SuperCoach NRL Live Countdown regular Fatima Kdouh reveals her team for 2018
SUPERCOACH NRL Live Countdown show regular Fatima Kdouh reveals her team for 2018 — and she’s looking to make some cash!
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I HAVE a confession.
I love SuperCoach but I hate this time of the year.
It’s like being a kid in a candy store and wanting all of the candy but not being able to have it! Urgh.
I’m indecisive at the best of times and even picking a team that I know will change by the time round one comes along is an arduous task.
So here it is, the first of many attempts at drafting a winning an outfit:
HOOKER
Cameron Smith HOK (MEL $667,400) — 2017 avg.: 75.2PPG
There was a time when I didn’t start the year with Smith in my side. Lesson learned. He’s my first pick for 2018 and he should be yours. No Cooper Cronk means he’ll have an even bigger influence on Melbourne’s attack. Improved Origin and bye schedule makes him an absolute must-have.
Siliva Havili HOK (CAN $177,600) — 2017 avg.: N/A
His 10 games for the Dragons in 2016 were off the bench but at this stage Havili is shaping as Ricky Stuart’s first-choice hooker. Replacing Josh Hodgson is a task insurmountable for Stuart and even he is probably still toying on whether Craig Garvey or Havili wears the No.9 jumper. Either way both will likely feature in Canberra’s 17, like the Hodgson and Kurt Baptiste rotation before them. One to keep an eye on.
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FORWARDS
Jesse Bromwich FRF (MEL $413,600) — 2017 avg.: 46.6PPG
Last year was an underwhelming season by Bromwich’s standards. He averaged almost 20 points less a game than he did in 2016. For this reason he starts at a bargain price for a player of his calibre. No Jordan McLean and no Tohu Harris means the big Kiwi is pretty much forced to step up and lead from the front … it should also mean more minutes.
Matt Lodge FRF (BRO $208,900) — 2017 avg.: N/A
All signs point towards Lodge not only securing a spot in Brisbane’s 17, but starting as Adam Blair’s replacement at prop. One thing to watch for here is Wayne Bennett’s inclination to be very stingy with minutes when it comes to blooding his young forwards. If Bennett breaks from tradition and Lodge does play around 50 minutes a game you can expect he’ll go at just over a point a minute.
Leilani Latu FRF (GCT $270,500) — 2017 avg.: 30.5PPG
Latu leaves the Panthers as an impact bench player, a good one at that, and heads to the Titans as a starting prop and a vital cog in the front row rotation. This should mean plenty of minutes and plenty of cash to be made.
Viliame Kikau FRF/2RF (PTH $192,800) — 2017 avg.: 21.6PPG
Forwards-wise the Panthers are stacked but don’t be too surprised to see Kikau snag a spot in the top 17 to start the season, especially after his strong showing for Fiji during the World Cup. He averaged around 21 minutes from the bench last year for a solid point per minute.
BACKROW
Jason Taumalolo 2RF (NQC $668,400) — 2017 avg.: 75.3PPG
The Cowboys have a tough draw to open their season. They face the Sharks, Broncos, Storm and Panthers in the first four weeks but if his past performances are anything to go by then Lolo is primed to start 2018 with a flurry of points. He scored 107, 77, 97 and 82 points against those sides respectively in 2017.
Jake Trbojevic 2RF (MNL $651,000) — 2017 avg.: 73.3PPG
Huge workrate and a tackling machine. Trbojevic will notch up 35-40 points a game from tackles alone. He’s already proven himself as an 80-minute player. The No.2 player in the game in 2017 is a set and forget in 2018. I’m not expecting more of the same from Trbjobevic, I’m predicting even better.
Nathan Brown 2RF (PAR $573,000) — 2017 avg.: 64.6PPG
A workhorse and a bit of a mad man, Brown showcased his SuperCoach pedigree after a breakout season for the Eels. He saw an increase in minutes once he made the lock position his own last year to end the season with an average of 67 minutes a game. Looks set for pretty much the same in 2018.
LISTEN!!! The podcast team dissect important pre-season news and reveal their early picks for 2018.
Taane Milne 2RF (WST $192,800) — 2017 avg.: 18.3PPG
The make-up of Ivan Cleary’s team is likely far from settled but Milne emerges as the biggest winner out of the uncertainty after a blockbusting World Cup campaign for Fiji. His SuperCoach career so far has been a mixed bag but that’s due to how he was used at the Dragons. Off the bench he averaged a less-than-inspiring 18.3PPG but starting at centre in 2016 (albeit for only seven games) his average skyrocketed to 54PPG.
Nat Butcher 2RF (SYD $192,800) — 2017 avg.: 20PPG
Comes with plenty of raps and is considered one the brighter forward prospects coming through the ranks. The loss of Aiden Guerra and Kane Evans opens the door for him to push for a spot in the top 17 but realistically he may have to wait for an injury to get a sniff at a spot on the bench.
