KFC SuperCoach NRL Cheapie Bible: Why Jackson Ford is a priority over Josh Schuster

He scored just four points in his previous game, but Trent Copeland knows what he likes and he likes this juicy KFC SuperCoach NRL selection.

We learned one thing for sure in round three …

Brad Arthur doesn’t play KFC SuperCoach, nor does he buy into the Hop-GOD mentality. Hooking our prized cheapie from the field early on against the Sea Eagles and it felt like three hours had passed by the time a Doorey injury let him back on the field to finish with 45 points in 54 minutes. Still, he locked in a whopping $155,200 in cold hard cash and has been named to start at lock even with Ryan Matterson’s return.

Jacob Preston is the new Cheapie Bible favourite in a remarkably low amount of teams, and Josh Schuster looked every bit the superstar of the future we all saw two years ago in his return from a calf injury.

A cheapie by definition is any player under $350k with the rise in salary cap, we will cover off on all of the most important cheapies with a verdict on whether to invest or not.

As the season goes along we will give a running verdict on every cheapie that hits our radar, and give a final ‘Bon Voyage’ when they eclipse $350k – if a player is not on the list, we’ve determined they are not a viable selection.

Let’s go!

J'maine Hopgood has been nothing short of brilliant. Picture: Getty

J’maine Hopgood | 2RF ($454,000 | PAR) – 45 points

Stays front and centre (rather than ‘Bon Voyage’ below) out of respect to the early season masterclass we’ve all witnessed. Barring last weekend’s aberration, Hopgood has established himself as a play in your 17 every week, and given the Eels’ great bye coverage – is a HOLD indefinitely (at least until round 14). Ryan Matterson was the lingering doubt, but he has been named on the right edge for his return from suspension, not at lock! Amazing news, which seems to indicate a long term role here for Hopgood.

VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. Yes, still a but with a prospective $85,000 more cash coming this week.

Jacob Preston | 2RF ($302,100 | BUL) – 69 points

Ok, we were hopeful the 80 minutes would stick, and the ‘Josh Jackson 2.0’ stuff was real. Well, it is, and boy are KFC SuperCoaches absolutely loving it. 80 minutes, 69 points, with 33 tackles, 8 points in tackle busts and 21 points in runs. An initial price rise of $101,300 and another monster negative BE of -62 with a juicy matchup against the Warriors this weekend has Preston right alongside Hopgood for Cheapie of the Year contention.

VERDICT: BUY. Still AMAZINGLY only in 31% of teams. At $300k, there is no better value in the game.

Jacob Preston should be in more than 31 per cent of teams. Picture: Getty

Paul Alamoti | CTW ($276,200 | BUL) – 78 points

If Paul Alamoti came to life against the Storm (48 points with no attacking stats), he went to superhuman levels against the Tigers with 78 points on the back of the same level of work rate, and adding two beautiful try assists. Not only did that lock us in $76,200 in cash, it kickstarted a massive three-game cycle of price rises to come … Starting with a -42 BE against the Warriors this weekend. With no byes until round 13, Alamoti has the Fox on his left, Kikau on his right and is primed to soar for KFC SuperCoaches.

VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. A dream come true.

Josh Schuster | 5/8|2RF ($241,200 | MNL) – 59 points

He’s baaaack! Schuster looked every bit the star of the future we all witnessed in his ‘rookie’ season playing out of position in the back row for the Sea Eagles, this time returning from his calf niggle in the halves and producing 59 points against the Eels with three try assists and a try contribution. Amazing news to not only have got through the game healthy but to have impacted it so much. BUT. Everyone buying Schuster this week needs to take a chill pill, big time. As exciting as that 59 points was, there was one solitary run, to go with eight points from tackles and two points in tackle busts = 11 points without attacking stats. Not to mention the obvious injury history here to make sure he gets through this coming week’s matches. There simply is no need to jump early.

VERDICT: WATCHLIST!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m the biggest Schuster fan there is, just wait a week where he will be the perfect buy for a topped out cash cow like Doorey, Katoa or similar.

Plenty of KFC SuperCoaches are going a week early on Josh Schuster. Picture: Getty

Sunia Turuva | CTW|FLB ($275,000 | PTH)

Turuva is coming off the bye, and seems a bit of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ as far as the most purchased players lists as a result. At just $275k and in one of the best attacking teams in the NRL on that juicy left edge for the Panthers we must always pay attention to. The work rate is exceptional (40PPG average in base stats alone) and the attacking stats will come, Turuva should be at the top of KFC SuperCoach shopping lists this week.

VERDICT: BUY. I’m calling Turuva a $450k+ player at some point before round 13.

