NRL SuperCoach study guide: Gold Coast Titans

THE Titans have clawed their way out of the abyss with a completely rebuilt roster. Find out who will bring the SuperCoach goods on the Gold Coast in 2017.

THE Titans have certainly done some impressive recruiting over the past one and a half seasons. Just goes to show what can be done with intelligent roster and salary cap management — more clubs should consider it!

On paper, the Titans now boast one of the stronger rosters in the competition and the concern now for them is how the team gels.

For the Titans to go deep into the finals, they will need to quickly form cohesion in attack and new defensive combinations need to develop trust in a short period of time.

But that’s all questions for on the field — what about SuperCoach?

We just want to know how many minutes all the forwards will play and who will be the focal point in attack!

Let’s look at which Titans players might make your SuperCoach team.

Best 17

1. Jarryd Hayne 2. Anthony Don 3. Konrad Hurrell 4. Dan Sarginson 5. Daniel Vidot 6. Kane Elgey 7. Ashley Taylor 8. Jarrod Wallace 9. Nathan Peats 10. Ryan James 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Chris McQueen 13. Agantius Paasi 14. Tyrone Roberts 15. Zeb Taia 16. Leivaha Pulu 17. Eddy Pettybourne

The rest: David Shillington, Kurt Bernard, Morgan Boyle, Nathan Davis, John Olive, Karl Lawton, Nathaniel Peteru, Ryan Simpkins, Paterika Vaivai, William Zillman

PLAYER MOVEMENTS

Ins: Dan Sarginson (Wigan), Jarrod Wallace (Broncos), Kevin Proctor (Storm), Paterika Vaivai (free agent), Tyler Cornish (Roosters), Daniel Vidot (Salford)

Outs: Nathan Friend (retirement), David Hala (released), Nene Macdonald (Dragons), David Mead (Broncos), Cameron Cullen (Sea Eagles), Luke Douglas (St Helens), Josh Hoffman (Eels), Greg Bird (Catalans), Jed Cartwright (Panthers), Daniel Mortimer (Sharks), Brian Kelly (Sea Eagles), Matt Srama (retirement)

BYES

Round 12, Round 18

GUNS

Jarryd Hayne (FLB/5/8, $244,700)

2016 average: 36.6

To be honest, Hayne is basically cruising on his reputation alone. But what a reputation that was! Anyone who was playing SuperCoach in 2014 will remember one of the greatest seasons from a back in SuperCoach history.

A season average of 85 across 21 games.

A run of scores from Round 9 until the end of season that reads: 105, 110, 89, 88, 96, 57, 117, 104, 116, 100, 110, 39, 100.

That’s ridiculous and quite possibly will never be matched.

Hayne is a dominant playmaker and he likes to have ball in hand, whether that’s to take the line on himself or throw a spiralling no-look pass out to his unmarked winger.

Will Jarryd Hayne return to the form of the glory days?

Fast forward to 2017 and in the five games since Hayne returned to the NRL, we have only seen tiny glimpses of that past form.

Still, season averages of 71 (in 2012, which used the old scoring system — probably equates to an 80+ average now), 61 and 85 before his 2016 season average of 37 shows that there is a lot of potential.

At his price, you have to start with him, as he’ll either be a season long keeper, or at least he will have a good chance of scoring over 20 points per game higher than his 2016 season average to make you plenty of cash.

MORE SUPERCOACH:

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Champion’s hot tips for 2017

10 most expensive in each position

The top guns

Ryan James (FRF/2RF, $487,400)

2016 average: 72.9

Coming off a record-breaking season where he equalled the try-scoring record by a prop in the regular season (11 tries) and then broke it with his 12th try in week one of the finals, Ryan James staked his claim as a bona fide SuperCoach gun.

It wasn’t just the tries, but his base stat numbers were seriously impressive in certain games throughout the year.

Check these numbers out: Round 7, 86 points in 80 mins (78 points in base stats — 48 tackles, no misses, 30 points in hit-ups from 21 runs); Round 13, 156 points in 66 minutes (74 points in base stats — 43 tackles, 2 missed tackles, 33 points in hit-ups from 18 runs).

Not many forwards are capable of that kind of work rate; it’s vintage Paul Gallen or Corey Parker.

James had a breakout season in 2016.

Arguably James is overpriced — I mean, he surely can’t score 12 tries every year, right?

But Greg Bird’s departure means there is an average of 66 minutes per game that needs to be filled by the remaining cattle.

There appears to be no apparent successor at lock who will be able to take on the entirety of Bird’s minutes — this opens up an opportunity for James to possibly increase his average minutes from 59.2 per game to somewhere closer to 65 minutes.

Of course, Henry may decide to share the minutes with the other middle forwards but one thing is for sure, there is definitely an opportunity for increased game time for the forwards.

