SuperCoach NRL 2018: Wilfred Zee’s wrap of the good, bad and ugly from Round 12
MATT Moylan produced an all-time great SuperCoach performance by notching SIX try assists against the Knights.
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FORMER SuperCoach NRL — presented by hipages — champion Wilfred Zee looks at the good, bad and ugly of Round 12.
Tigers v Bulldogs (14 – 10)
Not the prettiest of games to finish the round and it developed almost exactly like I expected. In fact, in my fearless predictions for this week I tipped the Bulldogs for “upset of the round”, citing a dull, grinding 10–8 scoreline. Well, with almost 15 minutes to go I was right on the money, but some great work saw Chris Lawrence score in the 65th minute and the ensuing conversion saw us finish with the final score.
Let’s look at the good, bad and the ugly in this game.
The Good
David Nofoaluma (82)
Nofo has had a mixed start to the year, missing out on the team initially and also being below par at times. He is still such a hard worker though, and he showed it with a massive 43 points in pure base stats, plus three tackle busts, three effective offloads and a try with a line break as the cherry on top. He is still prone to an error and is often left struggling for his final defensive read (his inside defenders aren’t much better than he is sometimes!) but he certainly tries his heart out.
Chris Lawrence (71)
Claw scored the matchwinning try (with a line break) while also busting two tackles, and getting through 44 points in pure base stats. He is so hard to trust as a SuperCoach option given his penchant for HIAs or injury, but he certainly has the ability to put up a decent score from time to time, especially given his price tag.
The Bad
Kieran Foran (14)
Foran is being paid a lot of money to try win games for this club, and it’s safe to say he has not delivered on this at all. Adding in injury woes, with a back injury almost ruling him out in the pre-game. The Bulldogs need to fix this up…
The Ugly
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (15)
In a huge blow for owners. After missing last week due to injury RFM only made it through 25 minutes before he was forced from the field for a HIA, which he failed.
Knights v Sharks (10 – 48)
It’s been an unhappy few years for the Knights, but has there been any team more dominant against them than the Sharks? I recall 60+ point and 40+ point drubbings in the last few years, and they added another 40+ point drubbing on Sunday. It was a Matt Moylan masterclass as he shrugged off one of the worst games of his career two weeks ago against the Raiders to show exactly why he has been rated so highly by plenty who work in the game. Let’s not get too excited though…
Let’s look at the good, bad and the ugly in this game.
The Good
Matt Moylan (135)
At first, I had to double-take when I saw that he had 72 points in the try assist column. Who could set up SIX tries in a game?! But then I watched the highlights and wow, that was some attacking performance. On top of that, he had five line break assists, a tackle bust, and 23 points in pure base stats. Everything he touched turned to gold.
Jesse Ramien (114)
Bittersweet for the Knights given he put them to the sword, but at least he’ll be at the club next year! Ramien scored two tries, set up another, broke the line once, assisted another line break, busted four tackles, offloaded once effectively and scored 38 points in pure base stats. He still has some defensive question marks around him, but he certainly can do a bit with ball in hand.
The Bad
Shaun Kenny-Dowall (17)
Struggled like most of the Knights but he didn’t contribute as much as he usually does in terms of runs, hence the low score.
Paul Gallen (39)
This is a tough one, given he played 59 minutes but a fair bit of time was spent standing around waiting for Townsend to kick conversions. Even so, his workrate was so much lower than usual and he missed an unusually high number of tackles.
The Ugly
Nathan Ross (18)
Played just 40 minutes and didn’t return in the second half due to injury. This saw Jamie Buhrer again playing left centre which didn’t help the Knights.
Ponga had to leave the field after a head knock and he passed the HIA to return.
Panthers v Dragons (28 – 2)
This game had been hyped since a week or two ago and it delivered in terms of quality. Unfortunately the game wasn’t as close as it could have been, and it’s hard to tell whether it was because the Panthers were so good, or the Dragons a bit off their game. We have a new leader at the top of the competition ladder now anyway, and it is thoroughly deserved given their injury toll all season.
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game.
