Nick Moon
Self-proclaimed funny guy
NRL Round 12 Supercoach Wrap: 10 Things We Learnt
Nick Moon recaps the Round 12 of NRL Supercoach from a 3-point Hynes score to the emergence of "former" Blues stars.
NRL
May 27, 2024
Bye planning. Why bother!
Seemingly had everything sorted until the Origin teams dropped.
I have gone from having 16 down to 12.
I must be on the same wavelength as Maguire and Slater because they have seemed to pick most of the players in my team for Origin spots!
Anyway we roll on..
Round 13 is upon us and time will tell whether we have planned well enough. We get 3 trades this weekend (4 with a boost) so should be able to counteract any changes you didn’t see coming.
Turbos Hamstrings just couldn’t get off the tarmac this weekend scoring only 1171 falling outside the top 10000. Captaining Dom Young didn’t help but it was 33 more than someone else
AFB being a no show forced me to play Hughes and I was so pre-occupied I didn’t even think about my sit v starts and forgot Galvin was running at the weakest defence of the past month.
Here are the 10 9 things we learnt from Round 12 of NRL Supercoach.
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Embed from Getty ImagesHynes comes crashing down
Let’s all rejoice non-owners!
It’s only taken nigh on 10 weeks but being a Nicho non-owner has finally paid off!
Three points.
That’s what you get for a run over eight metres and a single tackle. And that’s all Nicho could muster in the 32 minutes against Penrith.
He went off with HIA and then didn’t return due to the calf complaint and possibly the fact that Madge was in the stands and handcuffed him to the change rooms.
It’s been a dire month for halfbacks and Nicho going down just capped it off.
He was a popular captaincy option which would have cruelled many who put the C on him.
Question you owners need to ask yourself now is he a sell?
If he gets through Origin he is still no certainty to back up in Rd 14. Only problem is who to?
Walker was great on Sunday but might have left 20-30 points out there whilst Hughes seemingly shaked off the calf complaint. But if we know anything about halfbacks and calves, it’s to not trust them
Embed from Getty ImagesJames Tedesco – Former Blues star
After Saturday afternoon, I thought Teddy was all but a lock for the New South Wales number one Jersey.
Banged out a monster 151 and when you really look at his numbers, has been the second best option at FLB all year.
Barring his HIA game v Bulldogs and the return match (No-one returns well after being stood down) he averages 96! And that includes a 47 against Penrith. I’ve got to stop listening to everyone on Twitter now X and start looking at numbers
Dylan Edwards then responded brilliantly and has locked down the Blues 1 jersey.
With Tedesco now missing out he shapes as a new must-have for the Origin period.
The chooks will lose no one from their spine and he will have a point to prove. It also means Manu, who was pegged to play fullback will stay at his right centre position.
We saw on Saturday that that wasn’t all that bad crossing for two tries but we know what he can do at fullback.
Embed from Getty ImagesLatrell in POD territory. Time to pounce?
Are we looking at him for around 14?
I’m now a Dylan Edwards owner who had all his eggs in the Tedesco basket.
Goal kicking and Souths might have found a bit of form the other night, albeit against a pretty lacklustre Eels.
But whilst everyone’s talking about Walsh, Tedesco, Edwards and Drinkwater again is Latrell the POD we are all after?
I mentioned it last week but after Saturday’s performance, I’m warming to the thought even more. Especially if you need to gain a few ranking spots.
Set up three tries to finish with 86 but did spend 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Won’t play this weekend but set your sites from around 14 onwards.
It’s a Hail Mary move but time might be running out to make a serious run.
Embed from Getty ImagesNow the fun begins!
Bye planning – yada yada yada.
I’m pretty sure the Spy is already planning for the 2026 bye period..
But we all know how it works.
Your best scoring 13 players count in next week’s team.
That means you get a free crack at the loop and a captain.
With some glaring emissions in the Origin side, there will be a few teams out there with some red, white and blue Superstars that could explode this weekend.
Scores I don’t think will be too spread out if you have a good solid amount of players, but if you have that one player who goes 140 plus, you can really put a gap on the competition.
Players like Api, Walker and Kiraz now seem like absolute locks whereas teams that had players like Lomax, Burton, Dearden, Edwards and Hopgood need to find plans B, C and down to about G.
