NRL SuperCoach study guide 2018: Newcastle Knights

APART from providing a few cheapie cash cows, the Newcastle Knights have offered very little from a SuperCoach point of view lately — that’s going to change in 2018.

APART from providing a few cheapie cash cows, the Newcastle Knights have offered very little from a SuperCoach point of view over the past few seasons.

As far as ‘SuperCoach guns’ go, the Knights don’t exactly boast heavy artillery and in 2017 the highest scoring Novocastrian was Mitchell Barnett who came in at 52nd overall.

However, in 2018 they have recruited heavily to restore the faith of their most loyal and passionate fans, and even though many are predicting a largely improved Knights outfit this season, the big question remains, will any of the new recruits be SuperCoach relevant?

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Which Newcastle Knights will be SuperCoach relevant in 2018?

BEST 17

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Nathan Ross 3. Tautau Moga 4. Sione Mata’utia 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Connor Watson 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Jacob Lillyman 9. Danny Levi 10. Daniel Saifiti 11. Aidan Guerra 12. Jamie Buhrer 13. Mitch Barnett 14. Chris Heighington 15. Herman Ese’ese 16. Jacob Saifiti 17. Brock Lamb

PLAYER MOVEMENTS

Ins: Slade Griffin (Storm), Aidan Guerra (Roosters), Herman Ese’ese (Broncos), Jacob Lillyman (Warriors), Chris Heighington (Sharks), Tautau Moga (Broncos), Kalyn Ponga (Cowboys), Mitchell Pearce (Roosters), Connor Watson (Roosters)

Outs: Dane Gagai (Rabbitohs), Brendan Elliot (Titans), Jaelen Feeney (Townsville Blackhawks), Rory Kostjasyn (retired), Sam Mataora (retired), Chanel Mata’utia (retired), Peter Mata’utia (Leigh), Jarrod Mullen (retired), Mickey Paea (Hull FC), Josh Starling (Oberon), Anthony Tupou (retired), Pauli Pauli (Wakefield Trinity), David Bhana (released), Will Pearsall (released), Joe Wardle (Castleford), Tyler Randell (Wakefield Trinity), Jacob Gagan (Rabbitohs), Jesse Martin (Sea Eagles), Jack Stockwell (Titans).

BYE

Round 17

Mitchell Pearce is a gun but may struggle behind the Newcastle pack. Picture: Brett Costello

GUNS

Mitchell Pearce (HFB, $548,600)

Pearce is a borderline gun at best from a SuperCoach perspective but he’s probably the best the Knights have got. There is no questioning his ability to put up attacking stats as we saw in 2017 with 7 tries, 17 try-assists, 9 line-breaks and 22 line-break assists, however, he only scored above 60 in 11 of his 21 games which will be enough to deter many experienced SuperCoaches who are often reluctant to invest in halves who don’t kick goals. Pearce’s effectiveness may also be impacted by playing behind a less experienced and possibly less dominant forward pack than what he is used to.

Kalyn Ponga (FLB, $419,900)

The young ‘Superstar’ has a long way to go before he earns gun-status but a fresh start could be the spark this kid needs to launch into orbit. His starting price is based on a 52 average but that average includes the horrific 1 he scored against the Sharks during his 46 minutes in round twenty-four. If we look at his six 80-minute games we see that he scored three tries for a six-game average of 61. Only available at FLB which is far from ideal but extremely tempting at under $420,000.

Will Ponga turn potential into points in 2018. Picture: Phil Hillyard

PODS

Mitchell Barnett (2RF, $502,600)

Barnett’s relevance as a POD relies entirely on his minutes. In the past two seasons he has scored his points with economical PPM stats of 1.0 and 0.9 (for new players, this means he scores at around a point per minute while on the field). He averaged 55 minutes a game last season and his price is based on a 56 average so if he can return to his 2016 average of 74 minutes a game, Barnett could be a handy POD. Potential owners may also want to take into account that in the two games in which he played over 70 minutes in 2017, he posted scores of 70 and 94.

