NRL Round 16 teams: Greg Marzhew axing just start of SuperCoach carnage

The KFC SuperCoach Gods have dished up a doozy for the second big bye of the year. We reveal the winners and, most importantly, the losers.

It’s panic stations in SuperCoach with Greg Marzhew out, Origin players unavailable and seven teams on the bye.

Marzhew has been axed for disciplinary reasons with the club saying the blockbusting winger failed to meet team standards.

“Greg missed the team bus early on Sunday morning, which is a clear breach of team standards and as a result he will not play this weekend,” Knights director of football Peter Parr said.

His omission is a huge setback for KFC SuperCoaches – on a tough bye week no less – given he is owned by 18 per cent.

The immediate temptation is to rage trade. But Marzhew is averaging 77 for the season, which ranks him third at CTW and ninth for all players.

In other words, he’s a keeper for the rest of the year so hold and take the hit this week.

See full teams below and scroll down to re-live our live SuperCoach blog.

Greg Marzhew will miss this week for disciplinary reasons. Picture: Getty

WINNERS FROM TEAMS

* Nicho Hynes HFB $789,700 - Massive and somewhat unexpected boost for SuperCoaches with the best player in the game this year missing the NSW squad and now available for the Sharks.

He is therefore the most purchased player and a moral as captain against the Bulldogs, who have the third worst defence in the comp. Nicho should also now play the final big bye, but could be a little tricky to cover next week when three teams are on the break and Origin players backing up.

Nicho Hynes missed Origin and will run out for the Sharks.

* Matt Burton HFB-5/8 $702,100 - Also missed the Origin squad after being 18th man in game one and now becomes a serious replacement for Cleary, Brown, Moses etc. The season average of 62 is not particularly inspiring, but his recent form certainly is, averaging 81 in the last five games.

* Joey Manu CTW-5/8 $542,700 - First the good news. Manu moves to fullback this week where he averages close to the ton over his career. Now the bad news. The five-eighth experiment is over with rookie Sandon Smith taking over in the halves and Manu to move back to centre next week when James Tedesco is back from Origin. It’s a big SuperCoach blow because Manu has averaged 45 at centre this year compared to 61 at five-eighth.

* Zac Hosking 2RF $490,200 - Returns after being rested last week and a crucial extra bye number for 16 per cent of teams.

* Tyrone Peachey CTW/2RF $452,300 - Hasn’t played since round 12 but earns a recall for the bye with Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o and Jarome Luai on Origin duty.

* J’Maine Hopgood 2RF $680,700 - Talked up as a Queensland bolter but missed selection and therefore available for the Eels. Should play big minutes this week with Junior Paulo on Origin duty and Ryan Matterson in the halves.

* Billy Smith CTW $386,400 - The popular cheapie was a late withdrawal due to a bruised sternum last week but has been named to return this week. However, with a BE of 66, his time in your team could be coming to an end.

LOSERS FROM TEAMS

* Mitchell Moses HFB $815,600 - The in-form playmaker has been named in the NSW Origin squad and likely misses three of the next four weeks – and the game he’s available for is a three-day back-up from Origin. Surging up the most sold list and fair enough.

Mitchell Moses will run out for the Blues, not the Eels. Picture: Adam Yip

* Stefano Utoikamanu FRF $477,000 - Those holding for an extra number this week go disappointed with Stefano named in the NSW squad and therefore unavailable for the Tigers.

* Eliesa Katoa 2RF $549,700 - The boom Storm forward misses selection due to an eye injury.

* Xavier Coates CTW $320,300 - A popular cheapie over the last few weeks after bottoming out due to a try scoring drought. But the drought has now broken with Coates notching three tries in the last two weeks and the surge in form won him a Queensland Origin spot in place of the injured Selwyn Cobbo.

* Christian Welch FRF $480,300 - Another early-season buy who many were holding just for this round, Welch has fallen at the final hurdle due to a one week hip drop ban.

