KFC SuperCoach NRL Cheapie Bible: Magic round offers plenty of buys
The biggest problem facing KFC SuperCoach NRL players this week is not a lack of cheapies, rather it is picking which cheapie gun to buy, writes Trent Copeland.
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It was the Jarrod Croker walk down memory lane in round nine for KFC SuperCoaches.
A shiny new cheapie priced toy that gave us the warm and fuzzies of 2009 in the first minute against the Dolphins, scoring a try and kicking goals for fun. Croker looks solidified in the Raiders unit with bye coverage and plenty more police rises to come!
Don’t look now, but we actually have some very good Cheapie Bible options this week, with some tricky decisions in terms of priority. Thankfully, that’s my job, you sit back relax and pick them off!
A cheapie by definition is any player under $350k with the rise in salary cap, we will cover off on all of the most important cheapies with a verdict on whether to invest or not. As the season goes along we will give a running verdict on every cheapie that hits our radar, and give a final ‘Bon Voyage’ when they eclipse $350k – if a player is not on the list, we’ve determined they are not a viable selection.
Let’s go!
JARROD CROKER | CTW ($336,500 | CBR) – 69 POINTS
Sixty nine points in a dire week where many had to play the Raiders’ veteran, $56,600 in price rises and a very rosy outlook covering round 13. The BE also sits at a very juicy -8 coming into a matchup against the Bulldogs in round 10, so it’s all good news at this stage for the 19% of teams who own Croker – pending Xavier Savage returning at the expense of Albert Hopoate (Kris moving to the wing) instead of Croker.
VERDICT: BUY/HOLD. Looking like a great purchase, hopefully holds on through round 13 coverage for a sell prior to the round 16 bye.
JAHREAM BULA | FLB ($200,800 | WST) – 60 POINTS
On debut against the Sea Eagles Bula had 24 runs, 10 points in tackle busts, an offload and played both sides of the field in attack (albeit with no significant contributions in the end). In his second game at the level, against the Panthers of all teams, Bula turned it on. 60 points with just the one try assist but he was in everything. In the bucketing down rain he was safe as houses under the high ball to close out the match and everything points to Bula being the long term Tigers fullback. At $200k and a BE of -38, coming into a matchup with the Dragons, Bula is a very tempting purchase. But, do you sell a gun to get him as FLB-only given the guns at this position score more than anywhere else?
VERDICT: BUY. The answer is yes you do, given most of the guns are playing Origin or injured, for anyone not named Latrell Mitchell right now.
TYRONE PEACHEY | 2RF ($289,000 | PTH) – 54 POINTS
There was nothing surer than Peachey scoring a try in his first game starting at centre against his former club, and the 54 points that came with it is a fantastic start to a burgeoning short term relationship we may enter in to.
That short-term relationship is in reference to the fact that this is Izack Tago’s place, and he is listed as out until round 16 with the pectoral injury – so we have likely five more games (bye in round 13), it would be incredible if the Peach were able to cover round 16 for us.
Quite simply, $290k, -11 BE and a game style we know is made for KFC SuperCoach means Peachey is a great purchase. Then, most importantly, dual position status WILL be coming his way in round 12 – making him a CTW/2RF dual and incredible flexibility for us trying to trade during the bye rounds.
VERDICT: BUY. Dual position is a lock, and so is the scoring upside when he’s in this starting side.
KARL OLOAPU | 5/8 ($200,800 | BUL) – 43 POINTS
Every now and then, I yell from the rooftops of KFC SuperCoach HQ. Most of the time you can hear the locals shout back “SHUT UP, MATE!”, but that won’t stop me singing about Oloapu.
One of, if not the most talented young player in football, the 18-year-old came on after 30 minutes and set the game alight at times for 43 points in 47 minutes with no tries or try assists.
In a great sign for KFC SuperCoaches post-game, coach Cameron Ciraldo was very happy with the debut. “I think he did pretty well tonight and I’m keen to keep exploring that with him,” Ciraldo said. “We were never going to throw him in just for one week … he has come here to go on a journey with us and we are excited about where that journey can go.”
Us too, Cameron, us too.
VERDICT: WATCHLIST.
JAKE GRANVILLE | HOK ($326,800 | NQC) – 30 POINTS
This did NOT pan out as I had hoped. Despite again starting at lock when the teams were finalised an hour before kickoff, decreased minutes down to 52, and a reduced work rate among the monstrosity of a performance the Cowboys put out led to a total of just 30 points.
