NRL SuperCoach Cheapie Bible 2025: Eight bargains dumped to no go zone
There’s been a huge shift in the NRL SuperCoach cheapie rankings with a new No. 1 and a host of bargains falling out of contention.
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The NRL team announcements for round one have created a huge shift in NRL SuperCoach cheapie rankings.
We have a new No. 1 in Cowboys halfback Tom Duffy.
While eight popular cheapies have dropped into the no go zone.
CHEAPIE BIBLE RANKINGS
1 Tom Duffy HFB $198,800 (up five spots)
Has won the Cowboys’ starting halfback spot ahead of Jake Clifford and is therefore a must-have. Duffy couldn’t have done much more in the final trial and will no doubt surge in popularity, especially after kicking goals.
Verdict: Buy. Hopefully you sacrificed Cleary or Hynes at halfback last week.
2 Isaiah Iongi FLB $232,600 (down one spot)
After all the chat (from myself included) about avoiding Iongi to run three gun fullbacks due to the new Flex position, Iongi blew it out of the water with 77 points in the final trial and proved the doubters wrong. Owned by over 50 per cent of SuperCoaches and rising after winning the vacated fullback spot of Clint Gutherson at the Eels.
Verdict: Buy. Impossible to ignore even with fullback the strongest position in SuperCoach.
3 Robert Toia CTW $198,800 (down one spot)
The injury-prone young gun has been patiently biding his time and the time is now. Has a centre spot locked in at the Roosters so job security is not a problem, which is rare for cheapies. Impressive in the first trial with 49 points in 59 minutes without a single big attacking stat. A bit more subdued in the final trial as the Roosters copped a battering but still notched 24 with no attacking stats.
Verdict: Buy. The Roosters look like they will regress in 2025 but Toia is a must.
4 Sandon Smith HFB/HOK $237,600 (down one spot)
Luke Keary is gone and Sam Walker is rehabilitating an ACL injury, meaning Chad Townsend and Sandon Smith will start in the halves for the Roosters. Smith only averaged 24 points in 33 minutes last year after playing 10 of 15 games off bench. He therefore starts just above bottom dollar. But in the five games he started last season, Smith averaged 54.8. That equates to a price rise of over $300,000 if he repeats the effort. Also dual position which makes him a great option at hooker. Only OK in the trials for the struggling Roosters.
Verdict: Buy. Job security is as good as it gets even if the Roosters look junk in 2025.
5 Jaxon Purdue CTW $257,000 (down one spot)
Has won a round one centre spot at the Cowboys following the exit of Valentine Holmes, locking himself in as one of the premier cheapies of 2025. Purdue scored 91 SuperCoach points in the final trial. Four games off the bench last year mean Purdue is underpriced – but he averaged 55 in games over 70 minutes last season.
Verdict: Buy. Brilliant in the final trial.
6 Peter Mamouzelos HOK $302,000 (down one spot)
Becomes the top hooker at South Sydney following the exit of Damien Cook (Dragons) and set for a significant rise in output after averaging just 36 minutes last year. South Sydney were soundly thrashed in the final trial but Mamouzelos is one player who can hold his head up high. The hooker wracked up 36 tackles without one miss and crucially added two linebreak assists while also making number of darts from dummy half – 76 points at his price is an outstanding return especially when his team was so well beaten.
Verdict: Buy. Set to play big minutes for the first round at least with his main competition Jamie Humphreys to play halfback in place of the suspended Lewis Dodd.
7 Naufahu Whyte 2RF/FRF $367,100 (up 2 spots)
Starts at prop for the Roosters with Terrell May, Sitili Tupouniua and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves having left, while Spencer Leniu will miss round one through suspension. This bodes well for Whyte, who is almost certain to improve on his average of 33 minutes from last year. Strong for the well-beaten Roosters in the final trial with 47 points off the bench, including 13 runs for 111 metres.
Verdict: Buy.
8 Kobe Hetherington 2RF $338,800 (down 3 spots)
Starts at lock under new coach Michael Maguire, with Pat Carrigan at prop). Hetherington was strong in the final trial with nine runs for 68 metres and 26 tackles (no misses) which added up to 37 points from one stint. He’s all potatoes and little meat but at $338K there’s still plenty of value here.
Verdict: Buy. Far more chance of going up in price than down.
9 Lachlan Hubner 2RF $232,600 (new addition)
Near bottom-dollar cheapie wins the starting lock spot of Cameron Murray (Achilles) and must be seriously considered. The big question is minutes given he likely shares the role with Tallis Duncan.
Verdict: Buy. Wayne Bennett clearly rates him after bringing him with him from the Dolphins.
