SuperCoach NRL 2018: Wilfred Zee’s wrap of the good, bad and ugly from Round 15
SUPERCOACHES may have been handed an unexpected cheapie to get us through the round 17 bye.
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FORMER SuperCoach NRL — presented by hipages — champion Wilfred Zee looks at the good, bad and ugly of Round 15, including a fresh cheapie at the Bulldogs.
Tigers v Raiders (12 – 48)
This fixture has been a rather lopsided one in recent years, with the Raiders well and truly having the wood on the Tigers. However, it’s been a different Tigers team this year, and the Raiders were weakened following the withdrawal of Jordan Rapana. The match-up played out differently for the most part, until several injuries forced multiple reshuffles of the Tigers and the Raiders just ran away with it in the end.
Let’s look at the good, bad and the ugly in this game.
The Good
Joseph Tapine (112)
What a great POD Tapine has been, with three and five round averages of 77 and 78. Only 3% owned! He scored two tries, broke the line twice, busted NINE tackles and got through 42 points in pure base stats. He is a strong attacking force and the attacking stats seem like they will continue to flow. He will play in the Denver Test though, so his availability for Round 16 may be in question, as well as his ability to play the full 80 minutes that week if he does play. More importantly though, he will play Round 17 barring injury/suspension!
Jack Wighton (94)
Wighton has hit a bit of a purple patch of form too, but he just isn’t an option while the likes of Ponga, TTurbo, Teddy, or even RTS are around. Three try assists, a line break, a line break assist, one effective offload, one tackle bust and 34 points in pure base stats highlight his involvement in the 48 points scored by the Raiders.
The Bad
Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (17)
He was hardly sighted for most of the game, which was weird considering the Raiders’ right edge is often the leak for opposition points. Was an accomplice to Naiqama letting in tries on that left edge.
Kevin Naiqama (22)
Same issue as above – very quiet by comparison to the other side of the field. Also let BJ run over him for two tries, that isn’t great.
The Ugly
Mahe Fonua (46)
Left the field in the 65th minute with what turned out to be a fractured forearm, which will rule him out for essentially the season unless the Tigers make the finals.
Chris Lawrence (78)
He was having possibly his best ever game in the backrow, scoring a great try as well, until an unfortunate incident forced him from the field in the 60th minute for a HIA, which he failed.
Blake Austin was sinbinned for 10 minutes.
Knights v Storm (10 – 28)
The Knights have had the ability to frustrate the Storm in recent years – even when they were at their lowest points – but it’s interesting that as they improve, the better the Storm do against them. It’s almost like when a team plays more like your typical first grade standard, the Storm know what to do against them.
Let’s look at the good, bad and the ugly in this game.
The Good
Kalyn Ponga (117)
When you ton up in SuperCoach but your team only scored 10 points, you know you’re a pretty integral part of the team. He scored one of the Knights’ two tries and set up Ken Sio for the other. Plus he kicked one of the two conversion attempts. Throw in two line breaks, a line break assist, 10 tackle busts, an effective offload and 36 points in pure base stats, Ponga could not have done much more to get his team the win. Ponga is now the highest overall points scorer and also the highest averaging fullback in the game – yes, even more than Tom Trobjevic!
Cameron Munster (98)
What a sneaky POD Munster has been lately, especially while the likes of Widdop, Walker and other five-eighths have flopped. Sitting on a three-round average of 80.7 and a five-round average of 73.4, Munster has been on fire. Unfortunately, rep duties have made him a hard purchase but if he keeps these numbers up, he’ll be a must-have from round 18 or 19 onwards. Munster set up two tries, broke the line once, forced one dropout, offloaded three times effectively, busted six tackles and scored 40 points in pure base stats. When Munster gets involved, he gets involved!
The Bad
Will Chambers (33)
Chambers hasn’t been in great form this year, and to be shown up by rookie Cory Denniss has to be embarrassing for a centre of his standing in the game. Generally speaking his work rate is down, and he hasn’t been getting the attacking stats. He is certainly feeling the loss of Cronk!
Lachlan Fitzgibbon (41)
Fitz has been on a downturn of form lately, and now sits with a 43 point three-round average. Not only is he missing the attacking stats but his workrate is down as well. You wonder if he’s carrying an injury of some sort…
The Ugly
No major injuries to note.
Sharks v Broncos (16 – 20)
In what was a thoroughly entertaining game featuring plenty of twists and turns, the Broncos upset the Sharks (as fearlessly predicted by yours truly!) with a late Corey Oates’ try featuring one of the best putdowns by a winger you will ever see. Unfortunately, that’s all been overshadowed with yet more whinging about a forward pass or refs or something like that.
