NRL SuperCoach 2024: Draft expert Wilson Smith reveals his updated Classic team for Round 1

Our resident Draft expert Wilson Smith has made a whopping 15 changes to his initial team reveal. But one thing that has remained is a pinch of Manly bias, with some massive PODs from the Sea Eagles.

The Pre-Season Challenge is over and Vegas is upon us… which means now is the time to start second guessing all of your picks and making frantic changes to your team everyday.

While my team is still far from settled, I’ve made some significant changes to my initial team reveal and am comfortable enough for now to reveal what I hope is one of my final drafts (before I inevitably cave and make some more changes).

Unlike past seasons I have stacked my 2RF with mid-rangers instead of loading up on guns, have gone a bit more expensive at front row, started with at least one gun at every spine position and even managed to squeeze in a few of my Sea Eagles!

HOOKER

Harry Grant HOK $750,000 & Joey Lussick HOK $313,700

Just one change at hooker from my initial team, with Joey Lussick coming in for Jayden Brailey who has had an interrupted pre-season with a hamstring injury. Brad Arthur has said he wants to run an 80-minute hooker in 2024, which makes Joey Lussick and Brendan Hands both interesting prospects … whether that actually comes to pass remains to be seen however. Harry Grant was one of the first players I picked, and while I have toyed with the idea of Api Koroisau, I have not yet taken Grant out.

Harry Grant is hands down the best player at one of the skinniest positions in the game. Picture: Getty Images

FRONT ROW

Joseph Tapine FRF $656,000, Taniela Paseka FRF $555,900, Samuel Hughes FRF $238,900 & Thomas Mikaele FRF $238,900

A completely overhauled front row for me, with Payne Haas, Addin Fonua-Blake, Spencer Leniu and Liam Henry all making way (however I still think Henry is a decent cheapie option). I have decided that Tapine is the premium FRF I want to start my season off with and Paseka is a bit cheaper than the other guns at the position but still has some solid base and decent upside (not to mention his 1% ownership makes him a massive POD). For now my cheapie front rowers are Samuel Hughes, who looks to have a bench spot at the Bulldogs secured, while Mikaele should hopefully secure a bench spot at the Cowboys following the season ending injury to Coen Hess.

SECOND ROW

Heilum Luki $471,200, Beau Fermor 2RF $467,300, Brendan Piakura 2RF $426,800, Morgan Smithies $345,00, Jaeman Salmon $317,100 & Kane Bradley $239,800

As mentioned earlier, my backrow is stuffed with midrangers and cheapies instead of guns. While I would normally spend up a bit more at backrow, unlike past seasons there are seemingly more 2RFs than ever with a cheap price tag and incredible upside. Fermor is coming off an ACL injury but has a lot of attacking upside and should have the Titans’ left edge spot secured for the first month with David Fifita sidelined.

Brendan Piakura impressed during the pre-season and has a starting spot secured after the departure of Kurt Capewell. Heilum Luki has also earned a starting role following the departure of Luciano Leilua, while Jaeman Salmon has hopefully won the No.13 jersey for the Bulldogs. Speaking of No.13, Morgan Smith is a new face at the Raiders and looks set to start at lock. The riskiest pick of the bunch is Kane Bradley, who started in the backrow for Melbourne in the pre-season, but he is far from guaranteed a starting spot.

It’s the year of the mid-ranger back rower, and I’m locking in Brendan Piakura, with the departure of Kurt Capewell opening up a spot in the Broncos pack. Picture: Getty Images

HALFBACK

Nathan Cleary HFB $912,000 & Luke Brooks HFB|5/8 $560,300

No changes for me at halfback. I did toy around with Nicho Hynes for a little while, but for me he starts the season just a little too expensive, after a strong finish last year (three scores above 100 in his final four games). But the $57,500 price difference really adds up. Cleary is still one of the most consistent players in the game and a great option.

Maybe this is my Manly bias talking, but I’m hopeful a change of scenery for Luke Brooks could help get him back to the form that saw him win Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2018.

Of course he will be moving to five-eighth at Manly, but has dual position status for SuperCoach purposes, and with Daly Cherry-Evans mostly running the show it could help open up Brooks to run the ball more, which is when he is at his best.

Manly bias or absolute genius? Luke Brooks is in my team … for now. Picture: Jeremy Piper

FIVE-EIGHTH

Dylan Brown 5/8 $780,800 & Ethan Strange 5/8|CTW $238,900

Just one change at five-eighth for me, with Ethan Strange in for Kaeo Weekes at the moment … but I will likely just go with whoever wins the starting role at the Raiders.

Despite playing just 17 games in 2023, Brown still ended up with the fifth most points scored at the position, and finished with the highest average of his career, despite scoring just three tries for the year.

CENTRE/WING

Dylan Lucas 2RF|CTW $502,300, Taylan May CTW $458,800, Jesse Arthars CTW $376,00, Drew Hutchison HFB|CTW $354,900, Bronson Xerri CTW $345,100, Jack Bostock CTW $314,500 & Ben Trbojevic 2RF|CTW $277,400

A fair few changes in my backline, the biggest being the addition of Dylan Lucas. He may cost a pretty penny, but I love having starting backrowers in my backline and if the trials are anything to go by, he may have secured a spot on the Knights’ left edge. Taylan May remains from my initial team and passed the eye test in the World Club Challenge, so he will be staying.

Coming back from an ACL injury, Taylan May is a bit of a risk, but one many SuperCoaches are comfortable making to start the season. Picture: NRL Photos

Jesse Arthars was out of my team for a while but is back in after winning one of the vacant wing spots at the Broncos. Ben Trbojevic has won a starting spot at Manly and has a very handy dual position, as does Drew Hutchison who has hopefully earned the Bulldogs No.7 jersey. Fellow Canterbury recruit Bronson Xerri impressed during the pre-season and may have done enough to win a starting role, as did Jack Bostock who looks set to play on the wing for the Dolphins in Round 1.

FULLBACK

Tom Trbojevic FLB $833,500 & Ryan Papenhuyzen FLB $645,600

Just one change at fullback for me, with Tom Trbojevic coming in for Kalyn Ponga, while Storm flyer Ryan Papenhuyzen remains. Turbo comes in a bit cheaper than Ponga, and is arguably the best player in SuperCoach when fit, so I am once again putting all my hopes into the Manly star. Papenhuyzen on the other hand looks to have shaken off his injury concerns (if his trials appearances are anything to go by) and comes in at a bargain price given his deceptively low average of 48 from last year.

LEFT IN THE BANK: $29,200

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach 2024: Draft expert Wilson Smith reveals his updated Classic team for Round 1