Positional watchlist: NRL round 1 rising and falling player stocks

Footy is finally back! And there’s plenty for us to consider following the Vegas games and remaining team lists. 

The below Watchlist updates the position articles we’ve prepared on SC Playbook over the course of the pre-season. If you’re looking to do some last-minute cramming, these articles are available via our home page. 

Where a player has been added, moved or removed in each list I’ve provided commentary on the changes. 

Good luck pulling your final team together and stay safe if you’re affected by the cyclone in Queensland. 

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Fullbacks

The main decision here is whether to run with three guns or two guns and Iongi, who is hard to pass up at the price. Turbo and Ponga almost pick themselves to partner him, given they’ll be regular VC and C options. 

For anyone going with three guns, Reece Walsh would be my preferred option. He should have plenty of attacking opportunities in an improved Broncos outfit.

Targets: 

Priced 650k+

Tom Trbojevic – Sea Eagles – $875.6k
Kalyn Ponga – Knights – $790.3k
Reece Walsh – Broncos – $738.4k

Removed: Latrell Mitchell (injured)

Priced below $300k

Isaiah Iongi – Eels – $232.6k

Form watch:

Priced 650k+

James Tedesco – Roosters – $920.2k
Scott Drinkwater – Cowboys – $770.1k (moved from job watch)
Keano Kini – Titans – $707.9k
Ryan Papenhuyzen (moved from job watch)

Drinkwater and Papenhuyzen both look unlikely to kick goals, so are moved from job watch to form watch. Both are still worth watching. Papz in particular could be undervalued to start the season.

Job watch:

Removed: Liam Ison and Kade Dykes (not starting) 

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CTW

I spoke in the pre-season CTW analysis about how the game has changed to make the upside of this position more appealing. This makes CTW worth spending up in, whilst balancing the need to fit in some of the better cheapie candidates. The targets and watchlists below reflect this.

Targets:

Priced 650k+

Reuben Garrick – Sea Eagles – $680.3k

Priced 500k-650k

Dylan Lucas – Knights – $616.7k (2RF/CTW) (moved from job watch)
AJ Brimson – Titans – $539.2k (CTW/5-8) (added)
Greg Marzhew – Knights – $513.7k 
Campbell Graham – Rabbitohs – $505k

Dylan Lucas has cemented a spot on the edge for the Knights. Better yet, he looks likely to start on the left, KP’s preferred side. This makes Lucas a good option to start the season at either CTW or 2RF and his dual could be very useful, particularly early on as we shuffle our teams around to capitalise on the first lot of price changes.

The Titans attack could be anything in 2025 and AJ Brimson could be one of the beneficiaries. On the flip side, he’ll need to compete with the likes of Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini for points. Like Fletcher Sharpe, he’ll need to get sufficient ball to progress to gun status. He is $100k cheaper though, with an appealing dual position (more on that in the 5/8’s section). 

Priced 300k-$499k

Isaiah Tass – Rabbitohs – $327.9k (moved from job watch)

Tass locks in a spot on the wing. He may also kick goals, but even without this he’s a good value option to start the season given his high work rate. 

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Priced below 300k

Jaxon Purdue – Cowboys – $257k (moved from job watch)
Gehamat Shibashaki – Broncos – $232.6k (added)
Robert Toia – Roosters – $198.8k (moved from job watch)

Purdue, Shiba and Toia get starts round one, cementing themselves as cheapie targets. Toia is probably the one of these three that has the most questionable job security, with Billy Smith to come back for the Roosters. At bottom dollar he’s still a viable option to start the season with though. 

Form watch:

Priced 650k+

Valentine Holmes – $784.5k
Zac Lomax – $773.8k
Herbie Farnworth – Dolphins – $728.3k

Removed: Jacob Kiraz (injured)

Priced 500k-650k

Kayal Iro – Sharks – $640.7k 
Fletcher Sharpe $636.6k (CTW/FLB) (added)
Beau Fermor – Titans – $593.1k (2RF/CTW)
Lehi Hopoate – Sea Eagles – $589k (CTW/FLB) (added)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – Warriors – $553.1k
Selwyn Cobbo – Broncos – $550.8k 
Kotoni Staggs – Broncos – $514.2k
Izack Tago – Panthers – $501.4k

POD central in the CTW position, with the likes of Sharpe, Hopoate and Brimson added to the Watchlist. 

