NRL SuperCoach 2017: Reigning champion Wilfred Zee wraps every game of round 3
REIGNING NRL SuperCoach champion Wilfred Zee wraps every game of the round, revealing his good, bad and ugly.
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REIGNING NRL SuperCoach champion Wilfred Zee’s wraps every game of the round, revealing his good, bad and ugly.
Sharks v Dragons (10-16)
In a week where there were a few upsets, this was another boilover. This was more like the Dragons of Round 1, and not Round 2. Conversely, this was not the Sharks of Round 2, but more like the Sharks of Round 1. Consistency is obviously an issue for both these teams at the moment, but the Dragons are certainly not looking like a bottom four team if they play like this more often.
The Good
Euan Aitken (88)
Aitken scored both tries for the Dragons on his way to Perfect 8 honours. Aitken’s base stats are down on last year as he is not defending as close to the middle – this is indicative of the coach’s trust in Josh McCrone’s defence as opposed to Benji Marshall’s. A linebreak, seven tackle busts, an effective offload and 30 points in pure base stats go with the two tries and -4 in errors and penalties.
Paul Vaughan (80)
A huge performance from Vaughan, he has really settled into being one of the senior forwards at the Dragons. 28 tackles (zero misses), 24 points from hit-ups, seven tackle busts, a linebreak and an effective offload make up his great score.
The Bad
James Maloney (16)
It’s not surprising that a playmaker’s scores are tied closely to the fortunes of his team, but to go from 97 to 16 is a kick in the guts for owners. He had a really quiet night.
The Ugly
Wade Graham (15)
Vent time. How do you get sent off for a concussion test from a FALCON??? Yes the ball went up high, but it just bounced off his head! Losing those 15 minutes and then having him barred from returning after the second head knock (HIA protocol stipulates that) was a real downer for me. Yes, I traded him in to hopefully make some quick cash! Anyway, hopefully he goes 85+ next week to make it all worthwhile!
Raiders v Tigers (46-6)
On a sunny afternoon in Canberra, we witnessed the annual bloodbath between the Raiders and the Tigers. The last three games between these two teams have been 60–6, 52–10 and now 46–6. That’s 158–22. Other fun ways you can look at these three games? Jarrod Croker 54 def. Tigers 22. Jordan Rapana 32 def. Tigers 22. Sorry, Tigers fans, I’ll stop.
Let’s highlight some of the key performers and flops.
The Good
Jordan Rapana (141)
This guy loves playing the Tigers. Eight tries in the past three games is proof of that, but SuperCoach scores of 163, 82 and now 141 highlight that he also does more than just score tries against them. Two tries, two try assists, four linebreaks, six tackle busts, two effective offloads plus 23 points in pure base stats show just how dominant Rapana was. He had an absolute field day.
Josh Papalii (113)
Big Papa A.K.A. Mr T (an interesting haircut, to say the least) was a beast for the Raiders, and laid a massive platform for them in the middle of the field. In particular, 14 runs over eight metres for 28 points just there alone. Add another 22 points in tackles and hit-ups under eight metres and that’s a solid 50 points just from pure base stats. A try, two linebreaks, a linebreak assist, four tackle busts and three offloads (two effective, one ineffective) round out the rest of his stat sheet.
The Bad
Joseph Leilua (17)
All last year, BJ was putting up some impressive base stat numbers (pure base stats plus tackle busts and offloads) – hitting around 50 points per game in those categories alone. Simply ridiculous for a centre. So far we’ve not seen any of that from him this year, and not only that but he’s making a lot of errors and conceding penalties (-8 in this game alone). He’s going to be very cheap soon…
Josh Hodgson (16)
Hodgson had a pretty good game, I thought. He played 68 minutes and directed the Raiders are well. The rumour is that he’s playing injured, and perhaps this is affecting his SuperCoach output. Whatever it is, he’s not scoring very well and owners have a tough decision to make.
The Ugly
Sauaso Sue (25)
36 minutes into the game before a head knock had him off the field for a concussion test, which he failed.
Chris Lawrence (18)
Lawrence was having a real shocker of a game, dropping the ball multiple times, before concussion had him off the field for a test which he failed.
Naiqama also left the field in the final four minutes due to concussion.
