KFC SuperCoach NRL 2021: 10 things we learned from Round 1

Not many players go to the Warriors and live up to the hype. But Addin-Fonua-Blake is set to buck the trend — and he’s owned by just eight per cent.

We’re finally off and running! Round 1 is officially in the books and the long and windy path to KFC SuperCoach glory lies ahead of us for the next 24 rounds. Plenty to glean from Round 1, so let’s get into it.

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1 Ryan Papenhuyzen is the real deal

It’s been said so many times in the past but goalkicking really does add a lot to the KFC SuperCoach value of a player. This week saw Paps gain an extra 18 points in total (20 points in goals less two for one missed goal) for his goalkicking, and that weekly bump (it won’t be that many every week, of course) is sure to elevate him to a clear frontrunner to second place on the fullback podium, behind the KFC SuperCoach freak that is James Tedesco. It was also pleasing to see his increased role in the Storm attacking structures continued on from the second half of last year, which should see him continue to rack up attacking stats.

2 Latrell Mitchell could be as lethal as Teddy even without goalkicking

It’s a frequently repeated observation but Latrell Mitchell can do things that 99% of other NRL players can’t – and that was clearly on show this week against arguably the toughest team to score points against (both NRL and KFC SuperCoach). His Achilles heel has always been his workrate (or lack thereof) but we saw the first signs of that increasing this week; he made 15 runs in total (runs that counted for KFC SuperCoach that is) with two thirds of them going for over eight metres. This is a significant increase from last year where he generally only managed nine or 10 runs at best. If he can keep this up, the tackle busts and other attacking stats will flow naturally from it.

Latrell Mitchell’s work rate was up against the Storm (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

3 The cream of the five-eighth crop continue to impress

Cam Munster and Cody Walker were a class above most five-eighths last season and they both hit the ground running in the 2021 season, picking up where they left off. Cody continues to find attacking stats at will, and Munster’s high workrate with ball in hand continues to give him one of the safest floors at that position. Both will be crucial parts of their team’s attack but could find themselves a little less consistent due to the emergence of alternate options their teams can rely on (see above). I still expect both these guys to be up the pointy end at the position come end of season (barring injury/suspension of course).

PLAY OF THE WEEK! Watch as Matt Dufty burns Cronulla's defence with some spicy footwork 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/zu3x5HpDcA

— SuperCoach NRL (@SuperCoachNRL) March 15, 2021

4 Let’s talk about Jason Taumalolo

The preseason chat was true – Taumalolo’s minutes were going to be much lower than in previous years, and 51 minutes in Round 1 confirmed our worst fears. For 27.9% of KFC SuperCoaches, this was a horror story unfolding slowly during the half an hour Taumalolo spent sitting on that bench. Scoring just 36 points because the Panthers also dominated possession during Lolo’s opening stint, it couldn’t have gone much worse. Rubbing salt into the wound was Todd Payten’s post-match press conference where Lolo’s lazy marker defence was directly criticised, and you wonder how Taumalolo will respond next week. Let’s just say, I’m glad I’m not a Dragons player this week…

Jason Taumalolo scored just 36 points (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

5 Barnett auditions for the role of ‘token goalkicking backrower’

It’s been a few years now since we last saw a goalkicker wearing the 11, 12 or 13 on his back, so it was refreshing to see Mitch give it a real go. He had fairly easy kicks on goal, but it was still great to see him slotting six from seven attempts to give him a nice bump to the score (22 points in total). It’s important to note that he’s expected to give the goalkicking tee back to Kalyn Ponga upon the fullback’s return though, so Barnett’s goalkicking boost won’t be permanent. The 4.6% of KFC SuperCoaches who own him certainly don’t mind if Kalyn takes his time returning, and Barnett’s ownership most likely is headed north this week. Keep in mind he only scores 54 points if you remove his try (with the accompanying line break) and also the goalkicking points, which is certainly solid but it’s not the same level as Angus Crichton or Ryan Matterson!

6 Junior Paulo stands up when needed by his team

This hurts to write given it was Junior’s try late in the game that put the final nail in the coffin of the hopes of a Broncos’ upset, but there’s no denying how important Paulo is for the Eels right now. Brad Arthur has spoken about getting him on the field more, and Paulo is showing that despite playing big minutes (59 this week), he can deliver when required even when exhausted. It wasn’t just the try though – his workrate was impressive and he still had that offload working in overtime, scoring 73 points in base and base attack stats.

7 Anthony Milford shows signs of life

You know I couldn’t go through Round 1 without mentioning Milford, but it’s for positive reasons. It’s safe to say he played one of his best games in a long time, and while his base still remains low, he showed that even with new combinations all around him, when he’s on his game he can still find an attacking stat like nobody’s business. Milford did it all in this game, a beautifully-weighted kick to Coates, deft passing to put teammates through holes and even an throwback to the old days when a bust out wide meant Milford could streak down the field at speed and create a genuine tryscoring opportunity. I’m not prepared to say “he’s back”, but it was a promising first game for both he and the Broncos.

8 Fonua-Blake might join a very exclusive club

There’s been a long-running trend of players going to the Warriors and not living up to their potential and/or hype. Names like Adam Blair, Dane Nielson, Krisnan Inu and Feleti Mateo headline a long list of names that promised so much but delivered so little for the Warriors. Tohu Harris is one name who has bucked the trend in recent years and Addin Fonua-Blake might be another to join him, after dominating the game whenever he was on the field – not an easy feat when the opposition rolls out the likes of Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui. If his minutes hold up, AFB presents as an intriguing FRF trade-in option.

9 No slow start for the Roosters again

Over the past few years, 2020 aside, the Roosters were a team that liked to ease into the season, and build up to their peak performance in the latter half of the year. This was most evident when you compared Tedesco’s KFC SuperCoach averages across Rounds 1 to 9, compared to Rounds 19 to 25 or so (in some years there was a 30 point gap between those averages, a mindblowing figure). After the Roosters faded out at the back end of 2020, there was discussion from Trent Robinson that the coaching staff may go back to the formula which had resulted in success in 2018 and 2019; from what we saw in Round 1 though, it certainly didn’t feel like they were easing into the season! That makes plenty of Roosters players, least of all James Tedesco, strong candidates to be brought into our KFC SuperCoach teams.

10 Mixed feelings about Tapine

Tapine continues to improve as a middle forward; this was a lesson from late last year, and also in the trials this year too. But Tapine dominated the Tigers pack on his way to 100 KFC SuperCoach points, featuring a beautiful offload which created a try assist and linebreak assist for Jordan Rapana. Even if you take out his major attacking stats though (which includes another line break assist), Tapine scored 72 in base and base attack stats, with four tackle busts and three effective offloads really giving a big spike there. The issue lies in his minutes – just 42 – and that crowded Raiders pack makes it really hard to trust Tapine on a weekly basis. Hopefully his minutes can nudge up a little more to give KFC SuperCoaches more confidence in selecting him.

Bring on Round 2!