PODS

Ashley Taylor (HFB, $343,100)

2016 average: 51.3

The 2016 Dally M Rookie of the Year winner showed that he has maturity beyond his years in steering the Titans into the finals last year when plenty had them earmarked for the wooden spoon or at least a bottom four finish.

There are three NRL quality halves at the Titans and only two will get to start. The good news is that Taylor is not disputed as being one out of those two starting halves, with Kane Elgey and Tyrone Roberts fighting it out over the other spot (the odd man out will most likely find themselves in the 14 jumper as utility).

Taylor appears likely to take the reins as the primary organiser and goalkicker, which should see an increase in his average through goal kicks alone, as well as greater potential for more forced drop outs if he usually finds the ball in his hands on the last tackle.

There are reservations of course — second year syndrome, the Hayne effect as a dominant playmaker from fullback, and the uncertainty on how the team will combine from Round 1. There is certainly potential for Taylor to average 60 or more though.

Kevin Proctor (2RF, $407,800)

2016 average: 61.0

Another one of the Titans’ marquee signings, Kevin Proctor has been pinched from the Storm at potentially the perfect time.

Proctor has always been a damaging line runner but he had previously been the edge forward who was only capable of playing around 60 to 65 minutes each week.

Bellamy managed Proctor’s increase in minutes this season, which saw his season average increase by nine points from last year’s average of 52.

Proctor has joined the club from Melbourne.

This year, in nine games where Proctor played 80 minutes or close to 80 minutes, he averaged 72.6 points from 78.9 minutes.

It remains to be seen whether or not Proctor takes on a full 80 minutes every week for the Titans, but if he does and he is able to strike up a good combination with the half playing beside him, we could see Proctor join the likes of Boyd Cordner and Bodene Thompson as the top shelf edge backrower SuperCoach options.

CHEAPIES

John Olive (CTW, $198,500)

2016 average: 33.0

Injury and competition limited his opportunities in first grade last year, only seeing four games at the start of the season, but with the departures of Nene McDonald and Josh Hoffman there is definitely less backline depth at the Titans.

He still faces some competition from the likes of Nathan Davis (not currently re-signed for 2017) and Daniel Vidot (signed on second tier contract, still yet to be registered with the NRL) but with that thin backline he is surely a chance to play first grade at some point, if not from Round 1.

While his price is not ideal (i.e. he is not a bottom dollar rookie), beggars can’t be choosers if the good quality options don’t present themselves like they did last year.

NO-GO ZONE

Anthony Don (CTW, $194,500)

2016 average: 29.1

Don actually seems like he could be a cheapie at that price. On the surface, that is. He is cheap for a reason as he is one of the better finishers in the NRL as far as wingers go, but gosh, take a hit-up for your forwards a bit more. Don has managed to make five or less runs in 80 minutes on three occasions in 2016.

His base stats are almost non-existent at times.

It’s also never a good sign when the points from your tries scored and linebreaks equal 44% of your total points for the year.

Unless Don is scoring tries, he rarely scores well.

Don may very well go on a mini-run and make some coin, but he is just as likely to score 80+ then less than 10 and negate most of your cash increase in the space of two weeks. Save yourself the heartbreak and frustration.

Positions/prices

Tyler Cornish (HFB, FLB, $122,600)

Nathan Davis (CTW, $193,900)

Anthony Don (CTW, $194,500)

Kane Elgey (5/8, HFB, $226,700)

Jarryd Hayne (5/8, FLB, $244,700)

Konrad Hurrell (CTW, $315,300)

Ryan James (FRF, 2RF, $487,400)

Karl Lawton (HFB, HOK, $143,600)

Chris McQueen (2RF, CTW, $303,900)

Kierran Moseley (HOK, $150,400)

John Olive (CTW, $198,500)

Agnatius Paasi (FRF, 2RF, $311,700)

Nathan Peats (HOK, $364,800)

Nathaniel Peteru (FRF, $184,500)

Eddy Pettybourne (2RF, FRF, $149,500)

Kevin Proctor (2RF, $407,800)

Leivaha Pulu (FRF, $221,200)

Tyrone Roberts (5/8, HFB, $294,100)

Dan Sarginson (CTW, 5/8, $219,900)

David Shillington (FRF, $260,100)

Ryan Simpkins (2RF, HOK, $143,600)

Matt Srama (HOK, $132,000)

Zeb Taia (2RF, $352,600)

Ashley Taylor (HFB, $343,100)

Oshae Tuiasau (FRF, $122,600)

Paterika Vaivai (FRF, $132,000)

Daniel Vidot (CTW, $259,700)

Jarrod Wallace (FRF, $251,800)

Henare Wells (FLB, CTW, $122,600)

William Zillman (FLB, CTW, $248,100)

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach study guide: Gold Coast Titans