KFC SuperCoach NRL: The durable stars who you want for 2023
What’s better than a player who averages 65PPG and plays 20 games? The player who averages 63PPG and plays 24 – Ian ‘Mastermind’ Maybanks identifies the ironmen.
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If availability trumps ability then King Gutho is truly the ruler of the NRL.
Eels fullback Clint Gutherson has missed just one game out of 92 in the past four seasons while in the same time frame Tom Trbojevic (played 41), Ryan Papenhuyzen (played 61), Kalyn Ponga (played 66) and Latrell Mitchell (played 67) have all had their share of injury woes.
If you’re the type of KFC SuperCoach player who wants reliable returns and loves to save trades, you could lock Gutherson into your team right now.
The Eels are the only team that cover major bye rounds 13, 16 and 19.
Non-origin Eels players will be invaluable through the middle of the season, there will be massive trade targets on the likes of Dylan Brown, Mitchell Moses, Maika Sivo and Ryan Matterson and if you start with Gutherson you’ll be a step ahead.
Shaun Lane is the other ironman Eel you can set and forget. He’s played 89 of 92 games the past four seasons, the best of any forward in the competition. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2022 playing on the Eels’ left edge with 68.8PPG. That was a combination of hard work with 46PPG in base stats and also silky ball skills with his 11 try assists more than any other second rower.
Here’s a rundown on the other unbreakable players in each position and the ones worth considering for KFC SuperCoach. I’ve marked the best long-term options pulling in four seasons worth of games and then noted any other drastic improvers for players who’ve changed roles or clubs more recently over the past two and three seasons.
HOOKER
Four seasons: Damien Cook 84/92 (91.3%)
Three seasons: Blayke Brailey 67/68 (98.5%) and Lachlan Croker 67/68 (98.5%)
Two seasons: Reece Robson 48/48 (100%)
Damien Cook has been a consistent KFC SuperCoach option for years now but next to nobody is interested in him in 2023. He’s currently sitting at 2% ownership after coming off a 75.2PPG season as the 11th best scoring player of 2022. If you wanted to take a gamble on him missing Origin selection (and he did slide from a starter to the bench last series), then he becomes an incredible set and forget option covering the first half of the season and the two major bye rounds. Brailey and Croker while consistent players aren’t on the KFC SuperCoach radar. Brailey had the most linebreak assists of any hooker but he hasn’t shown a running game to pull him into the top tier options. Reece Robson however is another story, he hasn’t missed a game for the Cowboys in the past two seasons and nailed down an 80-minute role in 2022. He averaged 71.1PPG and with the good fixtures and byes the Cowboys is an undervalued option you can set and forget.
How the best compares: Harry Grant (48/68) has played just 70% of KFC SuperCoach fixtures the past three seasons.
FRONT ROW
Four seasons: Blake Lawrie 88/92 (95.7%), Martin Taupau 86/92 (93.5%), Junior Paulo 85/92 (92.4%) and Josh Papalii 85/92 (92.4%)
Three seasons: Jacob Saifiti 65/68 (95.6%)
Two seasons: Joe Ofahengaue 47/48 (97.9%) and Isaac Liu 47/48 (97.9%)
Impressive numbers from these big men to get out there every week in the middle but I think you can put a line through almost all of them. Lawrie is not a SuperCoach option. Taupau has moved to the Broncos but I can’t see him getting big minutes ahead of Haas, Carrigan or Flegler. Eels prop Paulo will play Origin and only be available for 2 of seven games mid-season. Papalii while a steady scorer has been in a slow decline the past couple seasons. Joe Ofahengaue was the only Tiger to average more than 60PPG last season but he’s got a stack more support so I expect his workload will ease. I’ll dig a little deeper in this position and suggest Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has played 43/48 games since joining the Titans and was the top averaging FRF at 67PPG.
How the best compares: Joe Tapine has played 74/92 (80%) games at the Raiders in the past four seasons and missed only one game in 2023 in his best ever KFC SuperCoach season as the top overall scoring FRF.
SECOND ROW
Four seasons: Shaun Lane 89/92 (96.7%), Luciano Leilua 87/92 (94.6%)
Two seasons: Isaiah Papali’I 47/48 (97.9%), Viliame Kikau 45/48 (93.8%) and Jack Bird 45/48 (93.8%)
We covered Shaun Lane above. Leilua has been stood down for an off-field issue. Isaiah Papali’I and Viliame Kikau are other options if you want to set and forget in this position. Though both have changed clubs so there are question marks on whether they can hit the same attacking heights after switching from grand final teams to bottom 8 outfits. Nice to see Jack Bird string together a good couple seasons after a horror run with injuries earlier in his career, he’s out of action at the moment but expected to be fit to start the season.
