Round 17 NRL Supercoach Wrap: 9 Things We Learnt

The points came and they came in a flurry!

It was shaping as a so-so type of Supercoach week. Not many great scores, not many bad scores. 

That was until the Chooks and the Tigers game kicked off! Thankfully for many, Tedesco and Young saved many blushes with a pair of 115+ scores.

Connor Watson too found some points, and all was good in the world.

I seemed to have most of my players playing on Sunday, so when I only had 350 odd points leading into the 3 games, I was a little worried.

If things got bad, ChatGPT was going to write the article for me and I would have focused on BBL Supercoach.

Thankfully though with Teddy as captain, Dom Young and my hooker being the best player in the world, I posted a very respectable 1223.

That sent me 2,055 spots up in rankings to 4,925 overall. 

Here are the 9 things we learnt in Round 17 of NRL Supercoach.

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1. What to do with Nicholas

The knives were out from many after Friday night but the ones waiting to tuck in are the non-owners! 

Nicho failed – expectedly – to meet his enormous BE which means further price drops for the most enigmatic player in Supercoach.

Missed a shot at FG in golden point to further heap misery on his past 4 weeks. 

His 48 on Friday night means he may be sub 750k by lockout.

The problem though for many like me waiting to pounce is that he may be even cheaper than that if you wait!

He will have an expected BE of in excess of 100 and the way he is playing, that seems a long way off. 

Trindall back coupled with the Origin axing has coincided with his drop in scores. 

Bloke needs a cuddle.

And no Clem you can’t volunteer for it.

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2. FRF. All or nothing

Its given owners more headaches than any other spot this year and it doesn’t seem to be settling anytime soon!

The FRF spot has been the bane of many this year and Round 17 didn’t answer too many more questions.

Terrell May was huge again and has quickly become the Origin period specialist!

Scored another try to post an overage over this tricky period of 81.5 before updates.

Hold for the year.

Mitch Barnett has been a revelation since his move to the edge and set a nice try up for Lussick to finish with 93.

Priced close to 700k, he is one to get in and lock down from Round 20 onwards – if you can afford it

But it wasn’t all tries and assists as AFB scored only 46 solely in base stats.

Will need to find some attacking flair if he is going to stay in owners’ good books.

We know what he is capable of but is leaking cash.

Good for non-owners looking to get on.

Samuela Fainu couldn’t get going with the Chooks running riot all night and Sam Hughes would have been on many teams’ non-players, which was a shame as he banged out an impressive 65.

Please for the sake of us all more minutes for the great man!

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3. Knights humming along

Have we seen the resurgence of the Knights and their Supercoach friendly way of football?

Last year you wouldn’t want to be caught dead without the likes of Marzhew, Best and Ponga and after Saturday’s performance, history may be repeating!

Greg Marzhew came into the sights of many off the back of a few solid performances sans any attacking stats.

That changed on Saturday as he crashed over for a double on his way to 116, a season-high.

He will be one of the most traded in players come Monday and with the return of Ponga imminent, his stocks are rising quickly

Bradman Best scooped up 2 loose balls (Talagi just had to catch it for another try) and ran away with 130 points.

He too will come into many sides after lockout and looking at his stats, he looks the goods!

A poor showing vs the Titans back in Round 11 where he injured his hammy but started to show some promise in the runs leading up to that.

Banged out 70 against the Panthers the other week and now plays the all-important Round 19.

Fletcher Sharpe didn’t lose any admirers with his 61.

Will make upwards of 110k and with more of that to come, only time will tell whether Ponga curtails any significant price increases.

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4. Roosters back 3 fire

It was a Supercoach matchup made in heaven on Sunday as both Dom Young and Daniel Tupou faced up against two of the more inexperienced players and a Tigers side leaking points.

And it played out exactly as planned!

Dom Young crashed over for a double in no time and set another up as he sauntered his way to a lazy 124.

He was a POD captaincy option from the masses who went Tedesco and he ended up outscoring him by 8 points.

Managed to better his BE of 100 and put a lean 3 games behind him.

He looked ominous every time the Chooks went down the right and could have had more, but they then focused their attention to the Tigers right where Daniel Tupou had a day out, scoring 99.

If our sides weren’t already stacked with more chooks than a local KFC, he would be a serious thought as a POD post-round 20.

A noted try scorer and one who could punch out a big big score on his day.

But all eyes were on James Tedesco as he carried the captaincy load of over 36200 – that’s 22.8% of us to a safe haven.

He was brilliant setting up a couple and scoring one himself to post 116.

