TCT SuperCoach: Your Weekly Guide to Surviving the Season

(League Code: 704791)

Round 10 delivered one of the biggest SuperCoach scoring weeks we’ve seen, with 19 players posting scores of 100+, including a monster score of 200+. The way the NRL is trending right now has turned most games into all-out scoring shootouts. Whether that’s great viewing for the average fan is up for debate; however, it’s clearly resulting in some of the highest SuperCoach scores we’ve seen to date.

Congratulations to Phillip’s side, Parragong Spuds, which topped the TCT league with an outstanding score of 1,694 points.

Meanwhile, Chris’ team, Senior Paulo, continues to hold top spot overall in the TCT league standings, although the race is tightening, with less than 100 points separating first from second.

My Team

I scored 1,478 points this week. Usually, that’s a score you’d be pretty happy with, but with the amount of massive scores that flew around, I’m not overly stoked. Surprisingly though, my overall rank only slipped by 137 places, so I still remain inside the top 2% overall.

Shortly after releasing last week’s article, the breaking news dropped that Latrell Mitchell had suffered a back injury and would be a late out. That completely flipped my trade and captaincy plans on its head. Due to how late the news came through, the trades that I made felt more rushed than I would’ve liked and probably weren’t as thought out as they should’ve been.

With Latrell expected to miss 1-2 weeks and likely becoming a sell shortly after this anyway due to Origin, I decided to trade him out and cash in. The decision came down to Kayal Iro, Greg Marzhew, or Jamayne Isaako. Mainly because I was worried Iro would become out of reach if he pumped out another big score, I decided to go there. While Iro’s 77 was respectable, this decision absolutely stung, with Isaako exploding for 178 and Marzhew producing an outrageous 207.

Using the extra cash from the Latrell to Iro move, I also brought in Toby Couchman for Arama Hau. Toby is a reliable player that scores well through base stats and provides solid coverage during the tricky Origin period.

I kept my VC on James Tedesco, and his score of 140 or so (reduced to 127 after updates) was enough for me to loop. That meant taking Cody Walker out of my side and throwing the captaincy onto Jonah Pezet. Thankfully, that worked out well, given Cody Walker dished up a pretty brutal 30 points.

Overall, I still really like the look of my squad, but once I started counting how many active players I’ll actually have available for next week’s major bye round, the panic has definitely started to creep in a little. I’m torn because I’d love to preserve trades where possible, but it’s starting to look like I may need to boost next week and use all four trades to properly prepare for what’s ahead.

Note: During the three major bye rounds (Rounds 12, 15 and 18), you can use three trades, or four with a boost.

Round 10 Review

Let’s break down the key SuperCoach takeaways from Round 10:

Premium Guns

Greg Marzhew (CTW – $708.6k – 207 points):

Wow. Five tries and seven linebreaks resulted in the fifth-highest SuperCoach score of all time. I criticised Marzhew in last week’s article for lacking the scoring floor he showed in previous seasons, but that argument becomes irrelevant when he’s scoring tries for fun. Despite the hefty price tag, he’s set to become a massive cash grab with a breakeven of -102. The Knights don’t have incredible bye coverage, but I’d still be buying.

Jamayne Isaako (CTW – $762.5k – 178 points):

Three tries and a try assist capped off a monster performance from Isaako, who tore the Bulldogs to shreds. What is most appealing about Isaako is his outstanding bye coverage during the Origin period, with the Dolphins only missing the mini bye in Round 13. If Isaako is a player that you want in your side, you’ll have to make a move this week, as he’ll likely become out of range with another good score this week.

Can we talk about how well this guy kicks a ball?

Kalyn Ponga (FLB – $709.5k – 140 points):

Averaging 116 points in games unaffected by injury this season, Ponga is dismantling teams with ease. He recorded six linebreak assists against the Dragons last week alone, and he looks primed for another huge score against the Titans. Ponga is genuinely one of my favourite players to watch when fully fit, and as a non-owner, it’s painful watching him carve teams up so effortlessly. I’d love to bring him in, but the biggest concern is still his availability during the Origin period, with Ponga almost certain to be selected for Game One. With Tom Dearden now ruled out for most of the series, there’s a real chance Ponga could find himself in the halves for QLD. Newcastle’s draw itself is relatively manageable, with the Knights already missing the first two major bye rounds anyway, but the short turnarounds after Origin are what make things tricky. Newcastle face Parramatta just two and a half days after Game One, followed by the Dragons only two days after Game Two, making it difficult to know whether Ponga backs up for those matches.

Mid-Range Movers

Siua Wong (2RF – $666.2k – 104 points):

Siua Wong has been very impressive this season. Averaging 54 points per game in base alone, Wong has shown he can produce massive SuperCoach scores whenever he adds attacking stats to his workload. He’s definitely someone I’ll be monitoring closely, especially with players like Kulikefu Finefeuiaki or Heilum Luki being potential sell candidates if they’re selected for Origin.

