Resident SuperCoach expert the Mastermind explains to a fantasy fool where he’s going wrong

Resident expert The Mastermind takes Sunday Mail sports editor Brad Ricks under his wing in a bid to turn this SuperCoach fledgling into a lean, mean NRL machine.

Resident expert The Mastermind takes Sunday Mail sports editor Brad Ricks under his wing in a bid to turn this SuperCoach fledgling into a lean, mean NRL machine.

BR: For years I’ve been meaning to give this SuperCoach a decent crack. I tried it a few years back with the view that surely it couldn’t be that hard.

M: I can just imagine ... a team overloaded with players from a Canberra Raiders outfit that just missed out on the spoon.

BR: Yeah, yeah let’s not dwell on that. Anyway, like any sporting endeavour... if you don’t have game you need a (Super)coach. So buckle up buddy, you are my Obi-Wan Kenobi.

M: Truly, I am your only hope. I’ve been playing SuperCoach since the game first launched in 2008. The game seems to get better every year.

Josh Hodgson is the main man for Brad Ricks. Picture: AAP

BR: Well I can tell you one thing, that app will be a godsend.

M: You’ll need the app handy to make trades and changes to your starting 17 when you least expect it. It’s almost like the NRL coaches don’t care about us SuperCoaches. The teams announced on Tuesdays often look different an hour before kick-off.

BR: The way I see it, surely getting your No.9 right is the starting point? Fantasy or not, that’s one of the keys to rugby league. I am biased, I know, but I’ll start with my man Josh Hodgson.

M: You can certainly make a case for the Englishman. He came back strong after missing the first half of 2018 averaging 63.3 points in 11 games. He’s sure to be the focal point for the Raiders attack. Should we mention those halves?

Damien Cook was last year’s top-scoring player. Picture: Phil Hillyard

BR: Another headache I can give you another time. At any rate, with the amount of time Hodgson gets his hands on the ball in that set-up will it matter?

M: Only problem with picking Hodgson is you’ll probably have to go without last year’s top-scoring player, Damien Cook. The Rabbitohs hooker averaged 77.6, well clear of the next best in that position, Cam Smith, at 63.5. Are you prepared to start the season 14 points off the pace or worse if Cook fires again?

BR: Cook was a ripper player last year and some would say he changed the way the No.9 played. But can we be sure that Benny’s approach at the Bunnies won’t change the way Cook is used? I’ll take my chances.