NRL SuperCoach Cheapie Bible: Tom Sangster’s best bargain buys for 2018
SUPERCOACHES can start playing NOW with the launch of our 2018 Team Picker! To get the ball rolling with selecting your side, Tom Sangster reveals the cheapies to target.
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THE NRL season start is over three months away but SuperCoaches can play NOW with the launch of our 2018 Team Picker.
To use the Team Picker simply log-in to your 2017 SuperCoach account and following the prompts (only available to SuperCoach Gold subscribers).
But before you start coaching, get some inspiration with the first Cheapie Bible of the season.
NAT BUTCHER
Club: Roosters
Price: $192,800
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 2
Average: 20
The Roosters backrower was billed as a pre-season cheapie last year after a record-breaking season of NYC. However, a shoulder injury limited Butcher to two games in 2017, averaging just 20 points, and he therefore starts at a juicy $192,800. The 2018 season marks a changing of the guard in the Roosters pack, with Butcher pushing for a regular first grade spot following the exits of Aidan Guerra (22 games) and Kane Evans (15 games), while Boyd Cordner’s debilitative knee injury requires constant management. Butcher was renowned for a crazy work rate at Holden Cup level and he has a career PPM of 1.11 in the NRL (although three games and 63 minutes is far from a reliable sample size).
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MANLY’S FIVE-EIGHTH
The Sea Eagles’ failed swoop on Mitchell Pearce has cost the club a recognised five-eighth — and SuperCoaches are ready to pounce. Coach Trent Barrett’s gamble to release Blake Green while Pearce was still on the open market has so far backfired, with Manly’s remaining candidates for the No. 6 jersey featuring just 50 games of NRL experience between them — Jackson Hastings (39 games), Cameron Cullen (10) and Lachlan Croker (1).
All start at bottom dollar for SuperCoach and have massive claims as cheapies. Note however, the club has $800,000 in the kitty and is on the open market for a five-eighth, which could dash our cheapie hopes.
Jackson Hastings
Price: $192,800
Position(s): 5/8 - HOK
2017 games: 9
Average: 13
SuperCoaches have fond memories of Hastings, who was one of the cheapies of the year in 2016 at the Roosters when he averaged 52.5 and peaked at a price rise of $230,000. However, Hastings was shown the door by the Chooks for a well-documented attitude problem and he went on to play just nine games at the Sea Eagles last year, averaging 13. He therefore starts in the cheapie bracket once again and has the added benefit of goalkicking — a major area of concern for Manly last year.
Lachlan Croker
Price: $164,600
Position(s): HFB - 5/8
2017 games: 0
Average: N/A
The former Raider is also well known to SuperCoaches — but for a hard luck story. The nephew of Jason Croker was one of THE buzz players of the 2016 pre-season after dominating the Nines and earning comparisons to Laurie Daley. He debuted to great fanfare in round two, but ruptured his ACL soon afterwards and underwent a second knee reconstruction. Still only 20, Croker has started the 2018 pre-season on fire, with officials claiming he is the fittest man at the club and the current favourite for the five-eighth spot.
Cameron Cullen
Price: $177,300
Position(s): 5/8 - HOK
2017 games: 5
Average: 10.8
Lightning quick Cullen averaged just 21 minutes in bit-parts last year, but has shown flashes of SuperCoach brilliance in his 10-game NRL career. He played three full games at the Titans in 2016 for a very impressive average of 59, although his season average dropped to 42.6 following limited minutes in his final two games.
WATCH: TOM SANGSTER AND ROB SUTHERLAND DISCUSS SUPERCOACH 2018!!!
