SuperCoach NRL, round 4, buy, hold, sell: Time to say bye to Cleary, Ponga, Walsh
Barnstorming Broncos prop Payne Haas showed why he’s the best prop in SuperCoach, but now’s the time to say goodbye to Nathan Cleary, Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh. Find out why inside.
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Here comes the Payne.
If you considered fading Brisbane prop Payne Haas, the bullocking Bronco has left egg on your face.
It’s the only way to assess his barnstorming performance against the Cowboys, where he put a monstrous 140 points.
He’s the No. 1 FRF and perhaps the most reliable front-rower in the game, and there’s going to be a fair few players paying overs to bring him in.
The Knights being on a bye may force some owners to act on Kalyn Ponga, who just beat his breakeven but will misses a week, then will carry his best (129) and worst (44) scores of the season into a clash with the Bulldogs in round five.
But if you have the duals to do it, Manly weapon Reuben Garrick (160) might just return to gun status – though Tom Trbojevic is set to return from injury and there’s a few other fullbacks knocking on the door.
BUY
Payne Haas (140)
It’s gonna cost a pretty penny but you simply cannot overlook his consistency.
The man is a beast, and despite the apparent drop in minutes and overall usage by new Broncos coach Michael Maguire, has improved his average – which was 101.5 before running roughshod over the Cowboys.
Reuben Garrick (160)
The Manly centre has officially returned to gun status. A four-try, 28-point performance against the Raiders resulted in a monster score which should push up his value a bit.
He doesn’t have dual position status this season, but he remains a leading CTW option.
Adam Reynolds (120)
The man just gets better as the years go on. He was the man at the back end of the first half to get the Broncos ahead and he registered 120 SuperCoach points, his second ton in three games.
The Cleary vs Hynes debate took a turn at least for this week with Nathan Cleary’s concussion early in the loss to the Storm, but Reynolds has become a serious option.
Nicho Hynes (113)
The Sharks halfback picked the perfect time to shine with a massive performance against the Bunnies. Was on his way to a monster but slowed in the second-half – and still racked up 113 points. With Nathan Cleary gone, he’s almost a must.
Jayden Campbell (117) and Braydon Trindall (97)
Could either of these men be the answer at five-eighth?
Both carry dual status (Campbell FLB, Trindall HFB), and both have put up very decent scores to start the campaign.
Campbell remains a premium buy at $700k ahead of his first price change after round 4, while Trindall’s pricetae goes up but should stay under $600k.
It may come down to how much each coach values their versatility.
Ryan Papenhuyzen (61)
Is the trusty Melbourne fullback fully back?
He was the Storm’s second-highest scorer with his 66 against the Panthers, and his fairly cheap price (especially when compared to previous seasons) makes him a genuine option at the back. It’s a premium position but Papi still shines in the crowded field.
Thomas Cant (88)
Replaced Dylan Lucas on the edge and romped to a massive score in 80 minutes of work.
With Lucas gone for six weeks, Cant’s cheapie status could make him a must – after the Knights’ bye.
Matty Nicolson (41)
If he’s named, he could be a very good cash cow over the next few weeks.
Nicolson scored 41, all in base, in what was a tough night for the Raiders, and combined with the 98 from his debut, is set for a big price rise after round 4.
POD WATCH
Ali Leiataua (95)
The Warriors centre has delivered on the hype by racking up the attacking stats, but at more than $500,000 is moving into premium territory.
He’s in only 3.3 per cent of teams so has POD potential, has scored a few tries and set up a few as well.
Bailey Hayward (64)
Bailey Hayward is a second-rower in SuperCoach but he wore the No. 6 on his back with Matty Burton out.
At $300,900 he’s pushing the definition of what a cheapie is, but the 64 points he racked up against the Eels, and with Burton’s absence over the next few weeks, it’s worth pondering.