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game.
The Good
Wade Graham (82)
He’s only managed to play seven 80-minute games this season, with injury and HIA being a constant curse for him. It’s caused him to miss out on an Origin jersey, and if the Blues keep winning it’ll be hard for him to get back into the team! He scored a try with a line break, assisted another line break, threw two offloads (one effective), busted two tackles and only scored 37 points in pure base stats. That’s quite low but you’ll see further below that it was the story of the night for most forwards.
Corey Oates (73)
WHAT. A. TRY! Aside from this freakish effort (below) and the associated line break, Oates also broke the line another time, busted four tackles and got through 30 points in pure base stats. Strong game from the winger, and he looms as an interesting POD option for Round 17 given the fact the Broncos play the Titans that week…
The Bad
Andrew Fifita (42)
42 points in 53 minutes is very unlike Andrew Fifita, especially since the score includes two effective offloads and only one penalty conceded! His workrate was low, but I guess Gallen’s 61 in 68 minutes showed that workrate for plenty of forwards was down.
Anthony Milford (34)
Even accounting for the 10 minutes off the field, -8 for his sinbin and -2 for the associated penalty, his four errors were hardly ideal for SuperCoach purposes. His try with a line break saved his score, somewhat…
The Ugly
Tevita Pangai Jnr (34)
Despite an incredible start – a charge down and subsequent try off the first kick of the game from the Sharks – following his pre-game promotion to the start left edge backrow position, a rib injury restricted him to just 24 minutes before he was done for the night. Now owners face a nervous wait to see if he covers Round 17 …
Luke Lewis (20)
Played 49 minutes before a calf injury forced him from the field, as he strained to score in the corner. Unfortunately, the only reward for him was a strained calf.
Dragons v Sea Eagles (32 – 8)
The result was not unexpected but the SuperCoach scores definitely are. Sure, the Dragons dominate the top of the standings but the top eight scorers all have scores between 79 to 60. That is weird, especially with a 32 – 8 scoreline! But yeah, the Dragons were good, the Sea Eagles weren’t. The defence shown by the Dragons in the second half, holding out multiple attacking raids from the Sea Eagles, was impressive too.
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game.
The Good
Tariq Sims (79)
It wasn’t as eye-catching as the James’ performance just prior to this game, but Tariq certainly did his Origin prospects no harm with his solo effort to score at a critical point for the Dragons. He’s been impressively consistent all year, and certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a dominant Blues’ pack where he can be expected to contribute rather than be a spearhead. Tariq scored a try with a line break, provided a last touch assist, busted three tackles and scored 42 points in pure base stats.
Tim Lafai (71)
He’s struggled this year with just five scores over 40 all year but when he goes large, he goes large! Lafai has scores of 119, 86 and 75 but then it drops to just 46. Much of it has to do with him tucking the offload away, which is probably better for the Dragons but not so much for Lafai’s SuperCoach stocks. Case in point – zero offloads this game, but he scored a try with a line break, busted EIGHT tackles and got through 30 points in pure base stats. A POD at best, but unlikely to be in the top five CTWs for the rest of the season in my humble opinion.
The Bad
Brian Kelly (18)
Sitting on a three round average of 64.3 and actually averaging more than Lafai (!), Kelly has been in fine form lately. However, not so good this game as he was kept very quiet by the Dragons’ right edge.
Euan Aitken (30)
Work rate was lower than usual but owners would be sad that he missed out on all the tries. Like, literally every other centre/winger scored a try!
The Ugly
Moses Suli (15)
Left the field after just 26 minutes due to a sternum injury, not sure on the timeframe for return yet.
I believe Matt Wright also left the field due to HIA, which saw Hodko play hooker and Tom Wright come off the bench and play on the edge.
Bulldogs v Titans (10 – 32)
The Bulldogs put up a fight against the top-of-the-table Dragons last week but either the Dragons were a lot worse than we thought, or it was a false dawn for the Bulldogs. Either way, the Titans turned up to play and the Bulldogs didn’t, despite the fact it was at their spiritual home in Belmore. Ryan James put up his hand for an Origin spot, Jai Arrow further cemented his Origin spot and plenty of Titans stood up and did their job for the club. A special shout-out to Moses Mbye who scored a final try for the Bulldogs and well head over to the Wests Tigers for Round 16 onwards – starting off with another game against the Titans! Rugby league, eh?!
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this game.