Soni Luke | HOK ($234,800 | PTH)

Much like Turuva, Soni Luke has seemingly been forgotten about in the trade conversation for round four after the Panthers’ bye. As far as the eyeball test goes, Luke has passed with flying colours and increased his minutes from 25 in game one against the Broncos, to 46 minutes against the Rabbitohs. What may be scaring off prospective owners in the disappointing 29 points in that increased game time. The game was ALL in the Rabbitohs favour at that point, and things really didn’t fall his way. If I’m to predict a scenario we’re likely looking at moving forward it’s 50-55 minutes at around a 48-50PPG average – meaning we’ve got plenty of room for financial growth at the price.

VERDICT: LOW PRIORITY BUY.

Tyrell Sloan | CTW|FLB ($298,600 | STG) – 53 points

Sloan has been electric for the Dragons in his first two games, scoring 78 and 53 points with a try in each to sit at just $298k with a BE of -41 and importantly, NO BYE at all until round 16. The Dragons are a team we must invest in despite the yucky taste it leaves in our mouths for KFC SuperCoach purposes. Sorry Sangster! Matchups against the Sharks, Dolphins, Titans and Raiders the next four rounds is juicy from an attacking upside point of view.

VERDICT: BUY. Not a must have, but the bye structure will be a huge help.

Tyrell Sloan (left) is a popular purchase this week. Picture: Getty

Isaiya Katoa | HFB|5/8 ($258,100 | DOL) – 27 points

After 42 and 45 points against the Roosters and Raiders in the first two rounds, every KFC SuperCoach out there was thinking “This is delicious, a matchup with the Knights missing a thousand players – huge score incoming”. Particularly when lots had to play him in the absence of Nathan Cleary. Wrong! 27 points, and barely sighted in the crucial moments of the match. Unfortunately Katoa is now also carrying a niggle where he will have to pass a late fitness test to take the field this weekend. The BE is still at just 6 for the ‘Battle of Brisbane’ should he take the field, but many will be looking to sell to Josh Schuster next week.

VERDICT: HOLD.

Bryce Cartwright | 2RF ($320,400 | PAR) – 53 points

As it turns out the Carty Party was in fact the right decision over Matt Doorey, not only for early cash generation and scoring – but Ryan Matterson’s return to the right edge at the expense of Doorey this week. Scores of 59, 58 and 53 points respectively have come in the full 80 minutes each week and created an initial $85k price rise. A tough matchup against his former club, the Panthers this week comes with a -14 BE and still plenty of cash to be made as long as Shaun Lane remains out ‘indefinitely’.

VERDICT: HOLD. More money to make, and even when Lane returns, Carty may well be a handy number for some important byes the Eels cover early on.

Bryce Cartwright continues to make cash at low ownership. Picture: Getty

Jackson Ford | 2RF ($281,200 | NZL)

Ford failed a HIA after just two minutes of game time in round two, missed round three whilst in the concussion protocols, but has been named to return to the starting lineup for the Warriors this week – with a tricky (for us) BE of 22. Almost 15% of KFC SuperCoaches started the season with Ford in their teams and were stoked with the 59 points in the full 80 minutes. So, will that scoring and game time continue?

VERDICT: WATCH MINUTES. For me it’s a wait-and-see approach, but you could argue that Ford is the POD-BUY of the week.

Braydon Trindall | HFB ($334,200 | SHA) – 64 points

‘One week of rises isn’t enough’ was my call in last week’s Cheapie Bible, with the impending return of Nicho Hynes to the starting lineup, well, the 12% of KFC SuperCoaches who didn’t listen to me have an extra $100,000 in the kitty after another great score so fair play to you for taking the plunge. They say a trade in our great game is worth between $80k-$100k so you’ve surpassed that, and even with Hynes returning and Trindall on the bench, the BE is still at -39 and there’s more to come. Any sort of setback to Nicho’s calf injury and you’ll be banking huge coin.

VERDICT: AVOID. Non-owners cannot be jumping on here.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira | CTW ($243,400 | GCT) – 65 points

The 5-point stinker on debut is in the rear mirror, as Khan-Pereira continues to do what we know he does best and that is score tries. ‘AKP’ scored 40 points against the Dragons, and now scored a double to notch 65 points in what appeared to be his toughest matchup of the early rounds. That resets the price rise cycle for owners, and his job security seems solid as a rock. The Titans do have a bye next week in round five, but it may actually delay his getting to peak price perfectly for KFC SuperCoaches while we trade in/out others of higher priority.

VERDICT: HOLD. Hopefully kicks over the $400k mark with another try or two before their round 13 bye.

Reports on the Rabbitohs:
- Tevita Tatola to miss 3-4 weeks with an MCL sprain. Likely partial tear with that timeframe
- Shaq Mitchell to miss at least 8 weeks with a Lisfranc injury, ? surgery
- Jai Arrow aggravated his hamstring injury, will miss at least another week pic.twitter.com/7Tak1gia2j

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 21, 2023

Shaq Mitchell | FRF ($285,800 | STH) – 29 points

Mitchell has been super impressive so far this season, up against some of the toughest forward packs in the game – averaging 43PPG and making an initial $51,000 this past week. But, big Shaq has devastatingly succumbed to a Lisfranc (foot) injury which could sideline him for up to eight weeks!

