Maroon Zone: The Mastermind picks the perfect SuperCoach squad for Queenslanders
This is how to rid your NRL SuperCoach squad of pesky NSW cockroaches and load in Queensland’s stacked pack of talent.
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Welcome to the SuperCoach NRL Maroon zone.
This is how to rid your SuperCoach squad of pesky NSW cockroaches and load in Queensland’s stacked pack of talent.
Nathan Cleary might be in 42% of teams but you don’t need to relive the grand final heartbreak by seeing the Blues and Panthers halfback in your squad every week.
For a Queensland fan in SuperCoach no Cleary is no problem with a multitude of mighty Maroons to spend big on. The top hooker is Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant, the top forward options are Titans duo Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and David Fifita (pending injury); while 2023 Dally M winner Kalyn Ponga is the most expensive pick of the fullbacks.
Fitting them all in is the tricky part, we’re probably short a Queenslander in the cheapie category but you get a strong starting 17 and some solid coverage with tricky early byes for Queensland clubs Titans and Dolphins.
Here’s how I’ve set up a Queensland only SuperCoach squad.
HOOKER
Harry Grant ($750,000) and Karl Lawton ($238,900)
Others: Reed Mahoney ($547,900), Billy Walters ($430,600)
Newly appointed Melbourne Storm captain Grant is head and shoulders above the rest in this position and averaged 73.5PPG in 2023 – eight points clear of Damien Cook. He has an unmatched ceiling with top scores of 149 and 123 among five centuries last season. For the cheapie option I’m slotting in Karl Lawton from Manly who will be in the mix for a bench spot. His ability to play minutes in the backrow gives him more money making potential than other cheapies at the Broncos like Blake Mozer or Tyson Smoothy.
FRONT ROW
Reuben Cotter ($542,700), Tom Flegler ($475,600), Xavier Willison ($265,200) and Ben Te Kura ($204,300)
Other options: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui ($791,500), Moeaki Fotuaika ($564,000), Lindsay Collins ($544,200)
Cotter has an insatiable workrate, all he needs is the minutes to tick over the points. He showed he can do it on the biggest stage in State of Origin last year as the 2023 Wally Lewis medal winner for player of the series. Priced at 53.2PPG after an injury interrupted 2023 he’s about 10 points under what he should deliver as the Cowboys new captain. Flegler moves from the Broncos to the Dolphins where he’ll be the main man in the pack. When he played 45 minutes or more for the Broncos he averaged 54PPG. His minutes won’t be any less than that so he should be good value. For cheapies I’m drafting in Broncos young guns Willison and Te Kura. Willison is in the mix for a bench spot while Te Kura is further down the pecking order but tipped to play NRL this season likely over the Origin period.
SECOND ROW
Heilum Luki ($471,200), Beau Fermor ($467,300), Jai Arrow ($466,000), Brendan Piakura ($426,800), Kobe Hetherington ($298,600), Kulikefu Finefeuiaki ($292,700)
Other options: David Fifita ($832,100), J’Maine Hopgood ($748,300), Patrick Carrigan ($684,100), Corey Horsburgh ($633,000), Tom Gilbert ($602,400), Jeremiah Nanai ($583,500)
Luki’s prospects have skyrocketed with Luciano Leilua’s likely move to the Dragons. The Cowboy has had a horrid run with injuries but when he has played 60 minutes or more in the past three seasons he’s averaged 77.5PPG across seven games.
Fermor missed all of 2023 with an ACL injury. At his best in 2022 he averaged 65.3PPG scoring 11 tries as the left edge backrower. He should be in that position to start the season with David Fifita not due back until Round 5.
Arrow played just 14 games for the Rabbitohs in 2023 getting injured in two of those to drag his average down to 45.6PPG. That’s his worst season since 2017 when he was just a cheapie at the Broncos. Arrow is priced about 10 points under the 55.7PPG where he was used as a hybrid edge/middle role in 2022.
Pending injury, Piakura will slot in as the left edge second rower at the Broncos with Kurt Capewell off to the Warriors. In four 80 minute games in 2023 Piakura averaged 62.5PPG. Small sample size obviously but I don’t doubt he can at least match the 53.8ppg Capewell had last season in this potent Broncos attack.
