NRL Round 9 Supercoach Wrap: 10 Things We Learnt

I am far too invested in men running around a field playing for imaginary Supercoach points that have no bearing on my life!

But we love it!

Round 9 had it all!

We had some monster scores for some favourites with some trade targets also hitting lofty heights.

Cheapies like Trai Fuller and David Armstrong emerged but only time will tell whether the move from a gun CTW or FLB to either will pay dividends. 

Then there was Terrell May who for the near 16,000 who traded the front rower out, were left feeling sick on Friday night as he crashed over for a double to register a 120+ score.

Also seems that pesky hamstring of Cleary’s has hurt me more than its hurt him!

Holding him was NOT the play as he was scratched from an enticing Thursday fixture against the Rabbitohs.

If he is not named tomorrow, I may need therapy.

Turbos Hamstrings had a solid week scoring 1,319 moving 4,046 spots up in the rankings to 7,076 overall.

I didn’t make a trade in round 9 so seeing that score after holding firm was very good.

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10 things we learnt from Round 9

1. Angus Crichton you 9-fingered star

What a revelation Gussy Crichton has become!

Started the year in NSW Cup and landed a starting spot in Round 5.

Since then, he has 2 scores of 119+ and has averaged a tick under 97!

When he was a popular buy about 4 weeks ago, he was priced at 414k.

Come Monday he will be over 700k and a negative breakeven. 

His 151 on Friday night was as good performance from a second rower we will see this year.

Tore the Broncos right edge apart scoring a double and setting up another.

His 151, was his 3^rd score of 150+ in Supercoach history, becoming the first forward to achieve the feat.

He was picked up as a fallen gun who wouldn’t make Origin.. I’m guessing he won’t have to go to Rebel this year to get a Blues jersey.

Takes on the Wahs next week, who are looking increasingly shaky in D.

A Steve Smith 2019 effort of 3 tons on the run is not out of the question. 

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2. DWZ – Doesn’t Want Zepoints

Owners of DWZ have had a month to forget!

Touted this time 4 weeks ago as a near must-have after his 91 v Manly he has since produced scores of 61, 47 and 25 playing the Dragons, Titans and Newcastle, losing owners roughly 100k since buying him.

Attacking stats just haven’t come his way and his only try in that 3 week period was a 77^th minute effort against the Dragons.

He was unlucky not to have one or even 2 on a wet and miserable Sunday afternoon in Newcastle but the winger seems only a couple passes sticking away from a big score. 

Unfortunately though I don’t think he will have the room this weekend playing the Roosters.

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3. Roosters attack flying

100 points in 2 weeks thanks for coming!

The Chooks have absolutely sent a message these past 2 weeks keeping the scoreboard attendants in a job noting up a neat 100 in the last 160 minutes of football.

Don’t know what was said after the defeat to Melbourne.

It’s translated very well to the Supercoach world with 4 players knocking out 110+ scores on Friday night whilst players like Dom Young and Joseph Manu just seem to be targets each and every week.

Origin will knock them around but I think there might be some super PODS to come from the stars that will go into Origin camps.

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4. Manly duo combine well but Manly hate the wet

Turbo and Reuben Garrick – Feels like I’m writing a 2021 wrap up but the Manly duo were on many hit radars last week and for differing reasons.

Gaz was a popular buy after his late demolition of the Eels and he backed it up nicely, bagging a double to finish with 102.

Taking his HIA affected game and subsequent return game out of his stats (Picking and choosing I know) he averages a tick under 94!

He was dirt cheap before last week and there is still time to grab him and make your side look a lot better – in more ways than one.

And much was said about Turbo throughout week and whether to sell him to a money-making machine in Fuller and it seemed whichever way you went, you came out on top!

Turbo was on fire early on Friday night and hit the sheds with 75 points to his name, but could only manage another 17 in the second half – not through lack of trying I might add.

But apparently that wasn’t good enough for the throws of those who still have the soon to be NSW Fullback 😉.

Manly came out with the dry tyres on to coin a Formula One-phrase and looked like Blacktown.

Turbo finished with 92 for the night, half of what he was looking at. Still though averages just under 80. Any other fullback with those numbers and you would be cheering.

Last note.. Seems its ok if a player only scores 20 in one half and 75 in the next if they are wearing a blue, black and white jumper, have long hair and wear the number 7.

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5. Isaako.

I wanted this bloke more than Souths want Wayne Bennett – And I had a problem that the Roosters never seem to have – I didn’t have enough in my salary cap to afford him!

Can’t win them all in Supercoach and I decided to hold fire and not make any trades, so watching this on Saturday night hurt even more.

He seemed a popular buy – even more so after the Overlord pulled a Simone Biles and back flipped his way into trading him in.

He was near perfect on the wing for the Phins bagging a hat-trick and kicking too many goals for his 151. 

