SuperCoach study guide: Sea Eagles makeover produces guns and great value for bargain shoppers
MANLY may have undergone a massive makeover but the main man remains the same — Daly Cherry-Evans. Jamie Lyon joins him in gun status but there’s a couple of cheapies well worth checking out.
WELL, Trent Barrett has arrived on the northern beaches in his bus from the west, and he’s got about 50 players with him from the Panthers.
Aside from that though, the Sea Eagles were one of the more active clubs in terms of off-season signings with big guns Nate Myles, Martin Taupau, Apisai Koroisau and Dylan Walker all certain to make huge impacts from the outset.
The best SuperCoach buys could come from some of the more unfashionable Sea Eagles with the likes of Jamie Buhrer and Brenton Lawrence showing value at their starting price. Guns like Jamie Lyon and Daly Cherry-Evans will reward those that are willing to pay up big from the outset with keeper-like points tallies.
PLAYER MOVEMENT
Ins: Lewis Brown (Panthers), Fabian Goodall (Eels), Nathan Green (Dragons), Isaac John (Panthers), Apisai Koroisau (Panthers), Halauafu Lavaka (Eels), Darcy Lussick (Eels), Tim Moltzen (Tigers), Nate Myles (Titans), Matt Parcell (Broncos), Martin Taupau (Tigers), Dylan Walker (Rabbitohs), John Walker, Tom Wright.
Outs: Matt Ballin (Tigers), Cheyse Blair (Storm), Michael Chee-Kam (Tigers), Clinton Gutherson (Eels), James Hasson (Eels), Peta Hiku (Panthers), Justin Horo (Catalan), Jack Littlejohn (Tigers), Dunamis Lui (Dragons), Will Pearsall (Knights), Ligi Sao (Warriors), Jesse Sene-Lefao
(Sharks), David Williams (released).
PREDICTED BEST 17
Brett Stewart, Jorge Taufua, Jamie Lyon (c), Steve Matai, Tom Trbojevic, Dylan Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Nate Myles, Apisai Koroisau, Jake Trbojevic, Jamie Buhrer, Lewis Brown, Martin Taupau. Interchange: Feleti Mateo, Brenton Lawrence, Darcy Lussick, Matt Parcell.
Dylan Walker has been recruited to play five-eighth alongside Daly Cherry-Evans. Peta Hiku has been let go to accommodate emerging superstar Tom Trbojevic in the backline. Nate Myles, Lewis Brown, Martin Taupau and Darcy Lussick will all earn spots in a new-look pack.
Apisai Koroisau takes over from Matt Ballin at hooker, with coach Trent Barrett indicating exciting recruit Matt Parcell will score a bench spot.
GUNS
Daly Cherry-Evans(HFB) $385,700
Cherry-Evans is without doubt one of the best young playmakers in the NRL. Has got a bad wrap over the last 18 months with the “backflip” saga, and some off nights in Origin but no doubt he is the main man for the Sea Eagles.
Jamie Lyon (CTW) $348,100
If you have ever read any of Sangster’s blogs or stories in the past, you well know that Lyon is “the best CTW in the history of Supercoach”. Well last year he went through a tough patch with injury, spent some time in the halves (where he scores woefully — if he starts there over Walker
then he’s a no go) and still managed to finish 2015 with a price of $429,000 and a five-round average of 79.80. Huge! CTW’s who kick goals and have budding superstars named T. Trbojevich outside them are, well, GOOD at fantasy.
CHEAPIES
Brenton Lawrence (FRF) $166,900
I wrote about him in the Sleeping Giants piece earlier last week and with good reason. Any starting-quality front-rower with scoring potential like Lawrence has at this price is an absolute must. To put it in perspective — he started last season priced $329,400. He could be eased back in, but you only need to look at his past two full-season averages to see how good he can be: 51.77 in 2014 and 53.91 in 2013.
HOLDEN CUP ANALYSIS
Young Addison Demetriou is a HUGE unit and one of the best young prospects north of the harbour not named Trbojevich. He played front row in the early stages of his career and last season was moved to the centres with devastating success. At one point he was leading the
Holden Cup last season in tackle busts and regularly ran for over 200m per game. We don’t really know where or how he may be integrated, but keep him on the watchlist.
VALUE PICKS
Jamie Buhrer (2RF) $285,400
Buhrer was also featured in the Sleeping Giants article. Not as great a discount as Lawrence, but if he gets back to playing 80 minutes then I have no doubt he is capable of increasing in price (think Tohu Harris and his solid production and price rise last year). An average of 50.14 in 70
minutes of game time and PPM of 0.71 is healthy, expect that to get to 60+ if he plays 80 minutes every week.
NO-GO ZONE: PLAYERS TO AVOID
Feleti Mateo (2RF|5/8) $305,200
At mid-$200k last year, playing 80 minutes and even kicking goals for a stretch, he was an iffy selection. Now starting at over $300k and likely in a bench role with the additions of Lewis Brown, Marty Taupau and Brenton Lawrence etc. into that pack, ah … no thanks! Sangster’s man crush is long gone as a fantasy commodity.
Brett Stewart (FLB) $266,400
Yes, Stewart scores lots of tries, particularly at Brookvale Oval. But if he doesn’t he hardly registers a point. An average of 42.14 and PPM of 0.54 isn’t the worst for a fullback, but a low score of 7 with NINE games of 25 points or less gives a good indication that he can’t be relied upon for consistent scoring or cash generation.
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