NRL Round 2: Brisbane Broncos v South Sydney Rabbitohs SuperCoach scores and analysis
If you captained Reece Walsh, your week is off to a flying start after the Broncos star torched the Rabbitohs, while Ezra Mam owners should be concerned. Find out all the SuperCoach winners and losers.
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At times it was downright unwatchable, but it was also completely unmissable.
The NRL’s Entertainers, the Broncos, pulled every trick out of their oversized hat to knock off a tired and troubled South Sydney side 28-12.
Reece Lightning showed just why he is the NRL’s number one meal ticket at the moment with a scintillating two-try showing to reward risk-taking owners who captained him.
Walsh finished just shy of the century before updates to lead all scorers, while the slick Selwyn Cobbo wasn’t far behind with two line breaks, two line break assists and a try assist.
Latrell Mitchell scored a late try to take his tally to 75 and give worried owners some peace of mind, while Siliva Havili was a shock leader for the Sydneysiders.
Latrell owners never in doubt. pic.twitter.com/KlqKX8XTPh
— The SuperCoach Whisperer (@SCWhisperer) March 14, 2024
Jason Demetriou and his coaching staff had the ink blotters out in force as they marked off everything on the ‘what the hell are we doing’ bingo card.
There were blocker, downtown and leg pull penalties, Damien Cook went to the sin bin for a professional foul, Tallis Duncan had the ball booted into his backside and they managed to lose a scrum against the feed.
Add to that 16 errors and a completion rate of 48 per cent, and it was a calamitous night for the Rabbitohs.
SUPERCOACH WINNERS
1. Reece Walsh (BRO, FLB) – 92 pts
2. Selwyn Cobbo (BRO, CTW) – 85 pts
3. Siliva Havili (RAB, 2RF) – 80 pts
4. Latrell Mitchell (RAB, FLB) – 75 pts
5. Jesse Arthars (BRO, CTW) – 71 pts
SUPERCOACH LOSERS
1. Ezra Mam (BRO, 5/8) – 19 pts
2. Damien Cook (RAB, HOK) - 27 pts
3. Tom Burgess (RAB, FRF) – 22 pts
4. Isaiah Tass (RAB, CTW) – 23 pts
5. Alex Johnston (RAB, CTW) - 27 pts
Check out below to see how it all unfolded on Thursday night.
75th min: The Rabbitohs look absolutely gassed.
Latrell was walking as he put that kick across the field, and all that impetus they showed coming out of half time is looking more like limpetus.
On the other side of the field Pat Carrigan (181 metres) and Payne Haas (173 metres) look like they have just engaged the reserve fuel tank.
Mariner proves just why he has kept Corey Oates out of a Broncos jersey as he snares his third try of the season.
The slick winger goes from saving a try at one end to then put the Bunnies to the sword with a slick chip and chase.
65th min: Walsh does it again.
Reece Lightning showed his pace off the mark, taking off on fifth tackle to send his outside men away down the sideline.
He then follows through and gets a room service bounce after the Arthars kick back inside to score his second of the night.
Still trying to work out how Walsh isn’t on 200 points and how the score isn’t 40-0 #NRL#NRLsupercoach#NRLBroncosSouths#SuperCoach
— The SC Halfback (@TheSCHalfback) March 14, 2024
Reece Lightning âš¡
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 14, 2024
📺 Watch #NRLBroncosSouths on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/bHHi36yq6B
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/Z50ePSPUWB
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/AobuQD8w5xpic.twitter.com/ToJHPNMQIF
It was almost as good as his first.
Oh and he goalkicks too, stop it.
He’s kicking because Adam Reynolds is with the training staff with a serious-looking knee injury.
We’re on 100-watch with Walsh after he takes his SuperCoachg output past the 90-point mark.
While the fleet-footed fullback has been involved in everything good, Haas has really been the difference in his second stint.
The front rower has turned this game around right as the Rabbitohs looked like they were winning the battle of the middle.
52nd min: Walsh could be the most exciting player to watch in rugby league.
He is just so enigmatic. It’s rocks or diamonds, but that makes it just as enchanting.
This time it was all diamonds.
Walsh skips outside two defender, fires it left before a Cobbo tap-on finds its way into Jesse Arthars hands who has so much time he ran in a zigzag toward the tryline.
