Final Word Awards: SuperCoach 2020 season

• STAT ANALYSIS: Vital numbers to beat the best
• CAPTAIN’S CHALLENGE: Round 20 skipper options

We’ve made it to the final round of 2020 NRL SuperCoach, and whilst it’s always tinged with a bit of sadness when the SuperCoach year comes to an end, I can honestly say for me I’ve been looking forward to 2021 SuperCoach for some time now. 

It was always going to be a tough ask to nail my team selections and get the luck needed to compete for the title again in 2020. 

Timmy Williams (founder SC Playbook) on the other hand has excelled throughout all the Covid drama and SuperCoach changes and sits in second just 61 points behind the leader. 

With mass restings wreaking havoc upon squads, Timmy’s really well positioned with significant squad depth. 

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Let’s all hope he can fly the flag for SC Playbook and bring home the 2020 NRL SuperCoach title with his side the Cooma Stallions. 

Good luck to everyone who is playing in Draft and Head-to-Head League grand-finals this week. 

I hope that the mass team changes have not disadvantaged those teams too much. 

Thanks everyone for listening into the SC Playbook podcasts and reading our articles. 

We really appreciate your support and hope for bigger and better things for SC Playbook in 2021. 

GIVE US YOUR WINNERS IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW USING THIS FORMAT:

Cheapie:

Mid-ranger:

Captain:

Flop:

Surprise packet:

Rookie:

2020 SC Playbook – The Final Word Awards 

As we round out the season, I have put together the inaugural SC Playbook The Final Word Awards and here they are:

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Cheapie of the Year

Walson:

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 

Whilst he wasn’t a bargain basement price cheapie, Big Tino did start the year at $217k. 

Heading into Round-20 he’s averaged 57 and is priced at $564k. Jarome Luai deserves a mention also. 

Dez:

Zac Lomax

Some would argue at a starting price of $324k Lomax was a mid-ranger, however nobody could have predicted he would be in the top 10 for total SuperCoach points scored with just one round left this season.

Lomax has shown outstanding attacking prowess chasing through on kicks and the ability to get outside the defence to unleash his winger, oh and not to mention some outstanding goal-kicking to prop him up to a 67.3 average.

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Mid-Ranger of the Year 

Walson:

Kurt Mann 

Played multiple positions but just kept on delivering for the SuperCoaches who had faith in him. 

Averaging 64.1 and available in the CTW position Kurt Mann was gold this season. 

Dez:

Patrick Carrigan

I think every man and his dog knew that Carrigan was capable of a season like this as long as he was given the minutes, and thankfully enough for most of us hardcore coaches he was.

A solid 66.4 average and a key versatile figure to move between FRF and 2RF in these last few weeks. Very much a staple of the top few sides and I expect much the same next season.

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Captain of the Year 

Walson:

James Tedesco 

Just impossible to go past Teddy with 6 x 100+ games including the new NRL SuperCoach record of 199. 

He was also amazingly consistent only scoring under 60 three times the whole year. 

Dez:

Nathan Cleary

Hard to argue with Walson’s pick of James Tedesco as he has obviously been the highest averaging player of the year with some enormous tons, however I think on a consistency basis Cleary takes the cake.

He hasn’t had any massive 150+ scores to bolster his average like teddy has, but rather has maintained his 84 average by scoring around that 75-100 range in 70% of games this year.

Truly outstanding from the young lad and I expected nothing less from him this year.

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Flop of the Year 

Walson:

Jai Arrow 

Always promises so much for SuperCoaches, but so often fails to deliver. 

Whether it is because of injury or this year not even making the run-on side half the time, Jai Arrow has disappointed for SuperCoaches. 

Maika Sivo and Mitch Moses get an honourable (or dishonourable) mention for this category as they both had significant regressions from last year. 

Dez:

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

If you had have told me RTS would average under 60 this year after what he produced in 2019 I would have called you a mad man, but here we are.

The Warriors have found other avenues of attack this year as opposed to just relying on RTS and Maumalo.

Young Eli Katoa has stepped up alongside Kodi Nikorima which in turn has crippled RTS’ attacking output throughout the year.

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Surprise Packet of the Year

Walson:

David Nofoaluma 

I’ve got to go with Nofo. Even though picking him at the start of the year was one of the few things I did get right, even I didn’t believe that he would average 76.8 points and finish 2^nd highest point-scorer in SuperCoach overall! 

A phenomenal effort from a CTW in a team that didn’t even finish in the Top 8. 

Dez:

At the start of the year I warned against buying Cam Smith because I thought he would hand over a lot of the attacking reigns this season to the likes of Munster, Papenhuyzen and Hughes, however I’ve been made to look a fool by old CS9.

Averaging 79.1 which is far more than he averaged last season, a truly surprising year from the veteran who appeared to be losing his speed and tackling ability mid 2019 getting run over by the likes of Okunbor, but in 2020 he has shown no regression – superhuman stuff.

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Rookie Player of the Year 

Walson:

Stephen Crichton 

It’s hard to go past Crichton who forced his way into the Panthers line-up early in the season and continued to produce for SC owners throughout. Looks a SC keeper of the future!

Dez:

Harry Grant

Outstanding debut year from Grant. It’s rare that a player hyped up as much as he was actually meets expectations, but in this case Harry met them with ease.

A mixture of the Cook running game out of dummy half and the Smith vision and creativity allowed Harry to cause havoc in most games and boast a healthy average of 72.1.

I will go the early crow on Grant and predict he will be a must have next season.