SuperCoach PODs for 2017: Who can give you the edge next season?
IT’S never too early to start planning for 2017 so Dave Von Kotze has given you an early Christmas present — his top POD tips for next season.
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IT’S never too early to start planning for 2017 so Dave Von Kotze has given you an early Christmas present — his top POD tips for next season.
1) Ryan James (FRF/2RF)
Ryan James took out the award for POD of the year in 2016 after finishing the season as the third highest scoring player overall and the highest scoring FRF in the game.
He finished the season with an average of 72 in 24 games after scoring 11 tries and remained in under 12 per cent of teams until Round 15.
James will start the 2017 season at $487,400 so SuperCoaches will have to weigh up whether or not last year will be too hard to replicate or if the monster from the Titans can continue to live up to the hype that has surrounded him for a number of seasons.
2) Nathan Cleary (HFB)
Many SuperCoaches will elect to kick off next season with a ‘don’t fix what’s not broken’ approach in the HFB position and stick to Johnathan Thurston or Shaun Johnson.
Now don’t get me wrong, the above mentioned halfbacks are SC royalty.
However, the young gun who was one of the cheapies of the year in 2016 could be a sneaky little option for over $20,000 cheaper.
Cleary burst onto the scene and cracked the ton on three occasions to finish the season with an average of 66 for his 13 games.
Another interesting stat which makes Cleary just that little bit more enticing exists in the fact that two of his triple figured scores came against the Tigers (108) and the Roosters (119) who the Panthers will play along with the Dragons in the first three games of 2017.
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3) Sione Mata’utia (CTW/2RF)
Mata’utia will start the season at $308,700 which is a price that is based on a 2016 season average of 46.
These stats suggest that he is a typical mid-priced trap, however, with his dual position flexibility he may have the ability to make some early season cash which could turn him into a springboard to pick up a slow starting CTW gun.
SuperCoaches will have to do some early season research and take note of what position Mata’utia plays.
If he is in the backs, disregard him as a POD option, however, if he locks down a spot as an edge-forward where he played late this season during four games and averaged 57, he will deserve some consideration.
4) Jack De Belin (FRF/2RF)
JDB is another who remained well within the POD zone in 2016 despite putting up some impressive numbers.
His ownership percentage will hit much higher than 4.5 per cent in 2017 if he can pick up where he left off this year playing the full-eighty in five of the last seven games for a seven-game average of 76. JDB will keep dual positioning and be available for $424,600.
5) Mitchell Moses (5/8)
Available at only 5/8, Moses will be an alternative in the halves with low ownership for those looking to stray from the pack.
He will take the field for the Tigers with a price tag of $371,100 which stemmed from a 2016 average of 55 but much like the above mentioned De Belin, if Moses can continue next season like he finished this year with a 12-game average of 70, he could provide some genuine POD fire power.
6) Bevan French (FLB/CTW)
French first popped onto the radar of many SuperCoaches at the Auckland Nines this year and when he got his first start in the NRL in round 12, many of his owners were hoping for big things from the young speedster.
The following became evident for French owners — the kid knew how to score tries (13 in eleven games) but unfortunately from a SC perspective he wasn’t the biggest fan of coming off his wing and when the tries didn’t come, he delivered a few stinkers including a 9 in round 18 to average of 40 in 11 games despite bagging 13 tries.
French appeared to be firmly entrenched in the ‘never again’ category, that was until the final two rounds when a positional change to fullback saw him score two hat-tricks to finish off the season with scores of 95 and 117.
French is certainly a riskier option at $336,800 but if he retains the number one jersey heading into the 2017 season, he may keep the 17-pointers coming your way.
7) Kane Elgey (HFB/5/8)
Elgey missed the 2016 season due to a knee injury and has created some interest after being the first player of the year to gain the ‘He’s training the house down in pre-season’ tag.
Elgey could definitely be worth a crack for $226,700 as a reserve in the halves considering he has shown the ability to go big with scores of 116 and 127 during the 2015 season.
Potential owners will need to keep an eye on pre-season trails to see if Elgey starts over either Tyrone Roberts or this season’s revelation Ashley Taylor.
8) Clint Gutherson (CTW/5/8)
Gutherson went on a great run finishing the season with a final 8-game average of 64 after scoring over 60 on five occasions including a season-high 110 in round 19.
He made a successful positional change in round 20 to five-eighth and was impressive in the halves.
Gutherson is priced at an awkward $336,200 but has a favourable bye schedule and dual position flexibility. He is probably only SC relevant if he retains his spot in the halves.
9) Valentine Holmes (FLB/CTW)
For the second year in succession there is grey area surrounding who will get the nod to start the season in the Sharks number one jumper.
In 2016, Ben Barba made it his own and was one of the best mid-priced purchases of the year for thousands of owners. Barba will sit out virtually the first half of the season after pressing the fun button too much on Mad Monday which could open the door for Valentine Holmes.
If he starts at the back for the Sharkies, at $329,300 Holmes could either star with more attacking opportunities in the premiership winning side or be one of the ‘crash and burn’ stories of the 2017 SuperCoach season.
10) Bodene Thompson (2RF)
Thompson commands respect and honourable mention as a POD after being one of the best PODS in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
His average of 66 this year has left him with a hefty starting price of $442,700 but the Warriors edge-forward has shown over the long term that he has the SuperCoach goods.
In 2015, Thompson moved across the ditch and found his feet nicely with the Warriors finishing the season with an average of 61 and scoring over 60 fifty-five per cent of the time.
He built on that in 2016 holding down an average of 66 scoring above 60 for sixty-one per cent of his games and posted six scores over 80 including a season high 114. All of this came with an ownership percentage of below 5 per cent until round 24.
Overall winner Wilfred Zee credits PODene as his super POD for the year and one of the pivotal trades he made on the way taking the Holy Grail and 50,000 big ones.
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