SuperCoach NRL: Top Guns you must have in 2018

TOM Sangster reveals the first players picked in his SuperCoach team for 2018, backing Johnathan Thurston as buy of the year.

TOM Sangster reveals the first players picked in his SuperCoach team for 2018.

With an increased salary cap of $9.4 million, in line with the actual NRL salary cap, SuperCoaches can fit a maximum of nine top guns.

Sangster is backing big improvement from Johnathan Thurston, James Tedesco, Sam Burgess and Trent Merrin, who start at juicy prices following poor seasons relative to previous output.

1. Johnathan Thurston

Price: $536,300

Position(s): HFB

2017 rank: 271

2017 end price: $446,200

2017 price change: $-20.8K

2017 points: 470

2017 games: 7

Average: 67.1

Thurston finished a lowly 271st in the rankings last year, playing just seven games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. However, with no representative footy this year, Thurston can concentrate entirely on the Cowboys and we therefore expect a SuperCoach renaissance from the Queensland and Australian great — in the same way Paul Gallen wound back the clock last year following rep retirement. Only available at halfback this year.

Paul Gallen, Johnathan Thurston, Sam Burgess and Cameron Smith are set for big seasons.

2. James Tedesco

Price: $599,700

Position(s): FLB

2017 rank: 21

2017 end price: $483,400

2017 price change: $+17.1K

2017 points: 1419

2017 games: 21

Average: 67.6

He ranked just 21st last year after missing three games, but Teddy has been a SuperCoach superstar for half a decade despite being forced to carry the struggling Tigers. The new season sees Teddy join a powerhouse Roosters side brimming with attacking talent. Tedesco averaged almost 70 last year despite scoring only four tries. That number will skyrocket alongside fellow Bondi recruit Cooper Cronk.

3. Cameron Smith

Price: $667,400

Position(s): HOK

2017 rank: 14

2017 end price: $506,600

2017 price change: $-17.1K

2017 points: 1504

2017 games: 20

Average: 75.2

Averaged an incredible 15 points more than any other hooker last year and is a must for round one teams even though a World Cup-reduced pre-season may lead to a slow start. Representative players are much more valuable this year due to the introduction of a standalone Origin, meaning Smith may miss as little as two games, while the absence of Cronk may deny Storm the luxury of resting players.

Cameron Smith is by far the best hooker in SuperCoach. Picture: Phil Hillyard

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4. Sam Burgess

Price: $572,600

Position(s): 2RF - FRF

2017 rank: 33

2017 end price: $351,000

2017 price change: $-148.3K

2017 points: 1355

2017 games: 21

Average: 64.5

Expect Big Sam to bounce back from his worst SuperCoach season since 2011 (when he played just four games before a season-ending injury). Champion players never stay on the canvas for long and we predict Burgess to return to the SuperCoach stratosphere in 2018 from a very juicy starting price.

Sam Burgess starts much cheaper than normal.

5. Paul Gallen

Price: $674,900

Position(s): FRF - 2RF

2017 rank: 1

2017 end price: $484,300

2017 price change: $-19.6K

2017 points: 1825

2017 games: 24

Average: 76.0

The Gal-Bot last year reaffirmed his status as the best SuperCoach player of all-time by topping the rankings yet again. In terms of average, Gallen has never finished below fifth and he has topped the list an incredible four times. Retirement from representative footy has given Gallen a new lease on life at the Sharks and he’s impossible to leave out of starting sides.

Paul Gallen is the best player in SuperCoach history.

6. Simon Mannering

Price: $660,400

Position(s): 2RF

2017 rank: 6

2017 end price: $508,100

2017 price change: $+57.5K

2017 points: 1637

2017 games: 64

Average: 74.4

One of the most consistent players in the competition for over a decade. Mannering scored below 50 just once in 2017 and only injury, which he can be prone to, will deny him a spot in the keeper category once again. Averaged 62 points in base stats alone last year.

7. Trent Merrin

Price: $518,300

Position(s): 2RF

2017 rank: 73

2017 end price: $348,000

2017 price change: $-144.9K

2017 points: 1168

2017 games: 20

Average: 58.4

Starts cheap following his worst SuperCoach season since 2011. Merrin played just 20 games and also battled off-field distractions, finishing an uncharacteristic 73rd in the rankings. However, he is a great of SuperCoach and poised to regain keeper status from a very tempting starting price.

Trent Merrin starts cheap in 2018.

8. Tom Trbojevic

Price: $677,300

Position(s): FLB

2017 rank: 3

2017 end price: $518,400

2017 price change: $+81K

2017 points: 1679

2017 games: 22

Average: 76.3

Tommy Turbo finished last year with the highest average of any player and he therefore starts 2018 as the most expensive player in all of SuperCoach. He’s worth every cent. Trbojevic finished last year in the top echelon for almost every key attacking stat — runs (fourth), run metres (fourth), tackle busts (eighth), linebreaks (fifth), try assists (eighth) and tries (16th). Ready to go to the next level following an impressive World Cup.

Tom Trbojevic is the most expensive player in SuperCoach history.

9. Shaun Johnson

Price: $641,000

Position(s): HFB - 5/8

2017 rank: 43

2017 end price: $486,300

2017 price change: $+22K

2017 points: 1300

2017 games: 18

Average: 72.2

Produced the best average of any halfback last year (72.2), but finished 43rd in the rankings as a knee injury limited him to 18 games. Once dubbed the “Rollercoaster” by SuperCoach boffins and often derided for inconsistency in actual NRL, Johnson has matured into the most reliable halfback in fantasy footy, averaging 68.7, 70.5, 69.5 and 72.2 in the last four years.

Shaun Johnson has transformed into one of the most consistent backs in SuperCoach.

And an honourable mention …

James Graham

Price: $460,200

Position(s): FRF

2017 rank: 109

2017 end price: $325,500

2017 price change: $-102.9K

2017 points: 1037

2017 games: 20

Average: 51.9

Expect considerable improvement from Graham this year. Hampered by an ongoing neck injury last season, he played just 20 games at 52 minutes per match, leading to a career-low average of 51.9. With a fresh start at the Dragons, Graham could return to his SuperCoach glory days of a mid-60s average, an increase of approximately 15 points per game.