KFC SuperCoach Plus article: The key statistics set to define NRL Round 12
The third Trbojevic brother has surged through KFC SuperCoach ownership rankings this week after being named to start, but is he really worth a trade?
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We answer the key questions facing KFC SuperCoaches this week.
Is Ben Trbojevic a good buy? Have Joe Tapine’s attacking stats dropped off? Who are the best sneaky C and VC options?
Read on for full analysis.
SNEAKY VC ON TEDDY?
Those hunting for a POD VC this week should look no further than the great Teddy. While it hasn’t been a great season for the SuperCoach great (he’s averaged 19 points less than last season), he does boast one incredible statistic.
Over his career, Teddy has averaged 134 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, where he takes on the struggling Dragons this Friday. Then captain the popular Nicho Hynes two games later if the Teddy punt doesn’t pay off.
SAFE C ON HAAS?
Captaincy chat has lulled in recent weeks given the dominance of Hynes. But those looking for a safe-as-houses captain should look no further than Payne Haas.
While the Panthers have an incredible record of nullifying opponents, Haas has bucked the trend by averaging 90 against Penrith across his career. It’s the highest average of any player against this week’s opposition. The Broncos love playing Haas for big minutes against big teams.
BURBO’S BACK ROW RECORD
The third Trbojevic brother has surged through ownership rankings this week after being named to start in the forward pack for the Sea Eagles, who have lost Josh Aloiai (shoulder, Round 16-17), Aaron Woods (thumb, Round 17) and Kelma Tuilagi (facial fracture, Round 18).
With so many injuries, the job security looks decent in the very short term, but how does he actually perform as a starting back rower? Well, he’s only played one 80 minute game in the position over his career and notched 96.
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CAN TAPINE REDISCOVER HIS ATTACKING BRILLIANCE?
The Canberra forward is a popular purchase again this week with SuperCoaches lured by his bye coverage and proven consistency over a number of seasons (he’s averaged 62, 66, 55 and 62 over the last four years).
But there no doubting Tapine’s attacking spark has diminished a touch this season. The star Kiwi averaged 2.9 tackle busts per game last season compared to 1.67 this season. His offloads have also dropped from 1.78 per game to 1.
WHAT IS MATTO’S BEST POSITION?
SuperCoaches seem to have gone cold on Ryan Matterson following his move to the bench. But does it really matter where Matto plays? Not really.
He has averaged 70 off the bench this season, 75 as an edge backrower and 70 at lock. He also averaged 66 last season despite playing 15 games from the bench and averaging just 56 minutes for the year. To sum up, Bench Matto is essentially the same as Starting Matto.
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach Plus article: The key statistics set to define NRL Round 12
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