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NRL SuperCoach: No standouts, 20 SuperCoach Winners and Losers from Friday Night Footy

No player could crack the 90 mark to leave plenty of SuperCoaches in a spot of bother following a pair of cracking Friday night contests. See the 20 SuperCoach Winners and Losers from the evening.

Sean Teuma and Rob Sutherland
11 min read
July 5, 2024 - 10:46PM
News Sport Network
SuperCoach NRL: Buy, Hold, Sell Round 18

Two thrilling Friday night contests set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

The Gold Coast caused another major boilover, this time knocking off the third-placed Sharks as they continue to edge away from the wooden spoon conversation.

Brisbane was gallant in defeat, but couldn’t muster enough to hold out the Panthers in front of a huge Suncorp Stadium crowd.

How did the night fare for SuperCoaches? See who delivered and who missed in our Winners and Losers from Friday Night Footy.

Top SuperCoach score from Friday Night Footy
Top SuperCoach score from Friday Night Footy

SUPERCOACH WINNERS

1. Brian To’o (86) - Was heavily involved in the key moments for Penrith, setting up a try and scoring their first of the second half to give them the lead. Great game.

2. Briton Nikora (84) - Another who put himself in the right places and was able to set up a Braydon Trindall try. A tantalising buy prospect over the coming weeks.

3. Reece Walsh (83) - Scored the try of the weekend so far with a scintillating burst of speed. If he can hold this form post-Origin look for him to score big.

4. Chris Randall (72) - Workhorse effort from the Titans lock who scored a try in the first half. A lot to like about his no-nonsense game.

5. Ezra Mam (74) - Starting to see glimpses of his earlier season form that saw him post some big scores. Hopefully this game is the spark for him.

6. Jarome Luai (77) - Has been killing it over the last few months and was strong again. A bit unlucky not to be given a try after a contentious offside ruling.

7. Mitchell Kenny (73) - One of the unsung heroes of the Penrith machine who gets his job done with no fuss and caught the defenders napping for the match-sealing try.

8. Siosifa Talakai (71) - Looked dangerous when in good-ball area and probably could’ve scored a try of his own, but unselfishly passed it on to Nicho Hynes.

9. Braydon Trindall (72) - His effort and back-up play saw him rewarded with a try and a try assist pushed his score to a very respectable mark.

10. Jack Cole (57) - Was called onto the field much earlier than expected due to an injury, but scored immediately and held his own in a brand new position.

Siosifa Talakai had a solid game for Cronulla. Photo: Albert Perez/Getty Images
Siosifa Talakai had a solid game for Cronulla. Photo: Albert Perez/Getty Images

SUPERCOACH LOSERS

1. Jesse Arthars (13) - Couldn’t crack 90m from his 18 runs and gave away a very silly penalty late in the game. A down game from the class winger.

2. Jock Madden (19) - Didn’t make much happen in the first half and went off soon after when he went down with a hamstring tear.

3. Royce Hunt (16) - Played 29 minutes in two stints, but his workload and output were well down on what we know he can do.

4. Ronaldo Mulitalo (23) - Wasn’t his worst game by any stretch, but a few handling errors saw him post a pretty poor score by his standards.

5. Daine Laurie (5) - Got his first ever start on the wing but unfortuantely succumb to a hamstring injury in the opening 10 minutes.

6. Billy Walters (21) - Just the two runs in a pretty quiet performance from the usually energetic hooker. Was rarely sighted.

7. Josiah Karapani (6) - Played nine minutes off the bench so barely given enough time to make a decent contribution on the result.

8. Brendan Piakura (20) - Only seven runs for the game and eight missed tackles made it a very tough watch for his owners.

9. Joe Stimson (7) - Used for a grand total of seven minutes. At least he got to check out the sights of Coffs Harbour.

10. Isaac Liu (17) - Another Titans interchange forward who didn’t see much game time, scoring at a point a minute. The only problem is he played 17 minutes.

RELIVE OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTY BELOW

BRONCOS VS PANTHERS

FULL-TIME - Panthers 14-6

It was a physical, gruelling contest. But ultimately the Panthers flexed their muscles as a contender with a hard-fought victory.

The Broncos fatigued in the second half and it showed in their attack, unable to muster a point while the Panthers finished far too strong.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from full-time:

Broncos vs Panthers - top SuperCoach score
Broncos vs Panthers - top SuperCoach score

70th minute - Panthers 14-6

The Broncos make a break down the left wing and Corey Oates went close to scoring. Perhaps he could’ve looked to link up with Ezra Mam backing up on his inside.

Selwyn Cobbo had a crack from dummy half on the next play and the Panthers still held them out. Great footy from both sides.

Eventually the Broncos crack. Mitch Kenny catches some tired defenders near the line and he’s able to slide over and open up a very handy lead coming into the final 10 minutes.

60th minute - Panthers 8-6

Brisbane is starting to make some errors that can be attributed to fatigue.

It feels like the Panthers are well on top at the moment, but they only lead by two and the Broncos are giving their all to hang in there.

