SuperCoach NRL Draft Rankings 2025: Best fantasy players at every position, top picks

The 2025 NRL season is just days away, which means now is the time to assemble your league and get DRAFTING! Your ultimate guide for the best players at every position has been updated.

SuperCoach is back and the 2025 season is days away, which can only mean one thing... if you haven’t already, now is the time to gather your league mates and get ready to start DRAFTING.

While some SuperCoaches are stressing over their salary cap and cheapies, Draft players only care about who they’re taking with their early picks and which sleepers to target late.

And unlike Classic, every Draft team will look radically different since every player can only be on one team, so not everyone has the option to get a guaranteed gun like Nathan Cleary, or Tom Trbojevic.

But who exactly should you take with your early picks? And which positions should you try to fill early?

To help answer those questions, I’ve gone ahead and ranked the best Draft players at every position.

SuperCoach NRL Draft rankings: Best fantasy players at every position

PRE-SEASON CHALLENGE WEEK 3 UPDATES

- Kieran Foran has suffered a bicep injury and has been removed from the rankings. Alexander Brimson has moved up the rankings.

- Rabbitohs halfback Lewis Dodd capped off a horror pre-season with a round one suspension and has been removed from the rankings. Jamie Hymphreys has been added to the rankings

- Spencer Leniu is suspended and has moved down the rankings. Naufahu Whyte has been moved up the rankings

- Blaize Talagi is set to miss out on round one selection and has been moved down the rankings. Jack Cole has been added to the rankings.

- Jack Bostock is injured and has been moved down the rankings

- Kobe Hetherington is set to start at lock for the Broncos and has moved up the rankings. pushing Corey Jensen down the FRF rankings

- The following players impressed in the pre-season and have moved up the rankings: Isaiah Iongi, Jacob Preston, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Phoenix Crossland, Greg Marzhew, Jaxson Purdue, Tom Duffy, Greg Marzhew

- David Klemmer looks set to miss out on a spot at the Tigers and has been removed from the rankings.

- The Manly backline situation is a bit clearer, with Lehi Hopoate and Tolu Koula moving up the rankings and Tommy Talau moving down the rankings

- The injuries to Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray have seen them plummet down the ratings. I think Mitchell is still worth drafting in the early rounds given his ceiling, buit the uncertainty around Murray means that, for now at least, he is probably not worth drafting unless you can get some extreme value out of him laye

- The injury to Sione Katoa means he is no longer on the CTW ratings, while Sam Stonestreet has been added to the list.

OTHER RECENT UPDATES

- Despite being a FLB/CTW for SuperCoach, Fletcher Sharpe looks to have locked in a spot in the halves for Newcastle and has moved up the rankings

- Coen Hess did not impress for the Cowboys and has been moved down the rankings

- Luke Metcalf has once again moved up the rankings

- Roger Tuivasa-Scheck impressed on the wing for the Warriors and has moved up the rankings

- Warriros centre Ali Leiataua looks like he’s done enough to lock down a starting spot and has been added to the rankings.

- Stefano Utoikamanu looked pretty average for Storm and has moved down the rankings

- Rabbitohs recuit Lewis Dodd did not impress and has moved down the rankings

- Likewise Souths hooker Peter Mamouzelos did not impress and has moved down the rankings

- Sandon Smith was kicking goals for the Roosters and has moved up the rankings

- Robert Toia impressed for the Roosters and has moved up the rankings, as did front-rower Naufahu Whyte.

- Jacob Kiraz (back) has no return date as he makes his way back from injury and has reportedly not trained all pre-season so has moved down the rankings.

- Shaun Lane is in doubt for Round 1 and has moved down the ratings

HOOKER

For our rankings, we’ll start with the key spine positions, given the lack of depth there, with Hooker being probably the most alarming position in terms of quality options. There is realistically only a handful of hookers you can consistently rely upon to play 80 minutes every week, and even then some big minute hookers are still not very SuperCoach relevant.

And given the lack of depth, hookers are one of the positions that people will go early on, once the first is taken and the dominoes fall.

While it’s important to get a gun hooker if you can, there is some value to be had later in the draft. Picture: Getty Images

All that being said however, there are still some decent value options here if you miss out on one of the gun hookers early. Just don’t wait too long! It’s better to fill it early with a gun and not have to worry about it later.

HALFBACK

While not as dire as hooker, halfback is still one of the skinniest positions in terms of quality depth and again one of the most important positions to finalise early. Last year three halfbacks finished in the top 15-point scorers for the year, so it’s arguably the most important of the spine positions to land a gun in. If you have one of the first overall picks I’d lock in the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jahrome Hughes or even Nicho Hynes in the first round.

While there are a handful of gun halfbacks like Nicho Hynes, the talent drops off pretty quickly. Picture: Getty Images

All that being said, halfback depth is better than usual this year, with at least seven halfbacks I’d be extremely comfortable having. So if you’re in a 10 person draft league you can possibly afford to leave it for a while … just don’t wait too long.

