SuperCoach NRL round 15 wrap: Unheralded SC players shine as late withdrawals cause chaos

It was a wild weekend of SuperCoach with key players dropping like flies at the last moment, but a number of unheralded players made their mark. Here are the Winners and Losers from round 15.

It was a weekend where the late mail proved to be the bane for many SuperCoaches.

Some of the game’s leading scorers and those tipped to have monster weekends were late withdrawals that saw many go from projected scores of 1300+ to pushing to crack the four figures.

David Fifita, Dominic Young, J’maine Hopgood and Kai Pearce-Paul were among the popular players who were scratched at the barriers before a ball was kicked, creating late chaos.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom however, with some standout performances across the board helping sharp SuperCoaches to solid scores, while others will face the chopping block ahead of another Origin-impacted round.

Here’s how round 15 panned out:

ROUND 15 SUPERCOACH WINNERS

* Briton Nikora (120) - The hard-running backrower made the most of his match up against a shell-shocked Isaiya Katoa.

* Herbie Farnworth (85) - The Englishman was easily the player of the first half before Royce Hunt hit the field. Farnworth is the POD you want for the run through Origin.

* Scott Drinkwater (89) – The eye test didn’t really add up to the score, but eyes can be deceiving. He can go to another level and push for tons in the weeks to come.

* Jordan Rapana (82) – Like most of his games, there was good, there was not so good, and there was entertaining. A very strong game from a SC perspective.

* Deine Mariner (111) – Two tries late in the game is the definition of garbage time scoring, but his owners won’t care because he surged past the century with a rocket.

Deine Mariner went nuclear late in the contest to reach 111 points. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

* Payne Haas (99) – A powerful performance from Haas who earned his points the old fashioned way. Needs more help in the front row if the Broncos are to succeed.

* Damien Cook (95) – His future with Souths came into question this week, but he showed why he hasn’t lost a step with a masterful display.

* Keano Kini (112) – Scored his second 100-plus points score for the year. His first half set the scene with 93 points and he is shaping as a positive buy prospect.

* Stefano Utoikamanu (88) – A strong second half helped the forward to his highest score this year. He is starting to become a leading contender to be a lock in most teams.

* Jahrome Hughes (108) – Hughes was unstoppable as Melbourne stormed back from a slow start to post a terrific win in Auckland. The only player to hit triple digits in the match.

* Sua Fa’alogo (89) – Not quite 100 from the rookie Storm fullback but he was dynamite against the Warriors. Scored two tries and could have had more with how active he was.

* Mitch Barnett (88) – Huge shift from the workhorse forward who is quickly becoming a standout SuperCoach option with dual FRF / 2RF positions.

* Daniel Tupou (108) – The Roosters winger cracked his century with a tryscoring double. Tupou saw plenty of action down Sydney’s left edge where they focused their attack.

* James Tedesco (98) – Teddy continues to be a reliable option at fullback and the fact he gets close to 100 points without a try attests to it.

Daniel Tupou scored a double against the Eels. Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

* Will Penisini (99) – Finished as Parramatta’s top scorer without crossing for a try. Penisini always plays hard and is a shining light in a struggling Eels outfit.

* Haumole Olakau’atu (118) – Stood up when it counted to help his team win as Manly’s other forwards had injury concerns. Showed he can go off at any moment.

* Lehi Hopoate (92) – Has been outstanding since getting the call up to first grade. The return of Tom Trbojevic is a concern for owners however.

* Daly Cherry-Evans (105) – Responded well to his worst SuperCoach week last week of just 26 points by raising the bat once again.

* Jarome Luai (130) – Has now averaged more than 100 in his past three SuperCoach games and scored his score of 130 was the top of the round.

* Fletcher Sharpe (72) – A real cheapie option given the perception of David Armstrong being on the outer. Sharpe has scored tries in his first two matches for the Knights.

* Brian To’o (104) – Another Panther in red-hot form. To’o scored a try against Newcastle and raised the bat for the game. He’s averaging 94 points from his past three rounds.

Brian To'o is in supreme form. Photo: Scott Gardiner/Getty Images

ROUND 15 SUPERCOACH LOSERS

* Josh Kerr (15) - The man was once a genuine POD for top coaches, but he was barely sighted on Thursday night. Bashed out of the game by the Sharks bench forwards.

* Kulikefi Finefeuiaki (17) – Saw less than 30 minutes of play against Canberra after coming into the game when it was virtually over. Byes during Origin don’t help his cause.

* Murray Taulagi (30) – The Origin winger didn’t quite bring that form back for the Cowboys in a pretty quiet night for the gun.

* Trey Mooney (17) – Was used as a straight swap for Joseph Tapine, but with just 22 minutes of game time, it was a tough watch for owners.

* Peter Mamouzelos (2) – Played a handful of minutes and with Cameron Murray coming back and Damien Cook firing, his minutes don’t look like improving.

* Jock Madden (15) – Tried hard but it just wasn’t happening for him. Made a few mistakes and some poor choices while steering the ship.

* Jack Wighton (27) – His kicking game was superb, but it didn’t translate into a good score for SuperCoaches. Can easily bounce back against Manly.

* Alofiana Khan-Pereira (29) – Only scored 29 points for the match. It’s his fourth game under 30 points for the year and is a big risk at his current price.

* Brent Naden (39) – After scoring three straight 50 point matches during the season, his last two performances haven't quite hit the mark.

* Joe Chan (13) - Only 25 minutes on the field for the popular cheapie and Chan didn’t do much with his opportunity. Made four runs and 10 tackles.

Shaun Johnson had an unhappy return for the Warriors. Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

* Shaun Johnson (21) - The veteran halfback was a step off the pace in his return from injury. Is he someone you want to rush in and buy just yet?

* Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (13) - If you brought him in this week on the back of his strong game against the Cowboys, thoughts and prayers.

* Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (14) – The Roosters enforcer was sin-binned and continues to be a penalty magnet. Great player, but just too volatile for SuperCoach.

* Terrell May (27) – Very quiet night by the powerful young prop. He has been one of the most polarising players in SuperCoach this year and this score gives haters ammo.

* Joey Manu (39) – The Roosters right edge didn’t see too much ball on Saturday night and his score suffered as a result. A tough watch.

Reuben Garrick was a popular captain option with David Fifita a late out. Photo: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

* Taniela Paseka (6) – Went off with an injury early and could be out for a couple of weeks. Promising player but not an option at the moment.

* Reuben Garrick (9) – Another Manly player to suffer an injury with concussion ruling him out in the first half. Creates a real trade/retain dilemma for owners.

* Raymond Faitala-Mariner (20) – On a day where Manly was struggling with fit forwards, it should have been a day where Faitala-Mariner impressed. Sadly for owners he did not.

* Izack Tago (41) – Another lean game from the centre, scoring just 37 against the Knights. He is now averaging almost 20 points below his normal average in his past three games.

* Liam Martin (40) – Returned from injury but only scored 37 points, one of his lowest for the season.