They’re going to have to lift another level though if they are to knock off the reigning premiers.

50th minute - Panthers 8-6

Jock Madden looks to have done a hamstring while chasing a kick just minutes into the second half.

Billy Walters switches to halfback with Tyson Smoothy shifting to hooker.

Brisbane has been attacking the Panthers line and forced a number of repeat sets, but can’t make them pay.

Moments later it’s the Panthers who score a stunning try with Liam Martin getting under a bomb, offloading to Lindsay Smith who puts in a grubber for Brian To’o to score.

HALFTIME - Broncos 6-4

Great first half from these two teams.

Penrith fired the most bullets but Brisbane’s defence held solid for the most part and they were able to hit back with one of their own to take the lead at the break.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores at halftime:

Broncos vs Panthers - top SuperCoach halftime scores
Broncos vs Panthers - top SuperCoach halftime scores

30th minute - Broncos 6-4

Izack Tago has gone down after a huge hit from Corey Oates. He’s back up and looks like he will play on.

Mitch Kenny darted over from dummy half but was held up by Reece Walsh, copping a high tackle in the process.

They turn down an easy two points twice, and it proves costly with an error in the set.

Great defence from Brisbane - and they’re rewarded the next set.

Reece Walsh burns Tago, gets past Dylan Edwards and races to the line to get the crowd up and about.

Huge play given how little ball they’ve had.

20th minute - Panthers 4-0

Jack Cole was named originally as the starting five-eighth. He found himself dropped to the bench.

Somehow he has scored the first try of the game as a winger.

Daine Laurie went off with an injury and he filled the gap, getting on the end of a lovely around-the-back offload from Brian To’o to open the scoring.

Brisbane almost hit back with immediate effect, but Selwyn Cobbo’s pass to Corey Oates was ruled forward.

10th minute - 0-all

The rain is teaming down at Suncorp Stadium - Brisbane gets a taste of what Sydney has been experiencing for the last few months.

It’s been a solid enough start from both sides with plenty of brute force in the tackles, but what else would you expect from these two teams.

8PM: What a game we have coming up at Suncorp Stadium!

Brisbane or Penrith, who do you have?

7.55PM: The Panthers have made mass changes to their side an hour before kick-off. Winger Sunia Turuva has been dropped to 18th man, and is replaced in the starting side by Daine Laurie. Jack Cole has been benched, with Brad Schneider coming in to five-eighth.

The Broncos made one change an hour before kick-off, with Xavier Willison into the starting side at backrow in place of Kobe Hetherington who moves to the bench.

SHARKS VS TITANS

FULL-TIME - Titans 20-16

The Sharks roll the dice with awkward football in their last set and they come up snake eyes. A poor last tackle option from the Sharks sees them fall to their third loss in a row.

The Gold Coast were the better team and thoroughly deserved the win.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from full-time:

Sharks vs Titans - top SuperCoach scores
Sharks vs Titans - top SuperCoach scores

75th minute - Titans 20-16

Nicho Hynes has helped the Sharks get back to within four points.

It’s game on here!

70th minute - Titans 20-10

Well maybe they’re not done and dusted just yet.

Cronulla keeps the Titans on their toes with Daniel Atkinson scoring a try in his new role as a winger to cut the margin back to 10 points.

You don’t get the feeling they can complete the comeback, but never say never.

60th minute - Titans 20-4

Just when it looked like the Sharks would begin their climb, the Titans thwart them away with a big play.

Sam Verrills lobbed a pass from dummy half to Keenan Palasia who grabbed it, split two defenders and barged his way over.

Emphatic response from a Titans side who has turned up to play tonight.

50th minute - Titans 14-4

The Titans have the first points in the second half through a penalty goal, but the Sharks have finally landed a significant strike.

Briton Nikora used his strength to stay upright in a tackle from Tanah Boyd and was able to get an offload away to a chasing Braydon Trindall to get them on the board.

They needed that.

HALFTIME - Titans 12-0

What a first half from the Titans.

They built early pressure and from then have been able to handle anything the Sharks have thrown at them.

They’re showing the big win over the Warriors was no fluke, and Cronulla needs to produce something big in the second half to avoid their doubters getting louder.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from halftime:

Sharks vs Titans - top SuperCoach halftime scores
Sharks vs Titans - top SuperCoach halftime scores

30th minute - Titans 12-0

The Sharks are starting to get some ball, but so far they’ve been wasteful when peppering the Gold Coast.

Their best chance came with Nicho Hynes running the ball on the last and passing inside to Jesse Ramien who crossed the line, only to be denied for a forward pass.

Will Kennedy also got his way over minutes later, but he too was denied by Keano Kini who stretched his foot out to force an error.

20th minute - Titans 12-0

Siosifa Talakai didn’t miss.

He clocked Sam Verrills with a shoulder charge and is fairly sent to the sin bin.

Another Sharks mistake and the Titans are back on the attack.

They make no mistake with Kieran Foran putting Chris Randall through a huge gap to score under the posts with ease.