It was a workman-like performance, one we have come to expect in 2024 and one I’ll be looking forward to enjoying from here until Round 27.  

Might as well keep the armband for next weekend against the Dragons. And as for Joey…

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5. Manu hands us a headache

It looked so innocuous.

Joey Manu has probably fended nearly 5,000 players off in his time – there or thereabouts – and it took an Adam Doueihi jaw to come crashing down.

Manu now looks set for at least a month on the sidelines. Unfortunately, he is a sell.

More forced trades. Don’t ya love it!

But it does open the CTW spot up for a POD or someone to lock down a Round 19 spot.

He managed to score 48 in the process and I’m hoping they counted his last involvement as a tackle bust.

Manu to Marzhew has a nice ring to it.

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6. Origin restings throw spanners into said works

Nothing gets me checking my phone quicker than a photo in the WhatsApp group of possible Origin restings!

And didn’t they come thick and fast in Round 17. With already 3 teams on the bye, we were for the most part scratching to get a fully fit and functioning 17 players on the field.

And that was before the restings of some big names post-Origin 2!

Harry Grant ended up with what looked like 34 stitches in a cut on his head and was rested whilst Todd Payten gave all his contingent, that was Holmes, Robson, Taulagi, Cotter, Nanai and Dearden the weekend off.

That was a cruel blow for the many Robson owners, who had to turn to their backup hooker.

More on that later.

But the one that hurt me the most was Lomax being rested.

I was an owner up until Saturday where the smart play was to trade him out.

Missed Round 17, plays the Roosters next weekend then misses 19 through Origin and has a bye in Round 20! 

Then goes onto play Penrith and Melbourne.

It is better to have Lomaxed and lost, than to have never Lomaxed at all…

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7. TMM demands a look

SJ. It’s been a ride!

But it seems time for a new man in the Warriors 7 jersey and, just like you, is known by his cool Supercoach nickname.

TMM welcome to the chat!

Available at 5/8 which is just music to our ears, he must surely now come into keeper/must have status in a 5/8 position that has become a graveyard for many this year.

Tom Dearden is the 3^rd highest point scorer in that position, and he is averaging 58.

Yuck.

Problem is, he has quickly become out of reach for many, with a price tag of a tick under $700k.

That’s largely due to 3 100+ scores in the past 5 weeks, and a 66 when the Wahs had the same amount of points put on them.

Getting him into the 5/8 spot post-Round 19 will be a masterstroke.

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8. Hooker conundrum keeps us guessing

What have we done to deserve this bloodshed in the hooker spot?!

Robson and Grant were rested meaning many owners had to turn to their backup.

And if that backup was Brailey, Levi or Hands, then you have some serious problems.

Api Koroisau, the saviour for many in the past month was kept awfully quiet against the Roosters including getting 10 minutes to cool his heels.

He only finished with 24 after his 133 point heroics of last week.

And then there was JMK.

Who decided hurting his foot was a better option that having the Spy be an owner. He limped off with only 16

But there were some shining lights if you happen to be owners of some guns..

Reed Mahoney continues his niggling ways which somehow correlate with Supercoach scoring.

He had 60 odd in base stats and crossed the line to post 93. He’s only had one score under 50 since Round 2.

Connor Watson grew a leg after his Origin debut playing 80 minutes and scoring 89 points playing both hooker and lock.

His dual position will be gold come the back end of the year, but again another chook to add to the coop.

And my boy Jacob Liddle.

Like a proud dad, he hasn’t put a foot wrong since I bought him way back in round 6.

Will be nearly 600k come lockout and in SuperPOD territory. 5 round average of 75. 

Brings a tear to the eye!

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9. Minute Watch

Bulldogs v Sharks
Mahoney 84, Hughes 53, Curran 60, Kikau 84, Wilton 34, Talakai 60, Nikora 84, Brailey 84

Warriors v Broncos
AFB 51, Barnett 72, Egan 67,Willison 48, Karapani 19

Knights v Eels
Brailey 45, KPP 80, Carty 80, Lane 80, Hands 52, Matto 46

Storm v Raiders
Katoa 80, Chan 23, Smithies 58, Levi 19, Taps 50

Dragons v Dolphins
RFM 80, JDB,67, Su’A 80, JMK 22, Aitken 80, Plath 70, TPJ 37

Panthers v Cowboys
Henry 80, Sorensen 71, Yeo 56, Luki 67, Finefeuiaki 75

Roosters v Tigers
May 46, Watson 80, Whyte 24, Crichton 80, Api 70, Porter 53, Fainu 80