SuperCoach NRL Mid-Range Bible: Luke Metcalf and Kelma Tuilagi lead a bumper crop of mids

They don’t make money like cheapies or points like guns, but a good mid-ranger can hit the SuperCoach NRL sweet spot and we’re here to help you identify the best picks to start your season.

Cheapies and Guns is a winning formula in SuperCoach NRL.

The guns generate the bulk of your points and the cheapies generate the cash required for the desired Roosters-esque salary sombrero.

But there can also be value in the odd solid mid-ranger (who for the purposes of this article I am defining as players priced between $400K and $550K).

It may be a former gun who gets in cheap as a result of injury the year before (think 2024’s Angus Crichton and Beau Fermor). Or it could be a player whose role is set to expand (2024’s Corey Jensen and Jacob Liddle).

You certainly don’t want to fill your team with mids (I started with too many last year and it took me weeks to restore balance to my team) but I believe there are a couple of standout options this year – and more than a few traps…

HOOKER

I’m struggling to find any mid-rangers worth the risk at hooker for 2025.

Blayke Brailey ($519,200) is very reliable having played 24 games in each of the past four seasons and almost every minute of each of those games. However, there is not a lot of growth there.

Chris Randall ($510,300) closed the season strong to finish with the 10th most points at the position, but there’s a catch. Randall averaged 56.3 over the last 10 games of the year (nine games at lock and one in the second row) compared to 49PPG over the opening 14 games (10 at hooker and four in the halves). The return of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui from injury should bring an end to Randall’s run at lock though so he’s a no from me.

Lindsay Collins will be asked to do more by the Roosters in 2025. Picture: NRL Photos

FRF

Conversely to the position above, I can see some decent mid-range options in the front row position.

Lindsay Collins ($422,900) is one player I am expecting to see an uptick in minutes this season. The Roosters have lost Terrell May (who averaged 45MPG) and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (38MPG) and I expect Collins to step up his time on ground as a result. In 2024, Collins averaged 47MPG and 43PPG. The big man is as fit as a fiddle and it would not surprise me to see him add 10MPG to his 2024 output and as a pretty much point per minute producer that should see him add another 10PPG to his average.

Junior Paulo ($492,500) has been right on the border of the ‘Gun’ category in years gone past but injury and fitness issues limited him last year. In 2024, Paulo played just 16 games and 43MPG and averaged 50PPG. For comparison in 2020, 2021 and 2023 the big man punched out 54MPG and averaged 64/56 and 57PPG. The departure of Reagan Campbell-Gillard leaves a 57MPG hole at the Eels and I expect Paulo to pick up a chunk of those minutes. Paulo is probably not a ‘buy’ to start the season but certainly one to watch, as is his teammate Joe Ofahengaue ($437,200) who has proven he can play big minutes – and produce big points when doing so – in the middle.

2RF

Sticking with the Eels, Kelma Tuilagi ($433,800) is an interesting proposition. The edge forward was used off the bench through the opening half of the season averaging 33MPG and 25.4PPG over the opening nine games of the year. Subsequently elevated to the starting side, Tuilagi averaged 74MPG and 68.6PPG over the next seven games (a span interrupted by an injury lay-off). There’s a bit of a logjam at backrow for the Eels with the experienced Tuilagi, Ryan Matterson, Shaun Lane and Bryce Cartwright all capable of playing 80 minutes to which you can add young guns Charlie Guymer and Luca Moretti and then throw in new recruit Jack Williams. New coach Jason Ryles obviously rates Tuilagi having extended his contract as one of the first resignings of his reign and the dearth of props at the club will likely see Lane, Matterson and Williams play through the middle so it would not shock me if Tuilagi starts in round one. However, the uncertainty around the position at the team has me cautious of starting Tuilagi.

Kelma Tuilagi of the Eels could be a bargain pick up if he starts on an edge. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Gilbert ($462,000) has not been seen on the field since round 12 2023 after dislocating his shoulder in game one of the 2023 Origin series and then injuring his ACL in the pre-season of 2024. The emergence of Max Plath means Gilbert’s preferred lock spot appears taken, so I expect he will move to the middle rotation and possibly push to starting prop once fully fit. A no for now, but watch.

