Most popular players in NRL SuperCoach 2019: Zac Lomax takes top spot

MOST POPULAR PLAYERS: He has only played four NRL games and hasn’t scored a try, yet he is owned by over 50 per cent of SuperCoaches.

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Meet the fresh-faced 19-year-old set to take the NRL by storm in 2019.

Dragons young gun Zac Lomax has only played four NRL games and is yet to score a try.

Yet rugby league fans were so impressed with Lomax’s cameo during last year’s finals he’s overtaken a host of experienced candidates to become the most purchased player in SuperCoach 2019.

Dubbed “The Gifted One” by NSW coach Brad Fittler, Lomax was tipped for big things last season and therefore went into the year as a popular cheapie.

However, the Temora product spent much of the season in the casualty ward and managed just two regular season games before a St George Illawarra injury crisis saw him called in at right centre for the finals.

Lomax went on to become one of the Dragons’ most influential performers in the play-offs after being handed the goalkicking duties in a depleted side.

Lomax is currently owned by more than half of SuperCoaches and is one of a trio of youngsters in the top 10 most purchased players alongside Brisbane’s Payne Haas and Manly’s Albert Hopoate.

Zac Lomax, Kalyn Ponga and Tevita Pangai Jnr are popular SuperCoach players in 2019.

1 Zac Lomax, Dragons, $196,900, 50.50% ownership

Plenty of opportunity following exits of Nene Macdonald, Jason Nightingale and Kurt Mann. Only notched two regular season games - one a five minute, zero point bench cameo. Lomax proved a game breaker for the Dragons in the finals, but only regular season matches count towards SuperCoach price and he therefore starts cheap.

2 Payne Haas, Broncos, $181,100, 49.40% ownership

Debuted to massive fanfare as an 18-year-old last year but only lasted three games before a season-ending shoulder injury. Wayne Bennett famously bloods forwards slowly, with Haas notching just 12.3 minutes per game. He therefore remains in the cheapie bracket in 2019, but has been released from the Bennett shackles under new coach Anthony Siebold.

Payne Haas is making a big impression at the Broncos.

3 Tevita Pangai, Broncos, $495,000, 48.40% ownership

Another emerging Broncos forward set for increased minutes due to Bennett’s departure. Pangai is a potential great of SuperCoach and a serious candidate for Australian and NSW jerseys this year after relinquishing Tongan ties. However, he only averaged 53 minutes under the famously frugal Bennett. Expect massive improvement under Seibold.

4 James Tedesco, Roosters, $689,000, 40.90% ownership

2018 was a career year for Tedesco, earning the title of rugby league’s No. 1 fullback with a series of stunning displays for the Roosters, NSW and Australia. The premiership winner scored the fourth most points of any player last year and SuperCoaches expect more of the same in 2019.

James Tedesco finished the year with a Kangaroos jumper.

5 Kalyn Ponga, Knights, $614,300, 36.50% ownership

Ponga was a revelation last year in his first full season of NRL, narrowly missing the Dally M Medal despite sitting out three games and carrying an ankle issue for the second half of the season. A mooted switch from fullback to five-eighth this year means Ponga is even more valuable for SuperCoach given he’s now available in both positions.

6 Jake Trbojevic, Sea Eagles, $667,600, 34.20% ownership

The best forward in SuperCoach. Trbojevic scored the fourth most points of any player last year after finishing second the season prior. While noted mostly for non-stop displays as a workhorse, Trbojevic is also a canny attacker, notching six tries and three try assists last season.

7 Tom Trbojevic, Sea Eagles, $691,200, 30.00% ownership

The best fullback in SuperCoach for two years running. On top of a stunning debut Origin series for the Blues, Trbojevic also finished fifth for try assists and tackle busts, and 12th for run metres, despite playing in a struggling side.

The Trbojevic brothers are SuperCoach guns.

8 Damien Cook, Rabbitohs, $726,000, 29.10% ownership

Started last season fighting for South Sydney’s starting hooker spot and finished with the NSW and Kangaroos No. 9 jumpers. Cook scored the most SuperCoach points of any player last season, averaging a massive seven points more than any other player. Will he be given the same opportunities under Bennett?

9 Albert Hopoate, Sea Eagles, $168,100, 28.90% ownership

The son of John and brother of Canterbury star Will has been rewarded for his form in the NSW junior competitions over the past two seasons with selection in Manly’s NRL squad for 2019. Having knocked back a chance to represent Australia at the Olympics in Rugby Sevens, Hopoate is a genuine chance to nab a place on the wing.

10 Latrell Mitchell, Roosters, $595,000, 28.70% ownership

Few doubted Mitchell’s potential and 2018 was the year he finally delivered. The Roosters young gun finally produced the consistency required of an NRL player and ended the year with a premiership to go with his NSW and Kangaroos jerseys.

