SuperCoach NRL: Winners, losers from Easter Monday classic between Parramatta and Wests Tigers

After one of the great finishes to an Easter Monday classic between Parramatta and the Wests Tigers, we look at the SuperCoach winners and losers from the big game.

We had to take a moment to breath after that.

What a finish and what a gallant performance from the Tigers, finding themselves down by eight and with 12 on the field, they showed an extraordinary amount of fight to hit back and steal the win at CommBank Stadium over Parramatta.

It’s a testament to how Benji Marshall has shifted attitudes at the club. They would’ve lost that type of game by 20+ in the past.

Now the dust has settled, from a SuperCoach point of view it was a challenging game for some.

SUPERCOACH WINNERS

1. Clint Gutherson (107 points). His involvement is off the charts. Another top-notch performance.

2. Aidan Sezer (51 points). Has a lock on the halfback jersey and is a great budget option with dual position.

3. Samuela Fainu (53 points). Continues to impress and punch above his weight.

4. Shaun Lane (60 points). Very solid performance and will be a popular buy option this week.

5. Blaize Talagi (42 points). Looked good, should hold his spot and is a must at the price.

SUPERCOACH LOSERS

1. Solomona Faataape (10 points). Started the year well but a poor SC performance here.

2. Sean Russell (16 points). Hard to justify buying at the price.

3. Dylan Brown (46 points). Still waiting for that real SuperCoach breakout game.

4. Ryan Matterson (37 points). Promoted to the starting position but didn’t produce a great deal.

5. Asu Kepaoa (0 points). Didn’t see any game time. Will he get a start next week?

Aidan Sezer of the Tigers celebrates with teammates after kicking the winning field goal. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images

FULL-TIME Tigers 17-16: What have we just witnessed.

Aidan Sezer puts the Tigers in front with less than a minute to play with the ugliest field goal you’ve seen. The Eels then received a penalty from the kick-off after an offside call.

Clint Gutherson had a tough shot to win the game on the siren, but pulled it left and the Tigers claim the win.

What a finish.

TOP SUPERCOACH SCORES

1. Clint Gutherson 107

2. J’maine Hopgood 76

3. Justin Olam 74

4. Lachlan Galvin 62

5. Stefano Utoikamanu 61

6. Shaun Lane 60

7. Samuela Fainu 53

8. Aidan Sezer 51

9. John Bateman 50

10. Alex Seyfarth 50

Wests Tigers in a 16-16 dog fight at Commbank and horses going to the gates for the last at Warwick Farm. Where to look 👀 pic.twitter.com/UHTjrsrEOh

— Darren Flindell (@hkdarren) April 1, 2024

76th minute - 16-all: Big call.

Referee Liam Kennedy has awarded an escort penalty to the Eels right in front of the posts, a call which was upheld after a challenge from the Tigers.

No surprises that the Eels take the two and we are now locked at 16-all.

71st minute - Tigers 16-14: Lachlan Galvin take a bow.

That is insane. He breaks through the line, is tackled by Clint Gutherson but manages to pull out a fantastic offload to a chasing Jahream Bula who scores under the posts.

The Tigers are back in the lead.

He’s up to 58 SuperCoach points now with Bula on 37.

That's a half back #NRL#sezer

— Mo Ali (@Makbulldog) April 1, 2024

66th minute - Eels 14-10: It’s finally the Tigers time to attack.

They’ve had a few sets on Parramatta’s line with the defenders knocking the ball down multiple times.

They convert!

The runaround worked to perfection with Aidan Sezer catching the Eels defence lacking, giving a lovely cutout to Justin Olam for his second of the afternoon.

Game on!

Gutherson sits on 100 SC points with Olam now on 68.

Reckless from Galvin. No issue with that being a sin bin, it’s unfortunate. But thems the rules.

Will be facing a few weeks on the sideline too.

— The SuperCoach Whisperer (@SCWhisperer) April 1, 2024

59th minute - Eels 14-6: Lachlan Galvin is back on the field as the Tigers hold the Eels out while they had 12 men.

There’s 21 minutes for the Tigers to try and mount a comeback, but they look fatigued and aren’t throwing enough at the Eels for the moment.

