SuperCoach top guns: Which players are really worth big bucks?
One SuperCoach gun is so dominant at home, he’s an automatic lock for captain – but he’s only in 33 per cent of teams so far. Find out which pricey players are worth the cash.
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It’s home sweet home for Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes who pumps out a whopping SuperCoach average of 100.3PPG at PointsBet Stadium.
Hynes is so dominant at home that the weekly captaincy call isn’t up for debate in 50% of rounds. It makes him a must-pick player yet he’s in just 33% of teams so far.
Just take a look at how the SuperCoach big guns score at home in comparison:
Nicho Hynes 100.3
Tom Trbojevic 81.8
Nathan Cleary 79.5
Kalyn Ponga 77.4
Reece Walsh 76.7
To plug the gaps when it’s not Nicho time, I’ve mapped out the top captaincy options for the opening 10 rounds to help guide SuperCoaches to the players they should be focusing the salary cap on early while team value is at its tightest.
If you’re blowing the bank on players you want them to be captaincy material and teams should have at least three guns to cycle through the fixtures as captains and vice captains especially with the likes of Hynes, Cleary and Storm players having byes early.
Here are my top picks factoring in their career average against their opponent, record at the venue and current strength of opponent.
ROUND 1: TOP CAPTAINS
Kalyn Ponga: Knights v Raiders
98.4PPG v Raiders, 77.4PPG at McDonald Jones Stadium (H)
Nicho Hynes: Warriors v Sharks
100PPG v Warriors, 72 PPG at Go Media Stadium (A)
Scott Drinkwater: Dolphins v Cowboys
97PPG v Dolphins, 69.4PPG at Suncorp Stadium (A)
Analysis: The Raiders have been belted by Ponga with his past five scores against them 122,86, 107, 98 and 159. He’s the easy pick of the captains for Round 1. Nicho Hynes scored 72 against the Warriors in Auckland last season. His average against them is blown up by scores of 102 and 186 playing at home. If you’re looking for a differential, Drinkwater put up big scores on the Dolphins last year and loves a run at Suncorp Stadium. Put a line through Nathan Cleary who averages 60PPG v Melbourne and 42.7PPG at AAMI Park.
ROUND 2: TOP CAPTAINS
Nicho Hynes: Sharks v Bulldogs
85PPG v Bulldogs, 100.3PPG at PointsBet Stadium (H)
Tom Trbojevic: Sea Eagles v Roosters
72.7PPG v Roosters, 81.8PPG at 4 Pines Park (H)
Ryan Papenhuyzen: Storm v Warriors
109PPG v Warriors, 71.2PPG at AAMI Park (H)
Analysis: Hynes at home for the Sharks is the most bankable captain option in SuperCoach at 100.3PPG. He’s got an 85 PPG career average against the Bulldogs and has scored 97, 129, 96 and 66 on them in his two seasons at the Sharks. Lock him in. Trbojevic is the next best performer at home averaging 81.8PPG at 4 Pines Park. Turbo has a 72.7PPG average against the Roosters but on a dry track on a Sunday afternoon is worth considering. Ryan Papenhuyzen has only played the Warriors three times in his injury riddled run but averages 109PPG against them and 71.2PPG at AAMI Park. Cleary at home averages 79.5PPG but his record against the Eels is just 59.4PPG with a 4-point game after a send-off against them in 2022 dragging down his average.
Round 3: TOP CAPTAINS
Nicho Hynes: Tigers v Sharks
98.2PPG v Tigers, not played at Leichhardt Oval before (A)
Tom Trbojevic: Eels v Sea Eagles
84.1PPG v Eels, 111PPG at CommBank Stadium (A)
Nathan Cleary: Panthers v Broncos
86.2PPG v Broncos, 79.5PPG at BlueBet Stadium (H)
Analysis: Hynes has five career games against the Tigers with a low of 84 and high of 115. Looks like guaranteed points even though Hynes has never played at Leichhardt Oval. Trbojevic may have an away game but he has a massive 111PPG average across five games at CommBank Stadium and has enjoyed big returns against the Eels. Those two look like frontrunners again. Cleary comes into the conversation for the grand final replay against the Broncos with an 86.2PPG average against them with a tonne in the past three seasons.