Embed from Getty ImagesTalagi just keeps on giving
Having experienced Trent Barrett’s coaching, I’m very worried with what he plans to do with Blaize Talagi!
Three weeks running scoring above 87 points.
He was in everything again on Saturday night and with his break even sitting at -68 he is set to be the cash cow of the year.
Gutherson could be back in 2 weeks and with no other room in the spine for him, assuming Moses returns around the same time, does Barrett assert his authority and push Gutherson to the centres?
You could push him to NSW Cup for all I care as long as Talagi gets a start each week!
Is there a world where he ends up making 500k? I’m here for it.
Embed from Getty ImagesValentine scorns previous lovers
Well, Val took my last week’s article to heart and sent a big FU to the SC Playbook community by piling on the points on Friday afternoon!
It had been a lean month for him including a dropped a ball over the try line 2 weeks ago, but all was forgiven on Friday afternoon as he posted 136 points, carving up the Tiger’s edge and kicking a swag of goals.
Scotty D was the popular VC choice, but those who either went Captain or VC on Holmes would have surely taken the loop option. Despite Origin now upon us he remains a hold because of that high ceiling he has.
That and last year he was in the same boat and went on to average about 120 through Origin so ill be holding!
We know the Cowboys can score points and when they come up against it lowly ranked team, he becomes an immediate Captain option.
Embed from Getty ImagesDom Don’t like Canberra
Dominic. You might as well have not made the trip down the Hume Highway!
I had a feeling the chooks were going to put a score on the Raiders, and I was right.
I just still today cannot work out how he didn’t score a try in the demolition job they put on Saturday afternoon.
Had some really nice touches early, but just couldn’t find an attacking stat.
Old glue hands Manu inside him had a couple of opportunities for a little flick pass but decided he, like a lot of our politicians, had a point to prove in Canberra.
That second try where he dummied twice to him and strolled over absolute dagger for owners and me in particular, who went the high ceiling captaincy option.
I’m feeling a bounce-back game in Round 3 might be on the cards against a depleted Cowboys outfit.
Mind you, if you had said to me on Saturday morning that Dom Young will score 33 points more than Nicho this weekend, I without a shadow of a doubt would have put the captaincy option on him.
I just didn’t think Nicho was going to score three.
Embed from Getty ImagesCashed up Crichton
Ye have served us well!
Another huge performance on Saturday crossing for a late try and finishing with 87 for the from backrower of the competition
He has now found his way into a Blue jersey and I think he becomes a sell.
He’s made roughly 400k, depending on when you bought him and has been nothing but a Supercoach stud.
I don’t own David Fifita so I think it’s a pretty straightforward swap next weekend.
That or you can bring in a couple solid back rowers who can provide some depth because if I’ve learnt anything in these first 12 rounds, it’s make sure you have some depth.
Blokes are getting injured, rested or just not turning up so to have someone who can bang out a 40 at a minimum might cement you in that top thousand or whatever you’re looking for.
Embed from Getty ImagesMinute Watch:
Bulldogs v Dragons
Kikau 80, Hughes 40, Curran 40, JDB 69, Liddle 80,
Cowboys v Tigers
Holmes 70 (SB), Cotter 65, LUKI 64, Fainu 80, IPap 36
Sea Eagles v Storm
Ola 80, Burbo 80, Grant 75, Blore 69, Katoa 80
Raiders v Roosters
Smithies 55, Levi 49, Crichton 80, B Smith 64, May 28, Leinu 38
Sharks v Panthers
Hynes 31, Nikora 80, Hazelton 45, Sorensen 69, Henry 40
Rabbitohs v Eels
Keaon 80, Moale 42, Latrell 70 (SB), Lane 42, Hopgood 69, Carty 80
Broncos v Titans
Haas 80, Riki 80, Piakura 49, Fifita 75, Fermor 80
Warriors v Dolphins
Barnett 73, Ford 80, JMK 80, Plath 57, Aitken 80, Lemuelu 80
Got to laugh! Despite the good score on the weekend it seems Manu has somehow screwed Tim again. Firstly, by destroying his beloved Raiders, and secondly, somehow cursing Teddy out of Origin and Manu out of that cherished FB position. My God his power is strong!