by BreadHead
The Oceanic Counter-Strike region has been in a bit of a rut for a while now, and with CS2 approaching its one year anniversary on September 27, the top team in the region still isn't composed of the five best players from our region.
No majority OCE team has been able to make it out of the first phase of a CS major since Renegades were able to finish top four at the StarLadder Berlin Major in 2019—a full six majors ago. The only recent playoff run by an OCE team at an S-Tier event was at ESL Pro League Season 19 where FlyQuest finished shy of the top eight, due in part to the unique format of the tournament.
FlyQuest and Rooster are the only teams qualifying for international tournaments, occasionally landing upset wins but ultimately losing to stronger teams. Given the rise of CS2 and new domestic talent, it's time to give fresh players a chance on the big stage. The term “superteam” is rarely used when describing FlyQuest—the top ranked Oceanic team—with obvious flaws which set them back from being truly “super.”
My super-team will be constructed using the best players that work for each role and is solely made up of Oceanic players that would work well together.
Joshua “INS” Potter - Lurk
The first selection for my dream OCE super-team is FlyQuest rifler Joshua “INS” Potter. INS has proven he can get it done on the international level, with one of his top performances coming at EPL Season 19. Before losing to Team Liquid in the round of 12, INS was sitting on a 1.34 rating, dominating anyone who came in his way during the group stage. INS still is the best OCE player.
His teammate Jay “liazz” Tregillgas said during a HLTV interview before their match against Team Liquid “You can just fucking plonk INS down somewhere and you know that he's good for two or three,” and also described INS as “the full package”. INS will serve nicely as my aggressive lurk player who is super versatile, plays with a calm attitude and requires not too many resources to secure his star level numbers.
Corey “nettik” Browne - Entry
My next pick is Corey “nettik” Browne, the 21-year-old aggressive rifler for Talon. Nettik is able to play the game at his own pace, basically doing as he pleases on the server. Nettik finds himself in dominant positions on the T-side due to his brilliant mind for positioning and has rifle skills to back it up.
On Ancient for example, nettik is able to position himself in Red Room time and time again on unorthodox timings which force the opposition CT’s to panic. He first gained widespread recognition earlier this year while playing for Rooster in ECL Season 47 Oceania, where he achieved the highest rating of the season at an impressive 1.51. The Kiwi has the potential to rise to the level of talent like INS or jks. Our scene has always been able to produce generational rifle talent, and nettik is next up on that esteemed list.
Chris “dexter” Nong - IGL
For the IGL position I will be choosing Christopher “dexter” Nong from FlyQuest. Veteran Aussie Aaron “AZR” Ward was also a strong contender as he remains a skilled entry player. At 31, AZR needs to reprove himself with Talon to be considered for my OCE super-team.
Dexter, on the other hand, spent nearly two years with a promising MOUZ lineup where he honed his skills and contributed to the development of European talent. Upon returning to Oceania when joining Greyhound, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to call a strong game and perform individually. However, a notable concern is his track record with AWPers.
Tyson “asap” Paterson - Anchor
I am extremely confident in my fourth selection for the squad. As my small-site anchor and versatile player I have chosen Rooster’s Tyson “asap” Paterson. I’ve been a long-time admirer of his talent, feeling that he was somewhat overshadowed when Nettik was on the team.
Asap stepped up in a big way recently at EPL Season 20, being clearly the top performer for the squad both statistically and eye-test wise. His ability to excel in multiple positions and roles makes him an ideal fit for a super-team.
Joshua “dpr” Henderson-Smith - AWP
For my final pick to complete the super-team, I’ve chosen Joshua “dpr” Henderson-Smith as my AWPer. This selection might surprise some fans, but at just 19 years old, dpr is one of the most thrilling new talents in our domestic scene. His proficiency with the AWP is remarkable—he plays aggressively and has the potential to single-handedly turn the tide of a match. Since his return to ECL joining KZG in August, dpr has put up a 1.31 rating on a team that loses more than it wins. Dpr was in my honorable mentions for the Oceania’s up-and-coming pros article, but in hindsight he could have topped that list.
It is true that dpr lacks experience and hasn't played enough officials yet to qualify for a Oceanic super-team, but this player is special and there is nothing that excites me more in CS than giving a rookie AWPer a shot in a top team.
This roster would be able to potentially make a playoff run in a big tournament, the talent in our region is there. For it to be a top 10 team in the world is a stretch, going back to the RNG and 100T days of old, you may need an international player to be the glue of the team and bring a more competitive mindset.
The problem we have is that OCE has adapted too slowly to the new game, for the first eight or so months it was hard to see who the true best CS2 players were. Recently, fresh talent has emerged and our top players from the past in CSGO have been struggling to keep up. Now with the introduction of Talon to the space and the recent Oceanic rostermania, I can see a new era eventually coming through to match the release of CS2.