Max Bryden
SC expert, commentator, 2x top 350 overall finisher
NRL Supercoach 2026 | Stats keeping me up at night
Supercoach expert Maxy Bryden shares the stats that are scratching his brain and making him think long and hard about who to target.
NRL
April 2, 2026
It’s been an incredible year of Supercoach so far, thanks in large part to the number of players who have flipped the script.
Breakout stars, revenge seasons, and try-scoring feats have all happened through the first four rounds, and while some of the people grabbing headlines are well and truly already on people’s radar, there are tons of people who aren’t.
And if you’re like me, when you come across a question or a thought tickles your brain about a player, you’ve got to dive into the numbers.
So here are a few of the stats so far in 2026 that are scratching my brain and making me think long and hard about who to target.
Embed from Getty ImagesJamayne Isaako | Dolphins | CTW
His ‘relevancy’ in Supercoach is always debated, but one thing that cannot be debated is an improved work rate so far this year.
In fact, Isaako – who we used to think need tries and lots of them to enter the upper echelon of CTW candidates – has lifted his work rate by a staggering 13.7 points so far this season.
From a base + power (tackles, runs, tackle breaks, offloads) perspective, he’s averaging a huge 44.5 points this year, up from an average of just 30.8 last season.
And when you throw an expected 10-12 points in goal kicks each game into the mix you are looking at a floor of around 50-55 points each week.
He averaged a respectable 62 this year. But if that work rate keeps up, you could expect him to push a 75 average.
Can he keep it up? With a BE this week of just 7, it’s a good time to buy if you think so!
Embed from Getty ImagesKulikefu Finefuaiki | Dolphins | 2RF
Speaking of right-edge Dolphins, another guy whose work rate is off the charts this year is big Kefu Finefuaiki.
His pure base is currently 62.5, up 19 points from last year, when it was just 43.5.
That’s massive!
At 22 years of age, he is coming into his prime and looks primed for a massive season and potentially being a season-long keeper.
Embed from Getty ImagesAlex Twal | Wests Tigers | 2RF/FRF
This one warms the heart.
As a Tigers fan, Twal has always had two things: elite aerobic fitness and incredible defensive efficiency.
But never has he shown a semblance of an attacking game.
Now he’s throwing two offloads a game and playing huge minutes at lock and averaging 77 points! But is this a flash in the pan? I don’t think it is.
Since 2020 has played 35 games of 59 minutes or more, and he averages 68 in that time. And 66 points of that is in base.
So if you think in 2026 that he will keep up a 60-minute role at lock, you’ve got to think he won’t average worse than 65. But even that could be conservative.
Through three games, he’s averaging 75.7 in base and power stats alone!
Can he keep it up? Well, for $548,600, it’s a pretty awesome gamble!
He’ll be $600k next week.
Embed from Getty ImagesIsaiah Papali’i | Penrith Panthers | 2RF/FRF
Is Ipap back? It certainly looks that way!
We’re four years removed from his glorious years, but a lot of signs point to a resurgence for the Kiwi International now that he’s won the starting job on the edge for the Panthers.
He’s priced at a 69, and averaging 62.5 in base + power. So he’s still more or less around value.
But it’s both the potential for more minutes (currently averaging 72.25) and the chance of attack (averaging 12 points per game) which has people thinking he could average 75 this year.
So if you think he’s back and have the funds, he could be a good buy at his current price.
Embed from Getty ImagesJaydn Su’A | St. George-Illawarra Dragons | 2RF
From a 43.9 pure base average last year, the Dragons’ edge has lifted his work rate again and is posting a 57 pure base, with 73 in Base + Power stats too.
Big work rate, attacking upside, offloading and playing on the focal point edge of their attack means Jaydn is in for a monster season.
Blayke Brailey | Cronulla Sharks | HOK
We thought hooker’s would benefit under the new stats system, but one player is making a mockery out of it like no one else.
Blayke Brailey has lifted his over B+P average from 49.9 in 2025 up to 59.5 through four games for the Sharks.
And this has to be more than just stats. It’s also a continuation of the game plan, whereby Brailey is running more too.
At $665k, he’s no longer ‘cheap’, but with a 72 average, do we need to start thinking about if we want two guns at hooker this year?
Embed from Getty ImagesSua Fa’alogo | Melbourne Storm | FLB
One bloke making an absolute mockery out of preseason concerns is Sua Fa’alogo, and that includes making a mockery out of me.
Fa’alogo looked like a prototypical ‘small’ fullback who’d have a low work rate and provide the ‘cherry on top’ for attacking sets for the Storm.
But through four rounds, he’s currently averaging 44 base+power stats, which is right above some of the expected suspects at the fullback position.
The most B+P at fullback is Tom Chester, but Sua is beating Turbo, Teddy and Edwards, showcasing a truly incredible floor to work with. Season keeper? If he stays fit, hell yes from me.
Embed from Getty ImagesTom Jenkins | Penrith Panthers | CTW
‘It’ll stop next week’ is how we feel about the tries, but as it stands, he’s scored 10 in four games. And who exactly do we think is going to stop him?
Milky has been the story of the season in Supercoach, and well done to those who jumped on.
At $780k, he will cost a pretty penny, but with a 42 B+P and playing for Penrith, he could reasonably average 80 for the season with the amount of attack he’s going to get.
He’s priced at an 84 average – does that make him more or less a fair price?
Great analysis. Another player who dwarves a shoot as a pod. Is Jake Averillo. Averaging 86 from his last game. 38.5 in base. Scoring tries for fun. Great match up tonight.