The retirement of Tohu Harris pits Dylan Walker ($484,800) and new recruit Erin Clark ($391,200) against each other for the number 13 jersey at the Warriors. Walker filled in there over the back end of 2024, starting the final seven games of the season and averaging 65.3MPG and 51.6PPG. Priced at his season average of 49.5PPG there looks to be little value in Walker even if he locks down the starting job. Clark would be an interesting outcome for SuperCoaches. The nuggety former Titan is an enticing price, dual position and has shown he can churn out points at around 1PPM when given time in the middle.

There’s a fair bit of love around for Penrith star Liam Martin ($436,400), but I’m not feeling it. I’ve always felt Martin is one of those players whose contribution towards his team winning (which in Martin’s case is immense) is not really rewarded in SuperCoach. Martin’s average runs per game have declined year on year for the past four seasons. And while he’s a staunch defender, he’s not particularly prolific in that area either. My other concern is Martin’s durability. Over the past three seasons Martin has played just 19, 15 and 19 regular season games. Injuries have hit, but there is also the matter of wear and tear with Penrith opting to rest their star around the Origin period.

Adam Reynolds in action during Broncos training at Red Hill. Picture: Adam Head

HFB

Look, I’m not strongly recommending anyone make his move, but I will say that it would not shock me if Adam Reynolds ($500,700) adds $100-150K to his starting price by the time the Broncos first bye of 2025 (round 12) rolls around. Reynolds averaged just 51PPG across his 13 games last year and is priced accordingly. But in the four years preceding that the goalkicking half has played no fewer than 20 games each year and averaged 60/58/60 and 65PPG in those years. The Broncos play seven of their first 11 games at Suncorp Stadium and I expect ‘ARey’ to make a strong start to the year.

FIVE-EIGHTH

There’s a logjam in the halves at the Warriors but SuperCoaches are clearly expecting Luke Metcalf ($443,000) to snag the five-eighth spot with the former Shark currently the most popular player at the position. Fast and nimble, Metcalf has spent the majority of his time in the NRL at five-eighth. However, the departure of Shaun Johnson, means the team needs a halfback and Metcalf spoke in the pre-season about his readiness to take on that job and his confidence was rewarded by coach Andrew Webster who named Metcalf in the number seven jersey for the first trial. It should be noted that the New Zealand press are reporting Chanel Harris-Tavita and Tannah Boyd picked up training niggles which ruled them out of selection, but incumbency sits well with Metcalf for now. One last thing to note is that the Warriors need a goalkicker and while Metcalf does not have a deep history of being a first-choice goalkicker he boasts excellent, if limited, numbers off the kicking tee having kicked 9/12 (75%) for the Warriors last year and 30/38 (79%) when taking shots for Newtown in the NSW Cup in 2022.

Luke Metcalf of the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

South Sydney’s Jack Wighton ($486,700), who has dual-position flexibility, currently enjoys 8% ownership though I am willing to bet the majority of that is at CTW not five-eighth. After opening the 2024 season in the centres Wighton was forced into the halves due to a mixture of Lachlan Ilias’ poor form and then injury. To be honest I’m kind of struggling to see the appeal here. Wighton is a fine, if ageing, player, and he punches out solid, if unspectacular, base (he averaged 30PPG in base from eight starts in 2024) when in the centres. But the price is awkward, the body is ageing. Not for me.

Speaking of ageing bodies, Adam Doueihi ($431,700), may be only 26-years-old but he’s already suffered three ACL injuries and has managed just 24 games across the past three seasons combined. Seemingly locked in at centre in what, on paper at least, looks like a vastly improved Wests Tigers team, there is some appeal in Doueihi but he’s at best a wait and watch for me – though should he somehow regain the goalkicking duties (he slotted 69/87 at 79% in 2021) he becomes far more interesting.