Aidan Guerra (2RF, $460,300)

Guerra is $42,300 cheaper than the above mentioned Barnett but similarly only becomes an option if his new role requires him to return to being an eighty-minute player. Guerra’s average time on the field nosedived by over ten minutes a game last year, however, his PPM increased to 0.91 so there is definitely room for growth if he plays the full-eighty. It is also worth mentioning that in his five 80-minute games during 2017 he posted scores of 53, 116 (two tries), 70, 58 and 79 for a five-game average of 75.

LISTEN!!! The podcast team dissect important pre-season news and reveal their early picks for 2018.

CHEAPIES

Unlike the past two seasons, it appears that SuperCoaches will not be gifted their usual high quota of cheapies from the Knights in 2018. Italian international Jack Johns was the one looking most likely but he is still recovering from off-season surgery after fracturing his arm playing for Italy in the World Cup. Instead, let’s look at a popular mid-priced option who is currently sitting in 47 per cent of teams.

Connor Watson (5/8/FLB, $286,700)

If Connor Watson can lock down a starting spot in the halves with Mitchell Pearce, he will be a very popular choice in round one. His price is based on a 32 average and PPM stats of 0.8 and 0.85 in the past two years certainly present a strong case that he could make valuable dollars in the early part of the season. There is definitely a ‘Luke Keary, 2017’ feel about Watson this year.

Connor Watson (R) will look to lock down a starting spot in the halves with Mitchell Pearce (L) at the Knights. Picture: Brett Costello

NO GO ZONE

Tautau Moga (CTW, $461,100)

While some of the new recruits have created interest and given SuperCoaches much to ponder, Moga is ‘so 2017’ and should not be considered for our starting line-ups. Moga found some form in the back half of 2017 finishing with a nine-game average of 60 but he starts nearly $300,000 more expensive in 2018 and has had a disrupted off-season due to shoulder surgery.

First name	Surname	Position 1	Position 2	Games	Average	Price
Tyrone	Amey	FRF	2RF	1	52.00	$276,900
Mitchell	Barnett	2RF		22	56.64	$502,600
Jamie	Buhrer	2RF	HOK	16	54.88	$487,000
Jack	Cogger	HFB		2	23.50	$208,600
Cory	Denniss	CTW		0		$177,300
Herman	Ese'ese	FRF		19	39.47	$350,300
Lachlan	Fitzgibbon	2RF		14	57.64	$511,600
Jacob	Gagai	Five-eighth		0		$164,600
Slade	Griffin	HOK	2RF	11	28.18	$250,100
Aidan	Guerra	2RF		22	51.86	$460,300
Christian	Hazard	HFB	HOK	0		$164,600
Chris	Heighington	2RF	FRF	21	31.67	$281,000
Trent	Hodkinson	HFB		17	38.88	$345,100
Tom	Hughes	CTW		0		$164,600
Jack	Johns	Five-eighth		0		$164,600
Shaun	Kenny-Dowall	CTW		15	41.33	$366,800
Josh	King	FRF		15	34.67	$307,700
Brock	Lamb	Five-eighth	HFB	21	47.76	$423,900
Danny	Levi	HOK		24	44.13	$391,600
Jacob	Lillyman	FRF		21	44.05	$390,900
Pat	Mata'utia	CTW		0		$208,400
Sione	Mata'utia	2RF		22	45.41	$403,000
Nick	Meaney	FLB		0		$164,600
Tautau	Moga	CTW		24	51.96	$461,100
Brent	Naden	FLB	CTW	0		$164,600
Mitchell	Pearce	HFB		21	61.81	$548,600
Dylan	Phythian	FLB		1	17.00	$177,300
Kalyn	Ponga	FLB		7	52.57	$419,900
Nathan	Ross	CTW	FLB	20	49.50	$439,300
Daniel	Saifiti	FRF		23	45.13	$400,500
Jacob	Saifiti	FRF	2RF	21	32.00	$284,000
Pasami	Saulo	2RF	FRF	0		$164,600
Ken	Sio	CTW		21	29.05	$257,800
Tom	Starling	HOK				$164,600
Sam	Stone	FRF	2RF	16	30.19	$267,900
Connor	Watson	Five-eighth	FLB	20	32.30	$286,700
Luke	Yates	2RF	FRF	19	29.84	$264,800

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