NRL SuperCoach 2024 is live: Tom Sangster reveals team stacked with mid-rangers

A full 15 years into NRL SuperCoach and Tom Sangster has finally broken his golden selection rule. See full team here and have your say.

It’s the 15th year of NRL SuperCoach and I’ve finally broken my golden rule.

After avoiding mid-rangers like the plague for so many seasons, I’ve loaded up in 2024.

This year’s mid-range crop is the best I’ve seen so I’ve stacked SEVEN into my initial side including FIVE in the back row alone.

HOOKERS

Harry Grant HOK $750,000

The best hooker in SuperCoach last year by a massive 8.5 points per game. He’s expensive but I simply can’t imagine a team without him. Off-season shoulder surgery is a worry and he may start slowly, but I won’t be wasting a trade to get him in.

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Jayden Brailey HOK $330,000

I’m not totally sold on Brailey and we eagerly await news on how he survives pre-season after a second ACL injury and Phoenix Crossland’s great form from last year worries me. Injuries aside the numbers make sense – he starts a borderline cheapie price but was a picture of consistency over his last three seasons prior to last year’s injury-induced aberration, averaging 58, 59 and 58.

Harry Grant was the best hooker in SuperCoach last year by a massive 8.5 points per game. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

FRONT ROW

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 2RF/FRF $791,500

I’m more than happy to pay up for the best players and Tino is most certainly that after averaging four points more per game than the next best prop last year. Yes, I feel bad about having big money tied up at prop in Tino and Payne Haas, but FRF is a seriously barren position this year with very few cheapie and mid-range options.

Payne Haas FRF $750,400

If you’re looking for consistency, Haas is the man with season averages of 74, 63, 68, 73 and 78 over the last half decade. Of course that consistency means his price rarely fluctuates so I could be tempted to go cheaper here and spend bigger at CTW or 5/8, but only if a quality cheapie or mid-ranger comes along.

Fletcher Baker FRF $311,000

Averaged only 29 minutes per game at the Roosters last season but is set to increase game time considerably at the Broncos, who have lost considerable forward firepower in Thomas Flegler (Dolphins), Keenan Palasia (Titans) and Kurt Capewell (Warriors).

Viliami Fifita 2RF/FRF $204,300

A placeholder for now. Fifita came to the Dragons from the Sea Eagles last year with serious raps but didn’t play any NRL, instead plying his trade in NSW Cup for 15 games. Fifita is 22 and coming to the age where props mature physically enough to make it in the NRL, so hopefully this is the season he takes the step. The Dragons certainly lacked middle firepower last season and there are prop spots open with Jaiyden Hunt (seven games), Josh Kerr (14 games, mid-season release) and Zane Musgrove (11 games) leaving the club, with South Sydney’s Hame Sele the only recruit in the position.

BACK ROW

Viliame Kikau 2RF $468,500

I feel dirty about not picking David Fifita but the mid-range options at 2RF are simply too hard to ignore. I’ve opted for five mid-rangers and a cheapie in the position, which is a strange combination but also valid given how the prices and positions have fallen this year. Big Billy Kiks starts extremely cheap after injury limited him to just nine games last season. He is priced on an average of 45.89, which is down due to a serious pectoral issue. He has averaged as high as 65 in the past and never below 58 in the last half-decade.

Beau Fermor 2RF $467,300

Fermor didn’t play last year due to an ACL injury and has therefore scored a discount of around $200,000 on his breakout season of 2022 when he averaged 65. I’m always waring of picking players returning from ACL injuries so pre-season trial form will be crucial.

Shaun Lane 2RF $446,200

Coming off a tough season where he battled jaw, hamstring and elbow injuries. Lane managed just 10 games at the reduced rate of 61 minutes and therefore starts around $250,000 cheaper than his output from previous seasons. The fear here is game time with the extremely capable Ryan Matterson lurking on the bench and ready to eat into minutes.

Shaun Lane starts cheap after an injury-ruined season. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Josh Curran 2RF $421,700

Curran has threatened to become a SuperCoach gun on a number occasions, highlighted by an average of 67 in 70 minutes in 2021. But it’s never truly clicked for the Parramatta junior due to a number of factors including minutes, ill-timed injuries and off-field issues. Now at the Bulldogs, this could be the year he finally finds a permanent home, with Curran pencilled in at lock in our best 17. A must-have if he’s named there for round one, but the Bulldogs have a roster made almost entirely of backrowers and utilities (exaggeration to prove a point) so there is a log-jam.

Josh Schuster 2RF $460,800

This is a call made with gritted teeth given Schuster’s well-documented struggles. Of course, we’ll be told during the pre-season that Schuster is “training the house” down but can we really believe it? No. But what we can go on is the numbers and there are positive signs here. Schuster averaged 61 the last time he played back row in 2021, which is where he’ll play this year following the recruitment of Luke Brooks to play in the halves. I’m not sure if I’ve ever quoted Rob Sutherland but he’s on the money here (full story): “Schuster was playing for a contract in 2021. In 2024 he’ll be in the middle of a fat contract and for a player whose commitment to doing the extras has often been questioned, that’s a worry.” Equally, rebound stories are what SuperCoach is all about, getting a player low before they go high etc.