That meant a paltry $30k price rise, and now Granville meets the Roosters with a 27 BE. You undoubtedly hold for cover in round 13, and hold out hope of a 2RF dual-position update in round 12 before moving him on.
VERDICT: HOLD.
HARRISON EDWARDS | FRF ($200,800 | BUL) – 44 POINTS
A mammoth effort from young Harrison Edwards yet again in the depleted pack for the Bulldogs in the win over the Dragons in Wollongong, scoring 44 points in 58 minutes (after 36 points in 62 minutes in round six). The injury to Max King, who has been enormous himself, opened up a place in the match day squad and Edwards came straight in to start. King is out for at least a few weeks with the rib injury so Edwards could have a sniff at some low level money.
VERDICT: AVOID. FRF cheapie territory has been a wasteland to this point, so if you’re desperate there’s a chance for some earnings. Not for me, though.
JACK GOSIEWSKI | 2RF ($288,100 | NQC) – 41 POINTS
Boy have things fallen into place for Gosiewski. We were calling avoid last week, and projecting forward the Heilum Luki return to mean bad things for his minutes – along with the historical 0.5PPM (bad). Well, the 0.5PPM stuck around for the 41 points, so did the 80 minutes and the best news for those that did jump on is that Jeremiah Nanai has been offered a 4-match ban by the judiciary, meaning even if Luki does return, Gosiewski is likely safe in this role through to round 13 coverage where he hopefully peaks at around $350-$375k.
VERDICT: HOLD/AVOID. I’m still staunch in the fact ‘The Gos’ is an avoid if you don’t already own with much better buys this week.
DECLAN CASEY | FLB ($265,200 | BUL) – 27 POINTS
Two low scores at an elevated cheapie price along with the fact Jacob Kiraz is listed a round 11 return means Casey will need to beat out the much more established Braidon Burns to keep his spot for any worthwhile price rises, and even then it’ll only be until the Fox returns in round 14/15. It’s screaming ‘TRAP’ to me.
VERDICT: AVOID.
JOSH SCHUSTER | 5/8|2RF ($271,200 | MNL)
Our worst fears recognised, as coach Siebold and Daly Cherry-Evans both confirmed a multi-week absence and even past that that Schuster has to ‘fight his way back’. There were so many signs telling us to stay away, but we just couldn’t listen, could we!
VERDICT: HOLD. We have to hope that Schuster reappears for round 13 by coverage, if that doesn’t come to fruition, SELL!
BON VOYAGE
ISAIYA KATOA | HFB|5/8 ($358,800 | DOL) – 40 POINTS
It really is quite incredible what the Dolphins are doing right now, conceding a truckload of points in first halves then to come back and almost win in consecutive weeks!
Katoa has been a beneficiary of some of the comeback attacking points while generally looking established and comfortable at the level.
Forty points backs up the 47 points last week, and the price has now ticked over the $350k barrier with a BE still at a manageable 20.
But, there are tricky matchups against the Sharks and Storm either side of their round 11 bye to come. As an owner, you have a choice. Sell to a gun ASAP that covers round 13 like Mitch Moses, Cody Walker or Dylan Brown, or hold through round 13 coverage where Katoa will hopefully peak in value at around $400k.
VERDICT: HOLD/SELL TO A GUN. If you can rob a bank and get up to Cody Walker or Dylan Brown I think it’s worth doing, but other than that it’s a hold through to round 14 or 15.
PHOENIX CROSSLAND | HFB|5/8 ($348,000 | NEW) – 30 POINTS
Typically we wait for Cheapies to surpass the $350k threshold before saying Bon Voyage, but in Crossland’s case it’s time to go. If you weren’t watching the Knights game last weekend, Kurt Mann started at hooker when teams were finalised before kickoff, with Crossland demoted to the bench where he played 50 minutes for the lacklustre 30 points. Now priced at $348,000 you have made a decent chunk of money, but there’s no upside here unfortunately, so it’s copy and paste from Katoa above… you can either sell to a gun like Cody Walker or Dylan Brown ASAP, or hold through round 13 then sell.
VERDICT: HOLD/SELL TO A GUN.
There you have it! Have we missed anyone?
Be sure to tweet us what you think @copes9 and @SuperCoachNRL. Good luck this week!
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