The Mastermind reveals his points of difference kings with players who score high but aren’t owned

Resident SuperCoach expert The Mastermind has made us an offer we can’t refuse. He’s collated the backs with the lowest ownership and highest scores for The Podfather: Part II

• THE PODFATHER PART I: The forwards

Call me the PODfather.

The Mastermind is going to make you an offer of 25 players you can’t refuse.

Well, you can, everybody else is, and that’s the point of this week’s experiment.

We’ve crunched the numbers on players with big averages and low ownership.

Points of difference (PODs) will lift your team above the pack while most SuperCoaches pack the same cash cow rookies and guns.

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These aren’t just any old PODs though. These are the super PODS. Players in the 1-3% that are being selected by probably only themselves and family members.

Because you never go against family.

Try the PODfather’s advice... leave the guns and take the delicious POD canolli.

This week, backs.

Daly Cherry-Evans could be a game-changer for SuperCoaches this season.

HALFBACK

Daly Cherry-Evans: $566,400, 61.7PPG, 6%

OK, he’s at 6% so not quite super POD but I’m still scratching my head how he’s so low. He was last year’s top scoring halfback with 1481 points, 300 clear of the next best. He had an average equal to Nathan Cleary, with only Shaun Johnson ahead of him on 64.4PPG. He’s backed up the same average from 2017.

Ben Hunt: $481,300, 51.4ppg, 2%

The second highest scoring halfback of 2018 with 1183. Hunt finished last year with scores of 19,16,10 and 38. That sticks in the mind more than the 71.4PPG in 2014 when he was the fourth best player in SC. His average has dropped every year since then to where it is now.

Connor Watson’s injuries hurt his overall average. Picture: Phil Hillyard

FIVE-EIGHTH

Connor Watson: $537,100, 57.4ppg, 3%

Remove two injury affected scores of 5 and 15 from last year’s stats and you’re looking at a 65PPG player.

Alexander Brimson: $462,200, 49.4ppg, 3%

Had a slow start in his rookie year and tested the patience of SuperCoaches before unleashing 492 points in the last 8 rounds averaging 61.5PPG.

Will Hopoate is a proven scorer in SuperCoach. Picture: AAP Image

CENTRES/WINGERS

Will Hopoate: $556,000, 59.4ppg. 2%

The Bulldog’s little brother Albert is getting plenty of hype as a potential cash cow at Manly, but if you want the proven article here’s the Hopper for you. Will had 1426 points in 2018, the third highest scoring in the position and 5th best average. That was with just 5 tries in 24 games. He managed 58.9PPG in 2017 with 3 tries in 18 games.

Brenko Lee: $491,900, 52.6ppg, 0%

Lee is one of those backs that has struggled to find the tryline recently. He scored just three tries in 14 games last year and three the year before in 18 games at an average of 57.3PPG.

Most coaches would expect outside backs to score minimum 10 tries per year. If he could get to that level, he’s easily a 60PPG player.

Josh Dugan’s injury troubles have him on the nose with SuperCoaches.

Josh Dugan: $497,400, 53.2ppg, 1%

His injury record probably turns off most SuperCoaches but just look what David Fusitua did playing outside of Shaun Johnson last year. Dugan had 6 tries in 13 games last year. 3 tries in 17 games in 2017. There’s big room for improvement here and he’ll have the service.

Robert Jennings: $531,800, 56.8ppg, 1%

Had the 8th highest average in the position. What were we saying above about tries pumping up your average? Jennings had 18 in 18 games in 2018. It seems nobody believes the Bunny will pull this trick out of his hat again.

David Nofoaluma just needs a couple of more tries to leap up the scoring list.

David Nofoaluma: $483,500, 51.7ppg, 1%

Has been a tackle busting machine in the past with a 2017 average of 63.5PPG and 59.9PPG in 2016. Only had 6 tries from 18 games in 2018.

Waqa Blake: 58.8ppg, $550,100, 2%

The Panther had two seasons averaging low 40s before last year’s breakthrough when he scored 12 tries in 14 games. Worringly, when he didn’t score a try he put up SC scores of 17, 22, 26, 66. Blake simply doesn’t have the base stats and workrate of other PODs on this list.

Michael Gordon’s goalkicking is an added bonus for anyone willing to take the leap.

FULLBACKS

Michael Gordon: $514,600, 55ppg, 1%

The Titans veteran cracked 100 twice last year, 138 on the Bulldogs and 100 on Manly. He knows how to get in on the points when his team is firing and the Gold Coast line-up looks better this year. Also has the handy bonus of goalkicking at 78% last year.

Dylan Edwards: $473,700, 50.6ppg, 2%

The Panthers fullback would have averaged 55PPG without injury affected scores last year and was a 57.6PPG player in 2017. His price is almost certain to rise.

Originally published as The Mastermind reveals his points of difference kings with players who score high but aren’t owned