Mastermind’s NRL SuperCoach team 2025: Five changes after trials including Nicho Hynes out, Tom Duffy in

The Mastermind is making big SuperCoach moves after the NRL trials, including removing Nicho Hynes in favour of a cheapie star, making room for upgrades across the park. See his updated team.

Two majestic mullets have muscled their way into the Mastermind team along with a Rookie of the Year candidate as Nicho Hynes heads for the exit after a pre-season shake up.

Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui made a strong return from a long term knee injury in the trials to force his way into my squad. He should be back to his best in no time with SuperCoach points flowing as freely as his hair in the Gold Coast sea breeze.

Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter was the other man who gave me a timely reminder of his quality in the trials with tackles and touches galore including a blistering linebreak. His mullet may not match Tino’s for size but his heart and workrate certainly do.

Those two Queensland forwards can thank Cowboys young gun Tom Duffy for generating the cash to spread around the squad and pick them up.

Duffy’s numbers have been exceptional in the lower grades over two seasons and the Cowboys have resisted rushing him into first grade too soon. Now, he’s more than ready to be the SuperCoach cheapie of the season with goalkicking duties in an attacking Cowboys team his value should skyrocket.

Snapping Duffy up for $198k means I had to choose between cutting Nathan Cleary or Hynes at halfback. A tough call but I’m more certain on Cleary’s role with the Panthers. He’s locked for goalkicking and has been working both sides of the field. That’s not something I can say with certainty for Hynes, even though I’m backing him for a big season.

Welcome to the team, Tom Duffy. Picture: NRL Photos

The $500k saved on switching out Hynes also allows me to squeeze Reuben Garrick in as another premium CTW.

Here’s how the squad is shaping up after pre-season and Las Vegas Team List Tuesday.

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has made his way into the Mastermind team. Picture: NRL Photos

HOOKER

Sandon Smith, $237,600

Smith will take a place in the Roosters halves with Luke Keary retired and Sam Walker out injured long-term. In 2024 he had two 80-minute games for the Roosters both against the Rabbitohs for scores of 88 and 51. Across his short career his 80-min game average is 53.9PPG. He has dual hooker/half positioning too which could prove useful.

Peter Mamouzelos, $302,900

Mamouzelos had Damien Cook ahead of him the past few years at the Rabbitohs. On the occasions he’s played 60 minutes or more since 2021 he’s averaged 54.3PPG. He’s only played one 80 minute game and registered 73 points in round 6 against the Sharks last year. He put up good numbers in the trials so holds the position despite the likes of Cory Paix and Phoenix Crossland putting there hands up.

FRONT ROW FORWARD

Lindsay Collins out – Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui ($531,300)

Fa’asuamaleaui had a strong hitout in the second trial for the Titans to convince me to save a trade and stash him on the bench despite a round 1 bye. He had four 100s in his 77.5PPG career best season of 2023. His price went past $800k that season so you can’t look past this value.

Terrell May, $597,500

May comes in priced off a 61PPG average in 2024 at the Roosters. He averaged 78.4PPG when playing 45+ minutes for the Roosters in 14 games in 2024. In the 10 other games he played under 40 minutes he averaged 36.7PPG. He looks to be seriously great value after switching to the Tigers where he should get consistent big minutes as the top middle forward.

Tigers recruit Terrell May. Picture: NRL Photos

Naufahu Whyte, $367,100

The departure of May and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves means there are middle minutes up for grabs at the Roosters and Whyte averaged 50.7PPG when he played 40 minutes+ in 2024. Handy dual 2RF/FRF positioning.

Royce Hunt, $249,000

At his best averaged 39.7PPG in 2022 at the Sharks. Has moved to the Tigers where he’ll be a chance at more minutes than the 23.8PG he had last season at Cronulla. He had three tries in 2022 and 2023 so can find the line when given the opportunity. If Ben Te Kura lands on the Broncos bench next TLT it may be the end for Hunt but he holds on for now.