Sharpe looked great in the trials, playing almost like a second fullback. Keep an eye on his involvement levels – if he gets enough ball, he could become a gun in the CTW position

Hopoate was another who looked great in trials. He’s incredibly strong and as such has a game well suited to SC. He had a few high base (hitups and tackles) + power (offloads and tackle breaks) games last season, to go with a few lower ones. If he can improve his consistency in this area, he’s another who could progress to gun status.

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Priced below 500k 

Jeral Skelton – Tigers – $499.2k
Casey McLean – Panthers – $443k
Mark Nawaqanitawase – Roosters – $438.6k
Jack Howarth – Storm – $426.6k
Tyrone Munro – Rabbitohs – $397.5k

Job watch:

Priced 300k-$499k

Adam Douehi – Tigers – $431.7k (5-8/CTW) 

Removed: Fletcher Myers, Semi Valemei (not named)

Priced below 300k

Savelio Tamale – Raiders – $232.6k

Removed: Moses Leo, Robert Derby (not named)

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5/8

The big question facing 53% of Supercoaches moving forward is what to do with Luke Metcalf. On one hand, he’ll likely learn a lot from that game. This could see him lean more into his running game, like he did in the trials, when he was running around 10 runs a game, compared to just the 3 runs in round one. 

On the other hand, at 443k he’s eating up a fair chunk of cap for a player who could be difficult to trust with such a low floor. Nonetheless, with 5/8 looking thin for value options, it makes sense to give Metcalf at least another week. The good news from a price change point-of-view is that the 12-point game will only be included in one round of price changes. 

Another consideration could be to place a dual position 5/8 at CTW to keep options open for trading him out. This is where the likes of Brimson could come in handy.

Targets:

Priced 500k-650k

Dylan Brown – Eels – $651.8k (HFB/5-8)
Cameron Munster – Storm – $609k (moved from form watch)
AJ Brimson – Titans – $539.2k (CTW/5-8) (added)

Munster passed the eye test in his trial and, importantly, has NRL Physio’s tick of approval. It’s a big year for Munny as he looks to return to the Origin arena and play a key role in the Storm’s title push. He’s well underpriced and looks a great option to start. I also like the option of moving him to a cut-price Tyran Wishart in the event of injury, or when Origin time arrives.

Brimson I covered in CTW above. The potential to move him to Metcalf at 5/8 increases his appeal. 

Adam Douehi is another option for this purpose, but I’d only be interested him if goalkicking. We likely won’t know this until Api Koroisau returns in round two, so I’ve still got Douehi on the job watch list for now. 

Form watch:

Priced 650k+

Jayden Campbell – Titans – $700.2k (FLB/5-8) (added)

Campbell was a revelation for the Titans in the halves last season. Most impressively from an SC point-of-view, his base + power stats were at around 40 points per game. Throw in goalkicking for an attack-minded Titans’ side and Campbell looks a high floor and high ceiling option. He’s priced as such though, so it’s worth taking some time to see how he settled into the Halfback role and combines with Brimson.

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Priced 500k-650k

Lachlan Galvin – Tigers – $624.2k
Jarome Luai – TIgers – $582.2k (HFB/5-8)
Cody Walker – Rabbitohs – $559.8k (HFB/5-8) (moved from targets)

Cody is recovering from a niggling calf injury, so I’d suggest watching rather than starting him early. 

Removed: Te Maire Martin, Blaize Talagi (neither selected round one)

Priced 300k-$499k

Job watch:

Priced 300k-$499k

Jayden Sullivan – Rabbitohs – $480.9k (HFB/5-8)
Luke Metcalf – Warriors – $443k (HFB/5-8)
Chanel Harris-Tevita – Warriors – $329.6k 

Removed: Tanah Boyd, Will Pryce (not named)

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Halfbacks

Tom Duffy winning the Cowboys’ spot has opened this position up somewhat and provides a great backup option to Cleary / Hynes. Nicho has a few red flags around him currently though – more on that below. 