Cronulla is in massive trouble here.

10th minute - Titans 6-0

Cameron McInnes is busted open inside the opening minute - a little earlier than we’re used to seeing him spill blood.

It was quite literally all the Titans for the first 10 minutes.

With a few penalties, a mistake and a repeat set, the Gold Coast kept the Sharks without a touch of the ball for the first nine minutes.

They capitalised on that period with Kieran Foran running at the line and crashing over, albeit with a contentious put-down.

6PM: We are off and running in Coffs Harbour.

Will it be the Sharks or Titans who return home with the two points?

5.30PM: Can Nicho Hynes return to his best form?

That is the question plenty of SuperCoaches are asking themselves ahead of Cronulla’s clash with the Gold Coast.

Hynes (HFB $741,300) has dropped over $200k in price after averaging less than 40 in his past three outings.

We know what he can do – he’s broken 90 five times this season including scores of 142 and 160 in back-to-back weeks.

But he’s looked down on confidence since the loss in the first State of Origin. Many are hoping he can turn it around tonight.

Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers top recent SuperCoach players
Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers top recent SuperCoach players

5PM: Toby Rudolf has felt the wrath of Craig Fitzgibbon as the underperforming Sharks look for a spark.

Cronulla has lost its past two games by a combined margin of three points, but their spot in the top four would come under serious concern if they can’t knock off the Titans in Coffs Harbour.

Tuku Hau Tapuha (FRF $238,900) comes onto the bench in place of the demoted Rudolf, with Thomas Hazelton also dropping back to the bench in favour of Royce Hunt.

The Gold Coast has been dealt a few injury blows with AJ Brimson and Phillip Sami both ruled out.

Jacob Alick-Wiencke (2RF $283,200) comes into the second row while Tanah Boyd (5/8/HFB $429,900) lines up at five-eighth.

Cronulla Sharks and Gold Coast Titans best recent SuperCoach players
Cronulla Sharks and Gold Coast Titans best recent SuperCoach players

EARLIER: Is it better to chase points or conserve cash?

That was the conundrum thousands of SuperCoaches are wrestling with this week with Nicho Hynes (who averages 80.2PPG) available for just $741,300 (his lowest price since late in the 2022 season).

Under normal circumstances, Hynes for under $750K is a steal, a deal, it’s the buy of the century.

But these are not normal times, Hynes comes into the game against the Titans with a BE of 118 and his recent form (last two scores of 68 and 48) suggests that mark is beyond him.

If Hynes scores 70 odd then he’ll lose around $35K. With banks built up I’m happy to pay that price, how about you?

Will Nicho Hynes and the Sharks bounce back after their overtime loss to the Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images
Will Nicho Hynes and the Sharks bounce back after their overtime loss to the Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH TONIGHT

Keano Kini: The diminutive Gold Coast fullback may be small of stature but his a giant in SuperCoach who has added the best part of $400K to his price in four games and has more to come with a BE of -49. It must be said, his opposition in the past four games (with the exception of the Rabbitohs in round 14) have been pretty poor, but you can’t knock three scores of a 100+ from four games. I expect the Sharks to present a tougher defensive mindset than when he has faced recently and for that reason cannot have Kini as a buy, but well done to those that grabbed him before his price skyrocketed.

David Fifita: Owners both do and do not want a big game from Fifita this week. They want him to go well enough to score 70+ but no so well that Maroons coach Billy Slater picks the big unit for Origin III and thus deprives us of a key round 19 number. Would it be too much to ask for a minor injury? Just enough to rule him out of Origin camp but not round 19...

Briton Nikora: The POD pick last week, Nikora rewarded those that selected him with a try and 79 points.

Brian To'o of the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images
Brian To'o of the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images

Brian To'o: Is coming off a monster two weeks in which he scored 171 (against Manly in round 14) and 104 (against the Knights the week later) and as a result has a BE of -30. No help in the round 19 bye but plenty are hopping on now to save the trade in round 20. Currently has the sixth most points of any CTW but would not surprise to see him finish in the top -3 of the category.

Dylan Edwards: Was kept relatively quiet by the Knights in round 15 scoring 69 points - his lowest score since round three. Priced at $937K and with a BE of 115, all those that do not own Edwards will be hoping the Broncos can keep him quiet so he’s cheaper come round 20.

Payne Haas: The most reliable FRF in the game, Haas’ ownership will soar once Origin obligations are behind him. Another whom non-owners are deathriding.

Reece Walsh: The return of Kalyn Ponga puts some pressure on Walsh to retain his spot at the back for the Maroons in Origin III. Barring injury you’d think he’s reasonably safe (‘Queenslanders’ pick and stick - right?) but would not want to have a shocker against

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Originally published as NRL SuperCoach: No standouts, 20 SuperCoach Winners and Losers from Friday Night Footy

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/supercoach-news/nrl-live-supercoach-scores-and-updates-sharks-vs-titans-broncos-vs-panthers/news-story/2cf7b3ae0b5b43a03d4c865e7067537a