Round 26 NRL Supercoach Wrap: 9 Things We Learnt

I’m not sure where to look! 

The Dragons nearly clawed back 32 points in 10 minutes, SJ leaving us all a champ, the Raiders flipping the back end of the season on its head with back-to-back wins against Penrith and the Roosters, or the Broncos throwing away their season! 

And all that was before Ponga played a perfect 40 minutes and the Roosters looked like the Temu version of themselves.  

Round 26 had everything and culminated in the H2H finals which mean everything was at stake.

Did you manage to outsmart your opponent and take home a win?

Or did you fall victim to some chopping and changing and end up with Dom Young as captain? 

Which leads us precariously into Round 27 – the final run around for 2024.

My suggestion is set your side on Thursday and sit back and enjoy. 

Turbos Hamstring’s brought in Bradman and he didn’t quite match his great uncles average, falling 13.94 short but a good move none the less.

I finished Round 26 with 1305, rocketing me 733 spots up to 6949 overall.  

Oh and I wonder if Wishart can get given HOK, HLF and 5/8 next year?

If there’s one man in the NRL that deserves triple positions its him.  

And also final shoutout to the SCPB Nick Moon league which was set up by someone at the beginning, giving all SC Playbook contributors their own league.

SCPB Nick Moon is currently sitting 69^th and leading the contributors but only 1 spot above SCPB Wals.

I couldn’t win my own league – that prize went to James, coach of the Old Man Emus!

Well done James! A signed autobiography is on its way when I get around to writing, publishing and producing it.

I’m not scrolling that far but no prizes for guessing who may be languishing in last spot 

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1. Thank you SJ 

The step. The show and go. The smile. And for one last time, the cut-out ball to win the game! 

Thank you, SJ, for all the mems! 

Bowed out a champion on Saturday night and there wasn’t a single person – even those in a Sharks jersey – that didn’t enjoy that little piece of magic.  

He has given his all and from a Supercoach point of view, there was none better who could light up a game and pile on the points in quick succession. 

He was immense last year with a near 80-point average with 6 100+ scores and was the heart of the Warriors since his return from the Sharks. He wasn’t just the Spy’s favourite, he was everyone’s. 

In the words of Clem and Anton, “Honk if you’re Shauny”

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2. Herbie goes bananas  

I’m giving the credit to Dez.

I can’t remember which of the SC Playbook crew mentioned him as one to go “Koula like” in the final rounds, but I reckon it was Dez.   

And it’s too late in the year to start giving the Spy plaudits. 

What a performance from the right centre!

The defining player of the H2H finals, I didn’t see too many teams with the name H Farnworth in there, but if you did, I’m sure you are currently your leagues champion. 

Hadn’t really set the world alight with scores of 56 and 62 so this came from nowhere, but his 133 against the Warriors only 3 weeks back did give us a glimpse there could be something huge on the horizon. 

Been very solid with one score under 50 since Round 11 if you don’t mind.

Someone remind me to remind myself in March to start 2025 with him.

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3. Dragons rue Liddle’s little arrival 

Are the Dragons without Liddle, the same as Manly without Turbo?

I’m not one to pedal rumours, but the Dragons looked awfully lost without their number 1 player this year! 

All because he wanted to get in on the Father’s Day love! 

If you’ve been reading my articles this season you will know I brought in Jacob Liddle in Round 4 and have been his biggest fan since.

Well, it seems his wife might have taken that title as she went into labour on Saturday, ruling the number 1 hooker out. 

Many brought in the Dragons gun and if they weren’t following SC Playbook on socials, may have found themselves a man down.

Massive blow for owners who moved on the hooker for a bit of a POD play in these final weeks.

Depending on the number of nappies and sleep he gets, I’d say he will lace them up for one last 70 point game with 58 tackles. 

Hope Cook doesn’t eat into his minutes for 2025.

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4. Walker’s season ends for him and his owners 

The term cruel blow is thrown around far too often. Losing your number one half with 1 round to go in the regular season, with a serious chance of lifting the trophy – that’s a cruel bow! 

Gutted for Sammy Walker and our Supercoach thoughts took a back seat as he limped from the field with a look on his face that told us the story – he was done 

He only scored 9 in his time on the field and with confirmation he has torn his ACL, thats him done for 2024 which will require a reconstruction.

Those with trades will have a choice of halfback for next week but the damage was already done.

Anyone who had him as a unique player in a H2H final would have needed plenty of others on their side to do some heavy lifting. 

Options are Hynes, Hynes or that bloke from Cronulla 

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5. Is KP leading Knights to September glory? 

Bit of bounce in the step on a Sunday arvo watching KP go about his business!

If he played any better in that mining jumper, the Australian Government may have given him a tax cut! 

