Bargain Basement: The best NRL SuperCoach cheapies for round 15

A SHORTENED week with only four matches plus the huge exodus of State of Origin players from the teams who are playing present us with a few traps and a few genuine options over the next two weeks.

A SHORTENED week with only four matches plus the huge exodus of State of Origin players from the teams who are playing present us with a few traps and a few genuine options over the next two weeks.

Who bought Pangai? I did! Don’t be disappointed, as we all knew he wasn’t going to get big mins. You traded him in for the initial cash, dual position FRF | 2RF flexibility and the fact that if minutes present themselves he will be a gun. Boo hoo.

Bevan French is clearly the headline act despite poor base stats, and fellow Eel Vai Toutai will finally reward owners who have been waiting for a price rise for months!

Bevan French is one of the cheapies of the week. Picture: Mark Evans

Freshies

Bevan French CTW | FLB (Eels, 12.5% owned) — 33 points

A big no-no in the SuperCoach bible is ‘going early’ on players before their first price rise is imminent (Think C.Scott/J.Bowen), however French went from 4.5% to 12.5% ownership after just one game last week! Risky play people, however you have been rewarded. French only averages a mere 36 PPG with pretty poor base stats, but his -13 BE, coverage of the next two difficult byes and CTW | FLB dual flexibility is very hard to pass up. Don’t even think about playing him in your 17 on regular weeks though, much like Pangai Jnr.

VERDICT: BUY. I think normally he’d not be a great buy given the base stat numbers, but he’s definitely the cheapie of the week and I will be buying! I mean, you’ve got to fun the big guns like Munster, Bromwich, Harris and SJ somehow, right!?

Vai Toutai CTW (Eels, 5.1% owned) — 0 points

FINALLY! The cash rise is here, and even more crucially the all-important bye round coverage is there for the 5.1% of current owners. Those who don’t own Toutai already need to weigh up a few things … Be careful with next week — round 16 — as the Eels and Roosters will both be on a bye (use the SuperCoach GOLD bye tracker to analyse), and at $148k, are you making enough money out of the initial trade? Toutai will likely score more points than French in my opinion having averaged 46.5 PPG thus far.

VERDICT: Pass. Toutai is a solid buy, but not for me. One of his main assets is that he will likely not be an AE nightmare, and likely dropped come round 19 for the run home.

Nathan Cleary in action for the Panthers. Picture: Mark Evans

Nathan Cleary HFB (Panthers, 2.1% owned) — 105 points

WOAH! Did anyone see that coming? The Panthers have created many cheapies for us this season with the likes of James Fisher-Harris, TeMaire Martin and now the son of league legend Ivan Cleary has presented at the perfect time for SuperCoaches. A huge 105 point game sees his break-even at -82, and an impending $78.5k projected rise next week. The reason I have listed him this week is that given we have 4 trades at our disposal, and the necessity of bringing in the likes of Merrin and Tedesco next week he may be worth the trade in now!

VERDICT: YES! Widdop to Cleary is locked in for me next week, and byes being finished an added bonus. Just be careful as bringing in Cleary will likely lock in your halves flexibility (SJ is HFB only, Milford 5/8 only etc).

Siosifa Talaki 2RF | CTW (Rabbitohs, 1.6% owned) — 13 points

Talaki scored a try on debut for the Rabbitohs, and has played both of his games thus far as a bench utility. This week with Cody Walker’s move back to the halves Talaki has been named in the centres and should therefore play 80 minutes. I don’t think he’s a great option despite the handy dual CTW | 2RF flexibility.

VERDICT: Not for me, but those with big amounts of Eels/Roosters in the CTW may need to go Talaki to avoid an AE nightmare next week.

Jack Gosiewski 2RF (Rabbitohs, 1.6% owned) — 0 points

Gosiewski didn’t play last week which isn’t a great sign for his prospects when Adam Reynolds, Greg Inglis and George Burgess all return from Origin duty and injury but he has been named to play the all important bye round this week — coinciding with his first price rise.

VERDICT: No way! Next …

Dale Copley (right) could be worth thinking about.

Dale Copley CTW (Roosters, 6.9% owned) — 19 points

OK, here’s one for the risk takers. The Roosters went scoreless on the weekend against the Storm and looked awful in the process, but we all know Copley is a talented player. The coverage of rounds 15 and 18 at $129k and a BE of 17 is the tempter, but the career pedigree and the Roosters poor form is the downside.

