Cheapie Bible Round 3: Why popular bargain Braydon Trindall is an avoid

He’s one of the most purchased players this week but cheapie guru TRENT COPELAND is calling for KFC SuperCoaches to steer clear.

It’s not Hopgood, it’s Hop-GOD!

Not since Corey Parker retired have we seen this level of game-changing ability as a middle forward, playing HUGE minutes in his first two games. Respect is earned, and he’s already inside the hearts of KFC SuperCoaches – and set for one of the single biggest initial price rises in the history of the game!

In just his second game as a starting NRL player, manly people had the straight captain armband on him – that tells you all you need to know!

It wasn’t just Hop-GOD though, there were many other success stories, and quite a few flops we will have to resurrect this week. More on that below.

A cheapie by definition is any player under $350,000 with the rise in salary cap, we will cover off on all of the most important cheapies with a verdict on whether to invest or not.

As the season goes along we will give a running verdict on when to sell, sit, buy or hold every cheapie that hits our radar. If a player is not on the list, we’ve determined they are not a viable selection.

Let’s go!

J'maine Hopgood has been a revelation. Picture: Getty

J’maine Hopgood | 2RF ($298,800 | PAR) - 124 points

I could go on for hours here, but quite simply, Hop-GOD has put up scores of 101 and 124 points in two weeks playing at lock (with no tries!) and single handedly changed games with his ball playing ability. 43 tackles, 16 points in effective offloads, and 25 points in runs to go with his try assists and you have yourselves one beautiful KFC SuperCoach cocktail. Hop-GOD is set for one of the biggest initial price rises in history, and given the great early bye coverage is set and forget in your team at least until Origin.

VERDICT: BUY. This is must have territory, I don’t care about the Matterson/Lane returns, there’s no way Brad Arthur can keep this man off the field if they want to win.

Braydon Trindall | HFB ($234,800 | SHA) - 76 points

With Nathan Cleary on a bye and Braydon Trindall possessing a green tick and -54 BE, KFC SuperCoaches are flocking to the trade shop and buying up a storm. Well, let me be the one to pour cold water over that choice. The scoring potential is absolutely there, make no mistake about it. If Nicho Hynes was out until round 10, Trindall would be $500k by then no doubt, but the reality is that Nicho has confirmed himself that he will be “good to go” for the Sharks’ round four matchup against the Dragons. So, forget the upside here, one week of price rises is not enough.

VERDICT: AVOID.

Braydon Trindall is a popular cheapie but Trent Copeland is calling for KFC SuperCoaches to avoid.

Jacob Preston | 2RF ($200,800 | BUL) - 84 points

You’ve no doubt heard the rumours of ‘the next Josh Jackson’ by now, well an hour prior to round two, Preston was elevated from the bench to start on the right edge by Cameron Ciraldo, against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park. No tougher away assignment, and welcome to the big leagues as they say. Well, 84 points including a try, 38 tackles, eight points in tackle busts and 17 points in runs in an astonishing win for the Dogs – along with the fact he’s been named to be a fully fledged starter and we have ourselves a KFC SuperCoach dream at $200k.

VERDICT: BUY. Don’t overthink it. Playable in your starting 17 with the likes of Cleary, To’o, Yeo etc on bye this round.

Jacob Preston isn’t just a star cheapie, he’s also playable in your 17. Picture: Getty

Michael Chee-Kam | 2RF|CTW ($234,800 | STH) - 52 points

Chee-Kam isn’t getting anywhere near the attention he deserves at this point, playing 80 minutes on an edge both weeks so far, named there once again this week and really, there’s no end in sight to that spot given Jai Arrow is listed as ‘indefinite’ with the hamstring injury. Jacob Host could potentially displace him when he returns from his calf injury but 44 and 52 points in consecutive games, and a BE of -28 coming into this week’s matchup with the Roosters, you could do a lot worse than look Chee-Kam’s way. Probably with a view to selling to a Josh Schuster once he is up and running in two weeks. 



VERDICT: POD-BUY. Just 4% ownership.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | CTW|FLB ($330,200 | DOL) - 79 points

I put the hand up in last week’s Cheapie Bible in acknowledgement that Hammer was in contention as a buy on the back of a much improved work rate and impact with ball in hand – urging a wait and see approach in the hope we would see something similar in game two. Well, we got another 79 points, this time on the back of two tries but again there was almost 40 points in runs, tackles and tackle busts. Now, I’m not expecting 70+ points every week but man, the BE is -60 and he gets the Knights without a million players this coming week… With conservative projections of 40-50 scores the next three rounds Hammer will nudge close to $500k.

VERDICT: BUY.

Stefano Utoikamanu | FRF ($319,200 | WST) - 78 points

“Look deeper than the score of 38 points, as the minutes and role are there and we know he has a nose for the try line” was the Cheapie Bible stance last week. Well, fast forward and we get 57 minutes, 55 points in base stats and a nice junk time try for our patience. Whilst the Tigers looked awful in attack, big Stefano (pending health of course) is an absolute lock for his minutes between 45-55 most weeks and as predicted, we will get 50PPG with the odd spike week with attacking stats. A great purchase and an even better success story for those who took the punt on him at FRF2 on field.

