NRL SuperCoach wrap round 3: Wests Tigers trio sit atop round 4 buy list

It’s a triple treat at the Wests Tigers. Benji Marshall’s men may still be wooden spoon favourites but they have given SuperCoaches plenty to think about.

Lachlan Galvin is a top SuperCoach buy. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

They may still be wooden spoon favourites but the Tigers have given SuperCoaches plenty to think about.

Not only did they notch a landmark 32-6 win over the Sharks on the weekend, but three Tigers players are set to sit atop the SuperCoach most-purchased list for the upcoming round.

We recap round 3 and reveal the players to buy and sell in round 4

PREDICTED MOST POPULAR BUYS ROUND 4

Lachlan Galvin (5/8): 62 points – A late try assist helped spike his score, but this teenager is the real deal. Fresh out of the NRL Schoolboys Cup and at just $204,300. Five-eighth only positioning is a drawback.

Api Koroisau (HOK)): 105 points – The Tigers skipper was involved in everything as he inspired the teenage cubs to a famous win in front of the Leichhardt faithful. Great trade target with a tempting breakeven.

Solomona Faataape (CTW): 40 points – The average of 31 over two rounds is hardly enticing. But Faataape was more than solid against the Sharks and with Starford To’a (ankle) out long-term, has great job security for a cheapie.

Lachlan Galvin is set to be the most purchased player in round 4. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

PREDICTED MOST POPULAR SELLS ROUND 4

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (2RF/FRF): 39 points – Will miss the rest of the NRL season with an ACL injury in a massive blow to the Titans, Queensland’s State of Origin team and 23,000 SuperCoaches.

Reece Walsh (FLB): 1 point – Injured early for the Broncos and set to miss a month with a facial fracture. Obvious sell.

Nicho Hynes (HFB): 42 points – Your junk points don’t help here Nicho. For the 13 per cent of coaches who took the plunge on captaining him, I am sorry. Hynes could find himself on the scrap heap, even with the ‘don’t sell guns’ mantra.

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has reportedly ruptured his ACL (via @abcsport). Another huge injury blow early in the NRL season.

Reconstruction surgery & ~9 month rehabilitation aheas - wish Tino the best with surgery & recovery process. pic.twitter.com/pMkyFTsQ2q

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 24, 2024

ROUND 4 WINNERS

James Tedesco (FLB): 143 points – It was vintage Teddy as he reminded the league of his class. Be it creating, finishing, or running, he did it all. Will be giving SuperCoaches a lot to think about given he scored 103 last week and sits in less than five per cent of teams.

Valentine Holmes (CTW): 143 points – This one is completely self-explanatory. On the field, Holmes is all class. The speedster is a centre-piece of the Cowboys’ slick attack, and with the goal kicking, it is a no brainer.

Dominic Young (CTW): 150 points – What a showing from the Roosters winger. Just special. Very deserving of the magical 150-point milestone given he had 160 run metres, three linebreaks, two try assists, a try, and a whopping 11 tackle breaks. Rewarded his 3,500 coaches big time.

Kai Pearce-Paul (2RF): 64 points: The English import played the full 80 minutes on the edge for 64 SuperCoach points, almost entirely in base stats. The big question for the ‘English Sonny Bill’ has always been job security. But he appears to have jumped ahead of his main rival Dylan Lucas, who copped a concussion in round 1, missed round 2 and then played from the bench on Sunday. With an average of 50 over the opening three rounds, KPP is set for serious rises and will be one of the more popular players when SuperCoaches start trading come the end of lockout on Monday. He currently sits at just six per cent ownership.

Kai Pearce-Paul is a cheapie option.

Nathan Cleary (HFB): 117 points – What more is there to say. The game’s greatest player just sent a timely reminder that he is still on top.

Reuben Garrick (CTW): 95 points - All the chat in pre-season was around Garrick’s move to the centres and how it would kill his SuperCoach scores. Only 11 per cent of SuperCoaches jumped on, many spooked by the positional switch. But he was on fire yet again and has now averaged 82 over the opening three rounds.

