Bargain Basement: Bronco Tevita Pangai Jnr looms as Supercoach cheapie of the week

A BRONCOS young gun has emerged as the buy of the week, but it’s time to sell several other cheapies, writes SuperCoach guru TRENT COPELAND.

A BRONCO has emerged as the cheapie of the week, along with two outside backs from the Eels, one of which it feels like he’s been ready for price rises the last month, and have we found a (somewhat risky) prospect to fix the Jayden Nikorima disaster that still bugs almost 30% of all teams in SuperCoach.

Let’s get into it …

FRESHIES

Tevita Pangai Jnr FRF | 2RF (Broncos, 5.7% owned) — 72 points

Well, well, well … Pangai is the headline act this week, that is for sure. A BE of -55 and projected rise of $57k has a nice ring to it. But the projected score of 57 may be a bit of wishful thinking by our mates at SuperCoach GOLD. For anyone who watched the game, this kid is the real deal in SuperCoach terms, bouncing off tackles and looking menacing every time he touched the ball. A try, linebreak, 12 tackles, 6 tackle busts, 8 points in offloads, and 16 points in hit-ups over 8m — in only 30 minutes of action that is one hell of a score! His main downside is the distinct lack of minutes, and no coverage of the next two big bye rounds.

VERDICT: I’m in. Daniel Saifiti owners rejoice! This is the perfect scenario in my opinion, Pangai creates cash and has dual flexibility to cover the byes with Sam Burgess/Corey Parker/Trent Merrin. Just don’t expect scores.

Tevita Pangai Jnr looms as the cheapie of the week. Picture: Darren England.

Bevan French CTW | FLB (Eels, 5.2% owned) — 0 points

Time to watch. Only buy if you’re desperate as he still has a week to play before price changes. French was a try-scoring machine in the Auckland Nines, scored a try on debut and makes for an intriguing and extremely handy downgrade for us come round 15 to make up the all-important cash to spend on the big guns!

VERDICT: Watchlist, if he does well this week then French is almost a must-have with the dual CTW | FLB eligibility being so useful around the byes!

Vai Toutai CTW (Eels, 5.5% owned) — 0 points

Is this the week?! Toutai has been touted (see what I did there? Lame dad jokes are hilarious to me) to play his third game and therefore increase in price for what seems an eternity now. With coverage of the next two big bye rounds a real asset it would be rude not to look at him seriously, and with Foran out for the season it remains likely that Brad Takarangi will assume the five-eighth role upon his return from injury. Meaning … Toutai should stay in the side.

VERDICT: Is this the week he finally earns an increase? Toutai is a solid buy, but not for me.

NRL SUPERCOACH PODCAST FOR ROUND 14

Nathan Cleary HFB (Panthers, 0.6% owned) — 36 points

Ivan Cleary’s son made his debut for the Panthers on the weekend and his life was made very difficult by a Storm side who rushed up on him at every opportunity. 36 points came from 36 tackles, but is nothing to be laughed at, and until Te Maire Martin returns (if he does at all) Cleary may have a role to play. All Panthers and Sharks players should be monitored closely as after round 15 they are the hottest commodity in all of SuperCoach as they are finished their byes.

VERDICT: Not yet. Watch another week, particularly as a lot of teams have stacked halves with guns already.

Thomas Leuluai 5/8 | HOK (Warriors, 0.6% owned) — 66 points

This one is again not about the one or two games played, but about new opportunity. Leuluai has been plagued by injury throughout the last few seasons, played as a utility at different stages but now seems to have found a home in the number 6 jersey for the Warriors. Two try assists, two linebreak assists, 16 tackles, and a forced drop-out is very handy but prospective owners just need to keep in mind that his previous three 80-minute games Leuluai has only averaged 20!

VERDICT: At only $170k, Leuluai presents a great risk-reward option with cover of the Round 15 bye, particularly for Nikorima owners!

Thomas Leuluai presents a great risk-reward option.

Dale Copley CTW (Roosters, 6.4% owned) — 31 points

Here’s a blast from the past! Many teams started with Copley this year only for him to cop a long-term injury early on. Well, he’s back, and much like Addo-Carr he really didn’t have the opportunity to do much in this game. 13 tackles, a last touch assist and 12 points in hit-ups over 8m. The intriguing thing about Copley is his coverage of the huge round 15 and 18 bye rounds at cheapie rates of $142k. Interesting …

VERDICT: Interesting prospect for bye-hungry SuperCoaches, may be a good POD over the Toutai/French buys in the CTW.

Siosifa Talaki 2RF | CTW (Rabbitohs, 0% owned) — 44 points

First game, first try for Talaki! In only 27 minutes of game time Talaki managed a try, a linebreak, 8 tackle busts and 6 hit-ups over 8m which is promising but not enough to warrant a trade in at this stage.

VERDICT: Watchlist. Covers the round 15 bye with a dual position 2RF | CTW swing, but I don’t think the scoring power is there.

Jack Cogger HFB (Knights, 0.2% owned) — 18 points

Made a bad handling error from a kick-off which no doubt will have knocked his confidence, but seriously how is any young Knights half ever going to be SuperCoach relevant? The answer is ... they aren’t. About 15 tackles a week and AE nightmare is what you’d be buying here.

