The best buys for the SuperCoach Super Trade week ahead of second bye

With five trades to play with SuperCoaches have an excellent chance to set themselves up for the second bye and beyond. Rob Sutherland rates the picks you want, and some you don’t at each position.

Planning for the second bye round of the season requires a different mindset to the first. You should have built a decent salary cap by now — and trades are likely running low — so any ‘buy’ should be solid scorers who you will hold for the run home or a ‘nuff’ who will not become an auto-emergency nightmare.

HOOKER

Cameron Smith/Cameron McInnes

Prior to round 13 I rated this position a neck and neck race in two between Smith and McInnes. In the fortnight since, Smith has scored 131 points and McInnes 73 #fail. Smith’s base has been low over the past fortnight but he has made up for that with big points off the kicking tee. McInnes had a poor game in Rd 13 and scored 27 points in just 22 minutes in Rd 14 before failing his HIA. Smith is still the consensus pick but the contrarian in me says the two will likely score similar points from here till the end of the season.

There are rumblings that Cam Smith just might answer the call and play for Queensland in Origin III but I’m tipping that does not happen. McInnes will be very cheap ahead of round 16 after that round 14 flop.

Jazz Tevaga

Named to start at lock in round 15 there is some chance that Tevaga loses his starting role for the bye when Lachlan Burr (soreness) returns. However, Tevaga is still playing around 50 MPG even when starting from the bench (don’t be fooled by his headline average of 43MPG as he has had two injury affected games of 7 minutes and 13 minutes this season) and averaging 55PPG with those two aforementioned games removed. Has a BE of 72 so you could get him next week I suppose but you won’t save too much in the move and a 55PPG average is acceptable as a backup hooker that you would only use in an emergency.

SuperCoach NRL: The best buys for the round 16 bye.

FRF

Andrew Fifita

With the third most points of any FRF in the game, Origin not a concern and the capacity to score 80+ points on any given day you almost certainly own Fifita already. If you don’t, well you can afford to wait thanks to Fifita challenging his crusher tackle charge from round 14 we won’t see him again till round 17 — think of the SuperCoaches David!

Payne Haas

A slight hamstring strain was enough to keep Haas out of Origin II and the impending return of David Klemmer — alongside huge Origin II win — makes it very unlikely the big man will force his way back into the side for game III. No FRF is within cooee of Haas’ average (73.3PPG) and his consistency is remarkable. With seven scores over 70 points in just nine games played Haas is a captaincy option every round.

Sio Siua Taukeiaho (2RF)

With a base near enough 50PPG and plenty of attacking stats in multiple categories TKO (or SST to some) is averaging 69PPG (if you take out his 14 point injury affected game in round 10). Available for just $523,200 and with handy dual-position eligibility, Taukeiaho is a bargain buy to take you home.

Ryan Matterson delivers plenty of attacking stats on top of his solid base. Picture: Alix Sweeney

2RF

Ryan Matterson

This pick comes with a certain amount of risk as Matterson is in Origin contention should injury strike any one of the NSW backrow. However, you must balance risk and reward and Matterson’s reward is pretty darn good. With the second most points of any player available at 2RF thanks to a base of 53PPG and heaps of attacking stats Matterson is a comfortable fourth 2RF behind the holy troika of Taumalolo, Trbojevic and Murray.

Jazz Tevaga

Not really a keeper at this position, however, he is a bargain source of points for round 16.

Paul Gallen

My learned colleague Tom Sangster is all in on giving former SC great Gall one last run — I’m not sure. On the one hand the Cronulla warhorse could play decent minutes over the next couple of weeks with Andrew Fifita suspended — and Gallen has scored 98 (with a try) and 71 (all base) in his two games over 60 minutes this year. On the other hand, Gallen only has exceeded 60 points one other time this year and $500K is a lot to pay for a man who averages less than the Jazz man above.

Tevita Pangai Jr

If Paul Gallen’s price tag is a bit too rich then TPJ might be more to your taste. Pangai has been named to start at lock this week a position in which he is averaging 54PPG. While he’s not a huge base rate point accumulator, Pangai has averaged a respectable 41PPG in base over his last four games and augmented that with 11 effective offloads and a couple of linebreak assists. Dual-position eligibility is handy and TPJ is a respectable 6th 2RF/4th FRF to take you home.

