NRL SuperCoach: Best buys of 2019
IT’S never too early to start planning for next season. Check out Tom Sangster’s early picks for the best buys of 2019.
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IT’S never too early to start planning for next season. Check out Tom Sangster’s early picks for the best buys of 2019.
Kurt Capewell
The Cronulla utility is set to walk straight into the starting side next year at either centre or back row, with Luke Lewis (retired), Ricky Leutele (Wolfpack), Edrick Lee and Jesse Ramien (Knights) leaving. Capewell’s price for 2019 will be based on a season average of 36.4, which is down due to playing seven of 17 games off the bench.
However, as you’d expect, Capewell’s output improves dramatically when starting. He averages 49.95 as a starting player over his career — 45 as a backrower and 53 in the backline (including an epic 156, the equal 16th highest SuperCoach score of all time). SuperCoaches can therefore expect borderline keeper scores from Capewell in 2019 with the added bonus of dual flexibility between 2RF and CTW. If Capewell starts in the back row, he could be the Ryan Matterson of 2019.
Morgan Harper
The Bulldogs have lost almost 500 games of NRL experience with twins Josh (Sharks) and Brett Morris (Roosters) farewelling the club. The Bulldogs have recruited the likes of Penrith’s Christian Crichton and Newcastle’s Nick Meaney in the outside backs, while Panther Corey Harawira-Naera has also played plenty of centre. However, the club also has high hopes for teenage flyer Harper, who has been carving up the lower grades and has the backing of Josh Morris.
“He’s one that the club has an eye on,” Morris told The Daily Telegraph in August. “It will be interesting to see what this young roster can do with a good pre-season under their belt going into next year. Anything is possible. There will be plenty of spots up for grabs. He’ll have to work hard and there’s no reason why he can’t get his foot in the door for round one.”
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Nathaniel Roache
The Warriors utility missed the entire 2018 season due to a back injury and will therefore start cheap for 2019. What’s more, he’s a chance for the starting hooker role if, as rumoured, Issac Luke is forced out of the club. Roache has played 17 of 20 NRL games from the bench, proving a worthy utility and filling multiple positions including fullback, centre, wing and hooker.
However, although he has the blinding acceleration to play outside backs, his long-term position is hooker. He has averaged 42 in the three games he has started at No. 9 over his career. Roache’s SuperCoach potential was highlighted in round 22 of 2017 when he scored 102 in just 40 minutes, switching between wing and hooker during the game.
Kotoni Staggs
The Broncos young gun burst on to the scene with a brilliant 65 on debut in round 11. He played 77 minutes at centre after being injected early from the bench in place of the injured Tom Opacic, notching a try and last-touch assist against the best defence in the competition, the Roosters.
The buzz had barely subsided when Staggs bettered his debut performance four matches later, notching 68 in only 27 minutes against the Titans and emphatically passing the eye test. However, despite these two standout games, Staggs will start close to bottom dollar in 2019 due to limited game time, averaging 27.6 points in 27 minutes per match.
He has a huge chance to improve on these stats given the Broncos have openings in both the backs and forwards. While Matt Gillett (neck) will presumably return from injury, Korbin Sims (Dragons) and Sam Thaiday (retired) are confirmed outs, while Tevita Pangai Jr and Corey Oates are yet to re-sign and are shopping themselves to rival clubs. Equally adept at centre or edge back row, Staggs has the added bonus of dual-position flexibility.
Jahrome Hughes
The Currumbin Eagles junior is favourite to take over from Billy Slater as Melbourne Storm’s fullback next year. Stuck behind the greatest No.1 of all time, Hughes’ form in the lower grades was so strong in 2018 that coach Craig Bellamy simply had to find him a spot in the 17, manufacturing him into a halfback.
Hughes played six regular season games in the halves and will therefore score dual position status for SuperCoach. He averaged 57 at fullback this year compared to 40 at halfback, but his price for 2019 will be based on a season average of 51. After waiting behind Slater for so long, 2019 is Hughes’ time to shine.
Note, another contender for the fullback spot, Scott Drinkwater, scored an impressive 67 in his only game of 2018 and will therefore start significantly above bottom dollar.
Kalyn Ponga
The Newcastle sensation produced a brilliant first full season in the NRL and he somehow remains in Dally M contention despite missing four games and playing injured for the final month. Ponga still produced the 10th highest average of any player, but the real boost for 2019 is a potential switch to five-eighth, which would make him dual position.
This is a massive SuperCoach boost considering the log-jam at fullback, which already requires SuperCoaches to choose just two of Tom Trbojevic, James Tedesco, Valentine Holmes and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
“It’s Kalyn’s career. He is obviously a high-end player,” coach Nathan Brown said in late August. “Whether he plays No.1 or No.6 he is going to achieve a lot, he showed that in Origin when he went and played lock. I don’t think it’s going to have a bearing on his career as far as representative football and all that goes.”
Kyle Flanagan
The Cronulla rookie will start near bottom dollar after scoring 38 in his one and only game of 2018. However, this score could have been a whole lot higher given he had a hand in a few tries without getting an assist. Flanagan has impressed plenty in high places with Phil Gould on the record saying “the next great Cronulla team will have Kyle Flanagan at halfback”.
The former Holden Cup gun is arguably the best goal-kicker at the club and could nab the duties from Valentine Holmes, although he must fight past the likes of Matt Moylan and Chad Townsend for a spot in first grade. He must also convince father and coach Shane Flanagan — and dads are often the hardest markers. Flanagan produced the greatest pointscoring season in Holden Cup history in 2017, cranking out a record 344 points in 24 matches courtesy of 19 tries and 134 goals.
Zac Lomax
The Dragons youngster was the talk of SuperCoach in the 2018 pre-season after drawing huge praise from coach Paul McGregor: “You don’t want to give kids too much praise because they are only kids but he is our standout trainer by far,” McGregor said. “He is our fittest player in the club.”
Lomax therefore started in almost 20 per cent of teams despite missing the St George Illawarra side for round one. However, Lomax had to wait until the final round for a starting debut due to a complete lack of injuries in the NRL ranks coupled with a thumb injury of his own. Picked at right centre for round 25, Lomax had a strong game that, thankfully for SuperCoach, featured two disallowed tries. He ended up with 42 points.
When coupled with his five minute bench debut for zero points in round 10, Lomax’s 2019 price will be based on a season average of 21, meaning he’ll essentially start at bottom dollar. Lomax is also a noted goalkicker, although that’s unlikely to continue when Gareth Widdop is in the side.
A path to first grade is open with Jason Nightingale retiring at the end of the year. Note, teammate Kurt Mann may also be a money-making option if he snares Nightingale’s spot, with Mann to start cheap after playing most of the season from the bench.
Tevita Pangai Jr
The Tongan brute is a potential great of SuperCoach — it just hasn’t happened for him yet. A combination of hamstring injuries and Wayne Bennett’s conservative coaching limited Pangai to 50 minutes per game in 2018. However, he did plenty in that time, averaging 53 at over a point per minute, despite being switched between edge and middle.
While the Broncos are confident of retaining Pangai, he remains unsigned and the Knights have the cash to splash. A switch back to his home town of Newcastle would be a godsend for SuperCoach as he would command far more minutes in a weaker pack, possibly 80, which would catapult him into the SuperCoach elite. Even at the Broncos he has strong chance of improvement with the exits of Sims and Thaiday.