Clementine Cassidy
NRL SuperCoach, 6th overall, 2021
NRL Supercoach | Clem’s Captains, Round 15 Skippers
Former sixth-placed finisher Clementine Cassidy analyses the best captaincy candidates for NRL Supercoach Round 15
NRL
June 11, 2026
Friends.
This is not a drill. I have found another card.
Now for context, back in Round 8 I found an Alex Twal card which was clearly a sign from above that he was going to send Royce Hunt through to score under the posts against the Raiders.
Big men doing graceful things – stunning.
And of course, I ignored that sign and reaped the heartbreak of a bunch of red arrows. Truly, I deserved it. Imagine finding an Alex Twal card and not bringing him in?
But I have been gifted a second chance!
Because on Sunday, as I was clearing out my handbag, who should appear amongst the tubes of lipstick, handful of rogue NZ coins, receipts, and 5000 hair ties?
Brian Kelly.
Like a shining beacon of hope amongst the chaos of my handbag – a perfect metaphor to Round 15.
The SC gods have spoken. I’m not ignoring them this time. I’m bringing him in.
Okay, I’m not. But still – if he goes 100+ this Sunday, you heard it here first.
And surely this is the hardest round of the season. With just a handful of SuperCoach relevant players who most of us own already, key round 15 targets – Nicho and Reece cruelly out, and a lot of coaches forced to play short of the 13, I promise you, it won’t get harder than this.
And up to now, the bye rounds have been kind to me, and it is a miracle because me and the bye rounds – we’re not normally friends.
But on Monday morning when lockout lifted, I discovered that my score of 1,560 was enough to see me sneak into the top 200! I am now in 193rd place…and it is truly a miracle!
And what was also a miracle was King Kiraz playing like he had an entire calf on Monday afternoon, scoring 93 points for the faithful few who manifested and prayed and kept the reserve on him in the hope that he would play.
My condolences to the Spy who demonstrated blatant unfaithfulness to his “boy” Kiraz by choosing not to play him. He’s my boy now.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn other Spy news, he also got a lesson in going the early crow, publicly stating that I was praying Kiraz would play and if he didn’t, the 11 points he would beat me by would mean he “dusted me up with ease”.
Ahhh Spy. A lesson – NEVER go the early crow, especially when King Kiraz is in play. In the end I beat him by 45 points. I guess if 11 points is “dusting me up with ease” this is what they call a “good old-fashioned thumping”.
Kids got a bit of lip for someone who’s been ranked behind me all year.
Anyway, onto the Captains we go, and the hideousness of the major bye brings us the joy of a FREE LOOP – a true silver lining! So let’s get stuck into some VCs:
Embed from Getty ImagesDolphins vs Roosters
In a round where SC relevant players are a little on the lean side, the Dolphins backline are looking like hot property. Especially when you look at the Origin-depleted Roosters team.
And while you could probs take a punt on about 4 or 5 players as your VC (I honestly love a cheeky VC on Tevita Naufahu as a POD play) – we’ll look at the two most popular:
Herbie Farnworth
Word on the street is even the ghost ships are VCing our Lord and Saviour of Round 15, Herbie Farnworth.
Again – if you don’t own him – Get. Him. In.
A 3-round average of 90, a 69-point average in base+power, about a million points in offloads and tackle busts this season – Herbie is one scary player to anti-POD when over 50% of top 10% of SuperCoaches have the VC on him.
But a little something for the 9% who are straight Captaining:
This round everyone should have a free loop. And unless you’re eying up a Bronco or a Bunny as your VC – take the safety net and cocoon yourself in the warm embrace that is said free loop. Herbie’s a top choice, but he’s only tonned up twice this season.
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Jamayne Isaako
Isaako sent owners into a frenzy when he scored 178 points vs the Bulldogs in Round 10.
A surge in his ownership sees him as a popular VC for those looking to go against the crowd on Herbie, but still have a piece of the Dolphins red-hot attack.
11 tries this season, the kicking, 13 linebreaks, and an 83-point average – don’t be shy about giving him your VC.