Shaun Johnson is back for the Sharks. Picture: AAP Image/Rohan Thomson

HALFBACK

Shaun Johnson

Johnson returned from a long injury lay-off in round 14 and while he was not at his mercurial best he showed enough that I’m tempted to pay ‘overs’ to get him ahead of the round 15 clash against the toothless Bulldogs despite his BE of 125. Johnson also showed plenty in the Test against Tonga with some lovely sniping runs and kicks.

Jahrome Hughes (FLB)

The Storm fullback has had a hell of a couple of weeks backing up his two-try 114 point effort in round 13 with another meaty 70 point game in round 14. Hughes had only breached the 70 point barrier twice before this season though and is now priced to his best at $489,700. A definite POD play with just 4% ownership, but for mine it’s a luxury trade when you would prefer the likes of Nathan Cleary/Shaun Johnson or even Mitch Moses (I know right?) as your halfback all the way home.

FIVE-EIGHTH

Matt Moylan (FLB)

After a long lay-off due to a hamstring injury, Moylan returned in round 11 and had a blinder scoring 78 points. The next week, Moylan appeared disinterested scoring 21 points, then this week he scored an ineffectual 25. A big tease who will break your heart. Pass.

Anthony Milford of the Broncos is as capable of posting a stinker as he is a barnstormer. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Anthony Milford

Speaking of teases ‘The Milf’ had posted four scores over 70PPG in the past six rounds heading into round 14 and many expected another big score against the Eels. It didn’t happen. Under $500K and 5% ownership he is a POD you could play in favourable match-ups — particularly at Suncorp where Milford is a vastly improved player — but if I didn’t already own him I would be looking for other bye relevant players and grabbing the likes of Cody Walker from round 17 onwards.

CENTRE/WING

Latrell Mitchell

After Origin II I can’t see Brad Fittler bringing Mitchell back into the Blues and NSW’s ‘loss’ is our SuperCoach gain. Yes, I know, Latrell can be ‘lazy’. But when he’s not walking around behind play sulking, Mitchell is a point scoring machine. The Roosters play Melbourne in round 15 and while you may normally avoid the Storm and their SC killing ways *ahem grapple* I’m backing Latrell to go large. Firstly the matchup work, the Storm right-edge defence is their weak side and that’s where Latrell will be running, and secondly if being dumped from the Blues and then dumped on from all and sundry for his lazy ways doesn’t motivate Mitchell nothing will.

Ken Maumalo

Perhaps unfairly classed a real rocks and diamonds winger by some (me) in the past; Maumalo has only four scores under 40 from 14 games this year and eight over 60. Available at under $515,000 despite scoring 104 this week he is a quality POD. However, as always I’ve got some words of caution. Maumalo has scored a try in eight of his 13 games this year (bagging a double twice). Those numbers are probably unsustainable — especially in light of the Warriors tough draw to finish — and regression should be expected.

Ken Maumalo of the Warriors is a quality POD for the run home. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Euan Aitken

Since seemingly regaining coach Paul McGregor’s trust and returning to a starting role in the centres, Aitken has scored 47, 59 and 82. A gun of years gone past thanks to his solid base, last week was the time to get Aitken, but if you didn’t he’s still well priced at under $400K.

David Nofoaluma

The Tigers winger is a genuine POD option currently in less than 400 (or 0.4%) teams. A gun of years gone past, ‘Nofo’ averaged 60PPG in 2016 and 64PPG in 2017. Nofoaluma failed to hit those heights in 2018 (averaging 52PPG) but still managed to score over 60PPG in 44% of games which is more than adequate for CTW. Forced to earn his recall to the NRL in 2019, Nofoaluma’s fine Canterbury Cup form was rewarded with a recall to first grade in round 11. In three games back Nofoaluma is averaging 55.3PPG 36 PPG of which is coming in pure base. Set to play the bye, Nofoaluma and the Tigers face a mixed draw to the end with some very easy games and some very tough games (the Roosters in Rd 16, Knights twice and Raiders in Canberra) but in-between there are some games you would expect him to score well (Eels, Cowboys (at Leichhardt Oval) and Bulldogs). A matchup dependant selection that could pay off handsomely.

FULLBACK

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

The only genuine ‘keeper’ fullback who is bye round eligible and not playing Origin, RTS bounced back after a couple of quiet rounds to score 84 against the Titans in round 14. Owners will be hoping for big scores against the Panthers and Knights in 15/16 and then the step up to Tom Trbojevic for the run home will still hurt the hip pocket but not too much.