KFC SuperCoach: Champion Tim Moodie’s 11 best buys for 2022

The SuperCoach season has only just finished and the 2021 champion is already preparing for next year. These are players to keep an eye on for 2022.

Wow, what a ride it’s been for KFC SuperCoach in 2021. With the speed of the game increasing, attacking footy at its peak, and the amount injuries and suspensions we have had to side-step week after week.

Personally I normally assess the prospects of players closer to round one team lists when we have more information to work with.

That being said, it can be handy to keep players in mind for next season and take note of which players may be the ones to start with, or pick up at some point when the timing is right.

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It’s a bit hard for me to get a read on many bottom dollar cheapies this early out, especially with the lack of footy the up-and-comers got this year due to Covid restrictions.

So here are the KFC top 11 players to keep in mind for 2022 according to the 2021 KFC SuperCoach champion (in no particular order):

KFC SuperCoach champion Tim Moodie has nominated Nick Meaney (right) as a buy for 2021.

1 Nick Meaney: We may need him to drop in price and get a role in the Storm side similar to what Nicho Hynes did this year around Origin and when covering injuries (minus the kicking). Meaney showed great signs in the back end of the year for the Doggies.

The Storm have shown they can turn players into superstars. The best off-season training for Meaney would be for him to grow his hair out, it seemed to work for other Storm fullbacks such as Billy Slater, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Nicho Hynes.

2 Tevita Pangai Junior (TPJ): Heading to the Doggies who have some exciting signings for next year. TPJ will have dual flexibility between FRF/2RF and will start the year at a price we cannot refuse.

3 Taylan May: The Panthers’ CTW showed some great signs on debut. He seems to be a Brian To’o 2.0 in terms of work load. With a chance to get more games in 2022 in team that has electric attack, and at bottom dollar, he could be a real cash cow.

4 Big Stef Utoikamanu: A cheapie from this year that was a slow burn, but came home gangbusters in the final rounds. I think he could be a great option to start at prop next year as a season long keeper.

5 Kurt Capewell: Moving to the Broncos where he will likely be an 80-minute player. Always seems to be KFC SuperCoach relevant when getting good minutes.

6 Ryan Papenhuyzen: Lil Papi will be almost a must-have to start the season, pairing him up with Tommy Turbo as your two fullbacks (pending salary cap). Regardless, Papi will be affordable if you’re concerned about being unable to start with Turbo.

7 Nicho Hynes: One thing is certain, heading to the Cronulla beaches Nicho will be hitting the surf and getting plenty of sun. This means there will be even more blokes man-crushing over him with a killer fresh tan. That aside, he has come back in price and may shift between five-eighth and fullback in that side, until they work out the right combination. At fullback he seems to go better for KFC SuperCoach. However despite position, I think he is a KFC SuperCoach gun and I’ll be all over him.

8 Braidon Burns: If Burns picks up that starting left centre spot at the Bunnies in place of Dane Gagai (Knights) he could be a solid value option. Keep an eye out.

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9 Xavier Coates: Now Coates could be a bit of a rollercoaster — low base but high ceiling similar to The Foxx, who he replaces at the Storm. I think the Storm will utilise his ability under the highball to full effect. He could be one of those CTWs that you just need to be on if he can go on a run.

10 Jarome Luai: He started last year with a bang and scored well in the final round. His starting price will be good value and I feel he will begin the season well again next year. With Cleary doing Cleary things, it at times left Jarome out of the action more-so than owners would have liked. The experience with Origin should see him grow even more next year.

11 Tommy Turbo: What can I say… Just find a way to start with Turbo! We may need to make sacrifices in other positions to make this happen. He will be at absolute top dollar, but you get what you pay for and having him as your captain and doubling his score makes it justifiable. If you don’t have Turbo, you’ll fall too far behind and it will be hard to make up that ground.

On a final note: It’s only early days, there is so much more information we can gather as we get closer to round one next year, the players mentioned are not all must-haves but rather players to consider.

Enjoy the finals, if your team is in the top eight best of luck. But it’s gonna be hard to stop my Penrith Panthers and my main man Viliame Kikau.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach: Champion Tim Moodie’s 11 best buys for 2022