SECOND ROW FORWARD

Jack Bird out – Reuben Cotter in, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki out – Jack Gosiewski in.

Reuben Cotter, $560,300

Given my team name switched from Tronca Trucks to Cotter’s Otters this season it only makes sense to add the Cowboys co-captain to the squad. Sure there’s a lot of heart in this pick but the head says he’s a good pick too. Cotter is priced off a 57.3PPG season but that included an injury affected game and a rest late in the season. When he’s played 60+ minutes at lock he’s averaged 68PPG across his career. He’ll bank some safe and steady points early in the season.

Jack Gosiewski, $232,600

Gosiewski is the frontrunner for the left edge backrower spot at the Broncos and should make some cash if he can hold the position ahead of Brendan Piakura. He didn’t play more than 40 minutes in a game last season so comes cheap. In 2023 he played four 80-minute games in that position for the Cowboys and averaged 53PPG. He should make some cash but I’m not as convinced as Broncos coach Michael Maguire of this one just yet. Let’s see what other cheapie contenders emerge come TLT.

Connor Watson, $583,000

Watson should be playing 80 minutes as the Roosters hooker with Brandon Smith out long term. When he’s done that in the past for the Roosters and Knights he’s averaged 71.5PPG. You’re getting Watson priced at a 59.6PPG average so there should be good value. He also has dual 2RF/HKR positioning so he can always slide up there if the double cheapie setup isn’t working. If a 2RF cheapie I like better than Mamouzelous emerges he’ll slot in here with Watson up to hooker.

Connor Watson should be playing 80 minutes for the Roosters this year. Picture: NRL Photos

Liam Martin, $436,400

There’s definite value in the Clive Churchill medallist. He averaged 44.6 in 2024 his lowest scoring season of his career so far. When Martin is playing big minutes running off Nathan Cleary’s shoulder on the right edge he’s put up 62.8PPG in five games in 2024 and 67PPG in four games in 2023.

Corey Horsburgh, $355,500

Horsburgh only played five games in 2024 at 45.4 PPG but in 2023 he averaged 62 PPG and was a SuperCoach weapon. There is huge value here if Horsburgh returns to the form which earned him an Origin jersey in 2023 and he gets a chance to do so starting in the front row in Las Vegas.

Kobe Hetherington, $338,800

Hetherington averaged 34.6 in 40 MPG in 2024. Michael Maguire moved Pat Carrigan to prop alongside Payne Haas and opened up minutes at lock for Hetherington in the final trial against the Bulldogs. Hetherington has averaged 48.1PPG in his dozen games over 50 minutes at the Broncos and that would be enough to make some decent cash.

HALFBACK

Nicho Hynes out – Tom Duffy in

Tom Duffy, $198,800

Duffy has been tearing it up in the Hostsplus Cup with the Northern Pride for two seasons. The Cowboys have taken their time letting him develop in the lower grades and he’s ready to go at NRL level. He had five tries, 33 try assists, 20 line break assists and kicked 98 goals in his 22 games. In an attacking Cowboys team he should have plenty of shots at goal and get among the attacking stats.

Nathan Cleary, $811,500

Cleary played just 10 games in 2024, the fewest of his career. As a result, you can pick him up at his cheapest starting price since 2021. Three of those 10 games produced hundreds including a monstrous 175 against the Dragons in Round 21. I used five trades taking him in and out last year with the injuries so I didn’t miss out on those massive hauls.

FIVE-EIGHTH

Kaeo Weekes, $530,900

Weekes had a breakthrough season in 2024 at the Raiders playing 17 games and playing a mix of halves and fullback to average 54.2PPG. He is locked in as the Raiders number 1 and we know how well fullbacks score in SuperCoach. His electric linebreak and try assist from a kick return in the trials showed exactly why I’ve had my eye on him. He had a high score of 89 but also a low of 13 in 2024 and shapes as a risky selection. Cameron Munster sits just $60k more expensive as the exit strategy if it doesn’t work out.