Jahrome Hughes (HFB – $629.5k – 104 points):

In a much-needed return for Melbourne, Jahrome Hughes wasted no time making an impact, finishing with a try and three try assists to post his third 100+ score of the season. As always, Hughes shapes as a popular buy during the Origin period given he has no representative commitments.

Taylan May (CTW – $661.3k – 147 points):

Taylan May exploded with two tries, three linebreaks, 10 tacklebreaks, and 39 points in base in one of the standout performances of the round. The hesitation for non-owners is the timing, with the Tigers set to miss next week’s major bye round before facing a difficult stretch against Manly, the Bulldogs, and Penrith. Personally, I may wait until after the Panthers game, when the Tigers’ draw begins to ease and they hopefully have more troops returning.

Taylan May is averaging 87.3 points in games unaffected by injury

Beau Fermor (2RF – $596.2k – 94 points):

With 66 points in base and two linebreaks, Beau Fermor looks like he’s starting to hit his stride this season. Similar to Wong, he’s another 2RF I’ll be watching closely over the next few weeks, particularly if he avoids Origin selection.

Players of Concern

Herbie Farnworth (CTW – $789.6k – 51 points):

Herbie produced his lowest SuperCoach score in nearly two years despite the Dolphins piling on 44 points. With a breakeven of 138, he’s likely set for a decent price drop over the coming weeks. Still, owners shouldn’t be overly concerned. Barring injury, Farnworth remains a genuine set-and-forget player, so if you already own him, there’s no reason to panic.

He’s a SuperCoach gun – don’t stress!

Xavier Willison (2RF/FRF – $633.1k – 35 points):

It was a disappointing outing for most of the Broncos pack, and Xavier Willison was no exception, managing just 35 points despite playing 80 minutes. For the 23% of coaches who own him, it’s definitely becoming a concern. Willison appears to have peaked in price, faces an in-form Warriors side this week, and then has a bye to follow. That said, owners could still hold for at least one more week given he’s been named to start at prop again.

Team List Watch

• Jesse Ramien and Ronaldo Mulitalo both return for the Sharks. Blayke Brailey is out (concussion protocols), bringing Jayden Berrell into the side, while Cam McInnes is also sidelined, with Jesse Colquhoun returning to the starting team.
• AJ is out (PCL tear), bringing Bayleigh Bentley-Hape onto the wing. Latrell Mitchell is also named to return after a minor back injury.
• Terrell May returns after a late out last week.
• Jamal Fogarty comes back in at halfback, pushing Joey Walsh to the bench.
• With Tom Dearden out (syndesmosis, 6-8 weeks), Liam Sutton will make his NRL debut at five-eighth, while Jake Clifford shifts to halfback.
• Moses Leo returns on the wing for Hugo Peel.
• RTS is out, bringing Ali Leiataua into the centres. Mitch Barnett starts at prop, pushing Jackson Ford to the bench.
• Bottom-dollar cheapie, Phillip Coates, makes his NRL debut on the wing, while Xavier Willison shifts to prop and Adam Reynolds returns.
• Kade Reed is out (hand, 2-3 months), while Daniel Atkinson returns at five-eighth after a late withdrawal last week. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga starts at prop, Hamish Stewart shifts to the edge, and Ryan Couchman moves to lock.
• While the Raiders are on the bye this week, Simi Sasagi has been ruled out for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury.

My Trades

Here’s where I’m at this week:

• Setu Tu >>> Greg Marzhew
• Sam Walker >>> Jamayne Isaako

To be honest, I’m not completely sold on these moves.

I absolutely hate having to pay up for Marzhew after his monster score, because it feels a bit like I’m chasing last week’s points. At the same time though, there’s every chance he produces something similar against the Titans during Magic Round. A huge factor in this move for me is also the ridiculous breakeven of -102. If Newcastle continue to hum, Marzhew could very easily end up as another $1m player. By the time he potentially reaches that sort of value, there’s also a strong chance it lines up with the period where most coaches will want to bring Latrell Mitchell back into their side.

At the moment, I’m also considering trading Jamayne Isaako in for Sam Walker via my flex position. As mentioned in the Premium Guns section, Isaako could very quickly become unaffordable after this week, and his Origin coverage makes him an extremely valuable pickup. In hindsight, the Sam Walker trade probably wasn’t ideal, and part of me would’ve liked to hold him for this week’s matchup against the Cowboys. Still, I think Isaako is the better long-term play for my side, and this is realistically the only way I can make the move work. The plan would then be to shift Isaako into my CTW next week, move Sialetili Faeamani into the flex position, and upgrade him to someone like Scott Drinkwater.

Captaincy

VC – James Tedesco vs Cowboys

Captaincy – Nathan Cleary vs Dragons

Honestly, I might just have to start captaining whichever premium player is facing the Dragons each week. The Dragons are all over the place, and I’m expecting Cleary to put on an absolute clinic.

• Scott Drinkwater vs Roosters
• Sua Fa’alogo vs Parra
• Kalyn Ponga vs Titans

I’m keen to hear your thoughts, trades, and captaincy calls – drop them below! Let’s see who nails Round 11. Bring on Magic Round!

SC Adrian

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.