Cowboys v Sea Eagles (8-30)
Hah, so I seem to have copped a LOT of flak for tipping a Sea Eagles upset. Looks like my general reasoning was correct, as the Sea Eagles reserve grade pack was still able to out-muscle the similarly-depleted Cowboys pack. Yet, for some reason I still decided to make Johnathan Thurston my Captain. Go figure, huh?
Anyway, let’s take a gander at the performers and flops.
The Good
Dylan Walker (70)
The most impressive part of this performance is that he didn’t have any attacking stats in the score. However, kicking a perfect seven from seven attempts for 28 points helps! Five tackle busts aside, the rest of Walker’s points came from 14 tackles (with one miss) and 19 points in hit-ups.
Brenton Lawrence (68)
Perhaps not surprisingly, Brenton has stepped up big-time in the absence of the other four front-line props at the Sea Eagles. He got minimal minutes in week one, but in round two he scored 52 from 59 minutes – all in base stats plus an offload. This week, he played 62 minutes and scored 45 in base stats, plus four tackle busts and a try with the accompanying linebreak. His score might seem low from that, but he’s got -12 in penalties and errors! Would have taken out Perfect 8 honours…
The Bad
Johnathan Thurston (22)
An absolute shocker of a performance from the future Immortal. That’s probably the best way to describe this! Twelve in errors and penalties, plus four missed tackles. That’s a lot to deduct from a playmaker’s score when they don’t log any major attacking stats! He did lose the ball when trying to score and had a few other opportunities go begging – another one of those “could’ve been 100+” games.
Michael Morgan (21)
JT’s partner-in-crime wasn’t able to step up when it mattered either. The Cowboys needed these two to deliver given they were down on troops, and they didn’t.
The Ugly
Justin O’Neill (7)
Limping off with a leg injury at the 28 minute mark, O’Neill’s departure prompted a reshuffle to the Cowboys backrow which saw Hess shift out position wider to right centre, Lowe to right edge and Asiata sharing minutes with Fensom at lock and prop.
It’s also worth noting that Tommy Turbo spent some time off the field for a concussion test, which he passed.
Panthers v Roosters (12-14)
I tipped the Panthers by a field goal but unfortunately for them, they lost to a try scored after a blatant forward pass (since confirmed by the NRL). Little consolation since the Roosters still get to keep the two points, and my tipping this week still looks horrible!
Plenty of standouts and some flops SuperCoach-wise too, so let’s take a look.
The Good
Mitchell Pearce (87)
Is this the Year of the Chook? We laugh about magical unicorn points but so far this year, Pearce has benefited from the most points added in after updates (at least 100+ points across the three weeks so far!). He controlled the game beautifully and set up two tries, two linebreak assists, busted six tackles, threw an offload, and ran the ball 17 times for decent base stats of 35 points. If he keeps this form up, an Origin recall could be inevitable (sorry Blues fans).
Michael Gordon (80)
‘Flash’ has been great since moving to the Roosters, he’s been exactly what they needed and his goalkicking has been valuable. His scores of 96, 31 and now 80 shows the classic inconsistency of any CTW option but the Roosters look like they have plenty of points in them all year, and the added bye coverage is handy. Two tries, a linebreak, four tackle busts, a kick and regather (rare as hen’s teeth!) on top of 22 points in hit-ups. Good game from Flash!
The Bad
Luke Keary (18)
Of course he was going to be here, the most traded in player this week duly rewarded eager owners with some nice cash but a poor score. He looked dangerous on the field but all of his attacking options were well-read and handled by the Panthers defence. Keary owners shouldn’t feel too discouraged with some tasty match-ups coming up though!
Dean Whare (16)
Who played Whare in Round 1 and 3 and benched him in Round 2? Thankfully not me, but Whare has epitomised ‘rocks and diamonds’ this year. He will still make some nice cash but it’ll be a risk to ever play him in your 17.
The Ugly
James Fisher-Harris (16)
Only lasting 22 minutes before a suspected fractured eye socket, the Panthers (and probably Peachey owners) will be hoping either he or Carty are fit sooner rather than later otherwise some reshuffles will be required shortly!
Knights v Rabbitohs (18-24)
I don’t know about you but I’m really enjoying watching the Knights this year. They are playing with so much heart, effort and enthusiasm and I wouldn’t be surprised if they became the ‘second team’ for many an NRL fan!
Let’s highlight some of the key performers and flops.
