NRL SuperCoach 2023: Cheapie Bible, time to cut ties with Franklin Pele
Round one was mostly a tale of incredible success stories for NRL SuperCoach cheapies. But still, a number of popular buys are on the chopping block.
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Round one of NRL SuperCoach 2023 is in the books, and as far as the Cheapie Bible is concerned there were some incredible success stories.
J’Maine Hop-GOD (more on that below!) in particular, but even some of the lesser scores still came via good roles and minutes – which is exciting for our bank balances.
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 | 2RF ($298,800 | PAR) - 101 points
Corey Parker has the “GOD” nickname reserved for his career-long efforts in KFC SuperCoach, and rightly so. But I’m locking in a new nickname. Book it. It’s not just Hopgood, it’s HOP-GOD!101 points, the full 80+ minutes at lock, never looked tired, 57 tackles, 16 points in effective offloads, and 30 points in runs.
That’s right, zero notable attacking stats and he’s pumped out 101 points. What I would like to know, is WHAT are the 41% of teams doing that don’t own Hop-GOD? Resurrect that immediately, please, as regardless of the Lane and Matterson returns, this man is a lock for huge cash rises and great scoring through some tricky early byes.
VERDICT: BUY. Yes, NOW. Pause reading and do it.
Isaiya Katoa | HFB|5/8 ($216,100 | DOL) - 42 points
What a result for the Dolphins, causing arguably the biggest upset in NRL history taking down the Roosters in game one. Not only did the Dolphins look incredibly polished in attack, Katoa looked every bit a long term player at this level.
As far as KFC SuperCoach goes, the most owned cheapie in the game at over 61% ownership notched 42 points with a try assist, try contribution and couple of deft touches with the boot for forced dropouts and took on the line a few times. If this is the baseline, I think Katoa is going to make us some nice early cash before being traded up to a gun.
VERDICT: BUY. I was IN thinking the Dolphins would get smacked every week, so given the fact they can actually compete, Katoa could have some huge spike weeks.
Jackson Ford | 2RF ($281,200 | NZL) - 59 points
I called Ford a risky buy in last week’s Cheapie Bible, citing the likelihood that Niukore was locked in for 80 minutes on the right edge, the impending returns of Jazz Tevaga, Bailey Sironen and capacity for Josh Curran and Tohu Harris to rotate through big minutes on an edge. Well, nothing has changed there (and I’m not buying Curran staying at 19 minutes) other than the fact that Ford in fact played 80 minutes, and Niukore just the 60.
Ford’s work rate was very good, and he looked dangerous in attack at times with six points in tackle busts and two effective offloads in the 59 points, so at $280k it’s very hard to look past. Watch with interest this week.
VERDICT: HOLD/WATCHLIST. If you’re an owner, you’re obviously stoked and long may it continue. If you don’t – I would wait and watch to see if the 80 minutes stick and jump with a bit more certainty before price changes in round three.
Stefano Utoikamanu | FRF ($319,200 | WST) - 38 points
Here’s one I really urge you to look deeper than the score of 38 points. Yes, it’s not ideal if you ran with Stefano as your FRF2, but the minutes and role are there. I was hoping best case scenario we would see 40-47 minutes for the young big man, with a career PPM in the realm of 1.1 we’d be looking at an average of roughly 50PPG.
Well, we got 50 minutes. Huge. The lack of impact on runs was abnormal and the game flow whilst he was on the field certainly didn’t lend itself to attacking stat opportunities – which we know he excels at. Worried? Not a chance.
VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. Yes, I’m saying buy still, and calling absolute BS on the ‘we should sell Stefano” takes. If the minutes stay at 50, we’re getting a 48-50PPG average at a minimum with no byes until round 12.
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Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | CTW|FLB ($327,100 | NZL) - 70 points
I called CNK the best CTW cheapie there is, full stop, last week… And thankfully he delivered on the promise. Some 50,000 KFC SuperCoaches will be absolutely ecstatic to see the work rate up from last year (28 points in runs), two effective offloads and eight points in tackle busts to go along with his try.
Whilst by no means am I picking CNK as a season long keeper, the Warriors’ pack looks humungous with some new inclusions, and provided Shaun Johnson and Te Maire Martin are healthy I think we’re on for a 50PPG average with a plan to move him on at the round 12 bye.
VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. Great start for those going the ‘NO-GUN’ CTW strategy.