Luciano Leilua 2RF (STG $177,300) — 2017 avg.: N/A
Leilua is one of my favourite things in rugby league, a St George junior. That alone is enough to earn him a start with the PowerPuffBoys. Surprisingly he didn’t feature in Mary’s side in 2017 but he’s since extended his time at the Dragons on a long-term deal and finished the year as the Cutters’ best. SuperCoaches are hoping he’ll slot in as Joel Thompson’s replacement but a bench spot is the likely scenario.
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HALFBACKS
Johnathan Thurston HFB (NQC $536,300) — 2017 avg.: 67.1PPG
No representative footy to worry about means no Origin period to worry about or that Paul Green will toy with resting him in a bid to preserve his ageing body. Watching Thurston in the coach’s box, riding every play, was a highlight of the finals series. I reckon he’ll return in 2018 with a vengeance.
Lachlan Croker 5/8 HFB (MAN $164,600) — 2017 avg.: N/A
His road to NRL stardom has been hampered by injury but he looks destined to finally show what he is made of. He’s in a battle with Jackson Hastings but all the chatter is that Trent Barrett will hand the No.6 jersey to Croker. A whopping 45 per cent of SuperCoaches will have their fingers crossed he gets the nod.
FIVE-EIGHTHS
Mitchell Moses 5/8 HFB (PAR $454,800) — 2017 avg.: 51.3PGG
With his boyband good looks Mitchell Mosses looks like he’s about to drop the hottest pop album since Harry Styles. But seriously, if he is going to drop something I’m hoping it’s the clutch … on the footy field and he’ll deliver some more of his World Cup “ball-on-a-string” performances for the Eels.
Connor Watson 5/8 FLB (NEW $286,700) — 2017 avg.: 32.3PPG
I’ve gone with Watson for now but this is one I’m not completely sold on just yet. The arrival of Mitchell Pearce to Newcastle has created some uncertainty around the make-up of the Knights’ halves combination. He’s the favourite to wear the No.6 jumper but if Brock Lamb wins out I’ll have to reconsider.
CENTRE/WING
Jarrod Croker CTW (CAN $490,900) — 2017 avg.: 55.3PPG
There’s no room for emotion in SuperCoach but I can’t help it, Jarrod Croker is one of my favourite NRL players. So above all, this one is a bit of a sentimental pick. His 2017 average was a considerable 16.5 points lower than in 2016. But this is more of an anomaly than the new norm for the Raiders captain.
Josh Mansour CTW (PEN $451,900) — 2017 avg.: 50.9
A SuperCoach gun at a mid-range price. Yes, he had a down season by the standards we’ve come to expect from one of the elite CTWs but my gut feeling is he’ll have a big year. The other midranger that I’m still considering is Euan Aitken. For a CTW his base stats are impressive but he’s had an injury interrupted preseason.
Latrell Mitchell CTW (SYD $483,100) — 207 avg.: 54.4PPG
Big, strong and hopefully filled with attacking stats in 2018. His potential ceiling is huge but for every blockbuster score you’ll have to be willing to cop a low score.
Peta Hiku CTW (NZL $279,100) — 2017 avg.: N/A
I can’t get a gauge on the Warriors this year or what they’ll serve up so I make this pick less than enthusiastically. If a more enticing cheapie option pops up in the lead-up to round one, I’ll have to seriously consider them.
Jamayne Isaako CTW (BRO $192,800) — 2017 avg.: 27PPG , Adam Doueihi CTW (STH $177,300) — 2017 avg.: N/A , Zac Lomax CTW (STI $164,000) — 2017 avg.: N/A
I had pencilled in Isaako and Doueihi as possible starters for their respective sides. Isaako is looking more likely now than Doueihi with word out of the Rabbitohs that Richie Kennar and Rob Jennings are ahead of him in the pecking order.
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FULLBACKS
James Tedesco FLB (SYD $599,700) — 2017 avg.: 67.6PPG
You already know the drill. He’ll run off Cooper Cronk. He’ll play along a talented backline. He’ll be behind a big pack. The stage is set for Teddy to carve up in the tricolours.
Tom Trbojevic FLB (MNL $677,300) — 2017 avg.: 76.3PPG
Tommy Turbo is a freak. The stats he accumulated on the way to finishing as the third-highest pointscorer in the game are out of this world. He averaged almost 170m a game, made 24 line breaks, 98 tackle busts and 21 try assists. There’s no reason why he can’t back that up in 2018.
MORE SUPERCOACH:
Full SuperCoach news section / Cheapie Bible 2018 / Tom Sangster’s team / Copes’ team/ Reigning champ’s team / Wilfred Zee’s team / Top 10 PODs / SuperCoach strategy 101 / Most popular SuperCoach players / Must-haves for 2018 / Pre-season casualty ward / Eels fans are biggest SuperCoach addicts / Former champ’s top 10 mid-rangers / Champion’s Choice: Alex Twal / CTW: Risk vs. reward / HOK: Smith or not? / Your club’s biggest selection issue / SuperCoach study guide: Broncos / Bulldogs / Cowboys / Eels / Knights / Panthers / Roosters / Rabbitohs / Raiders / Sharks / Sea Eagles / Storm / Tigers / Titans / Warriors
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