FIVE-EIGHTH

While hooker is the most dire position in terms of depth, five-eighth isn’t far behind, with just a handful of standout guns for early draft picks before a sharp drop in quality, especially considering it can be a bit of a volatile position for SuperCoach.

By now you should realise that, while you want to take the best guy available, you should prioritise trying to land ideally at least two guns at either hooker, halfback or five-eighth with your first five draft picks, before pairing them with some solid forwards.

The five-eighth pool is deeper than last year but still pretty bleak in 2025. Picture: Getty Images

But all that being said, this is probably the least important of your spine positions to fill, given not a single 5/8 finished with a top 20-average last year, and in fact there were just TWO that finished in the top 40 on the season.

FULLBACK

Now fullback is a bit of a funny position for SuperCoach Draft. While it is undeniable that they are consistently the highest scoring position in SuperCoach (the top four relevant average scorers of the season last year were all fullbacks and six of the top 10 were fullbacks), it is also a position that has a lot of quality mid to late options compared to previous years. The likes of Tedesco, Trbojevic, Mitchell and Edwards are all solid contenders to draft early, but there are also options like Reece Walsh, Keano Kini or even Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow that you could probably get in the mid rounds. Also, compared to previous years there are far less dual position relevant fullbacks, so if some people in your league take fullbacks, its unlikely they will go back for another until the later rounds.

SuperCoaches are spoiled for choice at fullback and depending on your league size I’m confident almost everyone can land a solid player. Picture: Getty Images

If you are in a 10-person league, I’m confident that everyone in your league can get a decent starter. In fact, going by rankings there are at least nine fullbacks I’d be extremely happy with as my starter, while there are 15 players here who averaged 60+ in 2024. So it may even be an option to let your league mates take the gun fullbacks early, while you focus on filling your other spine positions and get a solid mid-range fullback later.

SECOND ROW

Now while it is important to fill your spine positions early, the real engine room of your SuperCoach draft team is the forward pack, and the most important position to fill here is your second row. While fullbacks dominated the top 20 relevant averaging players last year with eight in the top 20 players, the next most prevalent position in the top 20 was 2RF with four (tied with CTWs).

Unlike other positions however, in most leagues you will need at least THREE second rowers in your starting side, so you’ll want to land at least one gun backrower in your team and focus on filling this spot during the mid stages of your draft.

2RF is arguably one of the most important positions to cover in the early rounds. Picture: Getty Images

If you can pair one or two key spine players with an elite 2RF, you’ll be cheering most weeks. However, one thing to note compared to last year is the ton of great mid-range 2RFs in 2025, so you can definitely afford to wait slightly longer than previous seasons.

CTW

While in the past I have encouraged SuperCoaches to leave filling your CTW slots toward the mid-late rounds of your draft, last year I had a change of heart and decided to encourage you to grab a gun CTW in the first five rounds. I think it was good advice in the end, with a whopping EIGHT of them finishing the year with an average of 70+.

I think it’s important to have at least two higher tier CTWs if possible, before trying to find some value here in the mid to late rounds. Especially if you’re in a league that requires you to start four CTWs each week … you can manage with one or two mid-low tier backs usually, but not four!

Unlike in the past, having a gun CTW in your side, especially a goal kicker, may be crucial to winning your league. Picture: Getty Images

While it is still the most unpredictable and inconsistent position in the game, it is also one of the positions with the highest ceiling. Especially if you can land a starter for one of the NRL’s better attacking teams, a goal kicker or one of the guys with solid base stats. Like 2RF there are some great mid-range options who you can afford to wait on for a while, but I think the game has changed in a way where you can’t afford to not have at least one gun CTW.

FRONT ROW

Now in the past I have encouraged players to prioritise filling your front row slots early if possible, given there are very few reliable guys at the position. But I have had a bit of a change of heart here too, and while there are some proven guns worth drafting early, realistically there aren’t any guys at this position who are going to be the league winner for you. Last year there was just one front rower with an average above 70 in Addin Fonua-Blake, and his scores were completely reliant on scoring tries, something that doesn’t come too reliably to any other player at the position. The next best averaging forward was Payne Haas on 68, making him just the 31st highest averaging relevant player.

If you are taking a gun prop early, it means you’re likely taking them at the expense of a gun halfback, hooker or fullback, who often are the actual league winners.

There are very few props who play big minutes, but the Warriors’ Mitchell Barnett is set to be one of them in 2025. Picture: Getty Images

In most leagues you will need to draft two of these guys, there are very few props that a) play big minutes and b) score big points consistently, so sure if you can get value out of a gun prop in say Rounds 4 to 5 of the draft then obviously take them. But if for example the other guys in your league are taking all the halfbacks early, then it’s more important to land your good spine players than taking a gun front rower.

Good luck with your drafts in 2025 SuperCoaches! Remember not to do them too early, but also don’t leave it too late! Sometime after trials, but before the season launch would be ideal.

Originally published as SuperCoach NRL Draft Rankings 2025: Best fantasy players at every position, top picks