The Mastermind’s ultimate POD squad revealed

Are you worried your SuperCoach team is looking like everybody elses? Here’s the MasterMind’s ultimate POD squad: 13 players that are flying under the radar with huge scoring potential and under 10% ownership.

• PODFATHER ONE: The point of difference forwards

• PODFATHER TWO: The point of difference backs

Are you a little worried your team looks like everybody elses? Did your sneaky POD suddenly shoot from single digit ownership to double digits over night? Perhaps you’re just a contrarian and want to argue the merits of lesser owned and hyped players.

Pick a few of these players in your team so you can smugly say “I had them before they were cool”.

THE MASTERMIND’S 2019 TEAM REVEALED

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Here’s the MasterMind’s ultimate POD squad: 13 players that have single digit ownership before the season kicks-off.

Don’t you want to be friends with Jake Friend? Get him in your team and you can casually hang out by the pool with him and Victor Radley. Picture: Toby Zerna

HOOKER:

JAKE FRIEND: $481,500, 7% owned

He’s in my team as a back-up to Damien Cook. Friend has hovered around the 60PPG average most of his career. Last year he averaged 51.5PPG after playing reduced minutes until Origin was over. Once he strung 80 minute performances together he averaged 68.5PPG in seven games. If you think Cook is too expensive, Cameron Smith is too old and Josh Hodgson can’t possibly replicate the attacking points from last year, Friend could be your friend.

Josh Papalii at State of Origin camp pondering what he has to do to get some SuperCoaches to pick him. Picture: Adam Head

PROPS:

JOSH PAPALII: $595,900, 9% owned

Papalii averaged 63.7 last year, 66 in 2017, 62.8 in 2016. He’s set for a permanent move into the middle where he’ll have a feast of base points. He’s one of the few players in this position who consistently finds the tryline. He’s scored 17 tries in 64 games over the past three years, bettered by just one player, the next on our list. Is also a dual 2RF.

Ryan James turns on his angry face. Now will you pick him? Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

RYAN JAMES: $585,800, 7% owned

Hasn’t quite reached the heights of his incredible breakout season in 2016 where he scored 11 tries and averaged 72.9PPG as the third best player in the game. He averaged 62.6PPG in 2018 and 59.7PPG in 2017. He’s been moved to the left edge and that seems to be turning people off. Knows how to find the line with 20 tries in his last three seasons. Is also a dual 2RF.

Joseph Tapine has the Johnathan Thurston kiss of approval. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

SECOND ROWERS

JOSEPH TAPINE: $590,100, 3% owned

Had the 8th best average for backrowers in 2018. He averaged 63PPG in his first season as an 80min player and had two-try efforts of 112 and 138 against the Tigers. Just for the record the Raiders play the Tigers in Round 13 and 18 this year.

Dylan! Dylan! Dylan! What about me? Nathan wishes he was the favourite Brown in Eels town. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

NATHAN BROWN: $582,000, 7% owned

It’s a tale of two Browns at the Eels, Dylan Brown has 60% ownership and rising, poor Nathan Brown is sitting at just 7%. Since he joined the Eels in 2017 he’s had 64.6PPG and last year 62.2PPG. He’s only scored one try in each of those seasons. He’s a pure base stats machine.

Nobody’s picking you Felise Kaufusi. Well at least one of these players is taking it well. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

FELISE KAUFUSI: $565,100, 3% owned

The Storm backrower missed Cooper Cronk more than any player to start last season with a pre-Origin average of 53. Once he settled into those new combinations he came home with an average of 67.7PPG after Origin. If he carries that sort of form into this season he’ll be among the top backrowers.

Daly Cherry-Evans and all the SuperCoaches backing him. Picture: Adam Yip

HALFBACK

DALY CHERRY-EVANS: $577,400, 7% owned

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. His durability is also worth factoring in. Cherry Evans has played every game of the past two seasons. SJ who has only played 36 games out of 48 the past two seasons.

Broncos teammates ensuring Anthony Milford’s head is screwed on right this year. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

FIVE-EIGHTH

ANTHONY MILFORD: $511,900, 6% owned

Coming off his worst SuperCoach season ever 54.7PPG. Will he bounce back to a mid 60s average? Milford had to take on the bulk of the organisational duties for the Broncos last year with Ben Hunt gone. You could see the weight of that burden on his game. The Rabbitohs left edge was lethal last year. If Anthony Seibold gets the Broncos firing in the same way, Milford will be in the thick of the points again.

Will Hopoate tries flashing a smile and some muscles to convince SuperCoaches he’s worth it. Picture: Adam Yip

CENTRE/WINGERS

WILL HOPOATE: $556,000, 2% owned

The Bulldog’s little brother Albert had all the pre-season 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.

Will Joseph Manu casually slide into your team? Picture: Phil Hillyard

JOSEPH MANU: $410,500, 7% owned

A rocky start to 2018 means he’s well undervalued with a price based on 43.9PPG. He found confidence mid-season and finished last year with an 8-game average of 62.2PPG. Developed a great combination with Blake Ferguson last year, who’s moved to the Eels, but with Cronk, James Tedesco and Angus Crichton playing inside him those attacking points should keep flowing.

Is it the tattoos? Is it the bandages holding his body together? Josh Dugan ponders why he is in only 1% of teams. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

JOSH DUGAN: $497,400, 1% owned

Just look what David Fusitua did playing outside of Shaun Johnson last year, before that Bodene Thompson. When you’ve got the best attacking half in the game inside you the points will flow. Dugan had 6 tries in 13 games last year for an average of 53.2PPG. 3 tries in 17 games in 2017 at 58.8PPG. There’s big room for improvement here and he’ll have the service. The downside? He’s only played 30 of a possible 48 games the past two seasons.

Please pick me. Well at least Dane Gagai’s being polite about it. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

DANE GAGAI: $497,400, 4% owned

The move to the wing means a lot more runs (especially from kick returns) and tackle busts. You’ve seen what he does on the wing for Queensland in Origin — eight tries in nine games. He’s playing outside Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess. There should be plenty of space for him out wide with those two keeping defenders busy.

Ponga this, Ponga that! Hey what about me, Connor Watson? Picture: AAP Image/Darren Pateman

Fullback:

CONNOR WATSON: $537,100, 2% owned

There’s so much talk about Kalyn Ponga that everyone’s forgetting the other dual position fullback/five-eighth at the Knights. Remove two injury affected scores of 5 and 15 from last year’s stats and you’re looking at 65PPG player Connor Watson.

Originally published as The Mastermind’s ultimate POD squad revealed