BUY

* Kalyn Ponga 5/8-FLB $603,900 - Another head knock is always a risk but Ponga was brilliant last week and has averaged 83 since his latest return from concussion, which is serious keeper areas. He’s still pretty cheap at a tick over $600,000, has a low BE, is back in his favoured fullback position, has stood himself down from Origin and has two out of three easy match-ups between now and his next bye in round 19 (the other is as hard as it gets though against the Panthers, albeit with Origin players backing up). Those stats are no doubt impressive but realistically I could have written just one sentence, so here goes. He looks motivated and when Ponga is motivated, look out.

Kalyn Ponga is scoring well since his return from concussion. Picture: Getty

* Jahrome Hughes HFB $590,900 - Returned to form with 119 on the weekend and has two great match-ups coming against the Tigers and Sea Eagles (with Turbo and DCE backing up). He should make $100,000 before his next bye in round 19, at which point he can be cashed in at a profit, or a few weeks later traded to Cleary. One of the few halves replacements near-guaranteed to make money.

* Briton Nikora 2RF $664,000 - Most popular forward buy this week. As a pointer to his consistency, Nikora got sin binned last week and still produced 55 points with no attacking stats, and he also has a nose for the tryline. The $664,000 he’s available for this week is far more palatable than the $700,000 last week.

* Ronaldo Mulitalo CTW $637,500 – Another Shark whose price has finally dropped to good value. Ultra-reliable, Mulitalo has scored 60-plus in 10 of 13 games this season which is the second-best conversion rate of any CTW (behind only Jamayne Isaako).

* Reuben Garrick FLB/CTW $788,200 – Not gunna lie, we were a little worried about Garrick last week. His one game at centre earlier in the year (round nine at home against the Titans) was a stinker in which he scored just 35 points. So when named at centre against the Dolphins most of us weren’t expecting much, let alone 169 points! I still prefer him on the wing but think that score allays concerns about holding till the end. But as a buy … the price is really high. He’s not worth $788K and would probably look elsewhere.

Reuben Garrick produced last week's top score.

CHEAPIES

* Jake Simpkin HOK $235,600 - Takes over the hooking duties from Api Koroisau and will see a massive increase from his season average of 17 minutes per game.

* Junior Pauga CTW $265,400 - Looks handy and the workrate is good, averaging 39 in base attack across his two games. Roosters do have the worst attack in the comp though so it’s not like he’s going to be running in mass tries. It’s also hard to see him in the final 17 when Manu, Joseph Suaalii and Daniel Tupou are all in the outside backs, which could happen as early as round 18.

SELL

* Jackson Ford 2RF $471,500 - Time to take the cash after a rise of almost $200,000. Nikora, Hopgood and Bateman are calling.

* Nathan Cleary HFB $857,400 and Dylan Brown 5/8 $815,000 - Both out long-term and both are sells, although plenty of SuperCoaches are only getting around to it this week. On Cleary, keep trades up your sleeve to buy Cleary back (and create money to do so). On Brown, even if he is reinstated by the NRL after his next court date, the earliest he can play for the Eels is round 19 because he has the bye in 18.

Dylan Brown is stood down by the NRL. Picture: Getty

NRL ROUND SIXTEEN TEAMS

COWBOYS V PANTHERS

Friday, 8pm, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

Cowboys

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Zac Laybutt 4. Peta Hiku 5. Semi Valemei 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Jake Granville 10. Coen Hess 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Heilum Luki 13. Jason Taumalolo

Bench: 14. Sam Macintyre 15. Griffin Neame 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki

Reserves: 18. Brendan Elliot 19. Riley Price 20. Mitchell Dunn 21. Thomas Dufty 22. Jake Bourke

Panthers

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Tyrone Peachey 5. Thomas Jenkins 6. Jaeman Salmon 7. Jack Cogger 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Zac Hosking 12. Scott Sorensen 13. Matt Eisenhuth