How the next best compares: Papali’i is the best. He finished 400 total points clear of Cameron Murray in the position and 8 PPG ahead of him in 2022. Murray played 80/92 (86%) the past four seasons.
HALFBACK
Four seasons: Adam Reynolds 84/92 (91.3%), Daly Cherry-Evans 83/92 (90.2%) and Mitchell Moses 83/92 (90.2%)
Two seasons: Nicho Hynes 45/48 (93.8%), Sam Walker 43/48 (89.6%)
Reynolds is a player I’d punt on for a short run of fixtures rather than a long term hold. He can score big but it’s mostly from his boot with goals and try assists and who knows which Broncos team shows up. DCE and Moses always feel slightly second tier picks at halfback behind Cleary or Hynes. Moses is the bye-free long term option if you’re brave enough to go without Cleary or Hynes.
How the best compares: Nathan Cleary 69 of 92 (75%) games the past four seasons. Not the best record, but not terrible. Missed the start of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury then was suspended over the closing rounds.
FIVE-EIGHTH
Four seasons: Cody Walker 86/92 (93.5%)
Two seasons: Kieran Foran 46/48 (95.8%) and Matt Burton 46/48 (95.8%)
I’ve championed Walker in the past because of this very consistency in a position where there hasn’t been a heap of it when you look at the longer term % games played. His output dropped off last year with Latrell Mitchell gobbling up a good chunk of his try assists. It was Walker’s worst KFC SuperCoach season ever and he still managed to pump out 57.3PPG. There’s some value here if you’re willing to back him on a return to form. Most however are turning their attention to Matt Burton who has only missed two games since establishing himself in first grade. The Bulldogs five-eighth won’t hit a bye until Origin so shapes as a great early set and forget.
How the best compares: Cameron Munster 75 of 92 (81%) games played the past four seasons.
CENTRE/WING
Four seasons: Joey Manu 87/92 (94.6%), Reuben Garrick 86/92 (93.5%)
Three seasons: Justin Olam 64/68 (94.1%) and Enari Tuala 64/68 (94.1%)
Two seasons: Daniel Tupou 45/48 (93.8%), Josh Addo-Carr 44/48 (91.7%) and Nick Meaney 44/48 (91.7%)
Manu is a player not for the long haul but for the right time, usually around the byes or when injury strikes and he gets to fill a key position. Manu scored 418 points in the three games where he was fullback for one and five-eighth for two. In his usual spot in the centres he averaged 66PPG, he’s priced at 76.2PP thanks to those three games. Garrick has put up great scores at fullback and on the wing for Manly the past few seasons but is keen to land a spot in the centres. I’d prefer him on the left wing on the end of Tom Trbojevic’s passes so if he gets the centre switch I’d step back and take a look first. Olam tends to score tries in spurts so I don’t like him for a long haul pick. Nick Meaney is one to watch closely. He should be playing fullback and kicking goals for the Storm until Ryan Papenhuyzen returns. If we get a clear idea that Paps is a long way off then Meaney really comes into calculations. Tupou has some appeal on the end of a stacked Roosters team but the value might be on whoever lands the right wing spot. Addo-Carr has never produced the base stats to be a KFC SuperCoach option.
How the next best compares: Manu and Garrick topped the rankings last year. Next best scorer was Valentine Holmes who missed chunks of the 2020 season as he adjusted after a crack at the NFL. The past two seasons he’s played 42/48 (87%).
FULLBACK
Four seasons: Clint Gutherson 91/92 (98.9%)
Two seasons: Scott Drinkwater 44/48 (91.7%)
We covered off on Gutherson at the very top so let’s give a wrap to Scott Drinkwater who has a very nice draw, clear run on byes and is coming off a breakout season averaging 71PPG. The four games he missed last season was due to him being second choice to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at fullback. A good option for the long haul if you think the Cows will fire again.
How the best compare: James Tedesco has played 81/92 (88%) the past four seasons. He’s finished above Gutherson for total points in all of those seasons. Teddy and Gutho might be the safest picks you can take in a volatile position where it’s easy to burn through trades moving Mitchell, Trbojevic and Papenhuyzen in and out.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach NRL: The durable stars who you want for 2023
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