on and off for his u20 career just so that I'd have a player who was able to play both lock and in the backrow. Usually these types of players are fairly expensive. So I bought him when he was 18 or 19 years old (59k when I got him) so he had finished half his training already and then turned him into the player I want.

9. Clovis "Iron Willed" Belfin Add Shortcut
33 y/o (R15, D6) | 201,459 CSR (+418) | $18,359 p.w. | 186cm | 85kg | Canada
Right handed, right footed, in average form Stable.
A collected player with collected discipline, decent leadership, and decent experience.
My first trainee that I trained fairly strongly since he was 17 and then on and off to round out his skills whenever I could. He was only 14k when I got him.

10. Timothée "Bulimic" Billemer Add Shortcut
29 y/o (R9, D1) | 230,109 CSR (+641) | $21,063 p.w. | 188cm | 90kg | France
Right handed, right footed, in decent form Stable.
An aggressive player with reckless discipline, satisfactory leadership, and average experience.
i got him at 117k when I was desperate to actually get a flyhalf. So I paid 2 million back in S15. He had admirable attack and reputable defense when I got him so I really had to on and off whenever I could train that up till he is now a very very decent player.

11. Road "Meep Meep!" Runner Add Shortcut
25 y/o (R3, D1) | 202,287 CSR (+447) | $19,469 p.w. | 196cm | 87kg | Hong Kong
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Stable.
A psychotic player with collected discipline, limited leadership, and average experience.
Trained him since he was 20k csr and then very hard to 19 years old and then rounded out his skills on and off to 20 years old.

12. Brenton "Bullshit" Botwright Add Shortcut
27 y/o (R2, D4) | 189,165 CSR (+592) | $19,016 p.w. | 186cm | 107kg | England
Right handed, right footed, in despicable form Stable.
A psychotic player with collected discipline, admirable leadership, and average experience.
Bought him when he was 88k in S16 R14 for 1 million dollars. I saw lots of potential and at the time he looked more like a flanker than he did a center so I trained his really low stamina and attack (10 and 11 respectively) until he was good enough.

13. Vjacheslav Tryndin Add Shortcut
23 y/o (R2, D3) | 189,823 CSR (+699) | $19,442 p.w. | 189cm | 88kg | Russia
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Stable.
An aggressive player with controlled discipline, reputable leadership, and limited experience.
Bought him did not train him but he had perfect skills for what I wanted. So I paid a premium of 2.3 mil in S21 R11 to get him.

14. Valentín "V" Hierro Add Shortcut
25 y/o (R6, D1) | 186,503 CSR (+928) | $18,456 p.w. | 185cm | 101kg | Spain
Right handed, right footed, in satisfactory form Increasing.
A timid player with collected discipline, decent leadership, and moderate experience.
He was a very good player when I bought him, able to play center and winger so I paid 1.4 mil in S18 R15 to get him and then trained his skills to be more of a winger. This allows him to play almost any non kicking position which suits a club side.

15. Edmund "Bloody Annoyed!" Blackadder Add Shortcut
21 y/o (R5, D5) | 176,267 CSR (+853) | $18,158 p.w. | 180cm | 90kg | Georgia
Left handed, left footed, in admirable form Stable.
A conservative player with controlled discipline, moderate leadership, and limited experience.
Another of my trainees that I trained from 17 years old he was 32k at the time (R5 late birth) and i trained him hard and then at the end of it I felt he lacked the kicking I wanted so in the "offish" season R12 to R16 I put 6 kicking sessions on him to make sure he got to the kicking I wanted. It may have gotten diminishing training values but it sure upped his transfer value a large amount.

Wow, that is a post! Thanks - very interesting to see who you have got, where they came from etc. Certainly gives me something to aim towards in terms of team development.

No problem glad I could help!