NRL SuperCoach: Trent Copeland’s captaincy analysis Round 19

ALL the guns are back on deck this week, so SuperCoaches have a plethora of captaincy options at their fingertips — not always a good thing so lucky Trent Copeland is here to rate the options.

ALL the guns are back on deck this week, so SuperCoaches have a plethora of options at their fingertips — not always a good thing!

With almost every SuperCoach team now being full of around 20-22 ‘guns’, the likes of TPJ, Kikau, Tim Lafai and even Johnathan Thurston among others may well sit outside your starting 17, so the best way to get a leg up over your competition is nailing your skipper!

Each week I will delve into the stats that stick out, the best match-ups, form and even sometimes a gut feel to find you the best skippers of the week.

Without further ado …

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VC OPTIONS

Will Hopoate CTW | FLB (Bulldogs) vs. Eels

Hoppa! 135 points with ZERO tries and only a single try assist against the ladder leading Rabbitohs last weekend, coach Pay saying on the coverage that he gave the players a directive to ‘Offload more” moving forward and to play with freedom. Well, Hoppa took that literally and had no less than TEN effective offloads (40 points alone) to go with a crazy 45 points in hit ups and 18 points in tackle busts. This week, Hoppa gets a matchup with the Eels on a beautiful clear Sydney Thursday night, if you own him it makes sense to roll the dice. Just don’t expect another 135 points!

Viliame Kikau has been immense for the Panthers and SuperCoach owners over the last fortnight. Picture: AAP Image

Viliame Kikau 2RF (Panthers) vs. Broncos

VILI, ma BOY! Ever since the preseason man crush, Kikau has impressed at every opportunity and the last two weeks since returning from the knee injury have resulted in 101 and 94 points respectively. There is some concern for the 80 minutes continuing with the Panthers having named four big man on the bench, but quite simply, they cannot have him on the pine as he has been at the forefront (along with Aekins and Jarome Luai) of anything good the Panthers have been dishing up.

Jamayne Isaako CTW (Broncos) vs. Panthers

If you haven’t heard, Wayne Bennett has confirmed that Isaako will play fullback this Friday night at Suncorp against the Panthers, with Darius Boyd moving to the left centre position. Fullback, goal kicking duties, home game … Sign me up! Isaako has been a revelation this season with a superb try scoring record averaging over 50PPG and well over 30PPG in base which is fantastic. This change of position could have Isaako as one of the best four CTW for the run home if it sticks.

Other options … Jarryd Hayne, Val Holmes, Anthony Milford, Nathan Cleary

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COPES’ CAPTAINS

Rhyse Martin 2RF (Bulldogs) vs. Eels

GOD 2.0. Just remember that nickname, you heard it here first and we’ll revisit that in 10 years time.

If you haven’t heard, this kid is good. Real good. Like, so good that he’s averaging 80.29PPG this season, playing 80 minutes and kicking goals. 73 points last week came almost entirely in base stats — with just four points in goals. That was against the Rabbitohs, this game is against the Eels, the team conceding the second most points to 2RF’s in the entire competition. The sneaky play here is that everyone will be using the VC early in the round and I think Martin with the Orange armband is a great way to get an early leg up on your opponent.

Rhyse ‘God 2.0’ Martin of the Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images

Damien Cook HOK (Rabbitohs) vs. Tigers

This one is pretty simple, Cook is the form player in the NRL, no question about it and he was selected by Mal Meninga as the merit Australian hooker after the Origin series. Thankfully that is translating to SuperCoach, with Cook the number one overall point scorer in the game, averaging 78.9PPG this season with a lowest score of 50. FIFTY! Three scores below 64 all season. Incredible really, and should be an every week safe captaincy option for the run home along with his HOK counterpart Cam Smith.

Tom Trbojevic FLB (Sea Eagles) vs. Roosters

Tommy Turbo has been a little out of form (for his standards), but in the meantime he was very close to the player of the series in Origin and let’s not forget the fact that he was literally the highest averaging player in SuperCoach last season at any position. This game is 4pm Sunday afternoon at Lottoland, a venue he has scores of 95, 158, 69, 67, and then last week’s 27 for an average of 83.2PPG. Right in line with his career average against the Roosters of 82.3PPG and high score of 134 points. It’s risky, sure, but if you’re chasing overall or are way behind in a H2H matchup come Sunday, you also have Taupau as a safe backup if you were to chicken out.

Other options … Cameron Smith, Jai Arrow (great option this week!), Angus Crichton, Marty Taupau

Good luck everyone, may the Orange Armband fall on the right man this week!

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