Luke Metcalf, $443,000

Metcalf only played six 80 minute games in 2024 and averaged 58.3PPG in those kicking goals in half of them. He’s already good value but if he’s got the kicking tee expect his scores to tick up a little higher.

CENTRE/WING

Billy Smith out – Reuben Garrick in

Reuben Garrick, $680,300

Garrick averaged 77.9PPG when he played 80 minutes in 2024 but comes in priced at 69.5PPG after being ruled out early after HIAs in rounds 5, 15 and 21. That injury record is a worry but the early draw for Manly with five of the first seven rounds at home is certainly swaying SuperCoaches. He’s in 33% of teams at the moment.

Jamayne Isaako, $616,700

Isaako has not missed a game in his two seasons at the Dolphins. He was the second top point scorer overall in 2023 behind Hynes at 76.7PPG. His average dipped to 63 PPG in 2024 with not much changing in his stat line other than his try tally falling from 24 to 12 for the season. Plays eight of the first 12 games in south east Queensland so I expect a great start and hopefully an uptick in the try tally. A great work rate and goal kicking give him a great platform to go through the roof with – he’s put up ten hundreds in the past two seasons.

Izack Tago, $501,400

Tago’s average dropped to 50.1 PPG in 2024 down from 68.4 PPG in 2023 and 59.7 PPG in 2022. Nathan Cleary’s absence last season probably hurt Tago’s output more than any other player. The Panthers centre averaged 68.2 PPG in his nine full games with Cleary and 40 PPG without him. Tago’s work rate hasn’t changed dramatically but the tries dried up impacting his average. He scored just nine in his 23 games last year compared to 10 in 14 and 12 in 23 in seasons past.

Izack Tago of the Panthers is a sneaky point of difference buy. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Casey McLean, $443,000

Sunia Turuva moves on to the Tigers so a regular spot on the Panthers wing is up for grabs. Turuva averaged 59PPG in that position and McLean should get a good run at it after performing well last season in his seven games in first grade.

Tyrone Munro, $397,500

Munro was injured in his first game of 2024 then returned with three tries in the final three games of 2024, he also had three tries in three games in 2023. It’s a small sample size but it’s a try a game and 58.8PPG in 80 minute games for Munro. Injuries to key players Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray will have the Bunnies battling but if Cody Walker is fit for round 1 Munro should still get the service he needs.

Jaxon Purdue, $257,000

Purdue had three starts in the centres for the Cowboys in 2024 at 56.3PPG and came off the bench for minimal minutes four times. Valentine Holmes has moved to the Dragons so there is a centre spot up for grabs and Purdue is ahead of Zac Laybutt for now.

Robert Toia, $198,800

Toia scored four tries in six games in NSW Cup last season putting himself in the frame to fill one of the centre positions at the Roosters.

FULLBACK

Kalyn Ponga, $790,300

The Knights fullback has scored 100+ in his last two games against the first three opponents – Tigers, Dolphins and Titans. He is the man to captain over the first three rounds but then hits a bye in round 4. Then it’s a tough choice of copping the bye or pivoting to another gun fullback.

Isaiah Iongi, $232,600

Iongi is set to take Clint Gutherson’s fullback spot at the Eels and should be one of the cheapies of the season going by his form in the trials. The lowest score of any regular fullback in 2024 was Will Kennedy at 48PPG. Iongi only has to match that to make $250k which is very doable.

FLEX

Tom Trbojevic, $875,600

Trbojevic got through 18 games in 2024, his most in a season since 2018 and his second best season average ever at 89.4PPG. He plays five of the first seven games at home where he averages 84.5PPG.

Originally published as Mastermind’s NRL SuperCoach team 2025: Five changes after trials including Nicho Hynes out, Tom Duffy in