KFC SuperCoach NRL 2021: The best premium and mid-range 2RF
It’s a position loaded with stat stuffing, base scoring KFC SuperCoach NRL superstars. We rate the 2RF you need to start 2021.
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There are guns galore available at 2RF but don’t discount the appeal of some quality mid-rangers ahead of the start of the 2021 KFC SuperCoach NRL season.
We rate the best and even a few of the rest here:
NB This is not an exhaustive list of every player available at 2RF and if you think we missed any player worth considering please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
GUNS
Cameron McInnes
Position(s): 2RF/HOK
2020 avg.: 76.3
Price: $676,200
Analysis: I am a huge fan of the reliable scoring that McInnes delivers. I preview him in more detail in our deep dive at the hooker position here.
Angus Crichton
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 75.7
Price: $670,500
Analysis: The Mighty Angus was mighty fine in 2020 riding a career-best PPM of 1.07 to a career-high PPG average of 75.7. That average lifts to an even 80PPG if you exclude the round 10 match in which he was knocked out and his round 17 return match when nursed into the game off the bench following a long period out due to concussion. And there’s the slight quibble, concussion. It’s somewhat of a curse for Roosters edge players with skipper Boyd Cordner unlikely to play until deep into 2021 as he deals with his own concussion related problems. Cordner’s absence, and the retirement of Mitch AuboGun, does remove some competition for the 11/12 jerseys at the Roosters but the prospect of another head knock forcing another lengthy stint on the sideline is a risk. Is the reward worth it? Possibly. Crichton is a serious stat stuffer, the finest of all edge forwards as he looks for defensive work in the middle and then hit-ups on an edge. He’s good for 50+ points per game in base alone to which you can count on plenty of tackle busts an offload or two and if he doesn’t get a linebreak in week A he’s pretty good for one in Week B.
Ryan Matterson
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 75.2
Price: $666,000
Analysis: It’s almost a copy/paste job here with Matterson, a player very similar in style to Crichton even so far as the concussion worries. Crichton busts more tackles (he runs more edge lines as compared to Matterson who runs more through the middle) which Matterson makes up for by throwing more offloads. Their base output is very similar, Matterson slightly higher. Both can go large on their day, Crichton has the slightly higher ceiling, Matterson is the more consistent scorer – in fact he scored 60+ in 16 of 17 games last year and the one game he ‘failed’ was where he was knocked out early in the game. If I could have only one of Crichton or Matterson to start 2021 I’d lean towards the reliable Eel, but you’ll want both once you’re cap has expanded.
Jason Taumalolo
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 72.4
Price: $641,700
Analysis: Speaking of reliable, Jason Taumalolo’s past four season averages run 75PPG, 70PPG, 78PPG and 72PPG. ‘Lolo’ failed to reach 60 points just twice last season and that was in the game he was injured and the one in which he played reduced minutes upon his return from injury. If you remove those two games from his averages then his true 2020 output was 77PPG. In 2020, Taumalolo averaged just under 60PPG in base thanks in no small part to his tremendous running power which saw him convert over 80% of his hit-ups into hit-ups over 8 metres (the next best of the elite secondrowers was Joseph Tapine at 70%) and bust 18.5% of tackles (other 2RF have a higher rate here but they are almost exclusively edge runners while Taumalolo takes his hit-ups through the middle). If there was a concern it is that Taumalolo missed six games due to injury in 2019 and four more in 2020. Far from crisis times but a worry when the investment comes at this price.
Tevita Pangai
Position(s): 2RF/FRF
2020 avg.: 69.6
Price: $616,200
Analysis: We preview TPJ in our FRF deep dive here.
Tohu Harris
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 69.2
Price: $613,000
Analysis: It’s not hard to do, but Tohu Harris made Rob Sutherland look silly in 2020. All season Rob warned people off Harris suggesting his period in the middle would come to an end and his scores would revert once he resumed playing a more traditional edge second-row role. It never happened, and Harris rode his superb workrate and a base of 63PPG all the way home to finish with the most points of any 2RF eligible player. The Warriors have recruited middles (Addin Fonua-Blake, Ben Murdoch-Masila and Kane (needs a hyphen)-Evans) and also have Bunty Afoa (missed all of 2020) and Leeson Ah Mau (played just rounds 1-2) available as well. Therefore, Rob is doubling down – Harris won’t see as much time in the middle in 2021 and he’s overpriced in KFC SuperCoach as a result.