ADAM DOUEIHI
Club: Rabbitohs
Price: $177,300
Position(s): CTW
2017 games: 0
Average: N/A
Came from nowhere to become the most unlikely find of the World Cup. The young Rabbitohs utility was only pitched into Lebanon’s opening match after Chris Saab was injured in the warm-up and he went on to score a crucial try in the second half. From there, he secured a place at centre and was consistently the team’s most dangerous outside back. The Rabbitohs have the worst backline depth in the NRL. Dane Gagai, Greg Inglis and Alex Johnston are proven players and round one certainties, but the remaining two outside back spots must be filled by a motley crew of Tyrell Fuimaono, Robert Jennings, Braidon Burns, Siosifa Talakai, Campbell Graham, Jacob Gagan, Richie Kennar and Doueihi. As anyone who watched the World Cup will tell you, Doueihi is a serious round one chance against this company.
GREG LELEISIUAO
Club: Eels
Price: $164,600
Position(s): CTW
2017 games: 0
Average: N/A
The blockbusting winger or centre is coming off a brilliant NYC season, scoring 17 tries in 19 matches, running for over 4000 metres, making 26 line breaks and busting 206 tackles. The Holden Cup Team of the Year member is unlikely for round one given he sits behind Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings, Bevan French, Clint Gutherson, Brad Takairangi and Josh Hoffman. But from there, centre/wing depth drops off considerably and it’s entirely conceivable to see Leleisiuao beat the likes of George Jennings, Kirisome Auva’a and Nathan Davis to a spot later in the season.
BILLY MAGOULIAS
Club: Sharks
Price: $164,600
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 0
Average: N/A
The NYC Team of the Year member has been earmarked as a long-term replacement for Paul Gallen and is expected to push for an NRL debut in 2018. Magoulis’s Holden Cup stats from last season make for sweet reading — 61 offloads, over 3000 metres, 846 tackles and, most impressively for a forward who uses the ball so often, just 10 errors.
And from Wednesday’s winners and losers story ...
MATTHEW LODGE
Club: Broncos
Price: $208,900
Position(s): FRF
2017 games: N/A
Average: N/A
Lodge has potential to be a Jarrod Wallace-like SuperCoach buy in 2018. Lodge starts almost at bottom dollar after so long out of the game, but will replace Adam Blair as starting prop for the Broncos. Blair averaged 50 minutes last year and if Lodge continues that game time he will average a very handy 53 (based on a career PPM of 1.06, albeit over a small sample size of 12 games).
BRYCE CARTWRIGHT
Club: Panthers
Price: $260,300
Position(s): 2RF - 5/8
2017 games: 12
Average: 29.3
Last year was the season from hell for one of the most talented players in the game. He battled a series of injuries to notch just 12 games at an average of 29.3. Continual stints in the rehab group mean it would be foolish to expect a repeat of Cartwright’s stunning 2016, when he averaged 74.4 and ranked second behind Cameron Smith. However, at just $260,300, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
TAANE MILNE
Club: Tigers
Price: $192,800
Position(s): 2RF - CTW
2017 games: 11
Average: 18.27
Played as a bench utility for all but two of his 11 games last year, averaging a lowly 18 in 29 minutes per game. He therefore starts in the cheapie range, while stints on the interchange mean he has earned valuable dual positioning in the backs and forwards. A bullocking, offloading centre or back rower, Milne was a wrecking machine on the right edge for Fiji in the World Cup and his game is perfectly suited to SuperCoach scoring. In fact, Milne was a revelation in his debut season in 2016 when he averaged a keeper-like 54 over seven games. Milne is one of a plethora of recruits at the Tigers, who have the biggest player turnover of any club. Coach Ivan Cleary is on the record saying spots are up for grabs, and with a strong pre-season, Milne is well in the running for round one spot.
CRAIG GARVEY
Club: Raiders
Price: $177,300
Position(s): HOK
2017 games: 3
Average: 7.67
Garvey is the Jayden Brailey or Kaysa Pritchard of 2018. The former Bulldog starts in the cheapie range after playing just three games last year for an average of 7.7. Now at Canberra, Garvey is frontrunner for the hooking spot following a season-ending ACL injury to Josh Hodgson, likely departure of Kurt Baptiste and unexpected retirement of Adam Clydsdale. UPDATE: Former Dragon Siliva Havili has signed with the Raiders and will push Garvey for the hooking spot. Havili will also start in the cheapie range.