On 95 at half time and looking at a monster score, he could only manage another 23 in the second stanza, with all the points going to Fletcher Sharpe and his try scoring antics. 

As a captainer of Ponga, I was dreaming of 200.. Bugger it, I was feeling good and it was Father’s day lets aim for 230..  

But you can slip into being a greedy guts when a player piles on a score in such a short time.

So to finish with only 118 was a little disappointing, especially when Tedesco was yet to put his boots on and show his lower back. 

Albeit Ponga managed to win the fullback battle in Round 26 outscoring most fullbacks not named Tyrell or Fletcher and has another enticing matchup next week to decide the 8 when he takes on Wayne’s Dolphins.

It’s easy to look past him with Turbo and Tedesco doing their thing, but he averages 102 in his last 4 weeks.

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6. NRL Rehab rooms getting full 

It was coming. It always does..  

Like blustery winds in Spring the injuries have come right on time.

Just as the H2H Grand Final rolled around, we lost 2 big names that were imperative to getting us this far. 

Turbo used more ice than an Antarctic explorer building an igloo as he was bashed around by the blue and white.

The knee injury looked nasty but he played on and then copped all of Luke Brooks on his shoulder and the elbow of Jacob Preston.

Me and the rest of the Manly faithful held our breath but it looks like he will be back for finals which is great for Manly fans not so those who are running with him at Fullback and have no trades.  

Walker going down too will mean plenty are without a halfback but with depth, sides should be able to cover the losses. Brandon Smith out as too is Radley so we will see some mass changes for the Chooks.

Manu to 6?

Anyway here’s hoping Team List Tuesday is kind to us. 

If you have trades (I have 2 because I’m a coward and like coming anywhere between 5 thousandth and 7 thousandth) you can have some fun this weekend. 

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7. Garrick fools us all 

Just lock and load the great man! 

Admittedly, he hasn’t hit the heights we have come to know with 3 weeks of low 60s and the calls were growing loud for him to be either benched or traded out, and it looks like those Williams boys took the bait!

Tim sat him and the Spy traded him to To’o.

You love to see it! 

Played a blinder on Friday night taking apart the Bulldogs left edge, scoring a try and setting 2 others up.

Taking away his HIA games, he has had a great season but will come up against Kayal Iro next weekend, so then might be the time to bench him. 

Finished Friday with 132 include a try and 2 classy assists.

Might even get the FLB gig next weekend? 

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8. Head to Head finals have everything 

Trying to wrap up this round is harder than it seems! 

Head-to-head finals gave us everything! 

We had Melbourne heading to Townsville with Munster, Wishart and 16 others from Melbourne who own boots and the colour purple and Wishart just gave us one last reminder he is that guy with a monster 151.

Owners would have moved on weeks ago, but there would still be part of you that respected a performance like that. 

D Brown went full legend mode, laying on 4 tries and bagging one himself for a score that the stewards would be having an enquiry about.

Like a horse that just plods along for 8 weeks, then wins by 10 lengths paying $25s, his 162 came from nowhere after 3 weeks under 60.  

Turbo busted himself and only managed 65 whilst Walker went down which we touched on. 

Kiraz went low which usually means a big bounce back next weekend and not sure what Mitch Barnett did to Andrew Webster, but 36 minutes on Saturday night to only finish with 39.

3 Round average of 41 right when the finals began for us.  

Captains armbands were shared between Ponga and Teddy, with Ponga outscoring Teddy by only 14 and that would have been a win for Teddy captainers considering Pongas first half and the Raiders turning into peak Penrith defending their line. 

Munster came good, Iro scored but got sin binned, and Val looked to be on another tear but couldn’t break 60. 

Oh and David Fifita, yeah he should have gone to Bali about 5 weeks ago 

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9. Minute Watch 

Cowboys v Storm
Robson 68, Cotter 73, Luki 75, Wishart 80, Chan 80,  

Bulldogs v Sea Eagles 
Hughes 37, Preston 62, Mahoney 80, Curran 42, Koula 57, Ola 80, Paseka 50 

Panthers v Rabbitohs 
Yeo 72, Kenny 74, Keaon 58, Cook 78 

Eels v Dragons 
Lane 80, Hands 80, JDB 67, Su’A 80,  

Dolphins v Broncos 
Plath 80, Lemuelu 80, TPJ 36, Piakura 38, Willison 48, Haas 75 

Sharks v Warriors 
Iro 70 (sin bin), Nikora 80, Hynes 80, Hazelton 28, AFB 61, Barnett 36 SJ 80 

Knights v Titans 
Lucas 79, Brailey 80, Fifita 63, Randall 66, Fermor 80 

Roosters v Raiders 
Crichton 80, Watson 68, Walker 12, May 45, Taps 56, Smithies 69, Starling 46, Papa 24