NRL SuperCoach wrap round 22: Dom Young, Jamayne Isaako, Payne Haas among injury crisis

SuperCoach is a cruel mistress and she often saves her worst for the worst possible times, with plenty of sides decimated just as head-to-head finals hit. WEEKEND WRAP

Dom Young, Jamayne Isaako, Payne Haas, Cody Walker and Ethan Strange - just to name a few.

Five of the biggest stars of SuperCoach went down on the same weekend and now SuperCoaches are struggling to get their teams together for round 23.

Which is the first week of the SuperCoach head-to-head finals no less.

KEY INJURIES/OMISSIONS

* Dom Young (29) - Ruled out after 48 minutes due to a hamstring injury. In massive 30 percent of teams and on the bye this week, he’ll be the most sold player of the upcoming round.

Dominic Young off & wont return with a hamstring injury. His 2nd hamstring injury of the 2024 season - even minor strains usually require 2 weeks return to play.

In good news the Roosters have the bye next week so gives him more chance to miss minimal game time. pic.twitter.com/7Z5FixGUud

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 2, 2024

* Jamayne Isaako (64) - Unable to finish due to a late ankle injury. We watch and wait for Team List Tuesday but 24 per cent of SuperCoaches are likely reaching for the ‘T’ button.

* Payne Haas (18) - The second most popular purchase of the week lasted just 10 minutes before being forced off the field with what could be a season ending foot injury.

* Ethan Strange (DNP) - Demoted to 18th man on game day by Ricky Stuart with Adam Cook preferred in the halves. Still owned by a quarter of SuperCoaches.

* Cody Walker (DNP) - We told you he was in doubt in Late Mail and Walker was duly ruled out for the Rabbitohs with a calf injury.

TEAMS WATCH

* Josh Curran (47) - Far from his best performance of the year but SuperCoaches will take it after Curran came off with a shoulder injury in the first half. He came back on but couldn’t produce his usual work rate. He also suffered a knee injury last week and has had several concussions this season.

Jamayne Isaako had to be assisted from the field post-game after he suffered a nasty looking ankle injury.

Video shows classic lateral sprain mechanism - provided he avoids a fracture usually looks worse than it is & relatively quick recovery. Hopefully the case here! pic.twitter.com/iKMFCtBmxm

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 2, 2024

SUPERCOACH WINNERS

* Nathan Cleary (96) - Slow start but, as we have come to expect from the fittest man in the comp, came home with a wet sail when it mattered. Added 50 points in the final 11 minutes.

* Casey McLean (71) - A try and 17 runs from the most popular cheapie of the last fortnight. How good?!

* Joe Tapine (88) - Unstoppable at stages with a massive eight tackle busts.

* Stephen Crichton (70) - Crichton’s influence on the game can’t be captured in the stats. A try and try contribution in a matchwinning performance.

* Keano Kini (129) - Enjoyed a strong start before being sent to the sin bin for a professional foul. But the Titans dynamo had an immediate impact on his return, scoring with his first touch. Ended the game with two tries, two try assists, two linebreaks and two linebreak assists. He is playing so well he could even keep the No.1 jersey when AJ Brimson is fit.

* Harry Grant (106) - Grant spearheaded the potent Storm spine from hooker and was superb as he crossed for two tries. It was his first ton since round 11 and a much-needed boost given he had lost close to $150,000 from his starting price.

* Reece Walsh (83) - Had a monumental first half, scoring two quick tries early, before crashing back to earth in the second half. But with 83 points he still goes down as a winner here.

Reece Walsh had a great first half but poor second half. Picture: NRL Photos

* Kayal Iro (93) - Iro rewarded his plethora of owners with a great performance. He bobbed up for a try when he got on the end of Braydon Trindall’s grubber in the second-half which gave him a very handy boost.

* Damien Cook (85) - Cook was at his usual best for Souths and crucially snuck over his breakeven of 76 for the 10 per cent of coaches who own him. Was his second time passing the 80-point mark in the past five weeks.

* Sam Walker (102) – All the talk has been about Nathan Cleary, but Sam Walker is proving how valuable he can be for SuperCoaches on the run to the finals.

* Clint Gutherson (111) – It hasn’t been a great year for the Eels, but that was a vintage performance from the King as he topped the count in a massive upset victory.

* Max Plath (90) – Did the damage in the first half with a score of close to 70. Such a consistent player and he really deserved his breakout game.

* Blaize Talagi (76) – What a week it was for the young man. Announced his departure from the Eels and landed in New Zealand with a point to prove, including scoring a try.

* Valentine Holmes (137) – The Cowboys left-hand attack had a field day with the Tigers and Holmes was eating all night. Two try assists, a try and a heap of goals helped him top the night.

* Samuela Fainu (105) – Scored two tries and was in devastating form throughout the night as one of Wests’ best. Will be a wildly popular player in SuperCoach 2025.

* Scott Drinkwater (122) – Attacking conditions always favour Drinkwater and he lapped it up big time. His fourth century of the year as he tore the Tigers to shreds.

* Reuben Porter (94) – Easily his best performance of the season and he looked so dangerous with every touch of the ball. Not bad for someone who started the year at the lowest price.

Broncos indicated Payne Haas had his foot assessed during the warm up yesterday but was cleared to play. Had a few questions on when the damage occurred - warm up or in-game?

In isolation there was as textbook a Lisfranc injury mechanism as you will see on Haas’ last run. pic.twitter.com/RZopguLWJB

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 4, 2024

SUPERCOACH LOSERS

* Kai Pearce-Paul (39) - Played the full 80 minutes but just couldn’t bust out against the NRL’s best defence.

* Kalyn Ponga (45) - Tried hard but tough going against the Panthers. Will drop into the low $600,000s this week and plays Tigers.

* Ryan Papenhuyzen (11) - Papenhuyzen was below his best for the Storm and largely unsighted as he registered his lowest score of the year. It was a far cry from his 94 points last week.

* David Fifita (53) - While not the worst score, owners would have been disappointed with how basically all the Titans points came down the right edge, with Fifita not registering any attacking stats.

* Jayden Campbell (48) - Like Fifita, almost all the points came down the Titans right. Looked to have scored a try that would have netted him a much bigger score, but the Bunker pulled it back. With a breakeven of 121, Campbell looks set for a massive price drop.

* Joey Manu (29) – Made a long awaited return from injury but for those hanging out for his comeback, a modest total of 29 isn’t exactly cause for celebration.

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach wrap round 22: Dom Young, Jamayne Isaako, Payne Haas among injury crisis