The Good
Viliame Kikau (78)
He played 53 minutes off the bench but Kikau showed off his attacking prowess yet again to take Perfect 8 honours. He scored a try with a line break, assisted another line break, busted four tackles, offloaded once effectively and scored 33 points in pure base stats. Therein lies the risk – if he misses out on the attacking stats, you’re looking at a 30-40 score for a guy playing just 50-55 minutes off the bench. Whether you hold or sell Kikau this week is shaping as a season-defining decision.
Nathan Cleary (74)
Who needs goalkicking hey? Even without it, Cleary is a genuine halfback keeper this year. He scored a try with a line break, but he also forced a dropout, busted three tackles, offloaded twice effectively, held up a player in-goal and scored 26 points in pure base stats. He remains so highly involved in attack and defence, and his combination with Maloney is improving each week as they share the kicking load. Pity he plays Origin though, so he won’t be able to help out in Round 17…
The Bad
Gareth Widdop (20)
The Dragons needed Widdop to have a big game if they were going to be any chance of winning given their forwards were dominated, but he was unable to step up and deliver.
Matt Dufty (23)
Dufty showed yet again how much he needs a dominant forward pack to give him the time and space to work his magic, and also highlighted how poorly he scores without any attacking stats at all.
The Ugly
Ben Hunt (20)
He left the field in the 45th minute due to another cork on his previously-corked leg, which isn’t a good sign for his Origin preparation.
Jack De Belin (48)
He left the field in the 72nd minute clutching his hip pointer injury that he has been carrying for several weeks. He was in a lot of pain and it is clearly not a good sign for his Origin preparation either.
Warriors v Rabbitohs (10 – 30)
In what was shaping as a great Super Saturday, third took on fourth as the precursor to the Saturday night blockbuster of first against second. The Warriors unfortunately were still missing their star halfback in Shaun Johnson, as well as their back-up in Mason Lino, which definitely impacted their competitiveness. The Rabbitohs were convincing regardless, and they are looking like a genuine premiership contender.
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game.
The Good
Angus Crichton (97)
A month out from Origin there was little chance Crichton would get selected for the Blues. But after the last few weeks, he has presented a very compelling case for selection which, if you believe the leaked team, sees him officially sneak onto the bench. For owners, this is bittersweet. He has produced a three round average of 90, but now won’t cover Round 13. Still, arguably he has scored more than enough points for the four weeks (technically it’s still a 67.5 point average across the four weeks – even if he’s not playing Round 13)! He scored 63 points in pure base stats, three tackle busts, three effective offloads – with one of those offloads also being responsible for a try assist and line break assist. Hard worker plus attacking upside – perfect combination for SuperCoach!
Damien Cook (83)
Words cannot describe how scarily good Damien Cook has been this year for someone who has been toiling away in reserves for so long. He scored 55 points in pure base stats, but also had two last touch assists, a line break, an effective offload and three tackle busts. It’s no wonder he is such a popular captaincy option these days given his high workload and penchant for attacking stats.
The Bad
David Fusitu’a (19)
The Fus missed his centre partner who was shuffled into the halves as a stop-gap measure, but probably he missed SJ and/or Lino the most as he didn’t get many opportunities.
Blake Green (20)
He tried his best but what he lacks in creativity and attacking spark, he has in spades in terms of calmness, experience and game management. This wasn’t what the Warriors needed though against a team like the Rabbitohs.
The Ugly
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (40)
RTS left the field with seven minutes to go due to a minor ankle injury. He will be right to go after the bye.
Tohu Harris, Sam Burgess and Tom Burgess were all sinbinned. Greg Inglis left the field early but it was precautionary rather than anything injury-related.
Roosters v Titans (34 – 14)
This threatened to be a blowout in the pre-game, and then a boilover in the early stages of the game, before the script came back into play and a blowout was again the expected result. No one really expected anything else so let’s just look at the key performers in this game.