Sunia Turuva | CTW|FLB ($275,000 | PTH) - 39 points
In a game the Panthers struggled to gel and looked uncharacteristically off the pace in attack, 39 points from Turuva should be considered a big win. No attacking stats, had an error and gave away a penalty (-4 points in total) and really didn’t get a sniff of an attacking raid.
The positives stem from the work rate, and tackle busting ability, along with the inevitable times this season when the Panthers will put a cricket score on teams. If 39 points is the ‘bad’ week, hopefully Turuva crosses the try line a few times for us and those scores (and price rises) will be massive.
VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. Like what I saw. Tough matchup this week, and a bye in round three but stick with Turuva for the long haul.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | CTW|FLB ($330,200 | DOL) - 76 points
Ok, hand up here. I got it wrong with the Hammer and the Dolphins – at least in week one. I cited the fact that at the huge point scoring Cowboys last season, Hammer played five games at fullback, for scores of 34, 60, 26, 12 and 44 – an average of 35.2PPG and an alarming lack of work rate. Calling Hamiso an avoid, I’ll at least back track that to say I was floored by the work rate (32 points in runs) and cohesion generally the Dolphins showed in attack.
But not far enough to say BUY after one game as he’s done this plenty of times before. Much like Isaako – who isn’t in the Cheapie Bible due to being above $350k – Tabuai-Fidow is a wait and watch proposition.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST. I still think there are superior options at the price, and this won’t be an every week thing, so let’s see him back it up.
William Warbrick | CTW ($200,800 | MEL) - 30 points
Warbrick passed the eyeball test in game one, but just couldn’t find an opening for those attacking stats we were dreaming of against the Eels who were very organised defensively. Literally all 30 points came in base stats, and the dream run of matchups for the Storm starts now with the Bulldogs (home), Titans (away) and Tigers (home) the next three weeks. I’m confident we will be rewarded for patience and I’m very much considering playing Warbrick in my 17 this week.
VERDICT: HOLD/BUY.
Paul Alamoti | CTW ($200,800 | BUL) - 22 points
Alamoti and the Bulldogs in general had an absolute mare as far as cohesion goes against the Sea Eagles, and even Alamoti himself made a few clunky errors. So the positive is that this score (important to note with all cheapies, good and bad) will only stay in the three-game rolling average for one cycle. The bad news? The Bulldogs get the well oiled machine that is the Melbourne Storm this week.
VERDICT: HOLD. One of the ‘safest’ cheapie CTWs this season as far as job security, so hold tight and the scores will (hopefully) come.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira | CTW ($200,800 | GCT) - 5 points
Oh boy. Talk about a let down! After SIX tries in two preseason matches, and a juicy matchup against the Wests Tigers’ leaky defence we were hoping for the dream start – and many KFC SuperCoaches played him as a last CTW on field on that promise… *crying face* Maybe next time.
Three errors, a penalty conceded and a couple of missed tackles wiped off 10 of the 15 points Khan-Pereira would have scored. But thankfully as mentioned above with Alamoti, that stinker will only be in the price cycle once, and provided he continues being selected I am positive the try scoring will come.
VERDICT: HOLD. Screams a wait-and-see approach, but it’ll be ugly without tries.
Soni Luke | HOK ($234,800 | PTH) - 59 points
You’ve got eyeballs, right? Me too. Last time I checked Ivan Cleary does as well… So, it won’t be long until we see Soni Luke playing significant minutes for the Panthers. Whilst you may look at the score and think he played a good chunk, his interrupted pre season meant there was an ‘easing back’ of only 25 minutes. In those 25 minutes, Luke changed the game.
A try, six points in tackle busts, some electric attacks on the line and a forced drop out to finish with 59 points in 25 minutes. Quite incredible, and exciting for us that this scoring power is there. If he can work to 60 minutes of game time Luke looks an absolute steal at the price.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST. Penrith’s bye next week allows us to wait and watch this week knowing we don’t have to move, yet. But I am VERY interested long term.
Shawn Blore | 2RF ($234,800 | WST) - 12 points
‘TRAP’ was the call last week, and unfortunately it is exactly that despite being named to start yet again. The good news is there is still no English superstar John Bateman in the lineup or the reserves, so Blore gets at least one more week uninterrupted to flash his potential.
