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NRL Round 23: SuperCoach Winners & Losers from Sea Eagles vs. Raiders, Cowboys vs. Broncos, Dragons vs. Bulldogs

Key spine players failed deliver while a point of difference went nuclear. See all the SuperCoach Winners and Losers from Super Saturday.

SuperCoach NRL Podcast: Game Day Round 23

The Canterbury Bulldogs rallied in front of a packed Kogarah crowd to blitz St George Illawarra 28-10 and remain in touch with the top-four.

Earlier in the day, the Broncos stunned rivals North Queensland in the second-half to surge to a 42-18 victory, and Manly downed Canberra 46-24 in a convincing win.

See all the SuperCoach winners and losers from Super Saturday.

SUPERCOACH WINNERS

1. Kotoni Staggs (142) – He was simply superb in the second half. He was breaking tackles, busting the line and finished with two tries in a man of the match performance.

2. Tom Trbojevic (126) - Many put their faith in Turbo to deliver, and like the great man he is he came up with the goods. Had 70 at the half and a second try saw him crack the century.

3. Luke Brooks (102) – Really took over the running of the team today and he looked superb on the left side, linking well with his outside men and scoring a try of his own.

4. Corey Jensen (96) – Broke a seven-year tryscoring drought and put up a monster SuperCoach score. Both will please the Broncos enforcer.

5. Deine Mariner (94) – Scored a try in the first half as he posted 55 points and was consistently busy in the second half in a good showing.

6. Joseph Tapine (85) – To post a score above 80 while playing just 46 minutes and spending time in the sin bin shows what a beast Tapine is.

7. Daly Cherry-Evans (83) – Even though he seemingly took a back seat to Brooks, DCE still scored a try, set one up and had a few line break assists for another strong score.

8. Elliott Whitehead (83) – Another tradesman like performance from the Englishman saw him play the full 80 with 36 tackles, a try assist and four tackle breaks.

9. Reece Walsh (90) – Looked to be hurt in the first half but played on and came up with some incredible efforts.

10. Kaeo Weekes (81) – Had a very strong first half that saw him produce 51 points off the back of a great try. Continues to be a good secondary option for SuperCoaches.

11. Zac Lomax (85) - Lomax was a shining light in defeat for the ‘Red V’. He ran for over 200 metres and positioned himself brilliantly to get on the end of a Ben Hunt grubber on a night where tries came at a premium for his side.

12. Matt Burton (79) - His performance was highlighted by his brilliant length of the field intercept try in the opening minutes, and he was a deadeye kicker when it came to conversions. Won’t lose any value in SuperCoach - but won’t gain any either - as he struck level with his breakeven.

13. Bronson Xerri (78) - Was the benefactor of some brilliant Toby Sexton playmaking twice in a matter of minutes to score a double that headlined his superb showing.

14. Kurt Mann (79) - Capped off his workhorse performance with a late try that was created out of pure will and sealed Canterbury’s win.

15. Luciano Leilua (75) - Just eclipsed his breakeven of 73 and posted his best SuperCoach score since round 18. Ran for 128 metres.

Kotoni Staggs of the Broncos is tackled during the round 23 NRL match. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Kotoni Staggs of the Broncos is tackled during the round 23 NRL match. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

SUPERCOACH LOSERS

1. Jamal Fogarty (23) – Let his frustrations get to him early in the second half and never really took over the game like we know he can.

2. Jeremiah Nanai (10) – Was fairly quiet up until he was taken out of the game with some friendly fire by teammate Scott Drinkwater. Will miss next week.

3. Ben Trbojevic (13) - Still a popular player in the game but with finals on the horizon he mightn’t be for too much longer with scores like that.

4. Adam Cook (16) – Played a fair chunk of the game as a replacement for Rapana. Probably unlucky not to finish with a try after a horror call from the referee was proven wrong.

5. Jordan Rapana (14) – Went off early in the contest and failed his HIA, meaning he will miss next week’s game as well against North Queensland.

6. Simi Sasagi (15) – Came on later in the game, missed a tackle that led to a try and was a pretty tough outing for the bench forward.

7. Murray Taulagi (29) - Had a try assist disallowed for a forward pass inside to Tom Dearden. That would’ve saved his score.

8. Jesse Arthars (22) - While some of the other Broncos outside backs were able to feast, Arthars was left to starve in a blow for his SC owners.

9. Scott Drinkwater (37) - For the second time this season he has proven to find the boot of Adam Reynolds too much to handle. Came up with a few crucial errors.

