How to utilise the vice-captain loophole

Hey team,

We’ve added a tool on our website that calculates whether it’s worth using a vice-captain loophole or not.

Here’s an explanation of how the vice-captain loophole actuals works for anyone that’s unsure.

Essentially if your vice-captain had a big game, say 100+, then you need to decide if you want to loophole or not.

TRY OUT THE VICE-CAPTAIN LOOPHOLE CALCULATOR HERE

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This involves:

1) Dropping a starting player in your 17 for a player who won’t play (and therefore scores 0) and putting the captain on this non player. (Not everyone will have a non-player in their squad)

2) This will mean that your vice-captain’s score will double because your captain didn’t play.

3) The downside is that you will get an auto-emergency score for the non-player who you brought into your 17. The non-player is your lowest bench scorer from outside your 17 man team who automatically comes into your 17. (Additionally, if another player drops out late then you will get a 0 for them as your auto-emergency has already been used.)

Basically, there are differing factors involved and the loophole calculator lets you project (guess) what score is needed to make the loophole worthwhile.

It is a little confusing unless you have used it before, but let’s run two hypothetical scenarios to give a better idea.

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SCENARIO 1

My vice-captain Payne Haas this Thursday scores 122 points.

My only non-player is Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, so I would bring him into my 17 and take out Kurt Mann. I then make Tabuai-Fidow my skipper.

Let’s say Mann ends up scoring 36 points as a non-player in my 17 and my lowest scoring non-player outside my 17 of say Zane Musgrove scores 23, he becomes my auto-emergency.

Further, my original captain Jason Taumalolo scores 80.

If I use the loophole I would score:

Haas – 122 x 2 = 244

Taumalolo = 80

Auto-emergency = 23

Total score = 347

If I didn’t use the loophole I would have scored:

Haas – 122

Taumalolo – 80 x 2 = 160 (captain)

Mann = 36 (He would have started in my centres)

Total score = 318

This way you have scored an extra 31 points! Pretty decent.

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SCENARIO 2

Vice-captain on Payne Haas this Thursday and he scores 103.

My only non-player is Tabuai-Fidow, so I would bring him into my 17 and take out Mann and make Tabuai-Fidow my captain.

Let’s say Mann ends up scoring 55 as a non-player and my lowest scoring non-player of say Jake Averillo scores 7 an therefore becomes my auto-emergency.

Further, my original captain Jason Taumalolo scores 94.

Haas – 103 x 2 = 206

Taumalolo = 94

Auto-emergency = 7

Total score = 307

If you didn’t use the loop you would have scored:

Haas – 107

Taumalolo – 94 x 2 = 188 (captain)

Mann = 55 (He would have started in my centres)

Total score = 350

This way you have scored 43 less points by using the vice-captain loophole!!

The main thing for me is both the size of the vice-captain’s score and the make-up of your bench.

Having someone who may play five minutes can hurt badly, but if the guy you take out (say Kurt Mann) is roughly equal to your worst bench player this could be useful and a safer move.

The other two things we can’t always predict is what the original captain may score and the risk that the person you decide not to play may score a double and rip out 85 SuperCoach points that you miss out on!

On a positive note you are locking in the large vice-captain score and avoiding the risk that your captain gets hurt and scores 5 (thank you Andrew Fifita last year).

I hope this made sense. Try the calculator and run a scenario with your team that may work for you. You will pick it up eventually.

Like the rest of SuperCoach there is plenty of calculation and method involved plus of course plenty of luck!

If you’re still unsure, hit me up on Twitter at @scspy1 or message our Facebook page and we’ll get back to you.