Targets:

Priced 650k+

Nathan Cleary – Panthers – $811.5k

Priced 500k-650k

Dylan Brown – Eels – $651.8k (HFB/5-8)

Removed: Mitch Moses (not named and unlikely to goalkick)

Priced below $300k

Sandon Smith – Roosters – $237.6k (HK/HFB)

Tom Duffy – Cowboys – $198.8k (moved from job watch)

Form watch: 

Priced 650k+

Jahrome Hughes – Storm – $805.2k

Priced 500k-650k

Jarome Luai – TIgers – $582.2k (HFB/5-8)
Lachlan Ilias – Dragons – $348.5k
Cody Walker – Rabbitohs – $559.8k (HFB/5-8)

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Job watch:

Priced 650k+

Nicho Hynes – Sharks – $735.5k (moved from targets)

The highs and lows of Supercoach were in full swing for Nicho owners, as he setup the first try of the Sharks’ opening game, then handed the goalkicking tee to Braydon Trindall. This appears to be injury related, as Nicho was reported to be goalkicking at practice the day before. The injury could also see him hand more playmaking duties to Trindall. All this considered, the best approach for owners is to wait and watch before round two price changes. 

Priced 300k-499k

Jayden Sullivan – Rabbitohs – $480.9k (HFB/5-8)
Lewis Dodd – Rabbitohs – $336k
Jamie Humphreys – Rabbitohs – $305.4k 

Removed: Chad Townsend (unlikely to goalkick)

Priced below $300k

Removed: Tanah Boyd, Ethan Sanders (didn’t play round one)=

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2RF

Fortunately, 2RF has been strengthened by a few solid cheap and cheap-mid options. I still like the idea of starting with a few guns to sure up the position though.

Targets 

Priced 650k+

Haumole Olakau’atu – Sea Eagles – $665.7k
J’maine Hopgood – Eels – $657.5k (moved from job watch)

Hopgood gets a favourable round one bench makeup for his role, with the Eels naming two hookers. The move of Jack Williams to the edge certainly won’t hurt him either. This has me leaning towards J’maine over Olakau’atu as a more consistent option to start the season. Both present good options though. 

Priced 500k-650k

Dylan Lucas – Knights – $616.7k (2RF/CTW) (moved from job watch)
Connor Watson – Roosters – $583k (HK/2RF)
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui – Titans – $531.3k (FRF/2RF)

As covered in the CTWs earlier, Lucas is a good option to start with.

Priced 300k-499k

Naufahu Whyte – Roosters – $367.1k (FRF/2RF) (moved from job watch)
Corey Horsburgh – Raiders – $355.5k (FRF/2RF)
Kobe Hetherington – Broncos – $338.8k (moved from job watch)

Two new players are identified to target in this bracket in Whyte and Hetherington. Whyte starts for the Roosters in Spencer Leniu’s absence (due back round 3). We’ve seen over the course of Leniu’s career that his best role is from the bench, so hopefully this bodes well long-term for Whyte. Whyte’s job security still isn’t ideal given Trent Robinson’s regular chopping and changing of his pack. His handy dual will make him worth starting with for some sides nonetheless. 

Hetherington is another who could benefit from bench makeup, with the Broncos naming two hookers and Piakura who is primarily an edge. He’s a workhorse and given the minutes should make solid cash. 

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Priced below $300k

Lachlan Hubner – Rabbitohs – $232.6k (moved from job watch)
Charlie Guymer – Eels – $232.6k (moved from job watch)
Myles Martin – Raiders – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)
Ethan Roberts – Roosters – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)
Tukimihia Simpkins – Titans – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)

Lachlan Hubner is the big winner here at starting lock for the Rabbitohs. His reserve grade stats show a high work rate and the Rabbitohs have named Jayden Sullivan on the bench, which should help Hubner’s minutes. 

Charlie Guymer doesn’t start but could still get through plenty of minutes with the Eels also naming two hookers. I prefer him to Jack Gosiewski who has more questionable job security. 

Tukimihia Simpkins is a recent addition to SC who is another dual nuff option. He’s now my preferred option at FRF 4, with a few later lockouts than Ethan Roberts.

Job watch 

Priced 650k+

Jacob Preston – Bulldogs – $609.2k (moved from targets)

I’ve cooled on Preston since writing the 2RF article. The Dogs have named a four forward bench, including Sitili Tupouinua, which makes me nervous about Preston’s minutes. Canterbury have also shown a willingness to the protect the workloads of young players (ala Sam Hughes last year). So, I’m happy to watch Preston for now. 