Embed from Getty ImagesA couple of high-upside PODs
With our safest Captain of the Round, Terrell May, playing the final game, this is the perfect round to take a bit of a stab at a high-upside POD if you feel like going against the Herbie Appreciation Society.
Ronaldo Mulitalo
After living through a few seasons of Mulitalo ownership, I can confirm you’ll get 20 or 120 and nothing in between. But even though the lows are low, the highs are so gloriously high it’s addictively tempting to bring him in again. What can I say, I’m a sucker for Kiwis and second chances.
Since coming back from injury in Round 11 – Mulitalo has gone 80, 26, 129 – in what is a perfect example of what you’ll get as an owner. BUT that 26 in the middle also came about by Mulitalo catching a bit of a cold in Round 13 out on the wing, which was clearly cosplaying Siberia.
Despite being a few down themselves, the Sharks will smell blood in this game. The Wahs have key players, Barnett and Capewell, out on Origin duty and JFH and Leka the Wrecka out injured.
But it won’t be easy. I have faith in our young guys stepping up, and with this being the Wahs first home game in 857 years (okay 55 days but it feels like 857 years), the sold-out crowd will be amped up and the Wahs will be looking to put on a show.
But if you’re looking to go against the pack with a poddy VC – Mulitalo could be just the man you need.
A Warriors Winger
On the flip side, you have the Wahs wingers. And this just seems like the kind of game where one of them is going to go over for three.
Last time the Wahs played the Sharks back in Round 5, it was Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who feasted crossing the line 3 times.
But as someone who looked to the other side of the field and brought in Alofiana Khan–Pereira last week as an early pod-play for this round, you best believe I’ve been manifesting his first hatty of the season all week.
If you take out the notorious -1 he scored at Magic Round, he’s averaging 76 with 9 tries in his 7 games, and 4 scores of 89+.
Potential pod VC.
Embed from Getty ImagesYour Safe Captains
It feels like Groundhog Day, but really is there any safer Captains this week than Jackson Ford or Terrell May?
Jackson Ford
Down on troops, Ford will once again step up for the Wahs and put in a performance that will have Warriors fans cheer the day Laurie Daley looked at his stats, effort, and incoming Gerringong-legend status – and said, “yeah nah, not for me.”
Don’t worry Jackson, we’ll take you for the Kiwis.
A 75-point average in base+power and six tons this season, makes Ford a tantalising play for the armband this week if you don’t want to follow the masses and put it on Terrell. And with troops out he should play big minutes too.
Terrell May
This is literally a copy paste every week. An 81-point average in base + power is all you need to know.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Take a punt on your VC, and then if your VC fails, you’ll find your Round 15 Captain at the Eighth Wonder Sunday afternoon.
Embed from Getty ImagesJayden Campbell
If you want to Captain in the final game but you don’t want to go with the masses who will be on Terrell, you could look on the other side of the field and take a punt on this week’s most popular trade-in, Jayden Campbell.
New owners would have had the crystals out and the manifesting in overdrive last Saturday night, when JC remained in single digits through the first half of the game. But a second half comeback, saw him finish with his third try double of the season, and a more than respectable 91 points.
A 3-round average of 81, five scores over 89 in his 10 games this season, and the kicking tee – makes JC a definite option, especially against the Tigers who were put to the sword by the Panthers last week.
I prefer the safety net of Terrell’s base in this game, but at only 9% Captained by the top 10%, JC is one to consider if you’re looking for a more pod play that could send you soaring up the ranks if it comes off.
Verdict
In a bye round like this, with a free swing at the loop and limited players to choose from, I’d love to take a risk on a rogue pod like a Mulitalo or a Tevita Naufahu as a VC.
But I’m going to play a bit defensively as opposed to overly poddy to try and defend my rank, and so I’m looking at that classic combo of a Herbie VC into a Terrell Captaincy.
(We’ll all be looping whoever we’ve backed in the Dolphins as our VC anyway).
And on that note, I must run. I’ve lent the Community Hall to Spy for the arvo so he can practice his ‘don’t go the early crow’ chant after Sunday’s ‘dusted up with ease’ booboo, so I’ve got to go and let him in.
Good luck for Round 15!
Clementine xxx
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