Cobbo gets the try-assist and line-break assist on SuperCoach which sends him to the top of the standings with 74 points.
Walsh has now jumped beyond 50 points.
Also for those on Duncan Watch. The headgear-clad backrower has finally made it onto the field.
Haas is also back on the field, and his knee looks like it is fine. In fairness, Payne doesn’t show pain anyway.
Havili is $372k pic.twitter.com/6AgpTm3Z2J
— Aman Talks NRL SuperCoach (@AmanTalksNRLSC) March 14, 2024
45th Min: Siliva Havili take a bow.
The Bunnies bulldozer has put the Rabbitohs right back in this.
After scoring the first with a barnstorming carry, he sets up a second for Davvy Moale with a slick pair of hands.
The Bunnies have realised that there’s no point going around the back, just bash down the front door.
These certainly weren’t the boys on my try-scoring bingo card.
With the tackle break, try and try assist, that sends Havili straight to the top of the South Sydney SuperCoach scorers with 69 points.
South Sydney go bang bang!
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 14, 2024
📺 Watch #NRLBroncosSouths on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/bHHi36yq6B
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/Z50ePSPUWB
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/AobuQD8w5xpic.twitter.com/SXM3HbrH4A
Halftime: We have made it to halftime, and thank everything you believe in that we have.
Forget the players, I need a breather after that.
The errors column is outscoring both teams combined.
According to the Fox Sports Lab, there has been a combined 20 errors in that opening half of footy at Suncorp Stadium.
The Rabbitohs could count themselves lucky at halftime that the deficit is only 12-0.
The Broncos have bombed almost three different try-scoring opportunities since Damien Cook was sent to the sin bin.
Reece Walsh has been the man of the moment, leading all-comers in SuperCoach with 48 points at halftime and a contender for try of the season.
Reece Walsh...remember the name!
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 14, 2024
📺 Watch #NRLBroncosSouths on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/bHHi36yq6B
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/Z50ePSPUWB
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/AobuQD8w5xpic.twitter.com/rBfGY7tvfC
SUPERCOACH TOP 5
1. Reece Walsh (BRO, FLB) - 48 pts
2. Selwyn Cobbo (BRO, CTW) - 38 pts
3. Pat Carrigan (BRO, 2RF) - 36 pts
4. Adam Reynolds (BRO, HFB) - 35 pts
5. Payne Haas (BRO, FRF) - 33 pts
35th min: What on earth is happening?
Latrell kicks the ball back to Brisbane, a’la Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Damien Cook has gone to the bin.
And now we have a scrum won against the feed? That shouldn’t even be possible in 2024.
If I hadn’t seen it happen live, I wouldn’t believe it happened.
Davvy Moale is also retrospectively on report for diving at the legs of Pat Carrigan.
Oh and if you missed it, Payne Haas is off with a suspected leg injury.
Man, I need a drink at half time.
28th Min: Holy cow, Reece Lightning!
The Broncos wunderkind is back on the hallowed turf of Suncorp Stadium.
If this is the showdown of the two number ones, Walsh just pulled Mitchell’s pants down.
I counted three tackle breaks, one line break and a try - but we might need a mathematician to tell us how much that one play was worth in SuperCoach.
Walsh leads the way for all scorers with 40 points, while Shaq Mitchell is topping the count for the Bunnies.
The Entertainers are back.
It has taken 20 minutes to really warm up, but with the cobwebs blown away the Broncos are really starting to light it up.
When the Broncos leave the structure behind, they get very exciting.
Firstly it was Cobbo in full flight, and then Ezra Mam grubbering for himself on tackle two and then Walsh going zip, zip, razzle dazzle.
20th Min: Adam Reynolds’ right boot is having a big say in this contest.
The little master has his former side all turned around with his impressive kicking game.
He gave his side the field position with a crafty one in behind the Rabbitohs outside men, and he targeted that side again with a grubber through for young gun Deine Mariner to score.
We’re also down a captain’s challenge early after a shocking call from the Bunnies.
It really reflects the form of the rest of the contest so far.
By my count we’re up to eight errors across both sides with balls out on the full, knock ons in good ball territory and some moments Reece Walsh will want back.
10th MIN: Shaq Mitchell was a late inclusion in the starting side in the second-row but he is certainly playing through the middle as an over-sized lock.