Round 4: TOP CAPTAINS
Nicho Hynes: Sharks v Raiders
77PPG v Raiders, 100.3PPG (H)
Latrell Mitchell: Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
73PPG v Bulldogs, 74.6PPG at Accor Stadium (H)
David Fifita: Titans v Dolphins
84PPG v Dolphins, 73.8PPG at Cbus Stadium (H)
Analysis: Hynes has the Raiders on a Sunday afternoon as the outstanding captaincy option again with most of the other top tier options on the road. Cleary has a 79.3 average against the Roosters but 57PPG at Allianz Stadium. Trbojevic has a 78.8PPG record against the Dragons but 59.5PPG at WIN Stadium. Kalyn Ponga has a 64.5PPG record against the Warriors and 65.5 in New Zealand. Latrell Mitchell looms as a nice differential with the Bulldogs at home. He has scored tonnes on them the past two seasons to go with 73PPG against them in his career and a 74.6PPG record at home. Round 4 may come too soon for Fifita but if he’s fit and firing at home he’s a strong option against the Dolphins.
ROUND 5: TOP CAPTAINS
Nathan Cleary: Panthers v Sea Eagles
84.6PPG v Sea Eagles, 93.3PPG at 4 Pines Park (A)
Ryan Papenhuyzen: Storm v Broncos
123.3PPG v Broncos, 71.2PPG (H)
James Tedesco: Bulldogs v Roosters
95.9PPG v Bulldogs, 77.4PPG at Accor Stadium (A)
Kalyn Ponga: Knights v Dragons
90.2PPG v Dragons, 77.4PPG (H)
Harry Grant: Storm v Broncos
89.5PPG v Broncos, 71.2PPG (H)
Latrell Mitchell: Rabbitohs v Warriors
83.3PPG v Warriors, 74.6PPG (H)
Analysis: Hynes has the bye so the options open up with strong cases for a stack of players.
Cleary has three tonnes from his past five games against Manly and an impressive 93.3PPG record over six games against the Sea Eagles away. Papenhuyzen scored 78 against the Broncos last year who are vastly improved from 2021 when Paps put 197 on the Broncos in one game which blows out his average. Tedesco has a 95.9PPG record against the Bulldogs over 10 games and has gone large the past three with 118, 94 and 199. Ponga has a strong career record against the Dragons but has only played them once in the past three seasons. Grant always steps up for a Broncos game with scores of 79, 78, 133 and 88 against them. Mitchell has most recent scores of 152 and 108 against the Warriors but didn’t face them last year when they were much stronger defensively.
ROUND 6: TOP CAPTAINS
Scott Drinkwater: Eels v Cowboys
93PPG v Eels, 88PPG at CommBank Stadium (A)
Reece Walsh: Broncos v Dolphins
84PPG v Dolphins, 76.7PPG at Suncorp Stadium (H)
Ryan Papenhuyzen: Storm v Bulldogs
87PPG v Bulldogs, 71.2PPG (H)
Tom Trbojevic: Warriors v Sea Eagles
93.4PPG v Warriors, 61.3PPG at Go Media Stadium (A)
Analysis: With Nathan Cleary on the bye you’d think Hynes would be the man again but his 74.8PPG v Rabbitohs and away doesn’t stack up to some of the fullback options this round. Drinkwater has scored 117, 122 and 113 against the Eels in the past two seasons. Walsh faced the Dolphins just once in 2023 missing the other game with a ban but given his Suncorp Stadium form he’s a contender. Papenhuyzen scored 193 and 113 in his most recent games against the Bulldogs with bench games in 2019 pulling down his average. This could be the game he rockets back to the top of the FLB charts. Turbo has a good historical record against the Warriors but has only faced them once since 2019 with a 191 in 2021.
ROUND 7: TOP CAPTAINS
Tom Trbojevic: Titans v Sea Eagles
106.6PPG v Titans, 106PPG at Cbus Stadium (A)
Nicho Hynes: Sharks v Cowboys
80.8PPG v Cowboys, 100.3PPG (H)
David Fifita: Titans v Sea Eagles
86.1PPG v Sea Eagles, 73.8PPG (H)
Kalyn Ponga: Bulldogs v Knights
73.4PPG v Knights, 127.5PPG at Accor Stadium (A)
Analysis: Cleary’s match with the Tigers this round is the one SuperCoaches fading him are most worried about but he’s well down the list of captaincy options with a 73PPG record against the Tigers and 52.3PPG in four games at Carrington Park, Bathurst. Trbojevic has enjoyed thumping the Titans across his career and the numbers are hard to ignore 100+ average against them and at the venue. Hynes has scored 126, 108 and 80 on the Cowboys in the past two seasons. Fifita has loved the Manly matchup with scores of 114 and 125 in the past two seasons. Ponga put 180 on the Bulldogs in this fixture last season with three try assists, three line breaks and 11 goals.
