NRL SuperCoach: 10 things we learned from round 21

CAMERON Smith no longer an automatic selection, Leipana back in business, Latrell Mitchell suddenly a consistency machine.

ROUND 21 was another high-scoring week for SuperCoach NRL — presented by hipages. Tom Sangster looks at what we learned

1 Always captain Cook ... against any opposition

Cook’s captaincy numbers dipped this week due to a tough match-up against the Storm (although he still finished as the most popular skipper at 18 per cent). However, Cook proved the POD hunters wrong with 110, including a try assist and match-defining solo try. He has now scored the most points of any player in SuperCoach by almost 100 points, despite missing two games. Just like Corey Parker and Paul Gallen in years gone by, it’s almost impossible not to hand Cook the “C” every week.

2 Smith no longer a lock for 17s

Cameron Smith was forced off with injury on the weekend.

While on the subject of hookers, GOAT Cameron Smith was significantly outplayed by Cook in Friday’s blockbuster before limping off after 74 minutes. He has since been cleared of serious injury and will take his place this weekend. But at 50 per cent ownership (second most popular player in the game), SuperCoaches have been handed a serious POD chance given Smith has three and five game averages of just 48.7 and 62.4. Worryingly, Smith has made just seven runs in his last five games.

3 Arrow back on target

The Gold Coast forward was almost impossible to include in 17s over the weekend due to an ongoing knee injury. He was rested from round 18 and averaged just 41 over the following two weeks. However, Arrow resumed his big-scoring ways against the Eels with 72, entirely in base. He is once again a genuine contender for 17s, sitting almost in the POD range for a player of his calibre after being sold by 7500 SuperCoaches over the last three weeks.

4 Lolo goes high-high

Jason Taumalolo came into the round with a three-game average of just 53 and was therefore left on the pine by many. He went on to produce his best score of the year (112), including a try and try assist. He has now scored the second most points of any player and it would take a brave SuperCoach to leave him out for the first week of head-to-head finals.

Jason Taumalolo celebrates a try.

5 Cleary canes Munster in POD battle

Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster went into the round as the most talked-about halves in the game. Cleary was the clear winner after banging out 88 to up his three-game average to 88.3, while Munster could manage just 23 in Melbourne’s top-of-table clash against the Rabbitohs. That said, Cleary again left it late with his score boosted by a try assist, linebreak assist, 40/20 and four goals in the final 22 minutes.

6 Latrell a must-have for those with trades

The Roosters are on a rip and so is Latrell. He has the best three-game average of any player in the competition. Over the season, only teammate Blake Ferguson has averaged more points at CTW. Derided for his inconsistency at the start of the year, Mitchell has produced just one score below 32 this season.

Latrell Mitchell has kicked on following Origin.

7 Valentine now kicking goals

Valentine Holmes is one of the hottest players in the competition, doubling his ownership to 16 per cent in the space of a month. And now there’s another reason to select the competition’s top tryscoer - he assumed the goalkicking duties on the weekend to add an extra 22 points to his score. Holmes has scored 18 tries in his last 15 NRL games and is rocking a five-game average of 78, although mid-game swapping with Josh Dugan between fullback and wing could affect his scores going forward. The Sharks have a tough match up this week against the Storm in Melbourne before a dream run against the Cowboys, Knights and Bulldogs.

8 Speaking of backline guns ... Leipana are at it again

It’s more than half a season too late but SuperCoach favourites BJ Leilua and Jordan Rapana have finally hit their straps. BJ is rocking five and three game averages of 78.6 and 100.3. Rapana has notched 95, 78, 29 and 96 since returning from a hamstring injury. And all this on a supposedly tough run that included the Sharks, Storm and Panthers in the last three weeks.

Joseph Leilua scored three tries on the weekend.

9 SJ hits the skids

The Warriors playmaker is in a serious slump. He has averaged just 42 in his last five games, which ranks him a lowly 34th for all halves. However, he still sits fifth in terms of average following scintillating form over his first nine games. His form is frustrating but he has an eye-catching run home against the Knights, Bulldogs, Panthers and Raiders (three of which are at his favourite Mt Smart Stadium).

10 Rhyse Martin is the real deal

He has been dubbed God 2.0 and the stats add up, albeit over a small sample size of 10 games. Martin has the highest average of any 2RF and second highest of any player. He has averaged 78.1, which definitely places him in the range of the original “God” Corey Parker, despite not kicking goals in his first four games.

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach: 10 things we learned from round 21