10. Reuben Garrick (50) – A bit stiff to make the last with a 50, but with the points flowing for the Sea Eagles it would’ve been nice to see the star outside back get in on the action.

11. Reed Mahoney (17) - The Bulldogs hooker wasn’t at his best from 57 minutes game time and may have been below 100 per cent fitness. He went down the race with what was reported as a shoulder injury in the second half.

12. Ben Hunt (23) - The Dragons half played a perfect grubber behind the Bulldogs line to set up the Red V’s opening try, but that was largely the only highlight of his performance as the Dragons struggled to create in the second half where they were held scoreless.

13. Raymond Faitala-Mariner (11) - Had limited opportunity off the bench with just 20 minutes of gametime and posted what was his worst SuperCoach score of the season.

14. Stephen Crichton (32) - Will be the subject of headlines in the coming days after he lodged a complaint that he was bitten by Kyle Flanagan, but Crichton again highlighted his inconsistency as posted just 32 points. In the world of SuperCoach, his best can be marvellous but if he’s not crossing the stripe points are hard to come by. Has now posted three scores of 32 or lower in his past five outings.

15. Lipoi Hopoi (7) - Was barely sighted with just nine minutes of game time and registered his lowest SuperCoach score of the season as a result.

Ben Hunt of the Dragons looks to pass during the round 23 NRL match. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
Ben Hunt of the Dragons looks to pass during the round 23 NRL match. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

DRAGONS VS BULLDOGS

FULLTIME - DRAGONS 10-28 BULLDOGS

Despite a shark start to the second half the Bulldogs held the Dragons scoreless after half-time in what was a brilliant and gritty second half display.

It was a crucial win for Canterbury that keeps them well in touch with the top four and just a game off the pace of Cronulla and Sydney.

The first half heroics of the Matt Burton and Bronson Xerri combination set the Bulldogs up while Kurt Mann also had a superb game. the trio were among the top SuperCoach performers with 79, 78 and 79 points respectively. Mann played 59 minutes and worked hard to run for 139 metres.

The Dragons struggled to click in the final third for much of the night, but Zac Lomax was a shining light in defeat.

The evening was further soured for St George Illawarra as Mosese Suli left the field early with an ankle injury, and Hame Sele was hospitalised in alarming circumstances after he reported chest pain and was found to have an irregular heartbeat.

See the top SuperCoach scorers from the clash below:

Full-time SuperCoach leaders from Dragons v Bulldogs NRL clash.
Full-time SuperCoach leaders from Dragons v Bulldogs NRL clash.

75th minute - THAT SEALS IT

The Bulldogs have cashed in on a Dragons penalty and taken the two points - which Matt Burton aptly converted - to extend their lead to 18 points with just five minutes to play.

To compound the Dragons woes, Mosese Suli appears to have picked up a nasty ankle injury. He had to helped from the field by trainers and it was reported on Fox League that he will be sent for scans to determine the extent of the damage.

67th minute - MILLIMETRES IN IT

Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz was denied what would have been a match-sealing try by mere millimetres. Kiraz had surged for the corner and threw everything he had at getting the footy onto the stripe but the Bunker deemed he had come up short.

St George Illawarra have faded after a strong start to the half and need to come up with some points soon to remain with a pulse in this clash. It’s been an arm wrestle of a second half with just the one Bulldogs try through 27 or so minutes of play.

59th minute - MANN SCORES

When there’s a will, there’s a way.

It was a try Kurt Mann had no right to score, but he will his way over the stripe with several Dragons defenders hanging off him.

With just over 20 minutes to play it extends Canterbury’s lead to 16 points and came at a crucial time given St George had owned the territory for much of the half.

Candice Warner has also reported on the sideline for Fox League that Reed Mahoney had gone down the race with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

Additionally, Viliame Kikau has been placed on report after laying a low tackle where he made contact below the knees.

55th minute - BRILLIANT BOMB FIZZLES

Matt Burton nearly created something out of nothing for the Bulldogs with a monster bomb that Zac Lomax didn’t want to touch. The Dragons winger let it bounce to his detriment as Viliame Kikau swooped in and passed it back to Samuel Hughes. Hughes was in space but panicked and tried to tap the ball on hurriedly, knocking it on in the process.

50th minute - KOGARAH STALEMATE

With everything to play for, both sides have come out swinging early in the second half and the Dragons are showing some serious fight.