ROUND 8: TOP CAPTAINS
Kalyn Ponga: Dolphins v Knights
121PPG v Dolphins, 74.2PPG at Suncorp Stadium (A)
Nathan Cleary: Cowboys v Panthers
87PPG v Cowboys, 72PPG at Queensland Country Bank Stadium (A)
Tom Trbojevic: Sea Eagles v Eels
84.2PPG v Eels, 81.8PPG (H)
Shaun Johnson: Warriors v Titans
86.1PPG v Titans, 69.1PPG at Go Media Stadium (H)
Analysis: Johnson pops on the captaincy radar for the first time. He’s bullied the Titans across his career and scored 149 against them last year. Trbojevic also has a nice home fixture, meeting the Eels again after playing them in Round 3. Ponga pumped the Dolphins in his one meeting with them last season and has a strong enough record on the road at Suncorp Stadium. Cleary has tonnes in three of the past four seasons against the Cowboys so looks like a stronger pick than Nicho Hynes who faces the Raiders away where he has a 71PPG record.
ROUND 9: TOP CAPTAINS
Nicho Hynes: Sharks v Dragons
134.2PPG v Dragons, 100.3PPG (H)
Scott Drinkwater: Cowboys v Dolphins
97PPG v Dolphins, 65.8PPG at Queensland Country Bank Stadium (H)
Tom Trbojevic: Sea Eagles v Raiders
91.2PPG v Raiders, 81.8PPG (H)
Harry Grant: Titans v Storm
88.2PPG v Titans, 102.3PPG at Cbus Stadium
Analysis: You can’t go anywhere but Hynes against the Dragons. He scored 156 and 180 against them last season. That Round 4 180 was the defining moment of the 2023 SuperCoach season. If you had Hynes and captained him on his return from injury you pulled away from the pack. It’s a matter of considering vice-captains from the rest with Drinkwater’s Dolphins matchup worth a shout. Turbo’s data might not always be the freshest given his injury record but he’s scored 165 and 87 against the Raiders in the past two seasons. Grant again loves coming up to face the Queensland clubs with scores of 97,97 and 105 at Cbus Stadium.
ROUND 10: TOP CAPTAINS
Tom Trbojevic: Dolphins v Sea Eagles
126PPG v Dolphins, 86PPG at Suncorp Stadium (A)
Harry Grant: Storm v Sharks
99.4PPG v Sharks, 75.8PPG (H)
Nathan Cleary: Panthers v Bulldogs
58.8PPG v Bulldogs, 79.5PPG (H)
Kalyn Ponga: Tigers v Knights
79.8PPG v Tigers, 57.5PPG at Scully Park, Tamworth (A)
Analysis: Trbojevic thumped the Dolphins for 126 before he was injured last season. He’s got a fantastic record at Suncorp Stadium averaging 86 across 10 games. This is a Thursday night fixture though so it could be more of a VC play. Cleary v the Bulldogs on paper should be worthy of a C but he just hasn’t ever put the Bulldogs to the sword. They are the only team he hasn’t put a tonne on in the past four seasons and his 58.8PPG career record against them is the lowest of any team. Ponga’s data against the Tigers last year includes a 1 point game in Round 2 where he went off concussed. Remove that and he’s got an 89PPG record against the Tigers. He scored 137 against them in his most recent encounter. Harry Grant doesn’t have the ceiling of Ponga or Cleary but you can’t argue with his results against the Sharks – his past five games are 123, 86, 103, 105 and 80. Hynes on the other hand has scores of 43 and 35 against the Storm since moving to the Sharks. Not an option here on the road to his old club.
TOP CAPTAINS TALLY
Trbojevic: 7
Hynes: 6
Cleary: 5
Ponga: 5
Grant: 3
Drinkwater: 3
Papenhuyzen: 3
Fifita: 2
Mitchell: 2
Walsh: 1
Johnson: 1
Tedesco: 1
FINAL THOUGHTS
Trbojevic and Hynes are the standout captain picks over the opening rounds. So I think you have to have them both. The next decision is between Cleary, Ponga or stretching for both. They have equally strong fixtures plugging the gaps between Hynes and Trbojevic but I really like Ponga in Round 1 against the Raiders and Round 5 against the Dragons when Hynes is on the bye. Those three big guns give you very strong captaincy coverage and funds to spread across the team which might not be there if you stretch the budget to pull in Cleary too. It could help you start with Harry Grant who has a hot run of fixtures with three out of six captainable games once he’s done with his Round 4 bye.
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