Trent Copeland runs through the best NRL SuperCoach captaincy and VC options for round 10

WITH Origin jerseys up for grabs it always pays to look at players who have that carrot dangled in front of them when selecting your SuperCoach captains.

WELL, what could have been is the story once again. The dust has settled on Rep round in the land of NRL and if you’re anything like me, last weekend you would have felt a little strange not being able to have your emotions driven by the ups and downs of SuperCoach.

Cast our minds back and Teddy (it seems forever ago now) was on 57 points after about 10 minutes and the number one VC option for me was on track for a huge game! Then, as we all know, injury struck!

Surgess was the other VC choice who was also injured and played only 64 minutes, but … pumped out a massive 102 points in that time. If you managed to loophole the big Englishman, well played!

The pain! The agony! For SuperCoaches that is. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Captaincy options aplenty last week, and long may it continue! I thought I had nailed my skipper in JT (84), but the others I picked out last week were massive too ... Gallen (75) and Cameron Smith (109) with his second hundred on the trot, sounds like another Smith I know ….

Anyway, lets have a look at Copes’ Captains for the coming week. there’s some good options too!

Particularly with Origin jerseys up for grabs it always pays to look at players who have that carrot dangled in front of them.

VC options

I’ll start here, remembering that your VC should always play in the early games of the round (Thurs./Fri.), so always select your VC first. I always like to have someone a bit unique as if it pays off, you’ll be getting a leg up on the whole competition.

BJ Leilua CTW (Raiders) vs. Dragons

Arguably the hottest CTW property in our wonderful game. Leilua has averaged 98 PPG over his last three with scores of 69, 132 and 93 but amazingly he has only scored two tries to rack up those points. You know what that says to me? He’s the real deal. Insane tackle bust and offload numbers every time he steps on the field create a huge ‘base’ or worst case scenario for Leilua and if you are one of the 3.8% who own him, I’d be whacking the blue VC on Joey this Thursday night.

Joey Leilua is hot SuperCoach property this season.

Bryce Cartwright 5/8 | 2RF (Panthers) vs. Warriors

The #CartyParty is seriously one of the hottest parties in town! 86 points last weekend in Bathurst against the Raiders, a gazillion points had City v Country been a SuperCoach game and I have him as my VC this weekend against a leaky Warriors outfit, despite their big name reinforcements returning. The great thing that has happened this season is that Carty is playing 80 minutes every game where we know he rivals the likes of Gallen, Parker and Burgess as the best back rower in the game! Thank you Anthony Griffin, thank you.

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Semi Radradra CTW (Eels) vs. Rabbitohs

Semi was solid on debut for Australia (despite the Sin Bin), and no doubt that on top of the salary cap drama going on at the Eels will drive him on to bigger heights for the remainder of the season. Well that’s my thought process anyway! The Eels need to win basically every game and you would assume that means points, points and more points for Semi. A three-round average of 68.3 and a match up with a Souths outfit conceding points galore suggests he could be in for a rather large outing …

Semi Radradra in action against the Bulldogs in round 9.

Other options … Sam Burgess (risky given his injury last round), Shaun Johnson, Adam Reynolds,

Copes’ Captains

This week is one to beware of two normal captaincy options. JT against the Storm who are in great form and have conceded the fewest points of ANY team in the comp – including keeping their last two opponents to zero, and Cameron Munster against the Cowboys who also concedes very few points to outside backs.

What that game does offer us though is some great news for Jesse Bromwich …

Jesse Bromwich FRF (Storm) vs. Cowboys

The best FRF in our game this season has seen only 49 and 44 minutes the past two rounds where the Storm had blowout wins. The great news for SuperCoaches here is that there is more chance of Tom Sangster admitting the Dragons wont make the 8 than Jesse Bromwich resting against the best team in the comp. It won’t happen! Expect over 60 minutes in this one and we all know that means a 70+ score for JBrom! If I owned him, he’d be my captain this week.

Jesse Bromwich in action for the Storm.

Cameron Smith HOK (Storm) vs. Cowboys

Two hundreds in a row for Smith, the Australian captain who is hitting form right when it matters most. It sounds like I’m writing about the summer of cricket here but I’m not, Smith was a great captaincy option last week with the sheer amount of points on offer against the Titans. This week is a different prospect given it will likely be a much more contested, lower scoring affair but I expect Smith to be heavily involved and make lots of tackles. Expect a 70-85 score and a safe option.

Andrew Fifita FRF (Sharks) vs. Knights

Fifi has been down on form of late, averaging a mere 51.3 over the past 3 rounds much to the disappointment of all SuperCoaches. However, up against the Knights (who he averages 75.7 across his career against) this week, having rested over the rep round I feel he could be in for a big one and even get across the try line. At present, Fifita is locked in as the man with my Orange Armband!

Andrew Fifita could be set to pull out a big one against the Knights this week.

James Maloney HFB | 5/8 (Sharks) vs. Knights

Who in their life has been motivated by a prospective new role, job, opportunity – a very lucrative one at that …? I know I have, and I know James Maloney’s prospects of a NSW Origin jersey come Origin I, will be exactly that too … Extra motivation on top of his current stellar form. Add that to a three round average of 73.3 and the old adage of his opposition being the Knights and I think Jimmy is a bloody good option if you have him (and you like living on the edge!).

Other options … Paul Gallen, Anthony Milford, Corey Parker, James Graham, Jake Friend.

Good luck everyone, make the Orange Armband fall on the right man this week!