Completion was St George Illawarra’s achilles heel through the opening stanza as they completed just 10 of 18 sets but it has been much improved through the early stages of the second half.

Double try-scorer Bronson Xerri continues to lead the SuperCoach scoring with 66 points, narrowly ahead of Zac Lomax who has 62 points.

HALFTIME - DRAGONS 10-20 BULLDOGS

Toby Sexton’s brilliant playmaking was the talk of the first half as the Bulldogs imposed themselves on the home side to take a 10-point lead into the break.

The Canterbury half created masterfully by both hand and foot just minutes apart, and Bronson Xerri was the benefactor on both occasions.

Dragons prop Hame Sele has been taken to hospital with an irregular heartbeat and our thoughts are with him.

In SuperCoach news, Josh Curran was below his best in the first half and has just 19 points. It’s a disappointing return thus far from the most popular player in tonight’s game and his early performance was marred by several errors.

See the SuperCoach leaders below:

Half-time SuperCoach leaders in Dragons vs Bulldogs NRL clash.
Half-time SuperCoach leaders in Dragons vs Bulldogs NRL clash.

38th minute- DRAGON HOSPITALISED

St George Illawarra prop Hame Sele will play no further part in the clash as he has been sent to hospital with an irregular heartbeat. The news was reported Candice Warner on the sideline for Fox League.

37th minute - SLOAN COMEBACK CONTINUES

After one week in the NSW Cup, Tyrell Sloan has continued to justify his premature return to first-grade footy.

He hit the hole in the Bulldogs line and bounded toward the sripe untouched to cap off a very solid first half display from the Dragons no. 1. His side is trailing 20-10 on cusp of half-time.

30th minute - DEADLY DUO

What a few minutes Toby Sexton has had.

The Bulldogs half is creating masterfully and all of a sudden Bronson Xerri has a double. The pair combined twice in a matter of minutes, with the latter of the tries coming after Sexton superbly feigned a kick before passing to put Xerri through the hole in one slick motion.

Canterbury now leads by 14 points and the Dragons are under significant pressure.

27th minute - SEXTON RESPONDS

Anything Ben Hunt can do, Toby Sexton can do better apparently.

Canterbury’s lead is back out to eight points after Toby Sexton placed a brilliant grubber behind the Dragons line which Bronson Xerri grounded - just.

It was a carbon copy of the Hunt-Lomax try the Dragons scored down the other end just minutes earlier.

The try came off the back of another uncompleted set for St George Illawarra after Kyle Flanagan’s pass didn’t reach Ben Hunt on the full and resulted in a turnover.

23rd minute - DRAGONS STARS COMBINE

It’s game on now at Kogarah.

Bne Hunt was the mastermind behind St George Illawarra’s first points of the evening, with the halfback reading the play beautifully and dropping a grubber behind the Bulldogs line that sat on a platter for Lomax to finish off.

The Dragons winger followed up his work by nailing the narrow conversion to put the Dragons within two points to trail 6-8.

Lomax has also enjoyed a great start to the clash and now has 43 SuperCoach points.

Minutes earlier, Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan was placed on report for a attempting to trip a player.

14th minute - DOGS EXTEND LEAD

The Bulldogs lead has been extended to eight points, having opted to take the two after an early penalty.

All eight points have come from Matt Burton who has enjoyed a great start to the crunch clash and has already shot to 41 SuperCoach points as a result.

St George Illawarra made a strong start in the opening minutes and had the Bulldogs under the pump but their performance has deteriorated since Burton’s intercept for the first try.

The penalty that handed Burton a further two points was the result of winger Christian Tuipuloto attempting an illegal steal after he fumbled under the high ball and lost possession.

3rd minute - BURTON STRIKES

The bustling Dragons Kogarah contingent have been silenced early with a brilliant length-of-the-field run from Matt Burton.

St George Illawarra had all the ascendancy through the opening minutes and Canterbury was under the pump, but Burton plucked a Ben Hunt pass out of the air and held on - despite a momentary juggle - before taking off at breakneck speed without looking back.

The Bulldogs lead 6-0.

It was good news for Burton’s 35,000 SuperCoach owners as he has already shot to 29 points.

7:30pm - RIVALRY SET TO REIGNITE

Old foes St George Illawarra and Canterbury are set to reignite hostilities in one of the most anticipated clashes of this NRL season, and kick-off is just minutes away.

Both sides come into the Kogarah clash in a rich vein of form as Dragons playmaker Kyle Flanagan prepares to face his old mob.