Priced 500k-650k

Keaon Koloamatangi – Rabbitohs – $619.2k
Max Plath – Dolphins – $617.6k (HK/2RF)
John Bateman – Cowboys – $522.9k
Zac Hosking – Raiders – $513.9k

Priced 300k-499k

Tom Gilbert – Dolphins – $462k (Added)
Jack Williams – Eels – $55.6k
Kelma Tuilagi – Eels – 433.8k
Alex Seyfarth – Tigers – $432.4k 
Tallis Duncan – Rabbitohs $420k
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki- Dolphins – $368.2k
Siua Wong – Roosters – $318.1k

Tom Gilbert is an additional mid-priced value option at 2RF. In 2023, he averaged 59 points in 59 minutes across 11 games, all at lock. He doesn’t accumulate a whole lot in power stats (offloads and tackle breaks), which somewhat limits his upside. Nonetheless, he offers a solid value option.

Jack Williams could be set for an 80-minute edge role for the Eels, which is appealing. I’d give it a few weeks to see how he goes and that he doesn’t move back to the middle though.

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Priced below $300k

Jacob Laban – Warriors – $232.6k
Demitric Vaimauga – Warriors – $232.6k
Leka Halasima – Warriors – $232.6k
Jack Gosiewski – Broncos – $232.6k
Kitione Kautoga – Eels – $232.6k

Form watch 

Priced 650k+

Angus Crichton – Roosters – $758.7k
David Fifita – Titans – $749.4k
Isaah Yeo – Panthers – $727.1k
Eliesa Katoa – Storm – $717.3k
Hudson Young – Raiders – $685.2k (Added)
Briton Nikora – Sharks – $682.1k

Hudson Young impressed in Vegas with 76 points, including 72 in base + power. This is very much a continuation of the form that saw him average 79 in the final 8 rounds last season. Having gone under the radar to start this season, Young could be in the top tier of backrowers in 2025. 

Priced 500k-650k

Beau Fermor – Titans – $593.1k (2RF/CTW)

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FRF 

Little to no change in the FRF, with the exception of Naufahu Whyte being added as an option. 

Targets 

Priced 500k-650k

Terrell May – Tigers – $597.5k
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui – Titans – $531.3k (FRF/2RF)

Priced 300k-499k

Naufahu Whyte – Roosters – $367.1k (FRF/2RF) (moved from job watch)
Corey Horsburgh – Raiders – $355.5k (FRF/2RF)

As in 2RF above, I like Whyte as an option to start the season.

Priced below 300k

Myles Martin – Raiders – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)
Ethan Roberts – Roosters – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)
Tukimihia Simpkins – Titans – $198.8k (FRF/2RF)

Form watch

Priced 65+

Payne Haas – Broncos – $669.2k

Priced 500k-650k

Stefano Utoikamanu – Storm – $529k

Job Watch

Priced 650k+

Mitch Barnett – $661k

Priced 300k-499k

Erin Clark – Warriors – $391.2k (FRF/2RF)
Tevita Tatola – Rabbitohs – 343.6k

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Hooker

Similar to FRF, not a whole lot of changes of interest here. Although I have added Jeremy Marshall-King to job watch, as he could prove a decent early POD. 

Targets:

Priced 650k+

Harry Grant – Storm – $691.6k 

Priced 500k-649k

Connor Watson – Roosters – $583k (HK/2RF)

Priced below 300k

Peter Mamouzelos – Rabbitohs – $302.9k
Sandon Smith – Roosters – $237.6k (HK/HFB)

Job watch:

Priced 650k+

Damien Cook – Dragons – $662.3k

Priced 500k-649k

Max Plath – Dolphins – $617.6k (HK/2RF)
Jeremy Marshall-King – Dolphins – $555.1k (Added)

At 25% less ownership than Connor Watson, JMK represents an intriguing POD option. He looked in good nick in the All Stars game, getting through a bunch of work. Even though he’s a player with attacking upside, an uptick closer to 80 minutes would help his scoring consistency. As an important part of the Dolphins’ outfit, I think there’s a chance this happens. Either, Kurt Donoghue or Max Plath could cover hooker though, so I’d prefer to watch early. 

Priced 300k-499k

Removed: Blake Mozer (injured)

Priced below 300k

Owen Pattie – Raiders – $198.8k
Ryley Smith – Eels – likely price $198.8k (Added)

Ryley Smith has hugely impressed in the trials for the Eels, meaning he claims a bench spot for round one. Like Owen Pattie, he looks a fantastic youngster. Either could become an option with sufficient game time. 

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