We rate the premium, mid-priced and bargain bin hookers for KFC NRL SuperCoach 2020
The first decision most of us must make to start the 2020 KFC SuperCoach NRL season is which hooker will anchor our team. Rob Sutherland rates all the contenders.
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It’s early in the pre-season and you need to answer one question: are you team G.O.A.T. or team Chef?
Or are you an iconoclast, a rebel prepared to swim against the accepted wisdom which says you really need one of Cameron Smith or Damien Cook at the top of your KFC SuperCoach NRL team?
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Whichever camp you fall into, we’ve crunched the numbers and analysed the trends to rate the merits of the leading players available at the Hooker position in 2020.
We have not reviewed every player at the position just those we consider the leading contenders. If you have a sneaky POD, think we got our analysis wrong – or much more rarely – right, then let us know in the comments below and let the SuperCoach banter begin.
* Please note that I have not considered the merits of any cheapies in this article as those are covered in our Cheapie Bible hereAND I have inserted a glossary of abbreviations used throughout the article at the bottom.
PREMIUM $550K+
Damien Cook HOK ($705,500)
Cook has topped the averages at hooker for two years running and achieved the feat under different coaches with different game plans. In 2018, Cook averaged 51PPG in base and a further 20PPG in hit-ups and tackle busts. In 2019, Cook ran the ball into contact less, averaging 47PPG in base (despite upping his tackle count) and ‘just’ 10.5PPG in hit-ups and tackle busts. The livewire rake made up for the lost points with a significant increase in attacking contribution stats averaging 16.5PPG in try assists and linebreak assists combined in 2019 as compared to 9.5PPG for those stats the previous year. One knock I would note is that Cook’s output took a big hit over the Origin period last year with coach Wayne Bennett having him defend wide to reduce his workload and there is every chance that could occur again in 2020.
Cameron Smith HOK ($684,600)
Smith is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of SuperCoach hookers and the Storm stalwart wrestled Father Time into submission last year riding a big bounce in attacking stats to a 10PPG improvement on his 2018 average. Smith played every game of the season, finishing stronger than he started averaging 84.4PPG over the final 10 rounds as compared to 65.6PPG over the opening 10 rounds. There is some speculation that Smith will play at first receiver in 2020 as the Storm look to cover a weakness at halfback while also making the most of having two representative hookers in the squad and he’s not getting any younger, but ‘King Cameron’ has made a fool of those who back against him year after year so who’s to say he won’t have another huge year in 2020?
MID-PRICERS $550K-$400K
Jazz Tevaga HOK/2RF ($530,600)
Speaking of workhorses with handy-position eligibility, let me introduce Warriors utility Jazz Tevaga. Alternating between hooker, lock and the bench in 2019, Tevaga averaged an absolutely massive 0.9PPM in base stats alone. To put this in perspective, McInnes averaged 0.69PPM in base and Parramatta tackling machine Reed Mahoney averaged 0.63. Twice in 2019 Tevaga made more than 60 tackles in a game and in the 12 games in which he played 55+ minutes he averaged 66PPG. Priced at nearly 10PPG less than that, Tevaga could be a mid-priced way into the position but prospective owners should bear in mind that Tevaga underwent surgery on his ankle in December 2019 and will therefore come into 2020 severely underdone.
Jazz Tevaga underwent surgery on a syndesmosis (high ankle) injury last night. Tightrope surgery usually comes with an 8-12 week recovery, screw can extend slightly. Tevaga suffered 2 high ankle sprains this season & played on, however wasn’t progressing with offseason rehab pic.twitter.com/MumUN5ns1S
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) December 10, 2019
Connor Watson HOK|5/8 ($506,700)
The Newcastle utility was a Mr-Fix-It for the Knights in 2019, playing fullback, five-eighth, hooker and from the bench. It was at hooker that Watson scored the best, averaging 73.4PPG however, it is highly unlikely he will play much time at nine in 2020 after Newcastle recruited big-minute playing hooker Jayden Brailey in the off-season. As a result it is hard to get too enthused about Watson as a SuperCoach option at this position.
Josh Hodgson HOK ($505,800)
The Canberra hooker is a sensational real life player, but falls short of that lofty level when it comes to SuperCoach. Lacking the big base of many of his peers, Hodgson can pile on big attacking stats in bunches when his short passing game near the line is working, but he is easily as capable of scoring sub-50 points when it is not.
Manase Fainu HOK ($497,000)
Rehabbing from a serious shoulder injury, and facing criminal charges which are unlikely to be heard by the courts until mid-2020, Fainu is an absolute no-go leading into round one.
Reed Mahoney HOK ($490,200)
No hooker made, or missed, more tackles in 2019 than young Parramatta Eel Reed Mahoney. And despite putting his diminutive frame through so much defensive work, Mahoney still managed to play all 24 games in the regular season and play the fourth most minutes of any player at his position. There were flashes of attacking ability at times for Mahoney last year, but, as would be expected for a young hooker still establishing himself in the team, there were many games in which he failed to score any attacking stats as he focused on defence and clean service to his halves. A solid mid-range option to start 2019, it’s hard to recommend Mahoney as a ‘Buy’ in 2019 at the price, though he shows signs of blossoming into a gun player of the future.
Victor Radley HOK/2RF ($481,300)
The injury to Jake Friend, saw Radley shift from his preferred position of lock into hooker for large parts of 2019. With Friend back, and young rake Sam Verrills impressing mightily over the back end of last season, Radley looks assured of returning to his favoured number 13 jersey in 2020. A guide of what we can expect in 2020 should this occur can be gleaned from looking at Radley’s scores over the span of round 18-25 last year. In those eight games, Radley averaged 65PPG in 60MPG. If Radley can reproduce that output then he will begin 2020 priced at a big discount. There is plenty of reward on offer here but it does come at a somewhat awkward price.
BARGAIN BIN $400K-$300K
Apisai Koroisau HOK ($338,800)
After being stuck in a time share arrangement with Fainu (see above) at Manly in 2019, Koroisau has departed the insular peninsula for the foot of the mountains in 2020. Api starts the season cheap thanks to his limited role at the Sea Eagles and has flirted with ‘keeper’ status in the past averaging 58PPG in 2017 and 56PPG in 2018. However, Koroisau averaged 69 and 70MPG in those two seasons and I do not think he will get that much time on ground in 2020. Local junior Mitch Kenny has long been earmarked as the future at the club and after being brought into the top-30 squad midway through 2019 the young rake went on to play 12 games, starting 11 of those. Kenny did have off-season surgery (elbow) and may be nursed back allowing Koroisau to play a large role early but I expect a timeshare arrangement at the Panthers limiting Koroisau’s appeal.
PPG: Points Per Game
MPG: Minutes Per Game
PPM: Points Per Minute – a useful indication of workrate particularly relevant to forwards (as most backs play the full 80 minutes) as a player with a good PPM who is set to see an increase in MPG could see a big increase in PPG.
Base Points: Base points are those earned in hit-ups plus tackles (some statisticians subtract points lost for missed tackles when calculating this). They are valued by SuperCoaches as it is considered a reliable guide to future output unlike attacking stats which except for the truly exceptional are far less reliable.
BPPM: Base Points Per Minute
POD: Point Of Difference
CHECK OUT MORE EXPERT KFC SUPERCOACH NRL ANALYSIS