The Good
Michael Gordon (138)
‘The Flash’ wound back the clock with one of the fastest starts for some time, scoring two tries in the first 15 minutes. He also set up another try, broke the line FOUR times, assisted another line break, busted five tackles, kicked four goals from six attempts and scored 24 points in pure base stats. He will be a perfect bye coverage cash grab if you have the trades, as he will play the tough Round 17 and his high score stays in his rolling average for Rounds 16 and 17, before he will be ripe for a sale in Round 18 or 19 (depending on how he scores in the next two rounds) for a run-home keeper!
Kevin Proctor (106)
Another decent option for a bye coverage cash grab, Proctor has had an injury-affected year which has dropped his price significantly. Now that he isn’t selected for the Denver Test, he will also cover Rounds 16 and 17, with his 105 staying in his rolling average for the two weeks and also covering the bye round. He scored a try, set up another, broke the line twice, busted three tackles, held up an attacker in-goal and racked up 54 points in pure base stats – a great effort for an edge backrower.
The Bad
Michael Lichaa (21)
An 80-minute hooker who can’t even get 80 minutes in first grade, and is being replaced off the bench – at hooker – by an outside back. Rugby league, man…
Marcelo Montoya (16)
Rumoured to be dropped for Reimis Smith in the pre-game, Montoya was handed a late reprieve due to Brett Morris getting the call-up to the maternity ward, as his wife went into labour. However, the fact that he played left wing – where BMoz usually is – may still show that his cards are marked and we may have been handed another cheapie for Round 17.
The Ugly
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (56)
He left the field with four minutes ago amid fears of another injury but news has been scant to say the least. His selection in the New Zealand squad would indicate no issues but he may be a chance of getting rested in Round 16 if he’s not 100% fit. Keep an eye on this one.
Roosters v Panthers (32 — 6)
This has the look of a real blockbuster but unfortunately, perhaps due to the representative period.
Let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
Blake Ferguson (104)
If you jumped on Fergo in Round 9 for just $433,100 you would have nailed one of the trades of the season, as he has gone on to average 70.5 points per game since then (before this week).
Even if jumped on the Fergo Express in Round 13, you would be loving the scores of 87, 93 and now 104 since then! He scored two tries, broke the line twice, busted three tackles and notched up 42 points in pure base stats – huge!
He even kicked two goals from as many attempts as back-up kicker with Latrell off injured.
Of course, you get some classic Fergo clangers with four errors in this game, but he’s certainly doing a lot more good than bad lately!
With those base stats, he’s one of the safest CTWs in the game right now.
Except he limped off with an undisclosed injury with two minutes to go…
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (81)
JWH had easily his best game of the year, if not several years, as he played the full 80 minutes and got through a mountain of work. Injuries to Napa and Mitchell, as well as the make-up of the Roosters’ bench, resulted in his monster game which saw him get through a monster 77 points in pure base stats – 44 points from 26 runs, and 33 points from 35 tackles with two misses.
Throw in two tackle busts and you’ve got this incredible performance from JWH.
Don’t get sucked in though, this is certainly not the norm for JWH these days!
The Bad
James Maloney (6)
He stayed on the whole game but he was clearly hampered by a burner injury of some sorts, which was later revealed to be something pressing on his sciatic nerve?!
Not 100% on that one, Maloney owners better do a bit of digging to make sure he’s okay!
Tyrone Peachey (9)
His game last week compared to this week… wow, what a difference a week makes!
Sure, he was sinbinned but even then, missing tackles, conceding penalties and making errors – he didn’t have a great game which lead to the Roosters’ right edge cashing in.
The Ugly
Dylan Napa (17)
He only made it through 14 minutes before what looked like a serious ankle injury forced him from the field.
JWH played a monster game, and we also saw Radley spend more time in the middle rather than the edge.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard (16)
He played 21 minutes before a suspected broken jaw forced him from the field, placing his availability for Origin 2 and maybe even Origin 3 at risk.
Nervous wait for owners of Ryan James and Tariq Sims I would suspect! Bigger minutes went to Hetherington and Merrin, as well as JFH.
Latrell Mitchell (41)
It was a scary scene as fears of a more serious injury to the neck area saw Latrell leave the field on a medicab, but it appears that he has suffered no serious damage and it’ll just be a painful injury for the next 48 hours before it settles down.
He played 50 minutes before leaving the field, with Aubo taking over at right centre.
Corey Harawira-Naera (47)
He left the field early with a badly cut mouth and also an ongoing groin injury which he has been managing.
