NRL SuperCoach: Fearless predictions Round 23
Former SuperCoach champion Wilfred Zee is on a massive roll with his predictions and he’s doubling down on Damien Cook as captain.
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Another solid showing with the ol’ Predictions, with the only one I got wrong being the one I was desperate to get wrong – the Broncos not getting upset at home by the Panthers! Cook, Ponga and the Roosters came through for me and Smith turned in his second lowest score since Round 14 – just as predicted. Let’s keep the ball rolling with Round 23.
1. Captain Pick – Damien Cook
Look, I could tell you to pick Cameron Munster, or James Tedesco, or Tom Trbojevic. You won’t go wrong with any of those SuperCoach studs. But as I’ve explained previously, I’m generally going to suggest the safer names in this section – those guys who have a strong floor, so even if they don’t go large, they also won’t go too low either. That would be the likes of Cameron Smith, or Payne Haas, or my double-down on Damien Cook from last week.
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Don’t get me wrong, his 82 was ‘okay’ at best when so many common players lifted the bat (Teddy, Turbo, Ponga, Haas just off the top of my head) but Cook managed to do that with just one single line break assist as his only attacking stat for that night. The Broncos have been the easiest team for opposition hookers to score on this year, headlined by Cook himself who already scored 109 on the Broncos earlier this season which featured two try assists, two line break assists and a line break himself. It’s Cookie time (unfortunately, for my Broncos).
2. Stud of the Week – Jake Trbojevic
I hear you, SuperCoaches. You’re frustrated at Jake and his SuperCoach scores this year. He looks good on the field, but he’s just not getting it done for our teams. However, he has been turning up this year when facing top eight opponents. Maybe when the opposition is of a higher calibre, he is forced to be more involved workrate-wise, or maybe there’s zero chance of him being taken off for an early shower with the result of the game settled, or maybe his team needs him firing on all cylinders to ensure the win (think the Storm game a month or so ago).
Whatever it is, Jake turns up SuperCoach-wise with a markedly higher average against better opponents. That includes a 79 earlier this year against the Raiders, and his last few scores against them aren’t bad either – 73, 55, 89, 49, 102 and 68. I’ll happily take the 73.6 point per game average from his last seven games against them (after he became a starting forward).
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3. Flop of the Week – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Last time I backed against the great man I got burned, but it’s a different time of the season this time around. The Warriors have always had trouble competing right to the end of the season, and they have always struggled with consistency when travelling on the road. Now, throw in the fact they are travelling to Shark Park to face a Sharks team desperate to remain in contention for finals, that have been the second stingiest team for opposition fullbacks to score on, and RTS is up against it this week.
He’s so good he might burn the Sharks anyway – after all he scored 87 on them earlier this year – but he also dished up 46 and 27 in two previous attempts too. He might struggle to get past 55 this week – there’s the line!
SUPERCOACH PODCAST!!! Teams are in for Round 23 and there’s big news on Jason Taumalolo, Andrew Fifita and Sam Burgess.
4. SuperCoach Gold Mine
I’m not going to muck around here — Melbourne Storm and the Gold Coast Titans. I’m worried that the Storm are going to break the record for the highest number of 100+ scores in a single game. That number sits at five or six at the moment, surprisingly held by the Dragons from memory. Anyway, it’s going to be yet another record that the Storm will hold, and I feel for the hapless Titans who are lambs to the slaughter on Sunday afternoon. Blame the Raiders for beating the Storm at home last week!
5. Upset of the Round – the Bulldogs
I was all ready to #ReverseJinx the Broncos again this week but for some unknown reason they have come in from being favourites to outsiders in a matter of just one day. I can understand the thinking though. So I’m left with not many choices and I guess, let’s just go with the “feel good” story of the moment – the Bulldogs!
Since being flogged by the Dragons and then the Roosters in Rounds 14 and 15, the Bulldogs have a winning record of five games from their last seven starts, losing to only the Broncos and the Roosters (again) in that period while knocking off top eight hopefuls in the Sharks, Knights, Panthers (who were all in the top eight at the time), and most recently accounting for the Tigers and pushing the Rabbitohs out of the top four last week!
That’s some form line and if the Eels don’t start fast and start dominant against the Bulldogs this week, they could find themselves in a grind that they may not finish on top of by the end of tonight!
Round 23 kicks off tonight
The Eels at Bankwest Stadium on a Thursday night against the lowly (on the ladder) but giant-killing Bulldogs. The Sharks at home against the notoriously bad travellers in the Warriors. The Knights against fellow top eight aspirants the Tigers with their seasons on the line. The Roosters against any team right now in their current form. The Storm, at home, bouncing back after a loss, against possibly the worst team in the NRL right now. There are some seriously good SuperCoach match-ups this week, so good luck with picking your 17 this week and your captain!