St George have swung two late changes to its starting 13 with Francis Molo and Jack De Belin dropped to the bench in favour of Blake Lawrie and Hame Sele in the front row.

COWBOYS VS BRONCOS

FULL-TIME - Broncos 42-18

It will go down as a vital win in the Broncos season.

If it will be enough to spark a finals run remains to be seen, but it’s a start.

They finish the game off in style with Kotoni Staggs barging over for his second try of the half to put the icing on the cake in style.

Just for good measure Xavier Wilison pushed the margin to a slightly embarrassing one for the home side with a try in the closing stages.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from full-time:

Cowboys vs Broncos - top SuperCoach full-time scores
Cowboys vs Broncos - top SuperCoach full-time scores

70th minute - Broncos 30-18

That is pure class from Kotoni Staggs.

He was in a one-on-one contest with Val Holmes from a scrum and burns him with ease to put the Broncos back in front for the first time since early in the first half.

That was a very poor defensive read and the Cowboys look like they are busted. This appears to be the win that could spark Brisbane’s season.

They have another in quick succession and you can safely say the Broncos are home.

Adam Reynolds passes inside to Reece Walsh, who puts it on the boot and it’s put down by Jordan Riki.

The Cowboys have fallen in a heap.

60th minute - 18-all

It’s more than game on, it’s almost panic stations for the Cowboys now.

They’ve fallen in a hole and the Broncos have levelled proceedings.

Reece Walsh challenges Scott Drinkwater in the air and Josh Rogers is there in the right place at the right time to get the first points of the second half.

Who will be able to finish strongest from here?

50th minute - Cowboys 18-12

Jeremiah Nanai during the halftime break was ruled out for a failed HIA.

There’s been a bit of intent with the start to the half by the Broncos, but it comes unstuck with a knock-on inside Cowboys territory.

The Cowboys get their chance to attack after the Broncos drop the ball in their own territory, and Scott Drinkwater appeared to have scored, but it was overturned by the Bunker for a lost ball.

HALFTIME - Cowboys 18-12

The Broncos have enjoyed more chances with the ball but can’t land a blow.

It looked like North Queensland had their fourth of the night, but Murray Taulagi’s pass inside to Tom Dearden was ruled forward.

Could that turn the tide?

Reece Walsh gets a nice pass onto Deine Mariner to race 40m and score in the shadows of halftime and it is game on!

Here are the top SuperCoach scores at halftime:

Cowboys vs Broncos - top SuperCoach halftime scores
Cowboys vs Broncos - top SuperCoach halftime scores

30th minute - Cowboys 18-6

The bounce of the ball is going North Queensland’s way at the moment as they earn a repeat set from a kick that failed to be taken.

A kick from Chad Townsend hits the deck just metres from the Broncos tryline and nobody is there to clean it up, allowing Viliami Vailea the easiest of tries.

That’s not a good sign for Brisbane.

There are injury concerns all over the park at the moment.

Reece Walsh is clutching at his right hand after a tackle, and Jeremiah Nanai has come from the field for a HIA after colliding with Scott Drinkwater while trying to regather a kick.

Someone check on Kevin Walters.

Kotoni Staggs gets through and passes inside to Jordan Riki but he can’t contain it as they bomb a certain try.

20th minute - Cowboys 12-6

Tom Dearden hits back for the Cowboys.

He takes on the line and muscles his way over the line. It was ruled a try by referee Ash Klein and although it was tough to see, was probably the right call.

From the kick-off, Dearden goes from hero to villain by dropping the kick. He makes up for it though with a trysaver on Josiah Karapani just a few tackles later.

The Cowboys went close to having another with a contest in the air between Reece Walsh and Jeremiah Nanai, only for both players to fumble it.

From the next set a looping pass from Chad Townsend finds Kyle Feldt and the Cowboys winger finishes with a trademark putdown inches from the sideline.

They have their first lead of the night.

10th minute - Broncos 6-0

Talk about breaking a drought.

Corey Jensen scores for the first time in seven years as pointed out on the Fox Sports commentary to give the Broncos a dream start.

An offload from Billy Walters allows the forward to get over the top of some poor defence.

It’s the exact start the Broncos needed after the debacle of last weekend’s second half against the Titans.

5.30PM: We are underway in Townsville!

Who will claim bragging rights, the Cowboys or Broncos?

5.05PM: These two teams know how to put on a show and we can expect plenty of fireworks between the Cowboys and Broncos in Townsville.

