Queenslanders Only: The best Maroons in the 2RF position

After years waiting for the next Corey Parker to emerge, a new SuperCoach God has been dropped in our laps. But one key off-season move threatens to ruin everything before it even begins.

REMEMBER the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana Jones has finally got his hands on the golden idol?

That’s how I feel right now. I’ve got my hands on a glorious Rhyse Martin idol. But now a Corey Harawira-Naera-shaped boulder is threatening to crush my SuperCoach dreams.

Each week, I look at the Queenslanders who can help you towards SuperCoach glory — all with a guilt-free conscious. This week we look at the crucial 2RF position.

Queenslanders Only: SuperCoach halves that can make the difference

NRL SuperCoach: How to navigate the CTW desert

SuperCoach NRL 2019: The Queensland fullbacks that can help your team

SuperCoach NRL Cheapie Bible: The 2019 bargains that could make or break your season

Guns

Rhyse Martin (Bulldogs) 2RF — $634,300

Tries? Tick. Offloads? Tick. Tackle breaks? Tick. Workrate? Tick. Kicks goals? Tick. Squint and I see Corey Parker. We should all be hailing our new God but the Bulldogs have threatened to pull down the SuperCoach statue before it’s even built with the signing of ex-cheapie hall-of-famer Harawira-Naera.

Rhyse Martin is the new SuperCoach God we’ve all been waiting for. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

Don’t get me wrong, I love CHN’s game. But he ain’t from Queensland, and that’s a problem when you’re writing a Queenslander-themed SuperCoach column. With RFM also around there will be a lot of competition to line up next to Josh Jackson. $634,300 is a helluva lot to pay for someone who might not even play but if Martin gets the start in Round 1, get him in your team.

Jai Arrow (Titans) 2RF — $598,000

Arrow is a must have and you should not even have to think about it. He’s lost his FRF dual position but late season injuries are the only reason why you’re getting him for under $600k.

Mid-rangers

Matt Gillett (Broncos) 2RF — $432,900

A borderline gun at this price, what’s the catch? Oh, that’s right. IF Gillett can return to his days as the NRL’s best second rower then this is a bargain for a genuine POD who averaged 65PPG in 2017. But ideally I want to see what sort of role he’s got in the Broncos’ stacked forward pack in the opening rounds before taking the plunge.

Kurt Capewell (Sharks) CTW|2RF — $340,200

The Sharks utility is set for an expanded role in 2019, so is an absolute must for your team. I prefer him in a CTW slot but just get him in any way you can.

It’s Joe Ofahengaue’s time now at the Broncos. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Joe Ofahengaue 2RF|FRF — $481,300; David Fifita 2RF — $456,600; Jaydn Su’a 2RF — $425,200

Josh McGuire and Sam Thaiday are gone but there’s a line of young Broncos ready to take their places. Throw in Gillett, Tevita Pangai Jr, Payne Haas and Kotoni Staggs and you start to realise there’s not enough minutes to go around to make SuperCoaches happy. Ofahengaue is the one to have out of this trio: he averaged 58PPG in 56 minutes over the final 15 games of last season. It would be reasonable to expect those numbers again in 2019 if he gets the start at prop.

Cheapies

Tino Fa’asuamaleuai (Storm) 2RF — $168,100

The big Gympie boy with the bigger name is a Junior Kangaroo rep who at 18 had a breakout season with Easts Tigers and played in the Intrust Super Cup grand final. Now he’s challenging for a spot in the Storm 17 and I’m already sold. He looks certain to make his NRL debut some point this season.

Oh yeah, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is the biggest man in the world now. And he’s cheapie gold.

Ethan Lowe (Cowboys) 2RF — $287,600

A few SuperCoaches will be tempted by a guy who averaged 64PPG over a full season just three years ago at the price of a cheapie. But Lowe played A LOT of Intrust Super Cup last year and that’s before Josh McGuire was added to the mix at the Cowboys. Maybe circumstances will change, but be wary of picking Lowe to start the season.

Patrick Carrigan (Broncos) 2RF|FRF — $168,100; Thomas Flegler (Broncos) 2RF — $168,100; Shane Wright (Cowboys) 2RF — $222,700; JJ Collins (Raiders) 2RF|FRF — $196,900; Corey Horsburgh (Raiders) — $168,100; Josh Kerr (Dragons) 2RF|FRF — $168,100; Keegan Hipgrave (Titans) 2RF|FRF — $239,300

Carrigan and Flegler are highly regarded but are well down the depth chart at the Broncos. Can Hipgrave step up? He’s only managed low minutes so far in his NRL career thus limiting his SuperCoach impact, but he turned down some big offers to stay at the Titans, so maybe this is the year he gets more run.

Avoid

Gavin Cooper (Cowboys) 2RF — $515,500

Cooper was in white-hot form to end 2018, scoring a try in each of the Cowboys’ final nine games. Which is why you need to stay away from him: he’s unlikely to reproduce those numbers and you’re paying top dollar to get him.

The Rest

Felise Kaufusi (Storm) 2RF — $565,100; Coen Hess (Cowboys) 2RF — $547,200; Aiden Guerra (Knights) 2RF — $544,300

If you are looking for 2RF PODs, look no further than this trio. Kaufusi and Hess are dependent on tries for big scores, but both averaged more last year than in their breakout seasons in 2017. And who am I to argue with last year’s winner over base stats master Guerra?

Felise Kaufusi loves a try and I love a POD. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Josh McGuire (Cowboys) 2RF|FRF $473,600; Josh Papalii (Raiders) 2RF|FRF — $595,900

I’ll talk about these two more when I look at the FRF position but with an average of 63.7PPG in 2018 and just 8 per cent ownership, Papalii is a must-have. McGuire is a possible buy-low candidate after averaging 50.6PPG in a down year — he normally averages closer to 60PPG.

Jayson Bukuya (Sharks) 2RF — $380,500; Dunamis Lui (Raiders) 2RF|FRF — $315,000; Luke Bateman (Raiders) 2RF|FRF — $339,000; Chris McQueen (Tigers) 2RF — $243,300

Bukuya is worth keeping an eye on if he can jag more playing time in the Sharks’ rejigged second row. Otherwise this group will be limited in bench roles and not worth bringing in.

Originally published as Queenslanders Only: The best Maroons in the 2RF position