VERDICT: SELL.

Michael Chee-Kam | 2RF|CTW ($299,600 | STH) – 50 points

Another big minute game, another 50 points and a $65,000 price rise for Chee-Kam. Somehow he’s avoided any attacking stats and inexplicably Jacob Host has been named to start ahead of him straight away upon his return to the side for round four. The hope was that Host would be ‘eased’ back via the bench and Chee-Kam would have two, maybe three price rises to then be sold to Josh Schuster etc. That looks to be a good move next week, now, hopefully after another $40-$50k of cash rises. 



VERDICT: HOLD.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | CTW|FLB ($327,100 | NZL)

Much like Ford, CNK was taken from the field with a HIA and ruled out of the match against the Roosters after just 50 minutes in round two. The difference between CNK and Ford, though is the position they play in and I think CNK is a hold as a result. A move to Sloan is a potential option but I would hazard a guess that CNK will be making money from here and scoring well enough to be a hold through to Origin coverage.

VERDICT: HOLD.

LISTEN TO OUR KFC SUPERCOACH PODCAST!!!!

Matt Doorey | 2RF ($284,900 | PAR) – 54 points

Ironically, its great news and the worst news all at once. After two weeks of middling performances (34 and 41 points in 70+ minutes) to start the season, Doorey came to life against the Sea Eagles, scoring a try, bouncing off way more tackles with the ball in his hands and scoring 5e4 points in 54 minutes before succumbing to what at the time seemed a pretty serious injury. That locked in a $50k initial price rise, but the ‘worst’ news is that Ryan Matterson’s return from suspension is NOT in the middle rotation as many predicted, it is starting on the right edge at the expense of Doorey who has escaped serious injury to be named on the bench. Cripples his money making potential and prospective bye-coverage, but there should be one more week of decent cash before a potential sell to Schuster.

VERDICT: HOLD.

Davvy Moale | FRF ($253,800 | STH) – 25 points

Moale was, as predicted, stung by the returns of Hame Sele and Tevita Tatola as well as the play of Shaq Mitchell to sit with scores of 26 and 25 points in 26 and 23 minutes respectively the past two rounds. Well, through numerous events ALL three of those names are now absent again and Moale may be looking at more of the 35-40 minute role we had all hoped for.

VERDICT: HOLD. If you haven’t already sold, hold out for at least this week and hope for the increased opportunity.

Brandon Wakeham | HFB|5/8 ($234,800 | WST) – 52 points

The Tigers have had a reshuffle, with Adam Doueihi moving to fullback and Brandon Wakeham starting in the halves alongside Luke Brooks. Given the huge impact Wakeham had (52 points in 28 minutes, with a try assist) against the Bulldogs this past week, with a solid score against the Storm in round four we will be looking at Schuster and Wakeham as priority purchases next week.

VERDICT: WATCHLIST.

BON VOYAGE

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | CTW|FLB ($425,400 | DOL) – 55 points

What a result this has been for the some 75,000 KFC SuperCoaches who jumped on board Hammer time. Scores of 76, 79 and 55 points through the 3-0 start for the Dolphins netted a tick under $100k in his initial price rise, on the back of four tries and two try assists across that stretch. The base stats aren’t huge, but the outlook is good for at least one, if not two more nice rises before selling to a gun like Reuben Garrick or Val Holmes.

VERDICT: HOLD. BE at -5, hopefully Hammer can jag one more try and eclipse the $500k mark for us.

Stefano Utoikamanu | FRF ($377,500 | WST) – 48 points

As we’ve identified many times already this season in the Cheapie Bible, big Stefano is a lock for 45-55 points in his current role, with the odd flutter of attacking stats that we got in junk time against the Knights. This week, 48 points in 45 minutes entirely in base stats and a very nice $60k price jump. Sitting with yet another negative BE of -12 against the Storm, you can expect another $70-$100k in rises before a sell at the Tigers round seven bye to a gun like Tohu or Haas.

VERDICT: HOLD.

WATCHLIST

Valynce Te Whare | CTW ($200,800 | DOL)

Viliami Fifita | FRF|2RF ($200,800 | MNL)

Siua Wong | 2RF ($200,800 | SYD)

Jack Howarth | CTW|2RF ($200,800 | MEL)

Haze Dunster | CTW ($234,800 | PAR)

Jack Bostock | CTW ($200,800 | DOL)

Trey Mooney | 2RF ($234,800 | CBR)

Luke Metcalf | 5/8 ($250,400 | NZL)

Tom Chester | FLB ($234,800 | NQC)

Jonah Pezet | HFB ($200,800 | MEL)

There you have it! A huge edition to kick off the Cheapie Bible for 2023. Be sure to tweet us what you think @copes9 and @SuperCoachNRL. Good luck for first lockout!