The Good
James Tedesco (84)
Propped up somewhat by some late junk, but it all counts! Teddy probably had one of, if not his best, game as a Rooster, showing some real positive signs in attacking cohesion with the rest of the spine. Teddy scored a try, set up another, broke the line once, busted eight tackles and scored 31 points in pure base stats. Teddy is one of four Roosters missing due to Origin this coming week alongside Boyd Cordner, Latrell Mitchell and Dylan Napa.
Boyd Cordner (70)
Cordner’s form has not been up to his usual standards but his past performances, leadership qualities and captaincy cements his spot as first-picked in the NSW squad. Cordner was better yet again, scoring 46 points in pure base stats but also adding four tackle busts, a try assist and line break assist on top. He did what he needed to do and it will be very interesting to see how he goes in the Origin opener.
The Bad
Joseph Manu (17)
Lacked involvement and also made an error in defence that lead to one of the Titans’ tries. Anybody who took a punt on Manu thinking he would cover the bye and make cash due to a few easy games in a row… well, at least you tried.
Konrad Hurrell (20)
Unexpectedly dropped in recent weeks, an injury to Sami saw Hurrell get a reprieve. Unfortunately, he was not great in defence, as the Roosters’ left edge saw plenty of joy down his side of the field.
The Ugly
Kevin Proctor (26)
An injury after 30 minutes saw Proctor leave the field, and he was unable to return. Bryce Cartwright took his spot and despite his usual poor defence, he showed some ability with the ball.
Jai Arrow left the field with an AC joint injury in the 60th minute, but will be right for Origin.
Ash Taylor was sinbinned, as was Latrell Mitchell at the end of the game.
Cowboys v Storm (6 – 7)
In the preseason, I bet a number of people – coaches, players and fans alike – circled this game as one to watch. A a clash of two premiership contenders, final Origin audition for plenty of expected hopefuls and the last regular season game between two future Immortals. Well, at least one of those was true, but how far from the truth for that first one? The Cowboys look gone, the Storm remain unconvincing and there will be at most five or six Origin players from these two teams combined. What a year we are having…
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
Cameron Smith (126)
You played him, right? Surely, you played Cam Smith. Especially with how opposition hookers have been lining up week after week to tear the Cowboys’ middle third to shreds. Scoring the Storm’s only try, with accompanying linebreak, Smith proceed to force two dropouts, assist another linebreak, busted five tackles, throw three effective offloads, kick one goal from two attempts and also did plenty of hard work in the middle with 60 points in pure base stats. He did everything he could to get his team over the line, and it showed on the stats sheet.
Cameron Munster (69)
Munster started 2018 with a bang, notching a first-up ton while playing fullback in Round 1. He was then really poor for three weeks at five-eighth, before something finally clicked and he now has a seven-game average of almost 65 points. Of note is his work rate, in this game he scored 30 points in pure base stats, but another 24 in tackle busts and offloads (six tackle busts and three effective offloads). Throw in a line break and a field goal, and you’ve got the second highest points total in this game.
The Bad
Johnathan Thurston (18)
Hoo boy… the question is begging to be asked right – has the great Thurston gone one year too long? It’s sad to see the champion efforts, the kick chases, the following of the ball until the play is officially dead… the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. He just can’t get the job done the way he wishes he could, and nothing typified his struggle right now than his first penalty goal which hit the post, and then his attempted field goal in the dying moments. It’s genuinely heartbreaking to watch…
Young Tonumaipaea (17)
Young T has always been a reliable and serviceable replacement for Bellamy each time he has been called upon, but this time he wasn’t so reliable as he bombed a certain try due to poor handling and otherwise was not that effective. Luckily for him, it didn’t cost his team the game!
The Ugly
Scott Bolton (28)
Played 28 minutes before a hit to the ribs ended his night early, forcing him off the field in what looked like a lot of pain.
Raiders v Sea Eagles (21 – 20)
The Raiders finally win a close game! Who would be a Raiders fan … I don’t think my heart could take it. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but they did what they needed to do to get the win over the depleted Sea Eagles.
Let’s look at the key performers in this game.
