KFC SuperCoach Plus article round 24: Sneaky POD moves to win you a head-to-head premiership

It’s sudden death in KFC SuperCoach head-to-head finals so it’s time to play dirty. We reveal the sneaky point of difference moves to get your side home.

Tom Sangster reveals the stats that matter heading into Round 24 of KFC SuperCoach.

From unique PODs, to left-field captaincy choices, to unrivalled consistency – it’s all here.

Read on for full analysis.

Buy Dane Gagai as a crazy POD?

Well actually, it’s not that crazy. Gagai has the third best average of any CTW taking the field this week (71.6) yet is owned by just 3.6 per cent. And that number won’t change too much given only 189 SuperCoaches have purchased Gagai this week so far.

With Kalyn Ponga leading the charge at the Knights, the former Origin star also has one of the best runs home of any side against the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Sharks and Dragons. With Valentine Holmes and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad both unavailable, Gagai is a serious replacement option.

Dane Gagai is a great POD option this week. Picture: Getty

And now for an even crazier POD ...

Jayden Campbell is a SuperCoach force to be reckoned with when playing fullback, which is where he’ll line up this week with AJ Brimson again rested.

The son of Preston has averaged 62 when starting in the No. 1 jersey this season, including an average of 81 in his last three starts there. Despite that, he costs a very achievable $459,200 due to stints off the bench this season.

Hynes as a sneaky VC or C?

For those who have forgotten, which seems to be just about everyone, Hynes is the best player in SuperCoach 2023 by a massive 8.4 points per game. Some say his recent form isn’t great but take out his 22 against the Panthers, who have the best defence in the comp, and Hynes has averaged 109 in his last six games.

He also has a great match-up against the Titans this week, yet only seven per cent of SuperCoaches have entrusted him with the VC. Serious POD areas.

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Do we dare NOT captain Ponga?

Ponga is the form player in SuperCoach right now by a considerable margin, averaging a full 30 points more than any other player over the last five weeks. He’s therefore the most popular captain this week at 73 per cent, a figure not seen since Hynes was carving up mid-season.

With a great match-up against the Bulldogs in the final game of the round and projected score of 125, it’s hard to imagine captaining anyone else.

Jamayne Isaako is a picture of consistency

The Dolphins winger is the midst of his best ever season, topping the NRL point-scorers list by a margin if 21 points and sitting second for tries with 19.

His attacking play has grabbed plenty of headlines for good reason, but perhaps more impressive SuperCoach-wise has been the consistency. Isaako has a low score of 35 this season, which is an extremely high floor in such a volatile position at CTW. He is the third most purchased player this week.

Is Latrell’s involvement REALLY up?

Much has been made of Latrell’s improved work rate since his return from a calf injury two weeks ago. So how much more involved has Latrell actually been?

Well, it turns out not that much. The South Sydney superstar has averaged 13.5 runs per game in the last fortnight compared to 10.9 before that.

This is Shaun Johnson’s best season ever

SJ was a great of SuperCoach for many seasons before falling off the map in the last two years. He’s now back in career best form and leading the Warriors to a likely top four berth. But how does SJ of 2023 compare to his glory days?

Well, this season is actually Johnson’s best SuperCoach season by a fair distance - he has averaged 80.3 this year, his next best season average was 72.2 in 2017.