VERDICT: Nooooooo. Never buy another Knights player again (Until next year anyway).

OTHERS

Curtis Scott CTW (Storm, 5.9% owned) — 0 points

Jahrome Hughes FLB | CTW (Cowboys, 1.9% owned) — 0 points

Cameron Cullen HFB | 5/8 (Titans, 5.2% owned) — 0 points

Reimis Smith CTW (Bulldogs, 0% owned) — 0 points

VERDICT: Decent prospects given an opportunity, but not named for their respective sides. Watchlist.

CURRENT CROP

Ryan Matterson 5/8 (Roosters, 15.6% owned) — 64 points

Matterson delivered for those that took the punt on trading him in for Hastings, well played! A try assist, 15 tackles, 8 points in offloads and a forward workrate of 18 points in hit-ups over 8m tallied the 64 points. Nice. I think as Mini said on the Live Countdown Show last week, with Pearce out Matterson took over more of a ball-playing role than he may normally undertake, but points are points it doesn’t matter how you get ‘em!

VERDICT: Seems as though the trade-in was worth it, Matterson will provide owners with great coverage of rounds 15 and 18.

Ryan Matterson will provide owners with great coverage of rounds 15 and 18.

Josh Addo-Carr CTW (Tigers, 29.3% owned) — 31 points

After last week’s heroics, Addo-Carr saw another 5% jump in ownership this week meaning people believe the kid is the real deal. Unfortunately everyone bar the bloke named Tedesco had trouble creating any space and the ball very rarely travelled out wide in the torrential rain at Allianz.

VERDICT: The 31 is a blip on the radar but his BE still sits at 12 and remains a hold, ideally until after the byes although some may sell early next week to cover the round 15 bye.

Jake Marketo 2RF (Dragons, 3.5% owned) — 0 points

Just a reminder here for those that held onto Marketo through the Dragons bye to keep a lookout for team lists as Jack DeBelin is rumoured to be returning which may hurt him. If he is dropped altogether I think you hold for a week and he will likely play when Frizell may join Origin camp to replace Boyd Cordner.

VERDICT: HOLD regardless of scenario this week, and reap the rewards in the big bye round.

Michael Chee-Kam CTW | 2RF (Tigers, 6.6% owned) — 13 points

Chee-Kam was a late inclusion in the wet against the Roosters on Saturday evening meaning his first price jump happened without anyone having the chance to bring him in — which turned out to be a great result! In the centres he’s a solid option, but in this one Chee-Kam saw 34 minutes as a bench utility and his PPM was awful.

VERDICT: Steer clear, much better options out there.

Nathan Davis CTW (Titans, 14% owned) — 33 points

We gave Davis the benefit of the doubt in his first couple of games, but six games at an average of 34.8PPG and a highest score of 54 really shows us that the ceiling of other CTW cheapies just isn’t there. Add to that the fact that Konrad Hurrell will surely be up to speed soon and potentially take Davis’ place in the side (it could be Anthony Don that goes, with Davis/Hoffman moving to the wing) and you have yourselves a sell.

VERDICT: Watch late mail this week, if Davis is dropped then it’s time to move on. Sell to one of the CTW cheapies mentioned above.

Nathan Davis might need to be moved on this week. Picture: Adam Head

Luke Bateman FRF | 2RF (Raiders, 6.1% owned) — 25 points

Bateman has peaked, after the big fella only played 30 minutes on Friday night against the Sea Eagles. Now priced at $223k, with a BE of 48 it is decision time much like Dan Saifiti. If you own both it may be wise to do the old fashioned ‘one down, one up’ this week and bring in a rookie and a gun.

VERDICT: SELL. Bateman has done his job, and is a sell either this week or next.

Daniel Saifiti FRF (Knights, 10.6% owned) — 42 points

Saifiti has done a fantastic job for owners as a slow burner until the byes, and after the 42 points this week it’s time to start thinking about whether you need to up or downgrade this week or next. Now at $240k, Saifiti is looking at a BE of around 27 this week so there isn’t an immediate need to sell but with the bye in round 15 he’s got to go.

VERDICT: SELL this week or next depending on priorities. Pangai Jnr presents as a downgrade this week, or going up to someone who covers round 15 would be ideal.

Javid Bowen CTW (Cowboys, 36.1% owned) — 0 points

Sit tight with Bowen in the knowledge that he will play for you in round 18 when numbers are extremely thin.

VERDICT: HOLD.

John Asiata 2RF (Cowboys, 3.7% owned) — 71 points

Wow, that game came from nowhere! (Although it was against the Knights). Two try assists, a linebreak, 16 tackles and 12 points in hit-ups over 8m to tally 71 points in just the 37 minutes. That’s a seriously good PPM. Asiata is no doubt a talented player, but in the eight rounds previous to this game he has averaged well under 20 minutes of playing time. I think we can write this one off as an outlier with Matt Scott and James Tamou both playing reduced minutes backing up from Origin.

VERDICT: Asiata is a future gun, but not a SuperCoach buy right now. No thanks.

There you have it people, a few Cash Cows have peaked and are ready for cashing in, with numerous good options out there our focus should definitely be on those two tricky bye rounds to come.

Good luck this weekend.