NRL Supercoach Round 24 Wrap: 9 Things We Learnt

Head-to-head preliminary finals bring them on!

Not sure we will be fielding or “Best” 17, but it’s the best we can come up with this time of the year!

Another week closer to the end, more injury carnage to contend with, and they still haven’t found those 5 trades I swear someone used without my permission! 

We will be limping to the final, but at least we will all do it together.

A huge amount of points on offer for Round 24, with some big names going ballistic, helping make a VC loop option easy or running wild with a fullback Captain not named Turbo.

Also, after his jibe about bringing in Munster a couple of weeks back, I can now proudly declare I toppled Maxy Bryden in the in-house SC Playbook league to move into the Prelim finals against the Spy.

Winners have parties, losers have meetings.

Trust me, if I win, you will know about it! 

The Reapers took the Nicho loop and dropped Carrigan, so no harm done there and finished the round with possibly a season best 1,478, shooting me up 1,482 spots to 12,991th overall.

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1. Captains Assemble

Nicho, Walsh, Lomax and Scotty.

Fill your boots people! You can have as much as you want!

Well, the captains assembled just in time for H2H knockout finals, and boy didn’t they come with a full swag!

If you were brave enough to go early, Edwards delivered with a huge 119 and even those too slow to update their side from last week likely ended with Cleary, who scored a handy 84

However, most eyes were on Nicho and his Saturday afternoon heroics with a performance of old to bring Shark Park and the rest of Supercoach into raptures!

Finished with a massive 145, enough for any VCs to loop without a second thought, and those with the straight C allowed for a worry-free Saturday and Sunday. 

But play of the year might be holding firm on taking the loop and entrusting he armband to Reece Walsh!

Walsh took to the battle of Brisbane like a thirsty North Queenslander to the Caxton.

He tore apart the Dolphins and, in 15 minutes in the second half, amassed nearly 80 points. 

Hats off to Clem, who talked herself out of looping Nicho and saw something in those eyes.

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2. Sunday Scaries and Saviours

If you thought the captaincy fun ended there, you were grossly mistaken!

After Lomax scored a double and kicked a few on his way to 126, Sunday rolled around, and I had a feeling in my waters that someone on Sunday would go large. 

If you thought the same, and stuck with a bloke in Maroon and White I’m sorry, but we suck.

Turbo was nowhere and still looks 5 yards slower than what I remember him to be.

He updated to 59, but the damage was done.

Those who went from Drinky to him had some proper pain incoming.

Manly look avoidable for any trades incoming, so best to look elsewhere.

Scotty D, and like he so often does, bounced back with a monster game, ending all non-owners hopes of a H2H final win!

He had a day out carving up the Knights, who look so ready to call it quits for season 2025.

Finished the afternoon with 151, including a double, 2 assists and picked up the tee again, contributing 28 off the boot.

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3. Elementary, my dear Watson

It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out Watson just hasn’t found his groove since Origin

In the Spy’s words, “Watson has been an unmitigated disaster!”

That’s putting it lightly!

He has crushed all owners’ hopes of surging in the rankings, and I only like writing about it because my coin flip landed on the Grant side.

I’m sure plenty of others, including myself, were leaning towards Watson, but went with Grant and what a move it has been.

Since putting his Blue jersey back in the bag, he has totalled 234 points, a top score of 63 and an average of a tick under 47.

Grant in the same period: 384 points at an average of close to 77, and has raised the bat with 113. 

Even JMK in one less game has 40 or so more points, although I don’t think he is the second coming of Cameron Smith, as much as Dezzy would have you believe.

Robinson has even benched him in favour of Ioelu in back-to-back weeks now, and just for a laugh has done it at the 1-hour cut-off, leaving owners scrambling.

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4. Tallis the Raging Rabbit

Well, this is definitely one we can all look back on as one we missed!

I mean, I’m sure there are plenty out there reading this who picked him up whenever it may have been, but he has just been a Supercoach Superstar in the backend of the year!

Has chopped and changed from the second row and centre all year as a bit of a Mr Fix It for Souths, and boy has he had some fixing to do!

Had a breakout month back on Round 15, where he put 113 on the Dogs.

I remember Spy on the Podcast saying if he goes onto average 75+, it wouldn’t surprise him, but that score could just be a flash in the pan.

Well, I’ve seen the Spy cook and he shouldn’t go near any pans!