VERDICT: BUY. No byes until round 12, and big Stefano is a $500k caliber player as the perfect stepping stone to a Tohu, Tino or Tapine through the byes.

Bryce Cartwright | 2RF ($234,800 | PAR) - 58 points

That’s two full 80 minute games, and scores of 59 and 58 points respectively for the Carty Party, to hit round three with a huge -49 BE and SC Plus projected price rise of over $70,000 even with a score in the 30s. Add to that, the fact that Shaun Lane (Carty is playing on his left edge) seems to be a couple of weeks away still and there’s the prospect of two huge price rises for owners. The problem? Carty has had some BAD missed tackles lead directly to tries, and with the impending return of Ryan Matterson next round there is a squeeze on for who loses game time. One thing is for sure, it won’t be Hopgood who loses out, and if both Matterson and Lane are back in two/three weeks Carty could be looking at 30 minutes off the bench.

VERDICT: HOLD/AVOID. I’m calling a great result for CURRENT owners and even a play in your 17 this week on Thursday night, but an AVOID for those tempted to jump on.

Bryce Cartwright has wound back the clock. Picture: Getty

Isaiya Katoa | HFB|5/8 ($216,100 | DOL) - 45 points

42 points and 45 points thus far for Katoa, without really scratching the surface of his ball running ability. A try assist in both games (both WINS!) for the Dolphins and some solid contributions in tackles and forced drop outs have this superstar of the future sitting with a -25 BE and most enticingly a matchup against a seriously depleted Knights outfit, albeit on the back of an incredibly gutsy win last week. Owned by 63% of teams at time of writing, that number should be 100% after this week.

VERDICT: BUY.

Shaq Mitchell | FRF ($234,800 | STH) - 52 points

Speaking of Rabbitohs, big SHAQ has probably impressed the most as far as the eyeball test goes in the early rounds. 52 points this past week in 50 minutes of game time against the Panthers. 31 tackles, 25 points in runs… Had it not been for a few missed tackles and an error it could have been even better. Lots are jumping on, going from Moale or Pele sideways to Shaq, and whilst I don’t hate it given his PPM is great and negative BE, I have some bad news. Tevita Tatola and Hame Sele BOTH return this week from concussion and calf injuries respectively. The way the team list has been set up for round three is hugely concerning for minutes and I think it may land much more like 30 minutes at best, rather than 50 as it has been.

VERDICT: RISKY BUY. I won’t call him an avoid as I think Shaq will still make some nice slow burn cash for KFC SuperCoaches, just tame those expectations.

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Jackson Ford | 2RF ($281,200 | NZL) - 4 points

Hopefully most of you listened to the Cheapie Bible advice last week to “wait and watch” with Ford on the prospect of 80 minutes not being there every week. Not because the minutes prediction was right, but because of the unfortunate head knock that ruled Ford out of action after just two minutes against the Roosters. If you’re an owner, it’s obviously a huge shame given the prospect for significant price rises was on the horizon, but that four-point game will be in the rolling average for three weeks even when he does return.

VERDICT: SELL. Not urgent, but a move to Preston (or similar) makes sense.

Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad | CTW|FLB ($327,100 | NZL) - 13 points

Much like Ford, CNK was taken from the field with a HIA and ruled out of the match against the Roosters after just 50 minutes. The difference between CNK and Ford, though is the position they play in and I think CNK is a hold as a result. A move to the Hammer is a potential option but I would hazard a guess that in two week’s time, CNK will be making money and scoring well enough to be a hold through to Origin coverage.

VERDICT: HOLD. Awful timing, but hopefully it’s just a one-week absence.

Jackson Ford is out due to concussion. Picture: Getty

Paul Alamoti | CTW ($200,800 | BUL) - 48 points

Alamoti came to life against the Storm. This is the barnstorming ball running centre we have all heard about and seen at the lower levels. 48 points with no attacking stats, 28 points in runs and 20 of those in H8s as a sign of the impact he had. Whilst there hasn’t been any attacking stats so far, Alamoti is on a left edge with Kikau, Burton and the Foxx… and gets matchups against the Tigers and Warriors the next two weeks. The BE is -12 and there’s plenty of cash to come. Sit tight, and hopefully he can jag some attacking stats.

VERDICT: BUY. Job security is a huge tick, scoring will come.

William Warbrick | CTW ($200,800 | MEL) - 36 points

Warbrick has somehow avoided every possible attacking stat over the opening two rounds, and for large portions against the Bulldogs there were no opportunities as they were getting pumped! The positives here are two 30+ scores having literally done nothing, Justin Olam and Xavier Coates both return from injury this week and Warbrick maintains his spot. So I think we’re looking at Warbrick as a fixture in this team until Ryan Papenhuyzen returns (moving Meaney to Warbrick’s wing). With the Titans and Tigers the next two weeks patient owners should be handsomely rewarded.

VERDICT: HOLD.