The Good
Jamie Buhrer (84)
Buhrer has been sneaking along under the surface as a POD option who comes with plenty of warning tags given his poor injury history. However, when he stays on the park there’s no doubting his SuperCoach ability. Scores of 66 and 60 so far with limited attacking stats (just a last touch assist and a linebreak in his last two weeks) have now exploded into this week’s score. This week he had 41 tackles (with one miss) and 16 points in hit-ups (58 in pure base), with a tackle bust, an effective offload, a linebreak and a try assist on top. Solid stuff.
John Sutton (70)
Another solid POD option who has been bubbling away with scores of 78 and 64 (both with attacking stats in there though). A 70 this week but made up mainly of attacking stats – a try, a linebreak, a forced dropout and a tackle bust supplementing only 33 points in base stats. Only played 72 minutes as well.
The Bad
Robbie Farah (28)
Only playing 48 minutes in his 250th NRL game, Farah seems consigned to playing around the 50 minute mark while Damien Cook is around and in good form. Despite a big score last week, Farah needs a lot of attacking stats to average anywhere near the other noted performers in his price range (the likes of Cam McInnes, Andrew McCullough, etc.). Expect plenty of 25-35 point games in the absence of major attacking stats if he continues to play approximately 50 minutes.
The Ugly
Brendan Elliot (16)
He ended up lost to concussion and didn’t return, although he still played 62 minutes for his 16 points. Will be subject to the concussion protocol.
Sione Mata’utia (50)
Another one who was lost to concussion, Sione played 56 minutes before failing the test. His score is propped up by try assist and a linebreak assist. Another one to monitor.
Titans v Eels (26-14)
What a courageous performance from the Titans, and what a disappointing performance from the Eels. Say what you want about the scrappy nature of the game, you can’t take the two points away from the Titans.
Plenty of standouts and some flops too, so let’s take a look.
The Good
Clint Gutherson (105)
A lot of focus was on “Gutho” to see how he would fare without Norman pulling the strings, and continuing the trend from late last season, he went very well beside Robson. On-field performance aside (he was mediocre with flashes of brilliance at best, and couldn’t get the job done for his team), his SuperCoach output was every bit as good as usual. A try, three goals (from three attempts), a linebreak, a linebreak assist, two forced dropouts, two offloads (one effective, one ineffective), three tackle busts and 36 points in tackles and hit-ups – Gutho was a busy boy!
Chris McQueen (77)
McQueen was stuck at left centre but he had a productive game overall. A try, three linebreaks, two tackle busts and 26 points in base stats highlighted a good game for him.
The Bad
Tyronne Davis (14)
After a good first hit-out last week, scoring a try, plenty were hoping for a second high-scoring game from “TRD” (full name is Tyronne Roberts-Davis) so he would be lining up for a third game with a nice negative break-even. Alas, he didn’t really see much work with only 14 points in tackles and hit-ups, four tackle busts but also an error and a penalty conceded. Throw in Dale Copley’s mid-week signing and job security has to be a concern too.
The Ugly
William Zillman (3)
A potential candidate for Captain of the “Glassman’s XIII”, Zillman had only just returned from injury. Sixteen minutes later, he was gone with a calf strain. Back on the injured list I guess …
Kaysa Pritchard (29)
Kaysa’s role, despite playing big minutes, was made relatively simple by the coach. This meant his SuperCoach output was limited to mainly tackles and the occasional run. He’s now injured his ankle, limping off in the 62nd minute. Concerning signs for owners.
Just a note, it looked like Konrad Hurrell also limped off in the 73rd minute with a leg issue of some sort. Something for owners to keep an eye on.
Bulldogs v Warriors (24-12)
The uniqueness of playing under a closed roof aside, the game itself was rather unremarkable. I had predicted a Warriors win before team lists came out but the loss of RTS was rather telling and you can’t help but think his safer presence at the back would have helped the Warriors. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
Let’s highlight some of the key performers and flops.
The Good
Brett Morris (82)
Some SuperCoaches were hoping he ended up at fullback following Will Hopoate’s injury, but he showed yet again that he does his best work on the wing. Two tries, both with linebreaks, four tackle busts and 20 points in tackle and hit-ups. A solid day out!