Reuben Cotter (FRF/2RF $606,000) is a big inclusion for the Cowboys after a concussion and he is set to line up at lock.

Jaxon Purdue (HFB $303,500) is a late inclusion with Thomas Mikaele dropping to 18th man.

Brisbane remains 1-17 from their team named on Tuesday and Jeremiah Nanai will wear 24 as the Cowboys honour Carl Webb.

North Queensland can keep its slim top four hopes alive with a win, while anything less than the two points for Brisbane sees their season ended.

RAIDERS VS SEA EAGLES

FULL-TIME - Sea Eagles 46-24

Seb Kris provides a rare second half highlight for the Raiders with a try in the corner.

In a flash they make it back-to-back tries with Xavier Savage getting his way over the line over on the other side of the field to add a bit of respectability to the score.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from full-time:

Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top SuperCoach full-time scores
Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top SuperCoach full-time scores

70th minute - Sea Eagles 46-12

Luke Brooks gets in on the action with an individual effort to get through some sloppy defence to continue the demolition.

That takes the score to 18-0 while Joseph Tapine was put in the sin bin for giving the referee a spray.

As a senior player you have to control your temper at such a key moment.

60th minute - Sea Eagles 40-12

A second try to Albert Hopoate makes the task for Canberra very hard from here.

He was on the end of some nice lead-up work from Luke Brooks and Tommy Talau to just touch down in the corner before being bundled into touch.

The lead is now beyond two tries inside the final half-hour.

Now the Raiders are down to 12 men after Joseph Tapine was sent to the sin bin for giving referee Grant Atkins a serve.

GIO Stadium is about to explode.

Taniela Paseka could just have ended Canberra’s season with a surging run off an inside ball to extend the margin to 22.

Things just keep getting worse for Canberra.

Jason Saab scoots down the sideline and finds Tom Trbojevic on the inside to score his second of the arvo as he hunts down a monster SuperCoach score.

50th minute - Sea Eagles 24-12

The Sea Eagles opt to run it on the last play and it comes up trumps.

A short ball to Jake Trbojevic, an offload to brother Tom and a long ball to Daly Cherry-Evans sees the Maroons skipper take on the line and extend the lead of the visitors.

That inflicts further pain on the Raiders who have their season hanging on by a thread.

HALFTIME - Sea Eagles 18-12

A near-certain try has been negated by the referee.

Adam Cook dropped a pass from Hudson Young after making a break, but he got his foot to the ball before it hit the ground, however it was blown up by Grant Atkins.

They challenge the call and were proven correct, almost definitely costing the Raiders a try right before halftime.

It will certainly be discussed in more detail in Ricky Stuart’s press conference.

Jordan Rapana failed his HIA so is out for the rest of the contest.

To rub salt into the wound, with the last play of the half Tom Trbojevic makes a break from halfway and passes inside to Ethan Bullemor to give the Sea Eagles an unlikely lead.

It’s been a good start to Super Saturday with a thoroughly entertaining game in Canberra.

Both sides are happy to chance their arm and it has a big-game feel.

Here are the top SuperCoach scores from halftime:

Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top SuperCoach halftime scores
Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top SuperCoach halftime scores

30th minute - 12-all

Lachlan Croker is penalised for being a sleeper in the defensive line and it gives the Raiders a shot to push the lead to eight.

Jamal Fogarty shanks the attempt to let the Sea Eagles off the hook.

They almost score from the ensuing 20m optional restart as Jordan Rapana breaks through, only to lose possession a metre from the line. He hit the ground hard and is off for a HIA.

Manly goes to the other end and a piece of brilliance from Lehi Hopoate gets them their second of the afternoon.

He leaps up for a bomb, gets his arm free and puts an offload on the chest of Tommy Talau.

20th minute - Raiders 12-6

Ricky Stuart won’t be happy with that.

The Raiders fail to find touch after getting a penalty and the Sea Eagles go down the other end to tie things up.

Luke Brooks kicks an offload ahead and it falls into the hands of Tom Trbojevic in a try that has many SuperCoaches cheering.

A piece of brilliance from Kaeo Weekes catches Brooks out of position badly as he rushes out of the line, allowing the Raiders fullback to turn on the jets and sprint to the line to score.

10th minute - Raiders 6-0

Just as it looked like the Raiders would score against the run of play, the Bunker saves Manly’s bacon after spotting a knock on from Jordan Rapana before Ethan Strange raced 50m to score.

The Sea Eagles get a penalty well within kicking range but opt to go for more.

