Broncos v Cowboys NRL SuperCoach showdown: Is 2016 year of the Queenslander?

PICKING the right halfback in SuperCoach can make or break your season. You probably think JT is the man this year - but there’s also a resilient bench warmer you shouldn’t pass up.

LAST year was the year of the Queenslander.

From reclaiming the Origin shield to the all-Queensland grand final, 2015 saw those from the Sunshine State flex their muscle.

Given that hot run, it would not a surprise then if SuperCoach teams this year were packed with Queenslanders, particularly Broncos and Cowboys players.

If you are keen to ride on the back of Queensland’s finals success, we’ve lined up some of Brisbane and North Queensland’s top players to give you an idea of the best men for your SuperCoach team.

There is no reason why both teams won’t be top eight contenders again, so here are our top picks.

Ben Hunt v Johnathan Thurston

Always a key position in SuperCoach, picking the right halfback can make or break your season. When it comes to this particular showdown, there is no denying that the veteran, JT, has the upper hand. The four-time Dally M Player of the Year is a must for your SuperCoach team – every single season. There are definitely concerns over how JT will go over the coming year now that he’s ticked off a major career goal of delivering the Cowboys a premiership. But the man is a true competitor. He won’t just kick back and enjoy the ride. He will still want to win games and he will remain at the top.

ROUND ONE: Predicted NRL teams

SUPERCOACH: 10 studs, 10 duds

FIXTURES: Semi biggest winner from draw

CASUALTIES: Pre-season injuries for each club

Johnathan Thurston is the best SuperCoach playmaker of all time. Picture: Peter Wallis

However, this does not mean buying Hunt is a bad decision. While many fans and critics alike have expressed concern about Hunt’s mindset heading into the 2016 season after his grand final debacles, they should also not forget this is the man who sat on the Broncos bench for four seasons waiting for his break. He’s a resilient player and will not let what happened last October haunt him. Expect him to be bigger and better in 2016.

Ben Hunt will be looking to make up for his grand final errors in 2016. Picture: Annette Dew

Anthony Milford v Michael Morgan

These two were red hot in 2015 – both on the field and in SuperCoach. Morgan really came into his own next to Thurston, notching up 1120 points with an average of 58.95. But Milford was the true SuperCoach champion, making 1552 points across the season at an average of 64.67 per game. He will again be a force to be reckoned with in 2016 and is an easy contender for one of the game’s top five-eighths.

Anthony Milford starred in both SuperCoach and actual NRL last year. Picture: Tim Marsden

Andrew McCullough v Jake Granville

Whoever you go with here, you would not really be making a wrong choice. Unless one of them suffers a major injury or their career does a 180, both McCullough and Granville are the goods in SuperCoach. The Bronco rake had a slight advantage last year with a total of 1419 points, but Granville did nearly as well in his first year in Townsville, with 1301 points. Take your pick.

Darius Boyd v Lachlan Coote

Boyd may be a Queensland and Australian superstar, but Coote takes the glory in SuperCoach. Whether it was the fact he only played 15 games to Coote’s 22, Boyd did not have his best SuperCoach season. Despite his impressive efforts on the field, he scored a total of 706 points. Meanwhile, the Cowboys No.1 was tearing up the opposition, becoming a hot commodity in SuperCoach. He earned himself 1196 points for the season and should only improve this year.

Corey Parker v Jason Taumalolo

This one is a no-brainer. Go for Parker over the hot and cold Taumalolo every time. Last season Parker proved once again he was still a mighty SuperCoach force, ranking in the top five players of the year. He earned 1600 points with a 76.19 average. Taumalolo’s 1126 total pales in comparison. Do not expect things to be different in 2016.

Brisbane’s FRFs v North Queensland’s FRFs

Cowboys win here by a mile. While on the field Sam Thaiday and Adam Blair are two of Brisbane’s best, their performances do not always translate so well to SuperCoach. For the Cowboys, however, Matt Scott, James Tamou and Ben Hannant tend to do a much better job. While the rotating front row of Thaiday, Blair and Jarrod Wallace (following the season-ending injury to Josh McGuire) all failed to get over 1000 total points last season, both Scott and Hannant notched up four-digit scores while Tamou fell just below but also played fewer games. Scott averaged 53.67 points across 2015, with Tamou following on 49.55 and Hannant on 43.71. In comparison, Thaiday earned 48.45 a game, Blair was on 46.40 and Wallace managed around 41.05 a match.

Originally published as Broncos v Cowboys NRL SuperCoach showdown: Is 2016 year of the Queenslander?