NRL SuperCoach POD Watch round 17

TEAMS are starting to look the same. Here’s your chance to set yourself apart.

TEAMS are starting to look the same. Here’s your chance to set yourself apart.

1/ Ryan James ($719,500/ 11.8 per cent ownership)

The big unit from the Titans is now extremely expensive but his last month has shown he is the best FRF option by a country mile playing this weekend. Four tries in his last three games have left him with a top notch three-game average of 114 but even if those tries were taken out of the equation, he has scored 63, 69 and 58 points from pure base stats. He will also play six of his last nine games at home which could be very handy as we approach head-to-head finals.

2 / Anthony Milford ($449,200/ 4.6 percent ownership)

Anthony Milford had a blinder against the Raiders.

Non-owners will need to think long and hard before making this trade. He may have a three-game average of 63 but there has been no consistency whatsoever from Milford this year to suggest he is a final 17 player. Potential owners who missed his 106 from last weekend need know he was sitting on-2 at halftime. After playing the Titans away this week he will play his next three at Suncorp so those who bring him in will be doing so in the hope he turns around a below average SuperCoach season and goes on one of his trademark runs. He has a breakeven of 14.

3 / Nick Cotric ($562,800/ 7 percent ownership)

Cotric has been 2018’s serial POD and gets yet another start in POD Watch after scoring another meat pie to take his total to eight in his last seven games to maintain a five-game average of 73. There is no questioning that the Raiders use him frequently in attack but with a breakeven of 69, those who bring him in this week will be doing so with the intention to keep him for the remainder of the season. He certainly has the potential to continue being a super POD for the run home but if the tries run out, it could be big dollars and a precious trade down the gurgler.

4/ Josh Hodgson ($481,600/ 5.3 per cent ownership)

Those coaches not running with a Cook/Smith combination at hooker have had two weeks to have a look at Hodgson and they would not have been disappointed with the English international. A welcome addition to the Raiders’ attack, he has been heavily involved, scoring a try and setting up two over the past few rounds for scores of 84 and 71. It also deserves mentioning that he played the full 80 last weekend. Playing his third game this round, those looking to invest will have to make the move this week as he has a breakeven of 10 and it is highly unlikely he will come with a price tag under $500,000 next round.

5/ Aiden Tolman ($373,500/ 0.5 percent ownership)

Tolman has been well below his best from a SuperCoach perspective in 2018, only averaging 38, but the departure of Aaron Woods saw Tolman play 61 minutes last weekend for 61 points. Of those 61 points, 59 came from base stats which adds to his appeal this week. If his 61 minutes were not a one off occurrence, there could be room for growth in the oncoming weeks. He has a breakeven of 34.

6/ Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ($497,000/ 7.1 percent ownership)

RTS has plenty to offer as a POD and offers great consistency at FLB, currently sitting with season, three and five game averages ranging between 58-60 points. He has a breakeven of 27 so his price should head in the right direction this weekend and those who give Ponga the flick will pocket just over $100,000 from the trade and have a player with proven ability to go big. Tuivasa-Sheck has a top score of 130 this year and will also offer plenty from a head-to-head point of view as he will play three of the last four games at home.

7/ Josh Jackson ($529,700/ 4.1 per cent ownership)

As mentioned last week, Jackson won’t go big but he showed once again he is a solid, no-nonsense option sitting with a three-game average of 69 after notching scores of 61, 74 and 73 in his last three. He has also averaged 54 points in base during his last five games and a breakeven of 34 just sweetens the deal. With trades running low, Jackson would be an ideal 18th man to cover injuries during the run home.

8/ Joe Stimson ($274,300/ 1.7 percent ownership)

There has been a little bit of interest in Stimson this week but this trade appears to be a classic SuperCoach trap. Interested coaches will have seen that he has played the full- 80 during the last two weeks for scores of 50 and 56. Whilst these are decent scores for a player valued at just under $275,000 the fact he has posted scores of 10 and under in four of his last nine games screams auto-emergency nightmare when regular edge forward Felise Kaufusi finishes representative duties. He has a breakeven of -12 but if Kaufusi backs up from Origin and plays in round 18, Stimson will lose the money just as quick as he makes it.