NRL Supercoach Round 1 Wrap: 10 Things We Learnt

Welcome back to what is shaping as an absolute cracking 2025 season!

Timmy has gotten me back on board for the season, wrapping up all things NRL Supercoach with what we (or I) have learnt from the weekend that was.

Timmy rang me not long after touching back in Australia after his Vegas sojourn and I thought it was Michael Gudinski ringing me, ALA 12^th man. 

The voice was raspy, but he said “Moons, the Playbook wouldn’t be worth running if I didn’t have you doing your weekly wraps. You’re the heart and soul of the business and if I could get rid of the Spy I would, but there’s a blank cheque with your name on it, so please put a number on it and renew for season 2025.”. Something along those lines anyway..

Round 1 was 2 weeks in the making, with Vegas seeming a whole season ago! But it just whetted the appetite for us and soon enough, the Broncos were trouncing all over the Chooks.

The weekend only got better, with games back on Friday night into the weekend.

You forget how invested in each game you get when you have some players running around! And those who missed your final team always look a lot better when they’re not in your side.. 

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The Supercoach scores heated up as the weekend rolled on, thanks largely to Manly roping in the Cowboys, winding the clock back to 2021, then Melbourne ending the Eels season, all in about 56 minutes as they put the cleaners through.

I thought Channel 9 were telecasting Melbourne’s training run. 

I reckon the NRL will have 16 emails from every CEO tomorrow, requesting not to play Melbourne in Round 1 next year.. maybe give them the bye save some poor side from starting with a loss.

The Reapers of Mars were left wanting, after a few smokeys didn’t quite hit some expectations and some poor choices in sit v starts cost me a heap, but finished with 1160 and still haven’t used a trade as yet!

Roll on Round 2

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1. Fullbacks cancel themselves out

Turbo, Ponga, Walsh, Papi, the Hammer, Drinky, Edwards, Gutho, Iongi, Brett Mullins.

The questions everyone was trying to decipher before lockout was which 2 – or 3, gun fullbacks do you go with?

Each have had their time in the sun but all had some knocks on them.

Drinky – not kicking, Paps – early season bye, Ponga – Knights attack, Hammer – can he score well with no base, Gutho – why do I suddenly like you now, Walsh – can he play well without his nails painted.

But as we look back, it seemed they all managed to cancel themselves out somewhat!

Unless of course you started with the 2024 leading point scorer in Tedesco, whoever you chose you would have come away a winner!

It’s going to be some season watching those guns go about their work and whilst we can’t have all of them we can now have 3 so just trying to manage that will be a job within itself.

I’m guessing at least 10 of our trades this year could be spent juggling the FLB spot and chasing the big big points

As a great SC Playbook mind said before a ball was kicked, you can still have 3 gun fullbacks and Iongi! 

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2. It’s an old mans game!

When we were spending our hours preceding kickoff trying to find some gems amongst the rough, we should have instead set the filter from oldest to youngest, and picked our side from there!

Their experience shone through some thinning hairlines as the old heads of the NRL showed a few young punks what to do!

DCE wound back the clock showing his opposite number what a 329 NRL game difference does to you, plus also having an Olakau’atu and a Trbojevic at your disposal helps a fair bit.

He was immense finishing with a game high 130 and now looks an obvious choice as a HLF, if going down the POD path

Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt looked like a couple of old mates having a run around as they orchestrated a demolition job on the Roosters.

They may have the easiest job in the game, playing behind Haas, Carrigan and co. Reynolds finished with 105 and if Brisbane continue their winning ways, he will have some monster scores some weeks. 

Gutherson slid into a Dragons side like he had been there for years, and a lot of their points this year is going to come off him, Val and that left edge.

Expect him to average 70+ and continue to haunt the naysayers. A very VERY good POD option

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3. Young Halves falter

A great segue from talking the aging stars, into some young guns who faltered in the bright lights of the NRL.

Luke Metcalf was on everyone’s radar after returning from injury last year and locking down that half spot left open by SJ.

He rolled a snake eyes to leave Vegas with only 12 Supercoach points to his name. At 51% ownership, that means 1 in 2 of us were dealt the same cards. 

Tom Duffy was another bottom dollar cheapie who was given first crack at the Cowboys halfback spot and he spent more time looking at the backs of the Manly players than he and owners would have liked.

Gets a look at Cronulla next weekend where hopefully he will spend more time playing than standing behind the goal line.

Sandon Smith was saved by a late try, but if the Chooks play anything like they did the other night in the coming weeks, his time may be cut short.

Let’s hope their coaches (and us) give them a few weeks to find their feet. 

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4. Young gun centre of excellence

Who would have thought our early season success would have hinged on both Gehamat Shibasaki and Robert Toia!