Lachlan Galvin was sent to the sin bin for this dangerous tackle on Kelma Tuilagi.

📺 Watch #NRLEelsTigers on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGXtqA
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/on67dhY0Ap
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/51wie91BlJpic.twitter.com/WKX6jgyEwH

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 1, 2024

49th minute - Eels 14-6: Sin bin time.

Lachlan Galvin has been sent to the sin bin for a hip drop on Kelma Tuilagi.

That hurts for the Tigers and he could be looking at a few weeks on the sidelines.

Parramatta takes the easy two points to push its lead to eight.

Gutho should have danced on em like the old days #NRLEelsTigerspic.twitter.com/O4wLzRmLuW

— Habitual Line Stepper (@TheBadGuyChapo) April 1, 2024

47th minute - Eels 12-6: This could be danger stations for the Tigers.

They looked incredibly fatigued through the middle just minutes into the second half with J’maine Hopgood getting through Api Koroisau.

He finds Clint Gutherson after easily drawing Bula and the Eels have their first lead of the game.

Gutherson is now on 94 SuperCoach points with Hopgood rising to 46 in an instant.

"What was happening there!?"

No doubt Junior Paulo will want to forget this moment...

📺 Watch #NRLEelsTigers on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGXtqA
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/on67dhY0Ap
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/51wie91BlJpic.twitter.com/D5SCJqFnNo

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 1, 2024

HALFTIME 6-all: Yet another Eels penalty gifts them two points right on halftime as they opt to take the easy shot at goal for an offside.

The Wests Tigers will be pleased to go into the sheds tied up despite everything going against them.

Parramatta has had 56% of the ball during the first 40 and find themselves on the right side of a 6-2 penalty count.

Can the Tigers hold on in the second half?

From a SuperCoach perspective the scores aren’t overly high except for a handful of players.

Jahream Bula has just eight and J’maine Hopgood isn’t performing much better with 15.

TOP SUPERCOACH SCORES

1. Clint Gutherson 73

2. Maika Sivo 45

3. Stefano Utoikamanu 39

4. Lachlan Galvin 33

5. Shaun Lane 32

6. Will Penisini 31

7. Blaize Talagai 29

8. John Bateman 26

9. Justin Olam 26

10. Ryan Matterson 25

Stefano Utoikamanu of the Tigers is tackled. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images

30th minute - Tigers 6-4: Parramatta is throwing everything they can at the Tigers.

But somehow the Tigers are holding solid.

They’ve had countless penalties and sets on the Tigers line but cannot break them.

Maika Sivo gets the Eels on the board. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images

20th minute - Tigers 6-4: What a passage of play.

The Eels go short again on last, Morgan Harper keeps the ball alive and an over the top one handed pass from Clint Gutherson to Maika Sivo has the Eels on the board.

The Fijian flyer loves this ground.

Gutherson surges up to 42 SuperCoach points with Sivo on 39.

Clint Gutherson is having a brilliant start for the Eels. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images

15th minute - Tigers 6-0: Parramatta is starting to build pressure deep in Tigers territory, but errors are costing them.

Morgan Harper was denied by the Bunker. A sneaky short-side play has come unstuck with the centre ruled to have picked the ball up from touch.

Then a lost ball inside the 10m line quelled any chance of an attacking raid.

Gutherson leads all scorers with 22 points with Stefano Utoikamanu not far behind with 21.

"The confidence of this man's outrageous."

Lachlan Galvin is making his presence felt early! 😤

📺 Watch #NRLEelsTigers on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGXtqA
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/on67dhY0Ap
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/51wie91BlJpic.twitter.com/92ciZaAlHQ

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) April 1, 2024

6th minute - Tigers 6-0: What a frantic start it’s been.

The Eels made a break early through Clint Gutherson before the Tigers scrambled to shut it down.

The Tigers responded in beautiful fashion though, with Lachlan Galvin putting a stunning grubber through that was capitalised upon by Justin Olam to score.

Galvin has 13 SuperCoach points early doors with Gutherson on 15 and Olam on 17.

4PM: We’re underway in an exciting battle in the west in front of a massive crowd at CommBank Stadium.