HOLD
Corey Horsburgh (48)
The man called Horse managed to score 48 despite a 10-minute stint in the sin bin (and the minus-10 that comes with it) in another typically strong display which reinforced why he should remain a target for coming weeks.
When you consider that score carries the minus-eight for the bin plus 10 minutes off the field, it’s a fairly strong return.
Zac Lomax (82)
His 82 points was all base, coming primarily from a combination of hit-ups, tackle breaks, and a line break – and lost four points after missing two conversion attempts.
It was a massive workload, but is he running the ball 30-odd times for almost 300m every week?
Eliesa Katoa (77)
Another strong performance netted 77 points boosted by a try against the Panthers, and he’s on par with his breakeven heading into his third game of the season.
About 10 per cent of SuperCoaches believes he’s worth every cent of the premium price-tag, but we’ll see how that changes with games against the Dragons and Manly to come.
Naufahu Whyte (87)
Dual-position Roosters forward scored a try and got through a mountain of work against the Warriors. Will go up a bit in price but the impending return of Lindsay Collins could severely dent his earning and scoring potential.
Jaxon Purdue (67)
A long-distance try to finish the loss to the Broncos will help his price go north, but it’s a wait and see if you don’t already have him.
Thomas Jenkins (91)
With Dylan Edwards still a fair bit away from a return, Thomas Jenkins is a cheeky cash-producing option should he retain the fullback position.
Remember, he was a late switch to fullback in place of Daine Laurie, who was injured.
With games to come against the Bunnies and Cowboys in the next fortnight, Jenkins has a chance to generate some money in the CTW position.
Sandon Smith (20)
He produced the second-lowest score of all starters in the Roosters-Warriors clash with just 20 points, but does he bounce back again?
A solid opening two rounds ensures a big price boost, and with games against the Titans and Rabbitohs in the coming weeks he could be worth hanging onto for at least another week – especially with that handy halfback-hooker dual position status.
Connor Watson (30)
Teetering on sell status pending team list Tuesday, Watson failed a HIA after a superb first-half performance. Dual position status (2RF | HKR) makes him a valuable piece when navigating changes but he needs to score.
Peter Mamouzelos (50)
Gets through plenty of work and still fairly cheaply priced. His price should keep going north, but whether or not his ceiling is high enough to buy remains a big question.
Jamie Humphreys (78)
Another big score in an impressive start to the season, will go up in value but spent the second half at lock. He can play anywhere on the field, is currently goalkicking which makes him a more attractive proposition, a clash with Penrith could turn away potential buyers.
SELL
Nathan Cleary (2)
It is time for the best player in SuperCoach to go.
He will miss round four after failing a HIA early in the clash with the Storm, and the two points he scored falls well short of the breakeven of 109.
He’s going to lose a fair bit of cash, even in the first few weeks he’s back, so it’s time to move on.
Kalyn Ponga (45)
The 40% of SuperCoaches who selected Kalyn Ponga as their captain for this round would’ve been hoping for a little more from the Knights maestro.
Bye this week makes him a sell.
Harry Grant (26)
The Storm hooker was once the set and forget choice at the position but 26 is simply not enough.
We know he can turn in big scores, but if it’s not worth the risk, use the money elsewhere.
Reece Walsh (55)
The Broncos fullback has produced a monster score, a single-digit outing then something expected of a mid-ranger through the first three weeks.
Do owners want to wait for the bounce back? Trigger this week’s great debate.
Dylan Lucas (DNP)
Looked enticing as a top CTW prospect but could miss up to six weeks through injury. Sell.
Nick Meaney (46)
Not a bad score, but a potential fractured jaw means he’ll miss at least a month. To the watchlist.
Jack Gosiewski (32) and Kobe Hetherington (38)
Gosiewski scored a fortuitous try but that was about it in just 33 minutes of action, while Hetherington also played less than 40 minutes. Use the cash to turn to another cheapie.
Originally published as SuperCoach NRL, round 4, buy, hold, sell: Time to say bye to Cleary, Ponga, Walsh
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