Big watch on what happens here given it may give an opportunity to the likes of Kaide Ellis or Jack Hetherington for bigger minutes.
Cowboys v Warriors (16 — 23)
The Cowboys have looked a bit better generally across the past month, but they are just having no luck this year. Just when it seems like they have worked out a better backline, injuries have smashed them yet again.
Still a mathematical chance, but… haha. The Warriors are winning games they often would have lost in the past, showing improved fitness and game management to be able to put away games at the death.
It really shows that they can be genuine contenders this year, and I couldn’t be happier as it makes the competition more interesting for everyone!
Let’s look at the key performers in this game.
The Good
Kyle Feldt (98)
Feldt had a big game for the Cowboys, he certainly cannot be accused of not putting in effort. From scoring tries (two of them), to setting one up with an associated line break assist (as temporary fullback after Morgan went off injured, and Hampton was off for a HIA), breaking the line once, busting five tackles and throwing one ineffective offload, Feldt had a busy night!
He also racked up 26 points in pure base stats, a decent effort from Feldt given he is not known for his work rate.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (97)
RTS had a heck of a game, scoring a try, setting up two others, breaking the line once and assisting two other line breaks, as well as busting five tackles.
He also had 26 points in pure base stats which is actually lower than his usual standards – but he did all that was required of him to help his team get the win!
The Bad
Gerard Beale (21)
Called in late due to an unfortunate injury to the Fus during the Captain’s run, Beale was again serviceable for 90% of the time (including a nice play which was dropped by Hiku) but also managed to bomb an easy try which would have given a nice 20 point bonus to Tohu Harris. Classic Beale.
The Ugly
Michael Morgan (7)
He lasted 27 minutes before an ill-advised attempted tackle on a flying RTS, causing injury to his left bicep or elbow and effectively placing his Origin campaign in severe doubt.
This brought Hampton onto the field at fullback and later on we saw a Feldt cameo there too.
Solomone Kata (63)
He scored a strong try but then bombed another, somehow straining his hamstring in the process too!
Played 52 minutes before Lawton came on and replaced him for the remainder of the game.
Sam Hoare (32)
Came off in the final minute of the game with an injury that could keep him on the sidelines for a while.
Already missing McLean long term and Scott from week to week, the Cowboys cannot afford to lose any more middle forwards for fear of burning out their million dollar man!
Eels v Rabbitohs (24 — 42)
The Eels started fast and it was close for 40 minutes, but gosh the Rabbitohs just ran away with it in the second half. You would think the short turnaround and travel from Darwin may have impacted the Eels’ stamina levels to an extent, which may explain why they were so flat in the second half. The Rabbitohs were eventually able to rest some of their star players like Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis, given the dominance in the scoreline.
Let’s look at the key performers.
The Good
Robert Jennings (149)
Well, we knew he could put up a monster score. Specifically, he scored 147 earlier this year in Round 3. Four tries, four line breaks — that’s 108 points right there. Throw in six tackle busts and 29 points in pure base stats, and you’ve got Perfect Eight honours in this game. Not much else that needs to be said about this, just the fortune of being on the end of a very good backline.
Alex Johnston (122)
AJ has really grown into the fullback role where he has been criticised on plenty of occasions. Taking out his injury-affected score, AJ was sitting on a five-round average of 70.2 before this week. Two tries, three try assists, one line break, three line break assists, three tackle busts — plenty of attacking stats and he needs them, given just 14 points in pure base stats! Still, a team rolling as well as the Rabbitohs means there will be plenty of attacking stats on offer. He’s hard pick though given the upcoming Round 17 bye, but he could really be a run-home POD in the tough CTW position …
The Bad
Michael Jennings (19)
It was his 250th game but jeez, he had a forgettable night. Constantly making bad defensive reads, he was primarily responsible for a number of the Robert Jennings tries on that potent left edge for the Rabbitohs. Low work rate as well for the older brother. Eels would be expecting much more from him.
Cameron King (15)
He played 49 minutes but was hardly sighted in attack or defence. Spent plenty of time standing around under his posts though.
The Ugly
Nathan Brown (51)
Came off with about 10 minutes to go due to a forearm contusion (i.e. a cork) which is hopefully not anything more serious. He looked like he played for about 10 minutes after suffering the contusion so hopefully it isn’t too bad.
As mentioned above, GI was taken off with about 10 minutes to go and Doueihi replaced him. Surgess got a 15 minute breather and Clark played out the game.
Originally published as SuperCoach NRL 2018: Wilfred Zee’s wrap of the good, bad and ugly from Round 15
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