- Star Storm trio set for return

- RTS on the move

Predicted team changes and early mail for #NRL round 5: https://t.co/WmTqb0Q3QI

Via, @TimWill94pic.twitter.com/ITW3zWCmw3

— SuperCoach NRL (@SuperCoachNRL) April 1, 2024

3.30PM: After starting the season from the bench, Ryan Matterson (2RF $624,400) will enter the starting line-up at lock for the Eels with J’maine Hopgood (2RF $746,300) starting on the interchange.

Matterson has scored 170 points in his three games this season, with Hopgood amassing 214 points, pitting him third in the league for second rowers.

Aidan Sezer (5/8/HFB $345,000) will again start at halfback for the Tigers, and after scoring 52 points while starting last week, could emerge as a potential buy in the coming weeks.

Very interesting week coming up in #NRLSupercoach. 👀

Was Hynes’ performance last night enough to hold?
Do you hold Hynes/Cleary and cop an AE?
Trade Cleary as a 2 week play?
If yes, who do you go to? No gun standouts with great draws.#NRL | #Supercoach | @InsightFSports

— SuperCoach Brain (@SC_Brain) April 1, 2024

3PM: The final teams are in for Easter Monday and there’s just the one change.

Bryce Cartwright unsurprisingly succumb to a rib injury suffered against Manly, with Kelma Tuilagi (2RF $356,500) coming into the second row.

Brendan Hands (HOK $342,300) comes into the Parramatta 17 on the bench. The last time he played was in round two, where he was used for just a handful of minutes against Penrith.

All eyes will be on the two young five-eighths in Lachlan Galvin (5/8 $204,300) and Blaize Talagi (CTW $204,300).

Galvin is in line for a price rise after averaging 60.5 in his first two games.

Almost 8500 SuperCoaches have traded in Talagi after a great debut showing saw him pick up 67 points.

Bryce Cartwright will miss the Easter Monday clash. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

EARLIER: It’s Easter Monday, and no the name on everybody’s lips is not Cadbury, it’s Lachlan Galvin.

The traditional Easter Monday afternoon showdown between the Eels and Tigers has been taken over by the teenage wunderkind.

The young five-eighth, along with experienced teammate Api Koroisau, have been the most-purchased duo in SuperCoach this week as savvy coaches hunt a cash injection.

Tigers young gun Lachlan Galvin is an early contender for Cheapie of the Year.

Galvin, who is sitting on a two-round average of 60.5, has been picked up by more than 33,000 SuperCoaches this week.

Koroisau, who was instrumental in the Tigers destruction of the Sharks last week, is not far behind with almost 20,000 coaches taking a punt on the former Blues dummy-half.

We will be on similar rookie watch on the other side of the field, with Parramatta young gun Blaize Talagi ($204,300) named in the halves following an injury to Mitch Moses.

Talagi, who scored 67 points on debut last weekend, remains a wait and see prospect, but could easily become a buy of the round contender next week with a decent performance against the Sharks.

Incredibly it was revealed Talagi and Galvin used to partner each other in the halves during their days in the NRL Schoolboys Cup.

Will Dylan Brown step up to lead the Eels in Mitch Moses’ absence?

But the rookie rivalry is not the only talking point out of Monday’s clash which includes:

*Dylan Brown owners - and there are a fair few of them with almost a quarter of all SuperCoaches putting him in at 5/8 - will be hoping the five-eighth takes on more responsibility with Moses out. Brown has averaged 58 over the opening three rounds, a long way short of the 75.6 he averaged last year.

*Joey Lussick was always going to flatten out, but the players who brought him in solely for the cash grab last week would’ve been given a rude shock when he punched out a lowly 37. He still made $76,000 in cash and is projected for another $60k rise this weekend.

*Tigers centre Solmona Faataape has been the long forgotten potential cheapie in the Tigers side with just more than 6 per cent ownership. While his early scores aren’t much to write home about, he has a break-even of 0 and a match-up against an Eels left edge looked all at sea as they gave up 150 points to Reuben Garrick and Jaxson Paulo last weekend.

Originally published as SuperCoach NRL: Winners, losers from Easter Monday classic between Parramatta and Wests Tigers