Will Warbrick is a hold. Picture: Getty

Alofiana Khan-Pereira | CTW ($200,800 | GCT) - 5 points

The 5-point stinker on debut is in the rear mirror, as Khan-Pereira did what we know he does best and that is score a try. The obvious problem here is even with a try ‘AKP’ only managed to score 40 points. Now, matchups against the Storm and Cowboys come his way where attacking stats may be hard to come by and it will be a slow burn. The great news is that AKP has managed to keep his place despite Brian Kelly returning, which was one of our main concerns.

VERDICT: HOLD. Screams a wait-and-see approach, but it’ll be ugly without tries.

Matt Doorey | 2RF ($234,800 | PAR) - 41 points

Doorey’s scores haven’t screamed ‘BUY’ at any point, but he’s quietly played big minutes in both games so far, and Brad Arthur talked up the need to have him playing 80 minutes moving further into the season. The obvious question to that is the returns of Shaun Lane and Ryan Matterson over the next few weeks. With a BE of -7 it’s a question current owners should hold out to hope the result is a good one for Doorey, but there’s no way I can advocate buying with that grey area looming.

VERDICT: HOLD/AVOID. Not a purchase this week for non-owners.

Sean Keppie | FRF|2RF ($274,800 | MNL)

Coming off the bye, Keppie has been named on the bench for Anthony Siebold’s Sea Eagles, after being named at lock for round one then moving back to the bench just before kickoff. So this is the role that he will likely settle in to. Let’s watch the minutes this week against the Eels and make a more informed decision next week.

VERDICT: WATCHLIST.

Pasami Saulo’s minutes have been solid. Picture: Getty

Pasami Saulo | FRF|2RF ($243,000 | CBR) - 43 points

It’s not exciting, but those who started the season with Saulo will be pleased with the PPM and minutes hovering around the 40 mark. Dual position eligibility is very handy for trading purposes and there will be some modest price rises on the horizon, but there’s no need to be jumping on if you’re a non owner particularly with Josh Papali’i returning from his calf injury soon.

VERDICT: HOLD/AVOID.

Tyrell Sloan | CTW|FLB ($298,600 | STG) & Ben Murdoch-Masila | FRF|2RF ($234,800 | STG)

Two Dragons coming off their bye who got the roles we were hoping for. Sloan looked incredible at fullback, scoring twice on his way to 78 points. At the price he will come into consideration for Tommy Talau, Reimis Smith and potentially even CNK owners next week with another good score. Murdoch-Masila was a watch to see if he would remain a starter on an edge, which is the case, but with a distinct lack of work rate in his score of 37 points in 70+ minutes I’m not bullish on his prospects.

VERDICT: WATCHLIST. We get until round four to make decisions on all Dragons and Panthers. Keep your eyes peeled.

Josh Schuster | 5/8|2RF ($241,200 | MNL)

NAMED to play. Here we go. Watch with interest as every KFC SuperCoach worth their salt knows how good this guy can be, and he’s an absolute steal at the price. Fingers crossed he comes back strong from injury and gets a good run at it.

VERDICT: WATCHLIST. Will be the perfect buy in two weeks time for a topped out cash cow.

Davvy Moale | FRF ($234,800 | STH) - 26 points

Moale was promoted to the starting lineup which excited many KFC SuperCoaches to the point they played him in their starting 17, but got hooked after just 10 minutes having missed a few tackles and largely not had any impact. Came back in his second stint and looked much better to the naked eye, but still only played 26 minutes and if I’m comparing apples to apples, Shaq Mitchell looked twice the player (and cheapie purchase) that Moale did in this one. Tatola and Sele returning early to the side this week puts the nail in the coffin, unfortunately.

VERDICT: AVOID. Of the two, I’d rather own Shaq Mitchell at this point.

Franklin Pele | FRF ($216,100 | BUL) - 22 points

An improvement, and had a couple of runs in the shock win over the Storm that showed the upside here – but it’s pretty obvious with eight minutes in game one and 23 minutes here that he is not going to have the opportunity to reach any money-making heights we’d hoped.

VERDICT: SELL.

WATCHLIST

Sunia Turuva | CTW|FLB ($275,000 | PTH) - 44 points (HOLD on bye)

Soni Luke | HOK ($234,800 | PTH) - 29 points (HOLD on bye)

Valynce Te Whare | CTW ($200,800 | DOL)

Viliami Fifita | FRF|2RF ($200,800 | MNL)

Siua Wong | 2RF ($200,800 | SYD)

Jack Howarth | CTW|2RF ($200,800 | MEL)

Haze Dunster | CTW ($234,800 | PAR)

Jack Bostock | CTW ($200,800 | DOL)

Trey Mooney | 2RF ($234,800 | CBR)

Luke Metcalf | 5/8 ($250,400 | NZL)

Ray Stone | HOK|2RF ($246,900 | DOL)

There you have it! A huge edition to kick off the Cheapie Bible for 2023. Be sure to tweet us what you think @copes9 and @SuperCoachNRL. Good luck for first lockout!

Originally published as Cheapie Bible Round 3: Why popular bargain Braydon Trindall is an avoid