MOST POPULAR SUPERCOACH PLAYERS 2019

Rank	First name	Last name	Team	Ownership
1	Zac	Lomax	STG	50.50%
2	Payne	Haas	BRO	49.40%
3	Tevita	Pangai	BRO	48.40%
4	James	Tedesco	SYD	40.90%
5	Kalyn	Ponga	NEW	36.50%
6	Jake	Trbojevic	MNL	34.20%
7	Tom	Trbojevic	MNL	30.00%
8	Damien	Cook	STH	29.10%
9	Albert	Hopoate	MNL	28.90%
10	Latrell	Mitchell	SYD	28.70%
11	Kurt	Capewell	SHA	28.50%
12	Cameron	Murray	STH	25.20%
13	Martin	Taupau	MNL	24.80%
14	Michael	Morgan	NQC	24.40%
15	Jason	Taumalolo	NQC	24.10%
16	Nathan	Cleary	PTH	23.80%
17	Chanel	Harris-Tavita	NZL	23.80%
18	Sam	Burgess	STH	22.10%
19	Elliott	Whitehead	CBR	20.60%
20	Kurt	Mann	NEW	20.20%
21	Jack	Bird	BRO	20.10%
22	Taane	Milne	NZL	18.50%
23	Victor	Radley	SYD	17.80%
24	Joe	Stimson	MEL	17.10%
25	Cameron	Munster	MEL	16.70%
26	Cameron	Smith	MEL	16.60%
27	Viliame	Kikau	PTH	16.50%
28	Jai	Arrow	GCT	15.40%
29	Shaun	Johnson	SHA	15.10%
30	Kyle	Flanagan	SHA	14.90%
31	Greg	Leleisiuao	PAR	14.30%
32	Bronson	Xerri	SHA	14.00%
33	Rhyse	Martin	BUL	13.50%
34	Dylan	Napa	BUL	13.30%
35	Angus	Crichton	SYD	13.20%
36	Corey	Waddell	MNL	13.20%
37	Ben	Barba	NQC	12.70%
38	Kotoni	Staggs	BRO	12.70%
39	Billy	Magoulias	SHA	12.70%
40	Josh	Hodgson	CBR	12.30%
41	Esan	Marsters	WST	12.20%
42	Matt	Gillett	BRO	12.20%
43	Maika	Sivo	PAR	11.80%
44	Andrew	Fifita	SHA	11.40%
45	Bryce	Cartwright	GCT	11.40%
46	Jamayne	Isaako	BRO	11.10%
47	Jesse	Ramien	NEW	10.70%
48	Patrick	Carrigan	BRO	10.70%
49	Dylan	Brown	PAR	10.60%
50	Jaeman	Salmon	PAR	10.60%
51	Corey	Allan	STH	9.90%
52	Clint	Gutherson	PAR	9.60%
53	Tom	Eisenhuth	MEL	9.60%
54	Morgan	Harper	BUL	9.40%
55	Adam	Keighran	NZL	9.00%
56	Zac	Woolford	NEW	8.80%
57	Alexander	Brimson	GCT	8.40%
58	Matthew	Moylan	SHA	8.20%
59	Te Maire	Martin	NQC	7.60%
60	Jed	Cartwright	PTH	7.40%
61	David	Klemmer	NEW	7.30%
62	Briton	Nikora	SHA	7.00%
63	Josh	Papalii	CBR	7.00%
64	Mahe	Fonua	WST	6.80%
65	Brandon	Smith	MEL	6.70%
66	Tristan	Sailor	STG	6.60%
67	Reuben	Garrick	MNL	6.60%
68	Gareth	Widdop	STG	6.30%
69	Josh	Kerr	STG	6.30%
70	Bevan	French	PAR	6.20%
71	Ryan	Matterson	WST	6.10%
72	Ryan	James	GCT	6.10%
73	Jesse	Arthars	GCT	6.00%
74	Anthony	Milford	BRO	5.90%
75	Andrew	McCullough	BRO	5.70%
76	Nathan	Brown	PAR	5.70%
77	Cameron	McInnes	STG	5.60%
78	Greg	Inglis	STH	5.60%
79	Blayke	Brailey	SHA	5.60%
80	Paul	Vaughan	STG	5.40%
81	Ryan	Sutton	CBR	5.40%
82	Scott	Sorensen	SHA	5.30%
83	Josh	Mansour	PTH	5.20%
84	Jarrod	Croker	CBR	5.20%
85	Joseph	Manu	SYD	5.10%
86	Lachlan	Fitzgibbon	NEW	4.90%
87	Nick	Meaney	BUL	4.90%
88	Wayde	Egan	PTH	4.90%
89	Kayleb	Milne	MEL	4.80%
90	Aiden	Tolman	BUL	4.80%
91	Javid	Bowen	NQC	4.80%
92	Corey	Horsburgh	CBR	4.70%
93	Daly	Cherry-Evans	MNL	4.60%
94	Mitchell	Moses	PAR	4.50%
95	Tyrone	Peachey	GCT	4.40%
96	Nick	Cotric	CBR	4.30%
97	Tom	Opacic	NQC	4.30%
98	Taniela	Paseka	MNL	4.20%
99	Paul	Momirovski	WST	4.20%
100	Jahrome	Hughes	MEL	4.10%

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Originally published as Most popular players in NRL SuperCoach 2019: Zac Lomax takes top spot