The pair put on a clinic on Thursday, leaving all non-owners with an itchy trade finger and those owners sitting bank waiting for the cash to roll in.

Owners that had more gumption than most and played either or both, were well rewarded with both players going north of 80.

Shibasaki playing on that backline may be in for some big scores, whilst Toia wont be leaving that Roosters 13 unless Uncle Nick has his say and buys up 8 or 9 players before next Friday.

5. Flex already paying dividends

Whether you went 3 Guns with the flex, or like the majority had Iongi in there, it seems it has already been a massive hit!

Well done to the propeller heads at Supercoach headquarters, it has opened up the game in more ways than one, and the whole season will be dictated on who your flex is and where you can gain an advantage

Whether you went guns or used it to bring in a cheapie, having that extra spot meant that Metcalf or a Casey McLean – or a god forbid Brendan Piakura – could drop out and not send you seeking help.

I don’t want to put the image of the Spy and flexing into your heads, but as long it’s related solely to Supercoach, I’m ok with it. 

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6. Long year chasing hookers

Felt like I wrote the same ting a few times last year!

But how hard is it going to be to jag a solid hooker who isn’t named Harry Grant!

Max Plath shone through on the edge for the Dolphins and is dual position so he is firming, but the cheapie sticks took further hits as Sandon Smith, Mamouzelos and Riley Smith all falling well short of expectations

Smith of the Riley kind, was thrust into the game early, and did the lions share of work (work being kicking off) but only managed a measly 16 points before updates whilst Mamouzelous played a big 72 minutes, but didn’t run the footy according to the stats.

Paix fell onto a good ball from Haas but without that try, his score would have been dire.

Starling looked very strong, and will have pressure from Owen Pattie but is another you can’t really hang your hat on. 

I know who the answer is, but he’s unfortunately coming off the bench for the Dragons.

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7. Byes keep us from points

As I sat up on Sunday, having no players in the Storm Eels match, I was quite content with my squad and how they all started and was planning on sticking solid with them

By half time I was working out how I could fit as many Storm players in my side as I could!

It seems though that despite their drubbing, their Supercoach guns were all criminally under owned, due solely to the fact they have the bye next week!

I wonder what those numbers would have been had they not started the season with Eels, into a bye, into Penrith. I’m already salivating thinking about that GF rematch.

So, I’m blaming the bye for not considering Grant, Munster or Paps

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8. Iongi saved from blushes

The most popular player in Supercoach.. 

I could nearly hear the sighs of relief here in Cooma when he crashed over in the 75^th minute to save his score!

Finished the long afternoon with 69 before updates and now his draw opens up somewhat for some serious scoring opportunities.

Many (let’s face it, everyone) played Iongi in their flex position, hoping he could score well and start making some cash.

Those who held off will just now make the move in 2 weeks, but at what cost?

He looked busy, and seems a genuine footballer but what effect will the Eels atrocious start to the season have on him?

Whenever the Eels threatened the line, he wasn’t too far from the action.

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9. FRF delight

Terrell May and Corey Horsburgh. Make yourselves comfortable the pair of you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon! 

FRFs gave us a lot to get excited about in just the first round, and we haven’t even had a look at Tino yet! 

We seem to try and get too cute to start the year, and I must make a mental note for next year to get some guns in and set and forget.

AFB crashed over for his obligatory try and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat swapping out his Warriors jersey for a Sharkies one, whilst Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan would both still be running around Allianz Stadium if they didn’t turn the lights out on them.

Massive performance, and the quicker we can maneuverer the 2 guns into our sides to partner Big Red and Terrell the better we will all sleep at night.

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10. Minute Watch

Raiders v Warriors
Big Red 59, Hosking 66, Tapine 45, JFH 46, Barnett 51, Egan 80

Panthers v Sharks
Sorensen 52, Yeo 80, AFB 54, Nikora 80

Roosters v Broncos
Crichton 80, Whyte 48, Watson 80, Haas 49, Paix 57. Carrigan 67, Hetherington 43, Gosiewski 80

Tigers v Knights
May 65, Seyfarth 64, Hunt 30, Lucas 80, Crossland 60

Rabbitohs v Dolphins
Mamouzelos 72, Koloamatangi 80, Hubner 59, Plath 80, Finefeuiaki 54, JMK 69, Gilbert 56

Dragons v Bulldogs
Guler 70, T Couchman 70, Cook 58, Liddle 26, Preston 80, Tupouniua 42, Kikau 78 

Sea Eagles v Cowboys
Olakau’atu 67, Tevaga 51, Taukeaiho 22, Cotter 51, Nanai 58, Bateman 80

Storm v Eels
Grant 75, Blore 80, Katoa 70, Stefano 42, Riley Smith 53, Hopgood 72, Tuilagi 61, Guymer 67