The Raiders have a few contenders to play fullback in 2025 but for now it looks like 2024 incumbent Kaeo Weekes ($530,900) has his nose in front of the likes of Chevy Stewart. My colleague Ian Maybanks is a fan of the high risk/high reward Weekes. I can see why as, to the ‘eye’, Weekes looked to be gaining confidence at the position as the season went on, averaging a solid 49PPG from seven games at fullback. But the price is too high for me when I can get Luke Metcalf for almost $100K less so it’s a no from me.

CTW

I was pretty high on South Sydney centre Campbell Graham ($505,600) until he suffered a pre-season hand injury putting his availability for round one in question. Graham missed all of 2024 due to a nasty sternum injury and as a result starts 2025 at a $165,000 discount to where he would be priced based on his 2023 average of 69PPG. While 2023 was a stand out year for Graham his 2022 was also impressive (average 63PPG) and would have him priced at $615,000 to start this year. Cleary a bargain, I’d need to see some strong pre-season form – and heath – before buying in.

The Roosters are undergoing a roster revamp and that means there are two slots in the centres up for grabs. Cheapies Robert Toia and Billy Smith are covered in our cheapie bible here, so I’ll turn to the other contender in rugby union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase ($438,600). The former Wallaby flyer falls into the mid-range bracket thanks to his solid 64 point performance on debut against the Rabbitohs in round 27 last season. But, that was on the wing, and barring injury to Daniel Tupou or Dom Young, it is in the centres where Nawaqanitawase will need to play. I have my doubts about a rugby union winger handling the defensive workload of an NRL centre and those doubts are enough for me to place Nawaqanitawase on my watch list not buy list for now.

Storm young gun Jack Howarth ($426,200) seemingly spent years set to become the next big thing at the club without being able to break into the squad. That drought broke in 2024 with the big unit first being used as a utility off the bench and then establishing himself as a starting centre from round 17 onwards. From nine regular season games in the centres Howarth averaged 51.8PPG (30PPG in base). Those bench games I mentioned bring Howarth’s average down and thus reduce his starting price. But a word of caution, Kiwi rugby sevens convert Moses Leo has been reportedly ‘training the house down’ and is putting pressure on Howarth.

Casey McLean of the Panthers.

While the cheapskate in me would like to see Jesse McLean grab the vacant wing slot vacated by Sunia Turuva I feel it’s more likely that the younger, but more expensive, Casey McLean ($443,000) is the selection winner. McLean was very impressive playing centre over the back end of 2024 (average 50PPG, base 31PPG) and while his tackle numbers will drop with a move to the wing I would expect the increased run numbers – and try opportunities – would offset that. If named he’s in.

Last season SuperCoach cult hero Greg Marzhew ($513,700) had a massive drop off on his 2023 breakthrough year (when he averaged 77PPG) largely as a result of being shifted from the right wing to the left. Marzhew’s 2024 workrate (18 runs per game and 5.5 tackle busts per game) was not that dissimilar to his 2023 workrate (19 runs per game and 7.5 tackle busts per game) but the big drop off was that in 2023 Marzhew averaged a combined 30PPG in tries/linebreaks while in 2024 he averaged just 10PPG from the combined stats. If he stays on the left then I’m not super keen, should he move back to the right then I am.

As mentioned above the Warriors are shuffling their backline around and while the mooted move of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ($553,100) to fullback appears to be a SuperCoach pipedream a shift to the wing looks likely. The sample size is perishingly small but RTS averaged 77.5PPG from his two games on the wing last year. Yes he scored a try each game, but he also averaged 40PPG in base making 21 runs (with eight tackle busts) in one game and 17 runs (with four busts) in the other. The price is awkward but I am tempted.

FULLBACK

Go premium or take a chance on cheapie darling Isaiah Iongi here. There are no mids screaming ‘pick me’. With that said, should Ryan Papenhuyzen cop another long term injury then Sua Fa’alogo would appeal especially as he’s available at CTW as well as FLB.

Originally published as SuperCoach NRL Mid-Range Bible: Luke Metcalf and Kelma Tuilagi lead a bumper crop of mids