NRL SuperCoach: 10 things we learned in round 18

THERE’S a POD on the rise, a question over how many Bunnies can fit in your burrow and an embarrassment of riches at one position — Rob Sutherland casts his eye over the week that was.

Matt Moylan of the Sharks.

THERE’S a POD on the rise, a question over how many Bunnies can fit in your burrow and an embarrassment of riches at one position, Rob Sutherland runs through the SuperCoach NRL — presented by hipages — week that was.

1. MOYLAN MAKES A CASE FOR OWNERSHIP

Matt Moylan had a big game for the Sharks against his old club the Penrith Panthers. Picture: Getty Images

Look, I probably should not have opened with this one. Those of you who were burnt after they bought Matt Moylan following his 134 point effort against the Knights in round 12 will still be hurting from his 12 point flop against the Bunnies the following week.

But hear me out. Moylan had a blinder in the opening match of the round, cracking triple figures with over 30 in base and a plethora of attacking stats — namely three linebreaks, eight tackle busts, a try assist and a try.

The Sharks have a pretty nice draw to finish and significantly will play the Knights (round 24) and Bulldogs (round 25) who happen to leak the most points to Moylan’s position.

With a 3RA not far off 80PPG, ownership under 5% and his pivotal role in a team that needs to pile on the points due to their poor points differential those looking for a POD five-eighth could do worse than Moylan.

EARLY MAIL: Team news ahead of round 19

2. ‘BILLY’ KICKS ON

Viliame Kikau of the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images

Spare a thought for the 36,200 SuperCoaches who sold Viliame Kikau between round 10 and round 18, and if you are one of those players you’ll likely want to move on to point three while I spend a few words praising the big Panther.

Backing up from a massive 101 points in round 17, Kikau played the full 80 minutes again punching out 94 this week with 49 in base a linebreak, a linebreak assist and eight tackle busts — and for the second week in a row ‘Billy Kicks’ score a forced drop out!

It’s going to be very hard to leave Kikau out of your final 17 for the run home.

3. THE ONE THING WORSE THAN NOT OWNING HOPPA

Will Hopoate of the Bulldogs is tackled during the round 18 NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Picture: Getty Images

A special shout out to my colleagues Tim Williams and Huw Bonello who ‘enjoyed’ that horrible feeling of watching a player you own, but have not played in your 17, go absolutely bonkers.

Will Hopoate ripped apart the Rabbitohs, a team that has been in the top three in restricting fullbacks over the season, with an otherworldly 10 offloads, 12 tackle busts and 27 hit-ups for 135 points which exceeded his 3RA by close to a lazy 100.

It is a special kind of pain when your bench players go large, a pain many felt last round with plenty of teams in my leagues having big scorers like Hopoate, Kikau, Te Maire Martin and even Damien Cook riding the pine this week.

4. HOW MANY BUNNIES CAN FIT IN YOUR BURROW?

Robert Jennings dives over to score one of his three tries for the game. Picture: Getty Images

No team is hotter in the NRL right now than South Sydney and this form is translating superbly to SuperCoach with a genuine case to own at least five if not six Rabbitohs.

Damien Cook is a must (see more below), Sam Burgess is back to his form of old and a lock in the FRF, Angus Crichton does not have the base reliability of many of his 2RF peers but his creativity lends him a ceiling few can match and Cody Walker is a joy to watch as he pushes, probes and creates.

Those four are pretty close to must own players in my opinion.

Then there’s the backline duo of Alex Johnston and Robert Jennings. Johnston ‘missed out’ against the Bulldogs but still scored 49 points and was a dropped pass and tough tackle away from 80+.

Jennings is loving life on the Rabbitohs lethal left edge and scored his third triple figure score of the season last week. AJ is a safer play than Jennings but he’s also now owned by more than 12% of teams so if you want a super POD then Jennings has the potential to win you a head-to-head on any given week.

5. THE MOST STACKED SPOT IN THE GAME?*

Rhyse Martin is kicking goals for owners - literally. Picture: Getty Images

If ‘how many Rabbitohs’ is a dilemma then, with apologies to Winston Churchill, ‘how many 2RFs’ is a riddle wrapped in mystery shrouded in difficulty.

Jason Taumalolo had an off game scoring just 50 but I’m prepared to overlook that and declare him a must.

Jai Arrow was rested after Origin duties but his blend of base stat reliability and creativity means he sits comfortably second in my rankings of the position.

Rhyse Martin sits behind the two leaders due only to his limited number of games but the Bulldog is averaging more than any other 2RF and could arguably be considered ahead of both if it weren’t for me favouring history over recency.

As mentioned above Angus Crichton’s ceiling is sky high thanks to his attacking stats and then there’s workhorse Jake Trbojevic whose relentless workrate has him once again ensconced in the 60/60 club (those players who have exceeded 60 points in 60% of games played).

