Winners and losers from 2018 NRL SuperCoach prices and positions
REFORMED Brisbane bad boy Matt Lodge has surged into SuperCoach buy of the year contention following the unveiling of player prices and positions for 2018. Tom Sangster looks at the winners and losers.
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REFORMED Brisbane bad boy Matt Lodge has surged into SuperCoach buy of the year contention following the unveiling of player prices and positions for 2018.
Lodge hasn’t played NRL in three seasons due to a string of off-field incidents, but Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett has confirmed the former Junior Kangaroo will start the season at prop in place of the departed Adam Blair.
Every player, every price and every position for SuperCoach 2018 is LIVE NOW, with Lodge and Bryce Cartwright headlining the winners and SuperCoach great Paul Gallen a surprise loser.
And from tomorrow (Thursday) SuperCoach Gold subscribers can log-in to our Team Picker and select a side for 2018.
Key notes:
* The SuperCoach salary cap has increased in line with the actual NRL cap to $9.4 million, up from $7 million.
* Player prices are therefore much higher in 2018, but the difficulty remains similar.
* Tom Trbojevic is the most expensive player in the game at $677,300, up from last year’s end price of $518,400.
* The base price for cheapies has increased from $122,600 to $164,600.
WATCH: TOM SANGSTER AND ROB SUTHERLAND DISCUSS SUPERCOACH 2018!!!
WINNERS
Matthew Lodge
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
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
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
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.
Connor Watson
Price: $286,700
Position(s): FLB - 5/8
2017 games: 20
Average: 32.30
Played as a super sub at the Roosters last year, averaging 32.30 in 42 minutes. However, Watson has signed with the Knights for 2018 where he is frontrunner to partner Mitchell Pearce in the halves (although Brock Lamb is also a chance). Notably, Watson has shown SuperCoach promise in the past, averaging 56.3 in games where he played 75 minutes or more last season, suggesting huge price movement if he can jag a starting spot. Dual position.
Sam Burgess
Price: $572,600
Position(s): 2RF - FRF
2017 games: 21
Average: 64.52
Big Sam is coming off his worst ever SuperCoach season and therefore starts at his lowest ever price (when changes to the salary cap over the years are taken into account). However, champion players never stay on the canvas for long and we expect Burgess to return to SuperCoach stardom from a bargain price. Retains dual position status
Johnathan Thurston
Price: $536,300
Position(s): HFB
2017 games: 7
Average: 67.14
Played plenty of last year injured and produced his lowest average in five years. With a small discount also factored in for playing just seven games, Thurston starts $100,000 cheaper than the most expensive player in his position, Shaun Johnson. Age is a factor, but with no representative footy this year, Thurston can concentrate entirely on the Cowboys and we therefore expect a massive SuperCoach season.
LOSERS
Brodie Croft
Price: $476,800
Position(s): HFB
2017 games: 4
Average: 76.75
Cooper Cronk’s heir apparent is one of the most exciting youngsters in the game. However, even with a considerable discount applied for playing just four games, Croft starts well out of cheapie range after notching the highest average of any player last year.
Tom Trbojevic
Price: $677,300
Position(s): FLB
2017 games: 22
Average: 76.32
Including Tommy Turbo in the losers list is extremely harsh after an incredible season where finished in the top echelon for every key attacking stat - runs (fourth), run metres (fourth), tackle busts (eighth), linebreaks (fifth), try assists (eighth) and tries (16th). He will be a must-have player at some stage in 2018, but there are two key facts to point out. Firstly, Trbojevic is officially the most expensive player in the game at a record $677,300. Secondly, he has been stripped of CTW status after playing every match at fullback last year. Fullback now becomes a nightmare SuperCoach position with the likes of Turbo, James Tedesco, Billy Slater, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kalyn Ponga needing to be squeezed into two spots.
Paul Gallen
Price: $674,900
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 24
Average: 76.04
The Gal-Bot last year reaffirmed his status as the best SuperCoach player of all-time by topping the rankings yet again. In terms of average, Gallen has never finished below fifth and he has topped the list an incredible four times. In the main this has been achieved with the added convenience of dual position flexibility, which has been stripped for next season after starting all 24 games at lock.
Tohu Harris
Price: $517,200
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 11
Average: 58.27
Harris has been a SuperCoach staple over the last few years as an 80 minute forward who can produce reliable scores in the SuperCoach backs. However, the Warriors recruit is no longer available at CTW after playing 10 of 11 games in the back row, with the other off the bench.
Jake Trbojevic
Price: $651,000
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 23
Average: 73.35
The NSW and Test workhorse is backing up from a stunning season where he scored the second most points of any SuperCoach player. But the Evil SuperCoach Fairy has stripped him of dual status after playing every match at lock last season.
Angus Crichton
Price: $609,100
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 22
Average: 68.64
Produced one of the great SuperCoach seasons last year, going from borderline cheapie to must-have keeper. However, Crichton has been stripped of dual status after playing all 22 games at right edge, lock or off the bench.
Jack De Belin
Price: $590,800
Position(s): 2RF
2017 games: 23
Average: 66.57
A picture of consistency last year, scoring below 50 just once in his best SuperCoach season to date. However, De Belin is no longer available at prop after starting 22 games at lock, with one of the bench.