The not-so-good news is Blore copped a pretty nasty head knock after just 18 minutes of game time against the Titans – scoring just the 12 points. Given the low score, the fact he’s got concussion protocols to get through and Bateman on the horizon, the 30,000+ KFC SuperCoaches who chased the green dot last week are in some trouble.
VERDICT: AVOID.
Josh Schuster | 5/8|2RF ($241,200 | MNL)
Missed with injury, and now the Sea Eagles have their bye. Watch team lists like a hawk next week!
VERDICT: AVOID. For now. Perfect downgrade opportunity at round six once we know he’s healthy and playing well, for a cheapie that has inevitably peaked, been dropped or injured.
Davvy Moale | FRF ($234,800 | STH) & Shaq Mitchell | FRF ($234,800 | STH) - 42 & 49 points
Moale played big minutes in the final trial for the Rabbitohs, and didn’t drop off with his PPM which excited me enough to dive in at the price. So, when we see 39 minutes for 42 points (1.1PPM) we have to be thrilled with that.
Shaq Mitchell is the same with 49 points in 45 minutes. The question lies in Tevita Tatola going down with a failed HIA in literally the first minute of the match, and Jai Arrow going down after just 22 minutes as well … What were the *planned* minutes? That’s a question we can only know the answer to after this week, albeit in the absence of Tatola and Arrow.
VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. A nice start for both, hopefully builds from here.
Izaac Thompson | CTW ($336,700 | STH) - 37 points
Thompson was starved of try scoring opportunity, but my goodness did he impress me. 21 points in runs, and EIGHTEEN points in tackle busts. Every time he had the ball in his hands the Sharks defenders just couldn’t get near him. The danger was that Taane Milne would displace him on return from suspension. As it stands, Milne was named in the reserves, so it’s Thompson’s spot to lose barring a late change. Could be one to jump on next week.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST.
Matt Doorey | 2RF ($234,800 | PAR) & Bryce Cartwright | 2RF ($234,800 | PAR)
I’ve coupled the two Eels starting back rowers together again, Doorey playing less minutes and scoring 34 points and Carty playing the full 80 minutes for 59 points the more impressive.
But, the reality is that Ryan Matterson (suspended) is returning in round four, and Shaun Lane (broken jaw) is listed as indefinite, so could return at any stage and BOTH of those players, along with Hopgood are on for big minutes and well ahead in the pecking order. The positive for Doorey owners, and reason to hold is coach Brad Arthur was quoted after the game saying “we’re going to need him to build to potentially playing 80 minutes for us”. That’s what we like to hear.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST. Let’s see with another week of data how things shake out.
Franklin Pele | FRF ($216,100 | BUL) - 8 points
Yuck. I’m an owner, and the Luke Thompson injury sucked me in big time. Just the eight points in a 10 minutes of game time. I mean, surely this wasn’t the plan to only play Pele so few minutes but on the surface this is a disaster as you have to find money to go up to other options at the position.
VERDICT: SELL. You can definitely wait a week and hope this was an aberration, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Tyrell Sloan | CTW|FLB ($298,600 | STG) & Ben Murdoch-Masila | FRF|2RF ($234,800 | STG)
Two Dragons coming off their bye in round one that pique some significant interest, for different prices and positions – but both of relevance given they’ve been named to start at fullback and on an edge respectively and the Dragons’ players now don’t have a bye until round 16.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST. We get until round four to make decisions on all Dragons and Panthers. Keep your eyes peeled.
Reimis Smith | CTW ($316,800 | MEL) - 31 points
If you were watching this match on Thursday night, Smith was barely sighted. So to come out of it with 30+ points is a pretty solid result, the main problem is that he’s over $100k more expensive than bottom dollar cheapies where 30 points is acceptable. But matches against the Bulldogs, Titans and Tigers the next three weeks should hopefully give owners a few more shots at attacking stats.
VERDICT: HOLD. But certainly don’t jump on as there are better options at the position.
WATCHLIST
Sean Keppie | FRF|2RF ($274,800 | MNL) - On Bye, will discuss next week
Pasami Saulo | FRF|2RF ($243,000 | CBR)
Jacob Preston | 2RF ($200,800 | BUL)
Tommy Talau | CTW ($301,600 | WST)
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!
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Originally published as NRL SuperCoach 2023: Cheapie Bible, time to cut ties with Franklin Pele
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