All five make strong cases to be owned and played every week.

Then there are PODs like Josh Papalii and Nathan Brown not to mention the need to fit in Viliame Kikau and Sam Burgess though both can play in your FRF which is a huge bonus. The strong form of Cook and Cameron Smith at hooker and any two of James Tedesco/Jake Trbojevic and Kalyn Ponga at fullback leaves most of us with just two reserve slots spare for forwards.

How to fit all that talent into the limited number of slots is one of the real challenges faced by coaches over the back half of the season.

* Nup see below

6. RAPANA MAKES A STUNNING RETURN

Jordan Rapana scores a high flying try for the Raiders. Picture: Getty Images

Jordan Raaaapanaaaa returned this week after a three week lay off due to a hamstring injury and he relished the freezing conditions, and shonky Cowboys defence, to score two tries and 95 points.

With just 5% ownership, Rapana is certainly a POD once again, but the Raiders have a pretty tough draw to come in Sharks, Storm and Panthers so I wouldn’t be rushing to bring in the lime green machine’s try scoring maestro.

7. MANNERING TURNS BACK TIME

Simon Mannering of the Warriors is tackled during the round 18 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand Warriors at Suncorp Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

For 70 minutes Simon Mannering did what Simon Mannering does (or at least used to do) which is own the middle third of the field tackling anything that moved and making hit-ups with relentless monotony.

I’m in no way advocating Mannering as a buy, but surely that game warmed the cockles of many crusty SuperCoaches’ hearts.

8. THIS IS THE MOST STACKED SPOT IN THE GAME

Robbie Farah of the Tigers celebrates at full time during the Round 18 NRL match between the St George-Illawarra Dragons. Picture: AAP Image

Robbie Farah was averaging 80PPG before last round. He’s averaging more now thanks to a 97 point masterclass against the Dragons. In the same game his opposite number Cameron McInnes scored 70 points in base alone.

Over at the Raiders, Josh Hodgson has played four games since coming back from injury and is averaging better than 70PPG over that span.

And the rub is not one of them is in the running to be selected in most teams because Damien Cook is averaging near enough to 80PPG over the season (and over 80PPG for his 5RA) and Cameron Smith, despite scoring ‘just’ 62 on the weekend cannot be dropped after averaging 95.8 in the five games previous.

Maybe we need a SuperCoach super sub position — one spot on our bench that can be filled by any position?

9. A SWEET 2019 CHEAPIE BURNS US

Titans young gun Moeaki Fotuaika. Picture: Jerad Williams

Moeaki Fotuaika’s selection was one of the feel good stories of the year — seriously if you don’t know his backstory check it out here — but I just wish the kid had kept his light under the bushel a bit more because then he’d be one of the first picked in my squad at a bargain price in 2019.

Fotuaika played 58 minutes last week having been elevated from the bench to play prop after Jarrod Wallace shifted to lock to cover Jai Arrow.

The young gun barged over for a try, but more impressive for mine was the 56 points he scored in base — that after he scored 57 points in base the week before.

For mine he has earned the chance to replace Keegan ‘crazy eyes’ Hipgrave at second row when Arrow returns, and that’s only a bad thing for SuperCoaches as we just lost a 2019 cheapie bargain.

10. PLENTY OF GUNS FAIL TO FIRE

Tom Trbojevic failed to make much of an impact for the Sea Eagles during the round 18 NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm at Lottoland. Picture: Getty Images

A quick run through those that were expected to deliver, but didn’t, in round 18:

Paul Gallen: PG13 was rocking a 3RA of 84.3 heading in to round 18 and with just 6% ownership yours truly was considering whether it was crazy to bring him in as a POD. Happy to say I didn’t as a flu struck Gallen scored just 22 points in 47 minutes.

Nathan Brown: Mooted as another 2RF POD, Brown played 59 minutes and scored just 45 points in a pretty lacklustre game by his high standards.

Tom Trbojevic: Tommy Turbo was busy enough making 17 runs, 12 of them over eight metres and busting four tackles but there’s no way to sugar-coat it, 27 points is a flop — especially when he was the most traded in player in the comp ahead of the round.

No doubt Trbojevic was pretty sore after Origin too, but his job isn’t going to get any easier with his next three opponents Roosters, Penrith and Sharks being the three best teams at defending fullbacks over the past five rounds.

Turbo is a hold for mine as after that harsh run the Sea Eagles’ draw opens up, you may want to sit him on the pine for a while though — which feels odd to write.

The Broncos: Just three Broncos scored over 50 points this week with the team comprehensively outplayed by the Warriors.

Blake Ferguson: The best 5RA of any CTW, playing at fullback, against the Titans there was plenty about round 18 that screamed pick Fergo! So 42 points, including a linebreak but zero tacklebusts, is a disappointing return.

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach: 10 things we learned in round 18