KFC SuperCoach Cheapie Bible: Kelma Tuilagi the left-field bargain everyone’s forgotten

It’s arguably the toughest week of the season for KFC SuperCoaches, but cheapie expert Trent Copeland has a left-field buy to get you over the line.

Doomsday has arrived!

Yep, it’s round 17 and I’m not going to sugar coat it, this is like when you get served asparagus for the first time as a kid. You know you have to eat it, but you most definitely won’t enjoy it.

Similarly, we have to play, but there’s no way we’re enjoying it — particularly with the news one of the only guns available to us in Nicho Hynes is out.

As far as cheapies go, it’ll be short, sweet and to the point as there are basically no ‘traditional’ cheapies available, so we’ll focus on the ‘playing nuff’ angle with an update on a few established cheapies too.

A cheapie by definition is any player under $300,000. As the season goes along we will give a running verdict on when to sell, sit, buy or hold every cheapie that hits our radar — if a player is not on the list, we’ve determined they are not a viable selection. Once a player eclipses the $350k mark they will be given a final verdict in the ‘Bon Voyage’ section.

Let’s get into it!

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Grant Anderson is popular (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Grant Anderson | CTW ($225,400 | MEL) - 12 points

Yuuuuuck. Just when you think you’ve found a late-season cheapie to emulate the likes of Izack Tago, Taylan May and even Jacob Kiraz more recently … Anderson and his long locks barely saw the pill in the thrashing at the hands of the Sea Eagles, going on to score just 12 points and really stifle any serious money making potential. The one thing to cling to is the fact that there’s no way the Storm will continue to play that poorly, and I’m backing he gets across the try line this week against the Sharks.

VERDICT: HOLD! Very valuable number for KFC SuperCoaches in a brutal week for scoring potential.

Ezra Mam | HFB|5/8 ($391,700 | BRO) - 36 points

36 points in back to back games for Ezra, ticking nicely over the $200,000 in price rises. But the BE now sits at 61 which means there are decisions to be made. Let’s start with the good stuff, and that is the fact the Broncos have a dream couple of weeks ahead with the Dragons, followed by the Titans, Eels and Tigers. So that upside we all know Mam possesses is every chance to kick in a second wave of price rises.

Of course, there’s also the fact he’s a very welcome green dot in a huge bye round. The downside is the position he’s clogging up. I mean, with three trades available and a mere $200k from Mam to Latrell Mitchell, for example, is the opportunity cost too much to hold Mam? I’m currently selling to a gun.

VERDICT: HOLD/SELL. Slightly controversial as I’m sure you could hold a week and prioritise other areas, but for mine I want Cleary/Hynes, Munster/Walker/DBrown as my starters — STAT.

Ezra Mam is a popular sell despite playing this week (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Isaiah Tass | CTW ($314,500 | STH) - 71 points

Goodness me, what a play from Tass to take the high ball, be mid air in the tackle and offload for a try all in basically one motion, in the quagmire at Accor Stadium no less. After his last game for the Rabbitohs in round 9 you could have been forgiven for thinking Tass had been shafted and wouldn’t play again barring injury. Well, a late inclusion and boy did he take his chance! 71 points and a stellar performance has kept Tass in the starting side, and now Campbell Graham is out for an indefinite period with a facial fracture so he should get a decent crack at the spot — just in time for amazing bye coverage and matches against the Knights and Bulldogs the next two weeks.

VERDICT: HOLD. You can’t jump on now as a non-owner, though, at above $300k.

Fonua Pole | FRF ($175,400 | WST) - 44 points

Pole has popped his head up at exactly the right time for KFC SuperCoaches, and on the back of a stellar debut with 44 points in 42 minutes with 34 tackles, and 10 points in H8s — he’s managed to keep his spot, even with James Tamou returning. As one of the only FRF cheapies in recent times you have to jump on, right? Well, I’m not so sure and here’s why. If you do buy, and have less than 10 trades left, you’re likely not going to be able to ‘cash’ him in. So, are the points this week alone in a bye round worth a trade and likely AE nightmare for the run home? Short answer is no. But, if it enables you to get Ryan Papenhuyzen, though, I guess you can still do it!

VERDICT: AVOID/LOW END BUY.

Kelma Tuilagi | 2RF ($358,200 | MNL) - 38 points

You better believe I’m going there! Cheapie Bible regulars will know that I have been singing from the rooftops about Tuilagi’s KFC SuperCoach upside he possesses in the tackle busting, offloading and try scoring categories. We just haven’t seen it yet. Well, with Luciano Leilua’s early departure, Tuilagi is back starting, and back playing 80 minutes the past two rounds. At just $270k, and some decent matchups to come down the track, could you do it? I don’t hate it.

VERDICT: POD-BUY.

PLAYING NUFFS

Jed Cartwright | CTW|2RF ($205,100 | STH)

Zac Hosking | 2RF ($175,400 | BRO)

Xavier Willison | FRF|2RF ($205,100 | BRO)

Justin Matamua | 2RF ($175,400 | WST)

BON VOYAGE

Jacob Kiraz | CTW ($461,600 | BUL) - 33 points

A tick under $300,000 earned, some crucial points during the bye rounds, and just generally very fun to watch in a team that’s been struggling for a spark for some time. But, the bye is here and the reality is we have to say thank you, and good night.

Yep, it’s time to trade and at $461,600 we could hardly have wished for this kind of equity when we jumped on at base price back in round 12. If you can manage it via duals getting to Papenhuyzen or Ryan Matterson I think that’s a worthy move, or down to a base price CTW to enable moves at other positions.

VERDICT: SELL. You absolute legend, it’s been real.

Xavier Savage | FLB ($469,600 | CBR) - 62 points

Another week, another 60+ point score and a try for KFC SuperCoaches from one of the buys of the season. Savage has in fact been that good that CNK has been allowed to pursue a move back to the Warriors, so the spot at the back in the no.1 jersey is all Savage for the foreseeable future.

Happy days. In the meantime, the Raiders have a bye this week so it’s decision time. With a BE of just 33 and matches against the Warriors, Titans, Dragons and Tigers in the next seven rounds you could be forgiven for wanting to hold on. But, even as Savage’s number one cheerleader I’m calling this as the week to move on… To Ryan Papenhuyzen or Latrell Mitchell.

VERDICT: SELL. Tough call given how well he’s played, but we can’t be getting sentimental in our old age now can we KFC SuperCoaches?

There you have it! As always, be sure to tweet us what you think @copes9 and @SuperCoachNRL. Good luck !