It proves costly as Tom Trbojevic is ruled to have thrown a forward pass to Lehi Hopoate before he scored.

A few penalties and set restarts keep the Raiders anchored deep in Manly’s half, and the pressure is eventually too much as Josh Papali’i scores a barnstorming try in his 300th match.

3PM: Super Saturday is live!

We have kicked off in Canberra for the Raiders vs Sea Eagles - who will win this game with so much on the line?

2.30PM: Talk about a game with high stakes.

Both teams will view this as a must-win if they are to play finals.

If Canberra loses they run the risk of losing touch with the top eight and could end the round as much as four points behind eighth spot.

A win for Manly could see them enter next round five points clear of eighth – a huge buffer considering how tight the competition is.

Tom Trbojevic (FLB $873,500) is a popular captain option among SuperCoaches and he has a great recent record against the Raiders.

He has posted scores of 92, 165 and 87 in his last three outings against the Green Machine.

Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top recent SuperCoach scores
Raiders vs Sea Eagles - top recent SuperCoach scores

2PM: Both the Raiders and Sea Eagles have maintained the same 17 players named on Tuesday for the Super Saturday opener.

Manly has a huge inclusion with Haumole Olakau’atu (2RF $652,100) returning in the second row and gun rookie Lehi Hopoate (FLB $456,100) comes back into the side on the wing.

Nathan Brown (2RF $435,800) has captivated many with his runs from the back fence and he will suit up in the front row in the absence of Josh Aloiai.

Simi Sasagi (CTW $295,800) is the only new face on the Canberra bench in place of Zac Hosking after the Raiders pushed the Bulldogs to their limits last weekend.

EARLIER: It’s a big Saturday of NRL footy, not only in the race for finals but as SuperCoach mini-leagues heat up.

Action kicks off with 10th vs. 7th as the Raiders host the Sea Eagles in Canberra in an important battle for the top eight.

Fresh off a bye last week, SuperCoaches will be stoked to see popular Manly assets back in action such as Tom Trbojevic, Reuben Garrick and a return Haumole Olakau’atu.

Trbojevic has been averaging a whopping 112.7 points across his last three games and no doubt holds a lot of captain’s armbands this week.

Ethan Strange returns to action for the Raiders after missing last round, still in nearly a quarter of SuperCoach teams.

Joseph Tapine was a strong scorer for the Raiders last time out with 98 points and as a result is the most traded-in player this round, with many Payne Haas owners seeing him as the obvious replacement.

Haumole Olakau’atu is a big return for Manly and SuperCoaches. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images
Haumole Olakau’atu is a big return for Manly and SuperCoaches. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Following this fixture is a Queensland derby in Townsville between the Cowboys and Broncos.

The Cowboys, sitting in sixth, are Queensland’s best chance at a finals run this season, with the 14th placed Broncos all but confirmed to miss out on the eight.

It’s the Cowboys who will have more of a say for SuperCoaches this week as well, with the most popular players from this fixture all coming from North Queensland. Valentine Holmes, Reuben Cotter and Scott Drinkwater are among those with high ownership.

Reece Walsh is the only Broncos among a sea of Cowboys with a high average of his last three games, but historically he doesn’t perform well against North Queensland.

Finally, it’s the match of the round between the Dragons and Bulldogs.

You would’ve laughed at me if I told you that a few months ago, but both these sides are in form and set to put on a blockbuster at a sold-out Kogarah.

Jacob Kiraz has been in top form for the Bulldogs. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images
Jacob Kiraz has been in top form for the Bulldogs. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Bulldogs backs Connor Tracey and Jacob Kiraz have both been averaging 80+ over their last three fixtures and are red-hot right now.

Max King is another who has been superb for the Dogs lately, averaging 76.7 over his last three which is over 15 points more than his season average.

For the Dragons, Jaydn Su’A is another who has been hitting highs with his scoring lately, averaging 84.7 across his last three.

Zac Lomax on the other hand has slumped in his scoring lately, but we know from his Origin heroics that he’s a big game player, so it could be time for a bounce-back against the Bulldogs.

Originally published as NRL Round 23: SuperCoach Winners & Losers from Sea Eagles vs. Raiders, Cowboys vs. Broncos, Dragons vs. Bulldogs

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Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/sport/nrl/supercoach-news/nrl-live-supercoach-scores-and-analysis-from-sea-eagles-vs-raiders-cowboys-vs-broncos-dragons-vs-bulldogs/news-story/b03a19a47e3f952a73270e9b55587f90