Word of warning – don’t go chasing last week’s points!

Hasn’t exactly set the Supercoach world alight in 2024 but hasn’t been awful either.

Most of the Dolphins attack has gone down the left edge this year where Bostock has been stationed.

Saturday might have been a turning point and he does have Rd 13 coverage – Screw it chase those points! 

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6. Nicho lubes up in wet – big month ahead

I have had to endure another Sunday afternoon being Nicho-less. Just think, if I owned him I would have nothing to write about!

Thankfully though the heavens opened up and turned Shark Park into Sea World.

The Dragons were up for the fight and Nicho only managed 20 in the first half.

He was able to right the ship and finished with 97 thanks to a couple of passes that even I could have thrown.

He gets some “easy” points from being the last pass to some big bodies who find some tired defenders and crash over – see Talakai and Hazelton – but he has about 7 touches a set so it’s bound to happen.

Has had scores of 94, 82, 142, 160 and 97 since his supposed slow start, to have a 5 round average of 115 neat.

Thanks for coming!

He will be priced at a tick over $1 Million come lockout and would be worth every cent if it wasn’t for the toughest 3 weeks he will have all year – Melb in Melb, Roosters in Brisbane and Penrith at Penrith.  

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7. T. May

Back May in May! It was right there in front of us!

Both May brothers had their standout weeks to kick off the month of May and it seemed no fluke.

Taylan got the weekend started scoring his first try of 2024 after the Overlord threatened to retire if he didn’t notch an attacking stat.

If it wasn’t for an unaware Souths side and a quick thinking Dylan Edwards, we may have seen the last of Timmy!

He streaked away and finished with 74, his highest score since he probably got one of this 4 tattoos above his collarbone. 

But things were just heating up.

Terrell was one the chopping bloke for many – even me – and I would have traded him had JWH played. He got ruled out so I thought I’ll hold for another week.

Hallelujah!!

2 tries in an AFB like performance absolutely cruelling those who got rid of him – Spy I’m looking at you!

Met his BE so will now make us all a bit more cash but more importantly, will have hopefully played his way into more minutes and becomes a lock for Round 13.

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8. Backup hooker conundrum deepens

I’ll leave backup hooker as the headline, but I think we could have just gone with Hooker conundrum!

I seem to be writing about the no. 9s every week but each week something different seems to be come up! I’m sure we could all come to a consensus and get rid of the position all together and make it a Wildcard spot.

Api Koroisau was a late withdrawal meaning plenty had to turn to their back up hooker.

Api seems a sell and I’m tipping a Blue jumper will come his way. 

Reece Robson bounced back after his down week last round with a solid 75, JMK had a quiet outing finishing with 52 and Harry Grant can’t take a trick only scoring 57 against the Titans, his 6^th score between 48 and 63 for the year.

Jayden Brailey was high on everyone’s wish list but he only go through 45 minutes of work for his 31.

I didn’t catch why, but he did get used as a speed bump early for AFB.

Connor Watson though has stamped his mark and will cost roughly $550k heading into Round 10.

His scores are a bit all over the place but his minutes since Round 5 have been excellent and has dual position in the second row.

Joe Chan made enough money for us yet?

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9. Injuries 

The NRL Physio has been one of the hardest working content creators of the past month and Round 9 didn’t give him any reprieves! 

Adam Reynolds, Cam Murray and Papi were three big names to go down on the weekend, adding to a growing list of casualties already in 2024.

Check out his list of “Injured 1-17”. Mind blowing!

None though have hurt more than Paps.

He was looking like going on an absolute tear on Saturday arvo, but had his afternoon cut short hurting his lower leg – the same one he broke last year.

Mate. Lucks gotta turn soon!

Being an owner I was devastated but prognosis isn’t too bad and he may be back in the next month.

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10. Minute Watch:

Rabbitohs v Panthers
Keaon 80, Murray 80, Arrow 70, Yeo 71

Sea Eagles v Raiders
Jurbo 80, Smithies 72, Levi 53 

Broncos v Roosters
Haas 59, Piakura 74, Willison 38, May 49, Watson 80

Bulldogs v Tigers
Kikau 80, Curran 44, Hughes 36, Salmon 80, Fainu 80

Titans v Storm
D Fifita 80, Fermor 80, Jolliffe 64, Blore 73, Grant 80, Chan 40

Cowboys v Dolphins
Nanai 80, Lolo 43, Cotter 67, Finefeuiaki 70, JMK 80, Plath 80, Kerr 33 

Knights v Warriors
KPP 80, Lucas 80, Brailey 49, Crossland 37, AFB 66, Barnett 70  

Sharks v Dragons
Hazelton 41, McInnes 55, Talakai 20, RFM 50, JDB 40, Liddle 66