For the cheapie options we’re going with Kobe Hetherington who played just 30 minutes a game in 2023 but could be in for more game time with the Broncos forward pack shake-up.
Finefeuiaki should be in the mix for more minutes at the Cowboys with Leilua’s exit. He played 12 games averaging 28 minutes per game in 2023.
HALFBACK
Daly Cherry-Evans ($782,900) and Sam Walker ($610,000)
Other options: Ben Hunt ($599,600), Jamal Fogarty ($535,800)
Queensland captain Cherry-Evans has played the most games of any halfback over the past four seasons. That durability is gold for SuperCoach. 2023 was his second best SuperCoach scoring season of his long career averaging 76.7PPG with six tonnes including top scores of 146 and 153 in the final two rounds. Walker played just eight games for the Roosters in 2023 returning for the final two games as they snuck into the finals. A fit Walker with goalkicking in a stacked Roosters team should be able to push on from his 59PPG average of the past two seasons.
FIVE-EIGHTH
Ezra Mam ($532,800) and Braydon Trindall ($439,000)
Other options: Cameron Munster ($728,100), Thomas Dearden ($592,200)
Mam’s grand final hat-trick has convinced SuperCoaches to load him in this season and we’ll do the same. His attacking output in 2023 was excellent with 14 tries, 11 linebreaks and nine try assists for a 52.2PPG average. He doesn’t have the same base stats as some elite options in the position and in the four games he missed attacking stats he went under 30 in each. Trindall has earned the starting five-eighth position at the Sharks alongside the top SuperCoach player Nicho Hynes. Trindall has bounced in and out of first grade as a back-up option and should kick on from his 43PPG average in 2023 as a starter.
CENTRE/WING
Murray Taulagi ($528,400), Zac Laybutt ($465,600), Corey Oates ($451,500), Enari Tuala ($445,700), Xavier Savage ($350,200), Israel Leota ($204,300) and Robert Toia ($204,300)
Other options: Dane Gagai ($739,200), Valentine Holmes ($736,300), Selwyn Cobbo ($602,900), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow ($600,900), Phillip Sami ($594,600), Isaiah Tass ($577,100)
Taulagi’s try scoring rate dipped to 50% in 2023 with just nine tries in 18 games, three of those coming in a 140 point haul against the Tigers. The Origin winger has been much better in the past, expect a bounce back. Peta Hiku has left the Cowboys leaving Laybutt as the frontrunner for his centre position. Laybutt scored three tries in his four games for the Cowboys in 2023 at 57PPG. Speaking of try droughts, Oates didn’t score a try in his nine games in 2023. A stunning stat in the potent Broncos attack. If he regains his wing spot he’s great value. Enari Tuala is a contender for the right wing spot at the Knights where Dom Young was the NRL’s top tryscorer in 2023. With the likes of Ponga and Dane Gagai inside if Tuala lands that spot he’ll score plenty of points. Speed machine Xavier Savage played just one game in 2023. He has a career average of 60PPG at fullback so if he lands there in the new-look Raiders backline he will be great value.
This is the position where a lack of cheapies hurts us a little. I’m loading in Israel Leota who is a chance of a game for the Broncos come Origin time, Toia is a Queenslander but well down the pecking order in the Roosters backline.
FULLBACK
Kalyn Ponga ($892,800) and Reece Walsh ($813,000)
Other options: Alexander Brimson
Can 2023 Dally M medal winner Ponga maintain the form from the second half of last year? The draw is outstanding and Ponga comes into the season fresh without any injury troubles and the goalkicking. He played six games at five-eighth to start last year at just 50PPG. From Round 13 he averaged 105.2 at fullback. From Round 18 he had the goalkicking back and averaged 119PPG. So there is probably some value in Ponga despite the price off on 87.4PPG average.
Walsh had a breakout season in 2023 averaging 79.6PPG after his move from the Warriors to the Broncos. He had eight tries, 20 try assists and 18 line breaks and opened the season with a blistering 95PPG after seven rounds. Walsh still has room for improvement with a worst in position -6 per game in negative points.
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