Isaah Yeo
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 69.2
Price: $612,600
Analysis: Every once in a while Rob slips under Tom Sangster’s guard, and so it was in 2020 when Isaah Yeo was awarded dual 2RF/CTW eligibility. Unfortunately, wiser heads have prevailed and Yeo is only available at 2RF for 2021. Don’t disregard him at the position though; Yeo flourished under the new six again rule interpretation with his big motor and appetite for work resulting in a base of 58PPG which was 2PPG more than the likes of Jake Trbojevic and Nathan Brown. Penrith were able to deploy Yeo on an edge at times and this led to quality tackle bust and linebreak numbers while running off Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai. With a big motor, a high ceiling (five scores of 80+ and a season-high of 104) and as a member of a team that loves to score points there is plenty to like about Yeo in 2021.
Cameron Murray
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 67.7
Price: $599,700
Analysis: Cam Murray is a genuine x-factor selection at lock with his ability to score well in multiple stat lines (offload, tackle busts, tries and linebreaks/linebreak assists) making up for his lower than elite (52PPG) base. The issue for 2021 is where Murray will play. Jai Arrow joined South Sydney in the off-season and his natural fit would be at lock pushing Murray out on to an edge. Optimists would be hoping the move means an 80-minute role (up on the 67 Murray averaged in 2020) which will produce more attacking stats thanks to Murray running at weaker defensive areas. Pessimists would note that when in the middle Murray was more of a defender than a ball runner (68.1% of base in tackles compared to 31.9% in hit-ups) and wonder whether the inevitable decline in defensive work could be offset by more/more productive hit-ups. Whichever camp you fall into the questions raised are enough to see me skip Murray early while we wait to see how his role pans out in 2021. As a bonus see the table below for how some elite 2RF (two locks Yeo/Taumalolo and two edges Matterson/Crichton) compile their base.*
* with thanks to my 11-year-old son for crunching the numbers
Patrick Carrigan
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 66.8
Price: $591,700
Analysis: The development of Pat Carrigan was a bright light in a dark year for the Broncos. The young forward’s progression has been outstanding. In 2019 he debuted in round five and finished the season as their starting lock. In 2020 he built on that foundation to finish as club captain and Origin squad member. Despite doubling his MPG between 2019 and 2020, Carrigan’s points per minute barely dipped (1.04 over 34MPG in 2019 and 0.98 over 68MPG in 2020). That is a testament to Carrigan’s workrate because there’s not much flash to his game. In fact, Carrigan has the least ‘flash’ of any elite 2RF, with a position-leading 93% of points coming in base for the baby Bronco. And like many blessings, that is also a curse. Carrigan needs big minutes to be value at his starting price. The Broncos were hammered by injury and suspension in 2020 and in 2021 they will have the likes of Matt Lodge, Tevita Pangai Jr and new recruit John Asiata putting pressure on Carrigan’s minutes. That’s enough to have him as a no from me to start the season.
Jake Trbojevic
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 65.8
Price: $582,500
Analysis: The hypercritical (like me) might describe Jake Trbojevic’s 2020 season in which he just scraped into the top-10 at position for PPG average as a little disappointing. Others might suggest I’m looking at the wrong stat and would point out that Trbojevic finished fourth for total points scored (by 2RF). The latter are probably correct. I think a fair assessment is that unless ‘Jurbo’ regains the hitup stats he will never again challenge the elite at position in terms of PPG average. But, while he continues to pump out an extremely reliable base AND play every game of the season then he will prove a reliable if un-sexy source of points. The days of captaining Jurbo may be over, but his relevance is not.
Nathan Brown
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 65.6
Price: $580,800
Analysis: As wholehearted as they come Nathan Brown rode a small uptick in minutes and a big uptick in offloads to his best KFC SuperCoach season. The inevitable suspensions limited him to 16 games with two stints on the pine, but that’s just something you have to factor in when selecting Brown as aggression is such a large part of his game. He’s not a high-ceiling kind of guy, but he has an excellent floor (barring HIA) as he showed by scoring 70+ in five of the final six games of the season. Does feel like a player you want late (when squad depth means you can cover the odd suspension) as opposed to early when every gun needs to be on the field.
MID-RANGERS
David Fifita
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 64.3
Price: $569,900
Analysis: Fifita is the sort of player I tend to avoid early in a season. Not on ability, Fifita has that in spades, but rather I tend to prefer starting the season with base stat monsters and Fifita and his 40PPG base from 76MPG is not that. Rather, Fifita is a destructive force, an edge second rower who terrorises centres and halves defending against him by piling up tackle busts and linebreaks. Provided the former Bronco has recovered from the syndesmosis injury he picked up late in 2020 then I expect him to represent real value from round one.