Moses Mbye (67)
After shocking scores in the first two weeks (24 and 12), plus a break-even of 148 as a result, plenty of SuperCoaches got rid of him before he leaked cash. Scoring a try with a linebreak, as well as remembering how to kick goals again (kicking four from five attempts), two tackle busts and 21 points in base stats was an improved performance, at least SuperCoach-wise!
The Bad
Issac Luke (17)
Wow, that was a stinker. Playing 80 minutes, Luke somehow only managed this paltry score. 21 tackles (three misses), five points in hit-ups, but -6 in errors and penalties! Perhaps he’s playing injured — whatever it is, owners want it to stop!
Adam Elliot (8)
Hopefully you didn’t get sucked in to the Elliot trap, after he managed to score a try last week and post a very nice score. Injuries also helped him to get a lot more game time. As expected, the minutes weren’t on offer this week and he scored the points you expect in only 12 minutes of game time.
The Ugly
Manu Vatuvei (12)
The Beast is no so beastly anymore these days, as he can’t seem to get on the park or stay on it. Big Manu came off after 53 minutes, but even before that his time on the field wasn’t overly productive. Aggravating his troublesome knee issue, he limped off and was replaced in a reshuffle that saw Fusitu’a moving out wider and Bodene playing in the centres.
Storm v Broncos (14—12)
So another week, another tight loss for my Broncos against yet another premiership contender. Of course the Storm were going to win, they are the only team that seems to consistently beat the Broncos and holds a winning percentage against them. In more positive news though, my SuperCoach players from the game did all right!
Let’s highlight some of the key performers and flops.
The Good
Cameron Smith (77)
Well, Prediction #1 for me was a Melbourne Storm win and a Cameron Smith 75+ score. Looks good at this stage barring an unimaginable downgrade for Smith (hah, Smith lose points?). Smith loves playing the Broncos and that continues to be the case, making plenty of tackles (43 with one miss), kicking three out of three off the boot (including the matchwinner from the sideline — never looked like missing) and laying on a try with a linebreak for Ryley Jacks who suddenly finds himself with an extended run due to Munster’s broken jaw. All in all, a vintage Smith performance.
Andrew McCullough (65)
My boy! Macca was my preseason-hype hooker option that wasn’t Cameron Smith, if anyone cared to listen. The Broncos’ tough starting draw and Kodi Nikorima’s delayed recovery from off-season shoulder surgery meant that Macca had a good chance of playing 80 minutes and making a million tackles. That seems to be on the money so far, and 55 tackles last night (zero misses) along with 10 points in hit-ups is another massive base stat outing for him. His 80-minute games may be coming to an end soon, assuming Nikorima isn’t far from being back in first grade.
The Bad
Anthony Milford (9)
Wow, who saw that coming? Milford had kicked off 2017 with back-to-back 80-plus scores, and looked set to buck the trend of poor scores from halves playing against the stronger defensive teams they were playing from Round 1. Enter the Storm to ruin things there! Milford had a poor night, making three errors and conceding a penalty, which really blunted his confidence — that’s a bad thing since Milford is very much a confidence player. There’s not much else to say, given his lack of his usual tackle busts and offloads as well as a higher-than-normal error rate. Commiserations to those who took a punt and traded him in, Tom Sangster!
Cooper Cronk (16)
I’m not sure whether it was him being too excited that Billy Slater was back, or if it was something else, but Cronk had a shocker of a game last night. He appeared indecisive, taking a fraction longer than usual to make his decisions and that led to him throwing the misdirected pass that James Roberts swooped on. How good was it though to see Jimmy the Jet take on the Ferrari (Josh Addo-Carr) though? There was only ever going to be one winner! Chalk it up to a rare quiet night out for the Cronk machine.
The Ugly
Cameron Munster (32)
A broken jaw ended Munster’s night early at the 60-minute mark. The injury looks like seeing him miss four to six weeks of NRL, which is somewhat lucky given Slater is now back and made it through his first hitout unscathed. We did see the first signs of lower base stats from his shift to five-eighth, though, with only 12 points in hit-ups compared to Munster’s usual 25 to 30-odd.
Suliasi Vunivalu (23)
Vuni didn’t come off the field but it’s since emerged that he has a dislocated shoulder, and is expected to miss three to four weeks of NRL. Young Tonumaipea is pencilled in as his replacement on the wing.
Originally published as NRL SuperCoach 2017: Reigning champion Wilfred Zee wraps every game of round 3
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