Cameron Murray has been shuffled out to the right edge where he spent plenty of time during the Round 1 loss to the Sea Eagles.
It will certainly impact Murray’s workrate with ball in hand, but it could open up some attacking numbers.
Also because of this change Keaon Koloamatangi has switched to the left edge, so disregard everything I told you before kick-off.
Cody Walker has taken control of this game, turning up on both sides of the field to cause headaches for the Broncos.
The ball handling has taken a real dive in the past couple of minutes. Souths giving up critical field position on the first tackle.
KICK OFF: We are underway - and what happens in Vegas unfortunately has followed these two teams.
They were both disappointing over in Sin City, and this game has a feeling like it’s must win for these two teams.
Pat Carrigan has been in the wars early here, getting shoved in the back of the neck by a defender coming through.
He has given away an early penalty for a down town - still not sure I care for this crack down - and the Rabbits are on the attack!
PRE-GAME: Calling all Koloamatangi owners, are you feeling lucky?
While the Rabbitohs left edge has gained all the plaudits in recent years, and deservedly so, the big man on the right could be rolled gold tonight.
Did anyone catch Bulldog’s cracking analysis on Ezra Mam? There was plenty going on this week involving Ezra, all SuperCoach relevant, but none more so than THIS.
Mam missed eight tackles over in Vegas, and the Rabbits has a ready-made tackle breaker ready to run directly at the diminutive five-eighth.
Despite his proven track record as a big scorer Koloamatangi (2RF $626,200) has a relatively low ownership at 3.2 per cent.
Remarkably Latrell Mitchell, coming off the back of a 110 in a losing effort in Vegas, is criminally low in terms of captaincy this week. Mitchell is ninth in the league for captaincy at only 2.9 per cent.
If you are brave enough to go the early crow, he might be the right man to look at.
He has been involved in a bit of off-field stuff this week, thanks to the renowned clout chaser Anthony Mundine. How he reacts to that could be the key.
Also, someone send help to the NRL Phantom:
Round ones lemons are round twos lemonades, baby!#NRLSupercoachpic.twitter.com/9moRqNhUKU
— NRL Phantom (@NRLPhantom) March 14, 2024
LATE MAIL: Supercoaches are all at sea after two popular cheapies had their shine most certainly dulled thanks to Souths coach Jason Demetriou.
As predicted earlier today, popular cheapie Jacob Gagai has fallen out of the Rabbitohs 17, replaced by Taane Milne on the wing, while Tallis Duncan has been relegated to the bench.
Big Shaq Mitchell (FRF $354,600) has been promoted to the starting side, and while Supercoaches might not be scrambling to get him into their side, his efforts in the All Stars trial last month warrant a second look.
Outside of one game last season, Mitchell averaged a points per minute (PPM) of 0.9 to 1.2, and if his minutes increase tonight off the back of a starting role, keep it in the black book.
At the moment he stands at only 0.3 per cent ownership, making him the ultimate POD option for the brave risk-takers.
The Broncos have thankfully remained 1-17, allowing all of the Brendan Piakura owners, this one included, a chance to breathe easier.
Kick-off is under an hour away, can you believe Vegas was that long ago?
EARLIER: To NRL fans tonight might be seen as the Rabbitohs versus the Broncos, Adam Reynolds versus his old club or even a battle of the Las Vegas losers.
To SuperCoaches this is Latrell Mitchell versus Reece Walsh, it’s the Piakura redemption game, the chance for cheapie Jacob Gagai to cement his place in the Rabbitohs backline.
In short this is a very SuperCoach relevant game.
In addition to those listed above these are some of the key SuperCoach talking points to watch:
* How will Tallis Duncan go? Touted as a cheapie to watch all pre-season, Duncan has been named to start on an edge filling in for the injured, and much traded, Jai Arrow. Duncan has real Cam Murray vibes about him and a big game tonight will see his ownership rate soar.
* Will Pat Carrigan live up to his hefty price tag after a disappointing 47 in round one (with excuses after he was forced to an edge following the Piakura concussion) and same goes for Ezra Mam whose 21 points matches his very high ownership rate.
* Will Xavier Willison earn a selection reprieve, because if he doesn’t it will be time for the nearly 15% of owners to cut bait and find a cheapie who will start making them money.
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