Double game weeks, weather radar and more: The 11 keys to KFC SuperCoach BBL success
KFC SuperCoach BBL is back — bigger and better than ever. If you’re playing for the first time in BBL10, these are the 11 things to focus on to become a SuperCoach BBL expert in no time.
SuperCoach BBL
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KFC SuperCoach BBL is unlike any other form of SuperCoach.
SuperCoach AFL, NRL and Racing players often have days between rounds to strategise, map out trades and plot their next moves.
SuperCoach BBL rewards coaches who plan rounds in advance, target double game weeks and can pinpoint when the best players are available.
Lockouts will often lift late at night and a new round will start the next day, so you need to make decisive trade decisions — unless you’re playing the rolling lockout.
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The basics of KFC SuperCoach translate, such as targeting players at their base price, jumping on cash cows to build team value and nailing your captaincy choices.
But in many ways, SuperCoach BBL is the most unique of our four SuperCoach offerings.
That means coaches who are adaptable, organised and shrewd strategists will prosper.
If you’re new to the game and all that sounds daunting, these are the 11 key principles to follow.
1. KNOW THE FIXTURE
SuperCoach AFL – and to a lesser extent SuperCoach NRL – provided a taste of what is to come in SuperCoach BBL this year. During the two ‘footy frenzies’ SuperCoach AFL players had to deal with games every night, short turnarounds between rounds and teams being named 24 hours before matches. SuperCoach BBL provides those challenges and more. Teams are only finalised about an hour before BBL games and aside from a short break in December for a Test against India, there are BBL matches scheduled most days from December 3-February 6. Double game weeks (explained below) are vital in KFC SuperCoach BBL and you need to be aware of which team features twice in each round and who has a bye. Knowing these — plus when lockout starts and ends — is crucial to trading. Some rounds will end late at night, only for the next round to start midafternoon the next day.
2. TARGET ALL-ROUNDERS
Most SuperCoach BBL coaches aim to fill their team with all-rounders (BAT-BWL). Picking as may dual-position players not only provides flexibility when trading but gives you greater chance of big points in each match. If you choose a batsman and they fall cheaply, there’s your only source of points for that game gone. But if they are a prominent bowler as well, they can redeem themselves and salvage their match with the ball. Five of the top-six point scorers last summer were listed as BAT-BWL – Daniel Sams, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris and Tom Curran. Admittedly, Sams and Stoinis largely profited from their skills with ball and bat respectively, rather than their all-round status.
3. DOUBLE GAME WEEKS
You will hear and read a lot about double game weeks (or DGWs) while playing SuperCoach BBL. These refer to the team which plays twice in a round. In most rounds during BBL10, at least one team will feature twice. This should guide your trade and captaincy strategies as it will give you the best chance of doubling up with two premium scores from one player. Sydney Sixers, Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers are scheduled to have DGWs in the opening three rounds of BBL10 and will feature prominently in many starting teams.
4. CHECK THE RADAR
The weather is another issue SuperCoach BBL teams have to contend with. Last summer a match in Canberra was abandoned after 24 overs due to bushfire smoke – and scores count as soon as a game starts. The BBL final was only 12 overs a side due to rain, while a game between the Sixers and Hurricanes was washed out after 6.4 overs. It’s worth knowing where games are being played and when so you can check the radar and plan your trades if a match is likely to be rain-affected.
5. BOWLERS > BATSMEN
SuperCoach BBL is only a few years old, but the short history of the game has provided enough evidence to say that more often that not, bowlers score better than batsmen. All-rounders are the ultimate players to have in your team, but if you’re stuck making a decision between a batting target or a bowler, the bowler is usually the safer option. They pick up 20 points for a wicket and can also bank points for economy rate and dot balls. Even better if they bowl in the ‘death overs’ (overs 15-20) when most wickets fall and teams are more liberal with their stroke play. Daniel Sams and Tom Curran showed how prolific bowlers can be during this period of an innings in BBL09.
6. PLAN AHEAD
It’s no good loading your SuperCoach team with double game week players if their side has a bye the next round. You’ll likely prosper one round, only for any advantage you’ve gained to be squandered when you can’t field a full squad the next round. Managing your team effectively means having one eye on the upcoming fixture as well as the next round and trading accordingly.
7. BEWARE NEGATIVE PODS
SuperCoach BBL can be unpredictable and taking a risk with your selections can pay off. But being different just for the sake of being different often leads to disappointment. If a popular player such as Marcus Stoinis or Tom Curran fires and you avoided them just to have a point of difference (POD) in your team, you’ll very quickly find yourself a long way behind most other coaches who went with the popular view.
8. MONITOR TEAM AND SIGNING NEWS
BBL teams are normally finalised about 45 minutes to an hour before games, so you need to be on the ball. The risk of having a player miss out on selection is somewhat offset by the introduction of emergencies this season in SuperCoach BBL. BBL teams often make mid-season signings who can be significant players in SuperCoach. If you missed the news Pakistani quick Haris Rauf had signed with Melbourne Stars last season, you missed out on the $42k bargain of the season. Injury news is just as important as it will impact your trade plans.
9. PICK CAMERON GREEN
The buzz player of Australian cricket didn’t exactly set the world on fire in the BBL last season, finishing with 106 runs and a SuperCoach average of 12.9. But that was largely down to a lack of opportunity batting in the middle to lower order for Perth Scorchers. With Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone on board for BBL10, the Scorchers won’t exactly lack for firepower. But after the form he’s displayed in the Sheffield Shield and with indications being he will bowl for the Scorchers, leaving out Green at just $62k is asking for trouble.
10. PRICES CHANGE AFTER ONE GAME
SuperCoach AFL and NRL players will be accustomed to having two or three games to assess a player before their price changes. In SuperCoach BBL, as soon as a player has featured it impacts their price. The most dramatic change doesn’t take place until after game two though. For example, in Rauf’s case, he rose by $15k after scoring 80 on debut for the Stars. That caused his break even to crash into the negatives and his next price rise was $47k. Sometimes it’s just worth paying that extra $10k-$20k to have one game to assess a player.
11. SIGN UP FOR SUPERCOACH PLUS
KFC SuperCoach Plus gives coaches access to the latest stats and information to help with their trades and team selections. A new addition to the SuperCoach offering, it includes: Indicators of who’s in and who’s out each round, score projection tools for every player, break evens and projected price changes (which previously haven't been a feature of SuperCoach BBL), an expert SuperCoach Plus article only available to subscribers each week and stats including cash cows, captaincy choices and ownership changes. A SuperCoach Plus annual pass costs $24.95.
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Originally published as Double game weeks, weather radar and more: The 11 keys to KFC SuperCoach BBL success