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

Mitch Barnett FRF | 2RF (Knights, 0.7% owned) — 29 points

29 points on debut for Barnett was OK, but the 58 minutes Brown gave him is the more exciting number here after basically shaking hands with the coach before running on (Barnett was a mid season transfer this week to the Knights)! With no coverage of the next two big bye rounds Barnett is merely a desperation buy in round 17, as the Knights are on bye this week.

VERDICT: Watchlist, if the minutes continue he could be an option but I’m backing it’s a 90% no go zone.

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

These guys are on the bye this week, but keep them in the back of your mind.

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

Current Crop

Tevita Pangai Jnr FRF | 2RF (Broncos, 18.2% owned) — 23 points

From 5.7% ownership to 18.2% is a significant jump, and a disappointing return for all those new owners out there. But, Pangai did rise in price by $39.5k, still sits with a -15 BE and the whole reason you brought him in was to create the initial cash plus dual FRF | 2RF flexibility, so no whining!

VERDICT: He’s never going to be a best 17 player, so temper your expectations. If you didn’t get on last week I would definitely avoid as you’ve missed the initial price jump — plus he doesn’t play this week.

Tevita Pangai Jr looks do have done his job for original buyers. Picture: Liam Kidston

Thomas Leuluai 5/8 | HOK (Warriors, 1.1% owned) — 47 points

I mentioned him as a Nikorima fix with such a low price, and some great fixtures looming. Leuluai delivered a steady performance rising in price by $18.8k and now sits with a BE of -13, not the worst short term fix with a few luxury trades up their sleeve. Did you get on?

VERDICT: It had to be last week, but Leuluai has turned out to be a steady purchase!

Ryan Matterson 5/8 (Roosters, 16.3% owned) — 44 points

Now priced at $248k, Matterson has done brilliantly for his 21,080 owners averaging 52.3 in a losing side every week and getting to the all-important round 15 bye this week still peaking in price — his BE of 22 is very manageable. 27 tackles, two offloads and 11 points in hit-ups in a team who was beaten 46-0 is not a bad effort! The real test will come next week when Cleary (undoubtedly the cheapie of the week next week) becomes available. If you have the nerve I would hold Matterson until a round 18 trade out to a gun.

VERDICT: HOLD. Matterson will provide owners with great coverage of rounds 15 and 18.

Josh Addo-Carr CTW (Tigers, 28.9% owned) — 23 points

Addo-Carr is on a bye this week so it’s decision time. 31 and 23 in the past two matches from Addo-Carr, who disappointingly has peaked with his BE now sitting at 68. Lots will sell this week and with good reason as we’ve seen just how low his low scores are! Coverage of the round 18 bye is the only prospect left for owners wanting to hold, or hope for a Vunivalu type price rise resurrection, but with matches against the Storm, Panthers and Bulldogs in the next three games, I wouldn’t be banking on that!

VERDICT: SELL. For either Bevan French, or an upgrade to the likes of T. Turbo, Lolohea, or pre-emptively bring in Tedesco/Leilua.

Joshua Addo-Carr could be a sell.

Jake Marketo 2RF (Dragons, 3.5% owned) — 44 points

Marketo saw a price rise of $27.6k this week to enter round 15 bye week coverage priced at $218k with a BE of 23, peaking perfectly for a round 16 sell. 44 points last week was all in base stats, but with the return of Jack DeBelin last week Marketo only saw the 50 minutes. Points will be crucial from him this week for owners!

VERDICT: HOLD this week, then move on for a Trent Merrin or Tyrone Peachey type player.

Nathan Davis CTW (Titans, 14% owned) — 0 points

Dropped in a late change that we all expected, seeing Konrad Hurrell make his debut for the Titans, however, Davis has earned a reprieve through Hurrell’s calf injury. Hurrell has still been named as 18th man, so I would still be moving Davis on if you see news that he will make way.

VERDICT: Shame really, as he promised so much, but Davis is a sell.

Daniel Saifiti FRF (Knights, 8.7% owned) — 50 points

Lots sold last week, which was ideal given Pangai was on a silver platter, but those who held earned an extra $10k and can now move him on as a priority given he wont play this weekend (Knights on a bye).

VERDICT: SELL. At $250k, I would try to go up to a Jake Trbojevic or Simon Mannering type player.

Daniel Saifiti in action for the Knights.

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.

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 getting as many players as we can on the park this week, and an eye on still working towards the best possible final 17 players for the run home.

Good luck this weekend.