- CHAMPION’S ADVICE: Bye-planning + trade management
- CANBERRA RAIDERS: Full squad analysis + starting 17
Each week across the course of the year we’ll track down the biggest names in SuperCoach to get their views on the game.
In this week’s SuperCoach Fan Focus, 2017 champion Sam Rohlf, aka Banyo Boy, chats about his passion for the game, including his highs, lows, predictions for 2020 and everything in between.
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Embed from Getty Images1. What do you enjoy about SuperCoach?
Like most footy tragics, the early days always saw me entered in tipping comps way before fantasy sports ever became such a hit.
As a kid growing up, I was always a fan of strategy-based games, and SuperCoach combined my love of league with those sorts of games.
SuperCoach always made the games that my team wasn’t involved in more interesting to watch, even if it meant cheering for players that you weren’t particularly fond of like Paul Gallen or the Manly and Broncos rosters.
Embed from Getty Images2. Who is your favourite SuperCoach player of all-time and why?
Anthony “Boof” Laffranchi in the early days. I loved that he was a hard worker that had a knack of picking up the odd try or two.
Of the current players, Teddy and Turbo are hard to go past, and I still have man crushes on Cameron Murray and Nathan Brown from the mighty Eels.
3. What was your best SuperCoach moment of all-time?
I’ll give the obvious answer, which is winning the overall title, but moreover it’s for how I won it.
As most know, 2017 and 2018 were rough years for me health wise. I was lucky to pretty much have the title in the bag with 2 rounds left to play in 2017.
After chatting to VK, Wilfred, Guy and Dez about their experiences in winning SuperCoach, I’m glad I had the big lead going into the last round, because I don’t know if the body could have handled the extra stress of a tight finish. It still blows my mind that I won by over 400 points.
4. And the worst moment?
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s definitely the wait till lockout was over in the second last round in 2017. I had sat Semi Radradra on the pine against the Broncos and Semi had a massive game with four tries on his way to a 157 point score.
Semi was also in the team’s that were coming 2nd and 3rd, so it was a long wait until that lockout was over to see if those coaches had sat or played him.
Lucky for me, he was left on their benches as well and it gave me with a 282 point lead going into the last round.
Embed from Getty Images5. What was the best trade you ever made?
Keeping with my 2017 season, it was trading in Anthony Milford in Round 19.
The Milf had been carrying a shoulder injury and was set for surgery at the end of the season.
Lucky for me, this seemed to scare a lot of coaches off him and made him a huge POD for me against those in the top 10 at the time.
Milford repaid the faith, finishing with an average of 74PPG over those last eight games.
6. And the worst trade?
I’ve made my share of dud trades over the years. The ones that really hurt the most are the trades that you go against your gut feeling or the guy you have just traded in who picks up an injury.
Matt Frawley was easily the worst trade in I made in the season I won. He lasted two weeks in my team before I booted him.
I don’t think anything is more annoying than bringing in a bye coverage player only for that player to miss playing the bye round for whatever reason.
7. Is there any player on your ‘never again list’?
I don’t really have a ‘never again list’. I think it’s best to keep an open mind on all players. The players I tend to struggle with are the players that play for the team I support.
Mitchell Moses is a fine example of this. I got burnt by starting with him in 2018, got burnt by not bringing him early enough last year, and now I’m back to second guessing myself with him this year with his nice early draw.
Embed from Getty Images8. Who’s the player you keep going back to that burns you every time?
I thankfully don’t have to worry about this guy anymore, but Jarryd Hayne. Hayne’s form in 2009 was scintillating and he was a must-have.
As a lifelong Eels fan it was always a battle between the heart and the head when Hayne was available to play. He sucked me in again in 2018 when at the Titans where he started at a discount.
9. Any decent SuperCoach advice you’ve picked up over time?
Trust your research and back your gut feeling. Don’t be afraid to miss the flavour trade of the week if it doesn’t suit your team or current plans for your team.
Information is a key ingredient to a successful season, so make sure you’re in a chat group with dedicated players that you can bounce ideas off.
Twitter and listening to podcasts are another great way to take your game to the next level.
10. After a particular satisfying head-to-head win over a mate, are you humble or do you rub it in?
To tell you the truth, I very rarely even look at head-to-head match ups in my leagues, it’s all about overall points.
In 2016 my best mate, who’s not really a fantasy player as such, made a bet with me that who ever had the lowest scores over the opening six rounds bought the beers for the first six shouts at our planned catch up in Airlie Beach that year.
Safe to say I got loaded on his dime that night at Magnums Bar in Airlie Beach.
Embed from Getty ImagesTHE 2020 SEASON
11. Your first player picked and why?
Payne Haas. He finished 172 points better than any other front-row option that’s available in the front-row this season.
He’s a captain or vice-captain (loop) option every week. Currently at 48% ownership, so it shows what a stud this guy is at such a young age.
12.Your best smokey buy and why?
At the moment, I have Joseph Tapine. Tapine is a player that I’ve had in my teams before when playing on an edge.
This pick I will only stick with if it sounds like John Bateman will miss more than just the first few weeks at the Raiders.
Things have changed a lot since Tapine was last on an edge in Canberra. There’s no more Jordan Rapana and Joey Leilua outside of him, but if you asked owners of those two, Tapine never really passed to them anyway.
He only averaged 44MPG last season, so I’m hoping he will get more game time with Bateman out the first few weeks of the season.
Embed from Getty Images13. Who will be the biggest flop?
I’ll throw a dart at the board and say the halves from the Roosters. It’s been a huge effort from the Bondi club to win back-to-back titles and also back to back World Club Championships.
It’s a long time for a footy team to be up. Keary gets his chance to run the team permanently, but is also a chance to miss weeks on end with his track record of concussions.
If he’s out for any length of time, I just don’t think Flanagan has the game just yet to be the shot caller.
14. Who will be the top averaging player?
If Jai Arrow gets the minutes and can avoid the injuries then he would be my pick for a forward. When looking at the backs, I just can’t go past Teddy and Turbo. No real shocks there.
15. Who will be the Premiers?
I would love to say my Eels, but I think we are a season away still.
Canberra have been building nicely for the last few seasons, so it pains me to say that Ricky Stuart might get himself another coaching premiership.
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