10 Gehamet Shibasaki $232,600 (new addition)
Somewhat of a bolt from the blue, the NRL journeyman will play centre for the Broncos. Job security is also good given he’d seemingly locked in the spot even before the injury to Kotoni Staggs.
Verdict: Buy. The pedigree isn’t great and we can’t expect miracles, but Madge must see something.
11 Royce Hunt FRF $249,000 (up 8 spots)
The only genuine (near) bottom dollar prop cheapie left in SuperCoach 2025 after all other contenders fell over in the round one teams in Loko Pasifika-Tonga, Ben Te Kura and Tom Amone (yes, Whyte and Horsburgh are on this list but are significantly above bottom dollar).
Verdict: Reluctant buy in a rough position. Great PPM but minutes are the problem.
12 Jack Gosiewski 2RF $232,600 (up 10 spots)
The Maguire overhaul is in full swing and The Gos is one of the big winners after being named to start in the second row for round one. But with a poor SuperCoach workrate over his career and Brendan Piakura on the bench, this looks trappy.
Verdict: Avoid: While Madge has been glowing in his praise, The Gos has a career PPM of just 0.65. He would need serious minutes for price rises.
13 Isaiah Tass CTW $327,900 (down 1 spot)
The Rabbitohs are short on outside backs – Alex Johnston (Achilles, round 4), Latrell Mitchell (hamstring, round 7) and Euan Aitken (pectoral, TBC) – and Tass therefore wins a wing spot. Kicked goals in the final trial.
Verdict: Last resort buy. Job security is a serious issue.
14 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 2RF $368,200 (down 1 spot)
Moves from the Cowboys to the Dolphins and has nabbed a starting back row spot. Finefeuiaki put in a solid showing in the final trial, with a linebreak, linebreak assist and 72 run metres contributing to his 60 points.
Verdict: Avoid. Doesn’t have a big workrate and therefore needs big minutes for big scores. Hard to see that happening with Connolly Lemulemu on the bench.
15 Cory Paix HOK $232,600 (up 1 spot)
On the outer under former coach Kevin Walters, Paix has clearly impressed the new coach and won a starting hooker spot for round one.
Verdict: Avoid. Minutes are an issue with Billy Walters on the bench. There are so many other good cheap buys at hooker like Sandon Smith, Peter Mamouzelous and Phoenix Crossland. He’d be a top buy in most other seasons.
16 Phoenix Crossland HOK/HFB $341,800 (down 1 spot)
With Jayden Brailey reportedly being shopped around, Phoenix Crossland will start at hooker in round one and play decent minutes (although likely not 80 as Brailey is on the bench).
Verdict: Avoid. As per Paix above, the hooker position is stacked, but keep up your sleeve.
17 Jamie Humphreys HFB $341,800 (down 3 spots)
Started the final trial as the backup hooker and understudy to English import Lewis Dodd at halfback. But when Dodd was sin-binned Humphreys grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, setting up one try and scoring another for 93 points. He’s not bottom-dollar after scoring 104 points from his one game in 2024, but at just a tick over $300K we may have another cheapie halfback to consider.
Verdict: Avoid for now. Could be an option later but not for round one given the presence of Sandon Smith and Tom Duffy in the position. His main rival for game time, Dodd, is due back in round two.
18 Coen Hess 2RF/FRF $327,000
Coming back from an ACL injury. Didn’t play last season and therefore gets decent discount of close to $100,000 on his 2023 average of 42. But he hardly lit up the trials.
Verdict: Last resort cheapie.
CHEAPIE NO GO ZONE
While appearing in previous editions of the Cheapie Bible, the following players have bowed out of SuperCoach contention.
Jack Bird – Named on the bench for the Tigers so don’t go there.
Ethan Roberts – The Roosters young gun is at 18% ownership but has missed selection.
Charlie Guymer – Misses a starting edge back row spot for the Eels despite pre-season hype, instead named on the bench. Conversely, Kelma Tuilagi has won an edge role and is a mid-range POD.
Josh Schuster – Not named for the Rabbitohs and may not play this season.
Billy Smith – Still owned by many but not named for the Roosters due to a hip injury.
Tom Amone – Popular prop cheapie didn’t make the 17 for the Bulldogs.
Ben Te Kura – Another popular prop cheapie but it’s back to the drawing board after missing the 17 for the Broncos.
Loko Pasifika-Tonga – Yet another popular prop cheapie (are you sensing a theme here?) misses out for the Dragons.
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Originally published as NRL SuperCoach Cheapie Bible 2025: Eight bargains dumped to no go zone
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