The Good
Jack Wighton (96)
Wighton and Cotric tore the Sea Eagles’ right edge to bits, targeting Uate who had just switched back to the right flank following Taufua’s return from injury. Uate was also missing his usual centre partner in Dylan Walker, so his defensive frailties were highlighted in all their infamous glory. Wighton scored a try and set up two others, along with setting up two line breaks, busting three tackles, offloading once effectively, holding the Sea Eagles’ up once in-goal and scoring 30 points in pure base stats. One of his stronger games this season and he was pivotal in scoring the win for his team.
Nick Cotric (89)
Cotric could not have done too much more in his final audition for a Blues’ wing spot. Scoring two tries and showcasing some freaky skill to set up Wighton for his try, Cotric also broke the line twice and busted two tackles, with 22 points in pure base stats. It’s repetitive but it truly is hard to believe that he is only 19, and a representative jersey seems an inevitability given the maturity with which he plays already.
The Bad
Lewis Brown (12)
The ‘Bevan French’ of the forwards? Is that a bit too harsh? Brown played 44 minutes at hooker, making 15 tackles, but missing five. He does ‘a job’ for them on the field but certainly not from a SuperCoach perspective!
Trent Hodkinson (30)
When you set up a try and the accompanying linebreak, plus kick four goals from four attempts (that’s 36 points combined already), you’d expect a decent score but he got himself sinbinned and a lack of base stats means he finished on 30. Insert facepalm.gif!
The Ugly
No major injuries to note. Papalii left the field for a HIA which he passed. Neither Hingano or Sipley made it onto the field.
Broncos v Eels (18—10)
Another Thursday night, another low-scoring game for SuperCoach purposes. It’s rather uncanny to be honest. Might be something to keep in mind moving forwards, for VC or C purposes. After the first 25 or so minutes it felt like it could be a long night for Eels fans, as the Broncos started off perfect — that is, they completed something like their first 12 or 13 sets without error and it showed on the scoreboard. Then, inexplicably, the errors crept in as the penalty count mounted in favour of the Eels and the game slowly descended into not-so-pleasant viewing for all parties concerned. The Eels … well, what more can you say about them? They had more possession, including seven consecutive penalties at one point, and were unable to capitalise at all. That pretty much sums it up.
Let’s look at the key performers.
The Good
Daniel Alvaro (72)
As noted a few weeks ago, Alvaro has been one of the major beneficiaries of the extended absence of Nathan Brown, taking up not just a portion of his minutes but the usual workload in attack and defence. He played just 54 minutes, including going off for a HIA which he passed, but smashed through 64 points in pure base stats in that time — a truly incredible effort. Throw in another two offloads (yet to be updated) and three tackle busts and you’ve got one heck of a score without any major attacking stats.
Corey Oates (72)
Oates did his best to “audition” for one of the Origin wing spots, scoring a simple try with a line break but also making 20 massive runs for almost 250m (and 38 SuperCoach points) and busting three tackles. Oates showed why he is so invaluable to the Broncos, as his yardage work is among the best in the game for all outside backs yet he can still finish with the best wingers in the competition. He certainly would not look out of place if handed a Queensland jersey again.
The Bad
Michael Jennings (28)
Gosh, this score could have been so much better — if only he could hold on to the ball! Oh, and not gotten himself sin-binned for 10 minutes for a blatant professional foul. From a potential hero, to the villain of the night. Rugby league can be a cruel game at times.
Anthony Milford (28)
Another game at Suncorp, another flop from Milford. This is really disappointing obviously for those who stuck fat with him. He had a shocker in terms of kicking but, as far as his running game went, he looked so dangerous each time he took the line on which is pleasing but also frustrating for owners. Probably time to cut your losses and move on.
The Ugly
James Roberts (36)
He left the field in the 60th minute after complaining of a flare-up of an existing achilles injury which he has been managing all season. Scans should reveal the extent of any additional problem but the signs are that there hasn’t been any new damage, as he was walking freely by the end of the night. Staggs replaced him for the last 20 minutes.
Originally published as SuperCoach NRL 2018: Wilfred Zee’s wrap of the good, bad and ugly from Round 12
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