SuperCoach NRL: Cut-priced keepers and discounted PODs

The SuperCoach salary cap squeeze is real, and former champion Dave Von Kotze identifies some undervalued money makers who won’t hurt you on the scoreboard.

First, second and third team drafts are in the process and as per usual there is nowhere near enough money in the cap to get the starting team we want.

Every dollar counts and these players, for a variety of reasons, are starting the season undervalued and have the potential to make money while keeping the points ticking over.

KALYN PONGA - $614,300

Even at his high starting price the stats suggest that Ponga could still be coming at a discounted price of around $50,000. In his first season with the Knights, Ponga was superb scoring over 60PPG in 13 of his 20 (65 per cent) to average 65PPG. While he found a way through most defensive lines that attempted to stop him, the season took its toll on his body and a few injury affected games lowered his average and thus make him ripe for the picking should he be able to recreate that form in the halves. Looking at the 18 games in which he played the full-eighty he actually held together an average of 71PPG and that also includes his 41 and 42 in rounds 22 and 23 when he was clearly playing busted.

Dave Von Kotze has unearthed some cut-price 'keepers' for 2019.

JAI ARROW - $598,000

Arrow has been one of the buzz players so far this off-season and this is just another Pro-Arrow snap shot of stats to show how much of a bargain he appears to be at under $600,000. Arrow battled through numerous injury concerns last season but still scored his points with a PPM of 1.2 to average 63 points and 55 minutes for his 21 games. A further look into SC Stats show us that in the games in which he was on the field for sixty minutes or more he was in a class of his own with an eight-game average of 86PPG. Even more impressive was that in those same eight games he averaged 62PPG in base stats alone.

ANDREW MCCULLOUGH - $505,300

A tried and tested eighty minute hooker McCullough had his playing time cut short in three of his 21 games and scores of 39, 28 and 17 in those matches saw him finish the year with a season average of 54PPG. In 2017, he averaged 60PPG and in the 15 games in which he played the full-eighty in 2018 he also averaged 60PPG so potential owners could be receiving a considerable discount if Anthony Seibold doesn’t have plans to run an interchange hooker on the bench.

Andrew McCullough training with the Brisbane Broncos at Red Hill. Picture: Liam Kidston

AIDEN TOLMAN - $471,400

Up until round 15 of 2018, Aiden Tolman had spent next nine rounds watching from the sideline with a horrible ankle injury and was not a SuperCoach option with a six-game season average of 34 points and 43 minutes. However, when Aaron Woods jumped ship to the Sharks, Tolman became a different beast and finished the year with a final ten-game average of 60 PPG and 63 minutes. There has been reshuffling of the Bulldogs pack in the off-season but if Dean Pay has plans to use Tolman for sixty minutes a game then there could be upwards of $90,000 in value in the purchase if he holds these numbers

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CONNOR WATSON - $537,100

Watson was the quiet achiever in 2018 scoring above 60 in 60 per cent of his 15 games. He also spent plenty of time in the re-hab group finishing the year with an average of 57 but if his five points in 17 minutes from round three and 15 points in 50 minutes from round 24 are removed from his scores he actually maintained a 13-game average of 64 which would have given him a price tag in the $600,000 arena to start 2019.

Connor Watson will play fullback for the Knights in 2019. Picture: Picture: AAP Image

RYAN MATTERSON - $521,500

Ryan Matterson was in great form for the first 11 matches until he was on the receiving end of a huge ‘Falcon’ against the Broncos that led to a whole heap of complications which put the brakes on his opening season average of 65PPG. His price is based on his final season average of 55PPG but if he can secure an eighty-minute role on the edge for the Tigers then there is plenty of value giving him a start as he averaged 71PPG in the seven eighty-minute games he played in 2018. It does need be noted that during these games he scored five tries but a solid effort none the less. He is also only available at 2RF in 2019 which hurts those who played him in the CTW last year.

LISTEN! Resident SuperCoach experts Tom Sangster and Tim Williams have the lowdown on the players to target and avoid in 2019.

ROBBIE FARAH - $581,800

Farah provided cover for Damien Cook when he was on Origin duty and then found his way back to his beloved Tigers finishing the season with an eleven-game average of 62PPG. Of the eleven games Farah played in 2018, six of those games were for the full-eighty minutes and in those six games he held a very tidy average of 77PPG. A gun in years gone by, Farah may once again become relevant from a SuperCoach perspective if he can return to consistent big minutes.

DALE FINUCANE - $432,900

Finucane is definitely not in the keeper category but he has all the makings of a beautiful stepping stone to get to a gun this season. In 2016 and 2017 Finucane averaged 62 minutes and maintained averages of 58 and 55 respectively. Last year was not a strong one for Finucane with a variety of injuries leading to averages of 46 PPG in 54MPG. If he can stay on the park in one piece and return to the reliable player he has been in the past, then there are around $80,000 valuable dollars to be made.

MORE SUPERCOACH:

Full SuperCoach News section / Cheapie Bible / Predicted round one teams / Sangster’s team / Champ’s team / Wilfred’s team / Tallis’s team / Copes’ team / Huge rule change / Top 10 rookies in NRL

Originally published as SuperCoach NRL: Cut-priced keepers and discounted PODs