Samuela Fainu 2RF $263,000

Fainu put together a solid five games for the Sea Eagles last season mainly as an edge backrower and has now switched to the Wests Tigers. As Paul Crawley writes in his best 17 story, Samuela is such a talent that it wouldn’t surprise to see John Bateman shift to lock to accommodate him in the starting side. Fainu is a must-have if that eventuates.

HALFBACK

Nicholas Hynes HFB $970,000

It was a strange season for Hynes in actual NRL with the highs of a massive contract extension, Origin debut and sexy photoshoots offset by his NSW axing and Cronulla’s abrupt exit in week one of the finals. The soap opera aside, Hynes was the best player in SuperCoach by over five points per game, which is a serious feat.

Nathan Cleary HFB $912,500

Halfback is a position I’m keen to go hard in given Hynes and Cleary finished first and second for average last season and no-one in the cheapie range excites me.

Nathan Cleary is worth the hefty price tag. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

FIVE-EIGHTH

Kaeo Weekes FLB/5-8 $273,400

This is the position I’m most worried about given it goes against conventional wisdom to pick two cheapies in a position with only one back up player. However, the cheapie crop here is particularly good, so here’s hoping these two fellas can get me through the opening rounds before an upgrade in round five or so. Weekes is favourite for vacated Jack Wighton’s five-eighth spot at the Raiders, where he would up his game time from 45 minutes as a bench utility at the Sea Eagles to 80 minutes.

Latu Fainu 5-8 $204,300

All the current talk at the Tigers is about Jarome Luai, but he doesn’t arrive until next season so former Manly young gun Fainu is being backed to play plenty of NRL in 2024. The exit of Luke Brooks (Sea Eagles) leaves a big gap at the Tigers and Latu, regarded as a generational player, is being backed by many to earn a spot in round one, although he must fight off more experienced recruits Aidan Sezer (Leeds Rhinos) and Jayden Sullivan (Dragons).

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CENTRE/WING

Taylan May CTW $458,800

Stephen Crichton is a huge loss for the Panthers and May is heavily backed to take his centre spot. May produced a stunning debut season in 2022, scoring 16 tries in 21 games and averaging 64 for SuperCoach. But he has been priced on a $200,000 discount after missing the entirety of last season with an ACL injury. Put simply, backline players at the all-conquering Panthers are always good SuperCoach options, especially those who come at a discount.

Sua Faalogo FLB/CTW $339,000

Faalogo looks like genuine superstar and is backed to start at fullback for round one at the Storm if Ryan Papenhuyzen doesn’t get up. Even if Pap plays, fingers crossed Faalogo can be blooded from the bench or, even better, on the wing. Faalogo produced a brilliant debut in round 27 and went on to star in two Tests for Samoa.

Jack Bostock CTW $314,500

The Dolphins have recruited well in the centres with Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo. But wing spots are open and Bostock is favoured to score a role for round one. If so, he’s a serious option at the price.

Ethan Strange 5-8/CTW $238,900

The young gun looks a huge chance to play round one at the Raiders either in the five-eighth spot of Jack Wighton (Rabbitohs) or centre spot of Jarrod Croker (retired). A SuperCoach must-have if named in either position.

Josh Feledy CTW $238,900

The departure of Tommy Talau (Sea Eagles) creates an opportunity at the Tigers and Feledy is a huge chance to step up. He’s currently pencilled into our best 17 and would be impossible to ignore if the prediction comes true.

Kayal Iro CTW/FLB $219,900

The backline is far from settled at the Sharks with Kade Dykes and Iro snapping at the heels of Siosifa Talakai and Braydon Trindall in particular, while Connor Tracey has left the club. Iro has only played one NRL game so far but will add to that tally in 2024. Will it be from round one?

Krystian Mapapalangi CTW $219,900

A bit of a hit-and-hope at this stage. The backline spot of Dominic Young (Roosters) is open and Mapapalangi is a chance after sitting out most of last year with a serious shoulder injury. That said, recruit Thomas Jenkins is most likely to score the spot at this stage but he’s way overpriced at $602,800 after some brilliant displays for the Panthers last year.

FULLBACK

Kalyn Ponga FLB $892,800

Ponga has lost dual position status but I don’t care. The Newcastle superstar finished with the Dally M and while his 2023 season will be hard to match, there is still an argument he’s underpriced. Ponga’s worth is based on a season average of 87.44 but he averaged 105 once moving to fullback, his season average dragged down by an average of just 52 over the opening rounds at five-eighth and on the bench.

Ryan Papenhuyzen FLB $645,600

Very hard to ignore at the price. Pap will get first dibs at the Storm fullback role if fit. He produced one of the great SuperCoach seasons in 2022 and therefore started last year at a massive $950,000. But he’s scored a discount of over $300,000 this season after playing just two regular season games – one off the bench for 18 minutes and the other starting for 78 minutes.

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach 2024 is live: Tom Sangster reveals team stacked with mid-rangers