Tyson Frizell
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 62.8
Price: $556,300
Analysis: He stepped up to become a true 80-minute player in 2020 and played every match of the season and as a result no 2RF played more minutes in 2020 than Tyson Frizell. Always willing to look for work in the middle, Frizell averaged better than 30 tackles and 12 hit-ups per game. At a new club, Newcastle, there doesn’t seem to be much upside here as ‘Frizz’ will at best match his time on ground but more likely average slightly less minutes. One promising sign was Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien suggesting he saw a more attacking role for Frizell in a recent Q&A.
Jazz Tevaga
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 62.4
Price: $552,900
Analysis: How does a player rank so highly on this list despite averaging fewer than 50MPG? By averaging a beastly 1.32PPM that’s how. And it was no fluke as the floor to that PPM was in base with Tevaga the only top-25 2RF to average better than one base point per minute, a floor to which Tevaga added better than 10PPG in tackle busts and offloads combined. When playing 45+ minutes Tevaga averaged 69PPG and that includes a game (round 17) in which he spent 10 in the bin and at least two games in which he was limited due to needing an HIA. There’s a new coach at the Warriors and, as I mentioned above plenty of middles available, but Tevaga brings so much to the side that for mine he must get 50+ minutes. If he does then I think he’s got real upside. Another one I would not jump on straight away but will be watching closely and will trade in should the minutes eventuate.
Joseph Tapine
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 61.9
Price: $548,300
Analysis: The talented Mr Tapine opened 2020 as a lock, moved to second row, spent seven games playing big minutes off the bench, then one pinch-hitting at prop, before starting his final four games of the regular season at lock. Such versatility was a blessing for the Raiders who copped their fair share of injuries in the pack but makes it tricky to determine whether he is a value proposition to start 2021. Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has indicated that Tapine is not in the mix to claim the right edge role left vacant by the departure of John Bateman, and it is hard to see him ousting Josh Papalii or Dunamis Lui. Therefore, the battle will be between Tapine and Cory Horsburgh for the starting lock role – one I expect Tapine to win and play 50-55 minutes at. Should that occur, then it is fair to expect Tapine to produce a base of around 55 to which he is more than capable of adding 10PPG in offloads and TB. Priced below this I can see the argument for selecting him. But, I can also see a strong case for not doing so as the Raiders have, absent injury, a very strong pack of middles and Tapine may not get the minutes he needs to really compete with the elite.
Luciano Leilua
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 61.5
Price: $544,800
Analysis: A popular mid-range selection at the start of 2020, the question mark over Leilua was whether he had the fitness to play big minutes. That question was well and truly answered when the big unit played all 20 games of the season and every minute of 18 of those games (and 74 minutes in each of the other two). He may not be an elite worker (Leilua’s PPM (lowest) and BPPM (second-lowest) were at the bottom of the top 25 2RF of 2020), but he is a damaging runner finishing fourth for tackle busts and equal first for tries scored. He has the odd quiet game in him (three sub-40 matches in 2020) but he also has a great ceiling with four 80+ scores (and one 79) and a season-best of 135. One for the risk takers.
Mitch Barnett
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 61.3
Price: $543,300
Analysis: Barnett began 2020 on an edge for the Knights, but an injury mid-way through the second round saw him miss many weeks and when he returned it was at lock. Barnett made the position his own averaging 73MPG and 67PPG over nine games. With a much improved offload game and solid base, Barnett has plenty of appeal. However, one word of warning, okay two, and that’s Connor Watson. The utility is reportedly on track to play in round one as he recovers from the Achilles injury which ended his season in round 11 last year and I would expect him to cut into Barnett’s game time.
MORE SUPERCOACH:
KFC SuperCoach NRL: 21 players set to shine in 2021
SuperCoach club-by-club guide to transfer madness
KFC SuperCoach NRL transfer guide — Part 2
Strength of schedule: SuperCoach draw analysis
KFC SuperCoach NRL 2021 Cheapie Bible
CASUALTY WARD: Every club’s injury list revealed
Tom Sangster’s 2021 KFC SuperCoach NRL team
Rob Sutherland’s 2021 KFC SuperCoach NRL team
KFC SuperCoach 2021: Wilson Smith’s team revealed
Adam Elliott
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 61.1
Price: $541,500
Analysis: How good was Adam Elliott going last season before a shoulder injury ended his season 54 minutes into round eight? So good that the headline numbers don’t really do him justice. If you take out his injury limited (just 12 minutes on the ground) round three score, Elliott’s average jumps to 67.8PPG including 50BPPG. If not quite elite, those are still very very good numbers. Would I risk Elliot to start 2021? No; would I add him in my watchlist yep.
