Former champ Sam Rohlf eyes left-field NRL SuperCoach cheapies

Former NRL SuperCoach champion Sam Rohlf reveals the left-field rookies to have taken his fancy over the NRL pre-season.

“Guns and rookies” has always been one of the most used strategies in SuperCoach.

Everyone knows the guns because of their expensive price tags. But when it comes to picking a rookie, most times you only have a two game snippet before making a huge decision that will affect your team’s money-making ability.

The guys chosen here are a deep dive into the rookie pool. They are players I noticed over the trials, but are placed behind more established teammates.

I would be surprised if any made a debut before the half way mark of the season, if at all this year. But it never hurts in SuperCoach to keep your eye out for the next generation.

2017 NRL SuperCoach champion Sam Rohlf.

Cruz Topai-Aveai ($168,100 2RF) Cronulla Sharks

There’s no doubt CTA, who I will christen to the SuperCoach community, is well down the depth chart at the Sharks to start the year.

But what a bunch of names learn from as you do your league apprenticeship under Paul Gallen, Andrew Fifita, Matt Prior and Wade Graham.

Topai-Aveai wasn’t hard to miss in the trials. Standing at an imposing 192cm and hitting the scales at 110kg, CTA has good agility and definitely has the body shape and game style to be a successful SuperCoach player when his time arrives.

CTA was limited to six games for the Rabbitohs U/20s in 2017 but showed enough for the Sharks to snatch him mid-year and add another two seasons.

The former rugby junior doesn’t have much league experience but already sits in the Sharks’ top 30 squad and has two per cent ownership at the moment.

Braydon Trindall ($168,100 HFB) Cronulla Sharks

Trindall, like teammate Topai-Aveai, is behind senior players, in this case Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend, Matt Moylan and even young gun Kyle Flanagan for a halves starting birth.

Trindall was the Sharks Jersey Flegg Player of the Year for 2018 and is currently on a development contract, so won’t be available until after June 30. He scored five tries, kicked 70 goals and two field goals for a 162 point tally last season.

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Trindall was named in the Emerging Maroons squad and was also man of the match in the Sharks Jersey Flegg grand final win last season.

He had some game time in the Sharks/Knights trial when the top team was taken from the park, but will start the year for Newtown in the Intrust Super Premiership.

Thomas Mikaele ($168,000 FRF) West Tigers

Mikaele has graduated to the Tigers top 30 after being on a development contract in 2018.

He had a decorated career as a junior, captaining Keebra Park High School to the Schoolboys Cup Final in 2016 as well as being a two-time selection in both the Queensland U/18s and Queensland U/20s.

With three key attributes speed, agility and power to go with his big size of 190cm and 109kg, Mikaele is another who is a part of the Emerging Maroons squad.

He was given game time in the recent Tigers/Warriors trial and made a good account of himself.

Mikaele, like the other two mentioned players, is behind a few senior players but the recent jaw injury to Chris Lawrence may have moved him up one spot in the pecking order, although he’s more likely a late season prospect.

Originally published as Former champ Sam Rohlf eyes left-field NRL SuperCoach cheapies