Backed up his 113 with two other 100+ scores, including a huge 134 against the Dolphins when they put 50 past the Rabbits, then, like Souths, regressed a bit but only had the one score under 50.

It may not scream Supercoach gun, but his 105 on Saturday night solidified a really good year.

And he has one thing a lot of other 2RFs don’t have this year… staying on the park!

At least next year, he should be available at 2RF and CTW. 

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5. The 5 P’s – Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

And Payne Haas. But not Pat Carrigan.

No, it’s definitely that time of year where you need to ensure you have your side locked in for each and every occasion!

You can’t have a Dezzy situation, and VC someone who scores 145, then work out that every one of your non-players has already “played” and you can’t make use of the loop!

Dire scenes for one of the best minds in Supercoach, so if it can happen to him, it can happen to anybody.

That means working out who will be your C when your VC option goes bananas. 

Don’t do what I do and just pick a VC and not think, have a look and see if that player goes off, who can you bring in?

Remembering even if they don’t play, they still lock out – Just like Kane Bradley! 

It may seem obvious, but you just need to work out who to drop, who to bring in, and that should set you up for success.

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6. Manly outside backs can get in the bin

I’m tired, cranky, and, unlike Luai, have to go to work tomorrow.

So, avoiding a few Tigers fans in the office, Maxxy, and trying to get rid of both Garrick and Lehi will consume my Monday!

Garrick was a swear word for plenty on Sunday afternoon as he went down with a shoulder injury, and is likely done for the season.

Many would have tossed up whether to drop him or someone else to utilise the loop option, or were relying on him to go big against a Tigers edge that, from my memory, couldn’t tackle.

I’m still trying to work out with the flex, whether he came in, dropped out, or came in and dropped out with the loop!

Either way, it was a short afternoon and now his season is over.

For us owners, which is basically everyone, it might be for the best.

Since his 107 against the Bunnies way back in Round 18, he has a high score of 63 and a 5RA of 34.

Will dip below $500k, which is absurd for a guy that was $800k sometime this year.

And whoever kidnapped Lehi and replaced him with one of Hoppa’s other kids, please return him. 

A dour 25 on Sunday afternoon, likely ending some Supercoaches’ seasons if you decided to play him.

Since he scored back-to-back 100s, and everyone brought him in, he has averaged 36.

Put it all down to when he got knocked out in Newcastle. 

Both he and Garrick can join the list of Manly Supercoach stars that will start 2026 as cut price favourites.

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7. You had a Ford, turned into a Ferrari, now you’re walking

The name Jackson Ford isn’t one I thought I would be mentioning this deep into the season, and in the full swing of H2H finals, but here we are!

Picked by many as a stopgap in the 2RF/FRF spot, who was shouldering a lot of the Warriors’ work in the middle.

His base stats were great, and he offered dual position, so a no-brainer for those looking to plug a hole left by an underperforming or injured second rower.

And things were looking good!

Scored 72 against the Dolphins two weeks back, was quiet last week, but this week.. wow!!

91 points in base and power alone!! Did not register a single attacking stat.

But that’s about where the good news ends, he is cited for a crusher tackle and faces 3 weeks with an early plea!

So no more Ford to drive us home. 

Crushing blow for those already skinny in their 26-man squads and heading into a Prelim in any H2Hs! 

There will be some garbage last-ditch reserves this weekend!

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8. Minute Watch

Panthers v Storm
IPap 45, Sorensen 51, Grant 82, EKat 82

Warriors v Dragons
Ford 67, Halasima 48, Egan 70, Clark 47, Cook 80, Stewart 14

Roosters v Bulldogs
Watson 54, Crichton 80, Kiks 80, Presto 69, Hayward 76

Sharks v Titans
AFB 47, Wilton 80, McInnes 21, Brailey 80, Randall 80, Tino 53, Kini 17

Broncos v Dolphins
Haas 61, Carrigan 61, Talty 33, JMK 80, Donoghoe 80

Rabbits v Eels
Duncan 80, Smith 59, Walker 49, Guymer 25, Williams 80, Smith 52

Tigers v Sea Eagles
Api 80, May 81, Hunt 20, Jazz 62, Garrick 21

Cowboys v Knights
Bateman 80, Nanai 80, Robson 80, Laybutt 12, KPP 80, McEwen 80