Viliame Kikau
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 61.1
Price: $541,400
Analysis: BigBilly Kikau is a devastating force on the field, but too erratic a scorer to be truly SC relevant in my books. Workrate is his limiting factor; Kikau’s BPPM (0.48) was the lowest of any top-25 2RF and he was unique among the stars of the game with his base output dropping in 2020 despite the six-again rule increasing the average time the ball was in play. That’s the negative, the positive is that no other player at his position delivers attacking stats like he does – Kikau led his position for linebreaks, linebreak assists and the rate at which he converted hit-ups into tackle busts. In summary, Kikau can deliver big points in small periods of time but that is offset by his quiet games (six games under 50 points in 2020) and he’s not a player I would start with.
Eliesa Katoa
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 57.1
Price: $505,600
Analysis: The young bull gets on this list on promise and potential rather than as a recommendation to buy. A left edge monster very much in the mould of the man above, Katoa has a good if not great workrate to which he adds quality stats in multiple categories. A must-have cheapie last year, Katoa is no bargain in 2021, and while I expect him to continue to progress I don’t see value as a starting player.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
Position(s): FRF/2RF
2020 avg.: 57.0
Price: $504,900
Analysis: We preview Big Tino in our FRF deep dive here.
Liam Martin
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 54.8
Price: $485,300
Analysis: There are murmurs in NRL-land that Martin will spend some time in the middle in 2021 to help cover the departure of James Tamou and Zane Tetevano and to make the most of Kurt Capewell being available for selection. If those rumours are true, then he would have some appeal. If not, then while Martin was certainly impressive over the back half of 2020 he would not be on my selection radar.
Jai Arrow
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 53.6
Price: $474,900
Analysis: Despite his MPG staying reasonably steady from 2018 to 2020 (55MPG, 57MPG and 54MPG), Arrow’s PPG have declined (64PPG, 62PPG and 54PPG). The most obvious area of concern has been his running game with Arrow averaging better than 15 hit-ups a game in 2018 but just 12 hit-ups per game in 2020 – a 20% decline. Now at the Rabbitohs, and available for $100K less than the price he started 2020 at, Arrow could be a value pick at the price. Definitely one I will be watching closely in the pre-season.
Tom Gilbert
Position(s): 2RF/FRF
2020 avg.: 38.8
Price: $343,300
Analysis: This is a bit of a speculator as one never really knows how a new coach will pick his side, nor which of the plethora of Cowboys 2RF options have their nose in front at the selection table. However, Gilbert finished 2020 as a starting second row for the final four games of the regular season and over that span he averaged 60MPG, 52.5PPG (with 51BPPG). With DPP and an impressive workrate he’s a low end mid-ranger very much on my radar should he impress in the pre-season – and be named to start.
Andrew Davey
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 38.0
Price: $336,600
Analysis: Debuting at the grand old age of 28, Davey went well enough to earna start in the final two games of the regular season (admittedly as the Eels looked to protect players before finals but a start is a start) and in those two games he averaged 75MPG and 64PPG (44BPPG). If Davey had stayed at Parramatta those two games would be of passing interest. But he didn’t, rather he is now at the Sea Eagles, a club in need of second-row depth in general and a starter in particular following Joel Thompson’s decision to head to the UK Super League. Jack Gosiewski seems to be the consensus tip to fill Thompson’s role but the Gos can miss a tackle and I’m tipping the more reliable Davey to win Hasler’s trust. If he does, you’d have to take him at the price.
Corey Harawira-Naera
Position(s): 2RF
2020 avg.: 34.1
Price: $302,300
Analysis: A 55-point average for a 35-point price? Tapine (see above) may be out of the running to fill John Bateman’s shoes (and nab his minutes) but Ricky Stuart says Corey Harawira-Naera is very much in the mix. CHN missed the first half of 2020 due to being stood down for his role in the ‘schoolgirl scandal.’ He was then released by the Bulldogs mid-season and picked up by the Raiders for whom he filled a bench role in eight regular season games. But if you look at his 2019 numbers you get a better sense of what Harawira-Naera can produce when given a starting role. Harawira-Naera started 19 games in 2019 for the Bulldogs and averaged 62PPG with 40PPG in base and just under 15PPG in offloads and tackle busts. He’s not Mr Consistent scoring 45 or less seven times in 2019, but he has tremendous upside too topping 70+ six times in the same season. If he makes the right edge his own he’s a must at the price.
CHEAPIES
Please see our Cheapie Bible here.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach NRL 2021: The best premium and mid-range 2RF
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