Zac Hosking (2RF): 43 points – Still ended up playing 60 minutes after being benched for Whitehead to start. While it’s a far cry from his 100.5 average, not many coaches who took the risk would be willing to complain. Price is set for a handy jump still.

Zac Hosking has been a revelation in 2024. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Izack Tago (CTW): 105 points - He has had back-to-back weeks of marking up against a backrower out wide and he has taken full advantage.

Zac Lomax (CTW): 100 points – The Dragons might have capitulated at home, but before they did, Lomax was in the middle of everything they did right in a dominant opening 20 minutes. A two-try haul certainly helps, but with a BE of 27 before the round, he is due a huge rise.

Liam Henry (FRF): 52 points – Came into the game with a -3 breakeven and more than eclipsed his predicted 32 points. Henry has made his more than 20,000 owners rather happy and he could even be a top 17 player while JFH is injured.

Blaize Talagi (CTW): 52 points - A SuperCoach cheapie of the future with 64 points including a try. Bailey Simonsson is back next week so Talagi likely drops out, but keep an eye on him for later in the season.

Tom Trbojevic (FLB): 79 points - The 79 points are nothing to be sneezed at but oh what could have been! Turbo had a potentially match-winning try assist (with linebreak) denied by a controversial call … he could easily have tonned up.

WHAT A TRY FROM MANLY! 🔥

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Kalyn Ponga (FLB): 76 points - Well, you could call it a win, although it looked like Ponga would score plenty more after starring in the first half. He’ll drop in price but thankfully not by quite as much as the $80K predicted by SuperCoach Plus.

Ryan Papenhuyzen (FLB): 76 points - The seventh most popular player coming into the round but it looked dire as the Storm struggled in the first half. He stormed home to notch 76 points and secure a price rise of around $40,000.

ROUND 4 LOSERS

Joe Chan (2RF): DNP- The popular cheapie was ruled out due to a finger infection in a huge blow for almost 50,000 teams. Thankfully, replacement Shawn Blore hardly killed it in Chan’s absence so hopefully we see him again next week.

Zac Laybutt (CTW): DNP – A late withdrawal left almost 20,000 SuperCoaches scrambling, or most just copping an AE nightmare. There was not a lot of word about severity of his injury, so we can only hope for more this week.

Sam Hughes (FRF): 22 points – The potential cash cow is leaving plenty of owners with a sour taste after a poor output in low minutes. With his extremely low breakeven, Hughes will still make cash, but it is a case of what could have been for almost 60,000 owners.

Joey Lussick (HOK): 32 points - Came into the week as the most purchased player but we warned you - if the attacking stats weren’t there the SuperCoach points won’t be there. And so it unfolded, although he still played the full 80 minutes and still scored a very solid price rise.

Ben Trbojevic (CTW/2RF): 21 points - Has been a star for the Sea Eagles over the opening two rounds but strangely went missing this week despite getting good game time (60 minutes).

Viliami Fifita (FRF): 9 points – The Dragons’ must-have cheapie at the start of the season is turning into a nightmare. The rookie failed to hit his basement breakeven and will make absolutely zero cash for almost 50,000 owners. At least he can’t lose money.

Jason Taumalolo (2RF/FRF): 12 points – Anyone who had thoughts of the Tauminator rediscovering his best have been left sorely disappointed. The Cowboys former wrecking ball is having no impact and only lasting 20 minutes. Still has more than 11,000 owners. Cut loose, get out now.

Keenan Palasia (2RF/FRF): 24 points – A big off-season mover, more than 2000 SuperCoaches jumped off the Palasia train this week and they will breathe a big sigh of relief. He struggled to make any impact and he wasn’t alone at the Titans.

Latrell Mitchell (FLB): 34 points – The enforced 10-minute spell as a result of the professional foul didn’t help his case, but 34 is quite underwhelming for a player with a price tag as hefty as Latrell’s, which is just shy of $800,000. Safe to assume he left 10 per cent of SuperCoaches pretty frustrated.

Taylan May (CTW): 33 points – The Panthers centre has really threatened to have a blockbuster performance, but his halves keep going the other way. Also missed 15 minutes for a HIA late in the game.