Bench: 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Luke Garner

Reserves: 18. Jack Cogger 19. Liam Henry 20. Mavrik Geyer 21. Eddie Blacker 22. Jesse Maclean

KNIGHTS V ROOSTERS

Saturday, 3pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Knights

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Adam Elliott

Bench: 14. Kurt Mann 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mat Croker

Reserves: 18. Jack Johns 19. Simi Sasagi 20. Brodie Jones 21. Lachlan Miller 22. Adam Clune

Roosters

1. Joseph Manu 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Corey Allan 4. Billy Smith 5. Junior Pauga 6. Luke Keary 7. Sandon Smith 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Turpin 10. Nat Butcher 11. Egan Butcher 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Naufahu Whyte

Bench: 14. Drew Hutchison 15. Nathan Brown 16. Terrell May 17. Angus Crichton

Reserves: 18. Siua Wong 19. Zach Dockar-Clay 20. Jaxson Paulo 21. Tuipulotu Katoa 22. Elie El Zakhem

EELS V SEA EAGLES

Saturday, 5.30pm, CommBank Stadium, Sydney

Eels

1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Bailey Simonsson 5. Sean Russell 6. Ryan Matterson 7. Daejarn Asi 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10.Ofahiki Ogden 11. Bryce Cartwright 12. Andrew Davey 13. J’maine Hopgood

Bench: 14. Luca Moretti 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Matt Doorey 17. Makahesi Makatoa

Reserves: 18. Haze Dunster 19. Jack Murchie 20. Ky Rodwell 21. Waqa Blake 22. Shaun Lane

Sea Eagles

1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Josh Schuster 7. Jake Arthur 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Toafofoa Sipley 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Samuela Fainu 13. Sean Keppie

Bench: 14. Karl Lawton 15. Josh Aloiai 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Ben Condon

Reserves: 18. Aaron Woods 19. Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega 20. Mordan Harper 21.Gordon Chan Kum Tong 22. Zac Fulton

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TIGERS V STORM

Saturday, 7.35pm, Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney

Tigers

1. Jahream Bula 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Brent Naden 4. Asu Kepaoa 5. Junior Tupou 6. Starford To’a 7. Brandon Wakeham 8. Fonua Pole 9. Jake Simpkin 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Shawn Blore 13. John Bateman

Bench: 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Tommy Talau 16. Alex Twal 17. Alex Seyfarth

Reserves: 18. Will Smith 19. Justin Matamua 20. Aitasi James 21 Brandon Mansfield 22 Triston Reilly

Storm

1. Nick Meaney 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Marion Seve 5. George Jennings 6. Jonah Pezet 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Bronson Garlick 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. Trent Loiero 12. Tariq Sims13. Josh King

Bench: 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Tom Eisenhuth 15 Alec MacDonald 17 Aaron Pene

Reserves: 18. Justin Olam 19 Grant Anderson 20 Sualauvi Faalogo 21 Chris Lewis 22 Kane Bradley

SHARKS V BULLDOGS

Sunday, 4.05pm, PointsBet Stadium, Sydney

Sharks

1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Dale Finucane

Bench: 14. Cameron McInnes 15. Wade Graham 16. Jack Williams 17. Thomas Hazelton

Reserves: 18. Connor Tracey 19. Braydon Trindall 20. Toby Rudolf 21. Daniel Atkinson 22. Jesse Colquhoun

Bulldogs

1. Hayze Perham 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Jake Averillo 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Braidon Burns 6. Karl Oloapu 7. Matt Burton 8. Chris Patolo 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Jayden Okunbor 12. Jacob Preston 13. Harrison Edwards

Bench: 14. Khaled Rajab 15. Kurtis Morrin 16. Max King 17. Corey Waddell

Reserves: 19. Jeral Skelton 20. Kyle Flanagan 21. Fa’amanu Brown 22. Jackson Topine 23. Franklin Pele