Clem’s Captains: Round 22 NRL SuperCoach Skippers

With the last two weeks seeing my season hit a free fall of such levels not seen since Alan Eustace jumped 135,890 feet in 2014 and remained in freefall for 4 minutes and 27 seconds (for once I am not taken artistic exaggeration licence here – FOUR AND A HALF MINUTES I WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST) – drastic action must be taken.

And with a season that has been rocks and diamonds (go heavy on the rocks), it’s time to bring out the big guns, and that includes FINALLY trading in Nathan Cleary, who I’ve been death-riding behind the couch since about Round 3.

Or I might just take a flyer on a Captain Mulitalo and hope this week vs the Cowboys at the stronghold of Shark Park, he’s less rocks more diamonds too – a Mulitalo 4-try manifestation could be pretty fun (or ruin my weekend).

But before we get into Captains etc, can we please continue the investigation into who or what jinxed Scotty D to be 90+ points at the 40-minute mark and score 2 points in the entire second half.

Fingers were ready to pull that VC trigger come halftime, but to be honest, after putting the Captain on a 51-point Nicho, maybe I should have taken the loop.

And quickly! A new SuperCoach game – this is the best news of the year! A finals game!

In the words of the Spy – how bloody good!

This is my chance at redemption – can I beat the Spy in SOMETHING this year (please).

Anyway, before the Overlord fires me for my own personal Captaincy decisions this season, let us try and find a diamond for this round and let’s start with the most obvious one and he who now lives in the prime Halfback spot in my team:

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Nathan Cleary

A Saturday arvo game at Cbus, the Panthers looking like the inform team of the comp at the moment, and here we have the most likely VC or Captaincy options on our hands. 

Playing the Titans (who I will refrain from calling the Wooden Spoon since they beat us at home last week – please excuse me while I go and find my tiny violin), it’s little wonder that over 50% of the top 10% of SuperCoachers have the armband on Cleary – while the rest are doing the VC or are legitimate certified ghost ships lost and tossed in the great SuperCoach ocean somewhere between a forgotten password and the second major bye round.

118 points last week, including 3 try assists, a 3-round average of 95, a 135 average vs the Titans (including an insane score of 225 back in that glorious ‘make it rain’ points frenzy of a year that was 2021), two things:

• Get out from behind the couch and trade in Cleary if you’re one of the five people who don’t own him and join me on the couch to watch our first Panthers game for 100 years in joyful peace;
• Make him your Captain or at least your VC.

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Dylan Edwards 

He might not have tonned up last week, but he can still hurt you this week.

(I say with a lump in my throat as I realise that there’s a strong chance that I will, in fact, end up behind the couch on Saturday afternoon. Off I go to buy a box of tissues and a bottle of whiskey to dull the pain of the impending doom).

He has a 3-round average of 120 and he’s the current in-form fullback of the comp (how do the Panthers DO THAT!). 

Three tries in his last two games, a couple of try assists, every other stat that laughs in my face when I think back to Round 20 when I “yeah nah I’ll do it next week” and didn’t trade him in.

VC or Captain.

Of course, if you are Captaining either of the Panthers’ guns, you may go the safety nets:

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Harry Grant

Well, I guess we settled the Harry vs Connor Watson debate (guess which side I chose, and no I didn’t end up with 113 points in my hooker spot last week).

Not my fave VC, but with a 3-round average of 73 and Hughes out of the paper, scissors, rock Storm attack points game – you could do worse than put it on Harry (esp with the rain around in Sydney that just soaked my shoes).

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Herbie Farnworth

I don’t even want to put him in here because I’m jinxing my Warriors. 

But with four tons in his last six games, I guess he’s a choice lalalala. 

So yes, VC Herbie etc etc (I say through Warriors coloured glasses and gritted teeth).

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Reece Walsh

Guess who I brought in.

And guess who missed seeing him be offside by about a centimetre, thus blowing my chances at an elaborate celebration over not being burnt too badly by the lack of one named Dylan Edwards in my team.

Anywho – a 61 minus whatever lovely score he would have got if he had scored Brisbane’s match winner isn’t too too bad, and playing the Bunnies on Friday night at Suncorp means he’s def a VC choice. 

If you want to take a punt on a pod VC – do it.

And if you are VCing either of the Panther’s big guns you may go the Captain Sunday Thrill 

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Jacob Kiraz

And of course, first up we have Kiraz. And watching him live in all his glory last Sunday at Allianz score ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN POINTS as the second top score for Round 21 was just glorious. 

Two tries, two-line breaks, and seven offloads in that game – I pretty much lost my voice, I cheered so hard for my Sunday saviour.

And this Sunday, playing fullback vs the Tigers, he could be our Captaincy saviour too.

One to consider – especially if you like a bit of a poddy thrill and you’re VC hasn’t done what you want him to do.

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Nicho Hynes

Despite a less than desirable score last round, he’s still a choice, albeit a tricky one if you’ve got Cleary in the halfback spot in your team – and it could have been much more vs the Bunnies, if not for an unlucky (for Captainers like me) try-saving tackle from one Lewis Dodd.

But playing the leaky Cowboys at Shark Park on a Sunday with the kicking, if you have the one, two, three halfback punch, and you can chuck Nicho or Cleary in your Flex – I’ll give you the tip:

It’s meant to be raining this weekend.

Organic Wet Hair Nicho.

That is all.

Verdict

It’ll involve Cleary.

At this point, I like him for the VC but like always I am a chance to change my mind and flick him the Captaincy 10 minutes before the game (which if I do, I solemnly swear to tell EVERYONE because everytime I do that it goes terribly wrong for me – I take my duty of care to Playbook readers seriously).

Apart from that, I might go a bit of a poddy avenue and put it on Kiraz – or who knows, take a flyer and actually chuck it on Mulitalo – desperate times call for desperate measures, and his diamonds could be my diamonds too.

And on that note, I hope you have a beautiful weekend and please join me in hopeful prayer that the Wahs get the win vs the Dolphins on Friday night…

I am sorry Herbie Captainers…

Clementine xx