Team Announcement: 2019 champion Dez Creek drops his side

After lots of deliberation I have finally settled on my starting 25 players for the 2021 season.



I have tried to keep my team as vanilla as possible, with the majority of my players being highly owned % wise.



However, I have also started with three non-playing reserves (NPR) which a lot of veteran players know is two more than you would normally start with.



Another key factor of my team is that there are no South Sydney players (I.e. No Cook, Walker or Murray) even though they are among the favourites to win the competition.



This is another risky play in the hopes that Wayne Bennett eases his side into the competition, and they don’t come out as fast as expected.



Other than that, here is my side for Round 1:



<a id="_wjjnMQjToRj0fMVuRTewA" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1304335704" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'_wjjnMQjToRj0fMVuRTewA',sig:'qpvE88RJb1Y5kYkEB-vKwekcIAA8kSbY2zWPWz80qBw=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1304335704',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hooker</h2>



Apisai Koroisau ($587,300)



I planned to start with the Cook/Grant combination at hooker all pre-season and have the position locked down for the whole season.



However, given Grant’s injury I have opted to slot Api into my main hooker role.



Penrith will look to come out of the blocks fast like always, and Koroisau should be a big beneficiary of some of the new rule changes.



Fast play the balls and lots of running straight up the ruck should see Api get lots of linebreaks and general attacking stats over the opening month of footy.



Connor Watson ($288,600) (R)



Initially I had Watson at reserve 5/8, but have slid him up into reserve hooker after TLT.



Of course he will still be playing in my 17 and I expect him to perform extremely well on some big minutes at the Knights.



He is fast, strong, agile and can make things happen from nothing (which I think the Knights will be struggling to do without KP over the opening month).



<a id="xrVyiCeOQfBq8Cc7-cizIg" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1264257652" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'xrVyiCeOQfBq8Cc7-cizIg',sig:'HjvfPP2bXbEp_bLmPYaNdrK6FUgYS6bGaUt85gkMnm4=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1264257652',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRF</h2>



Sio Siua Taukeiaho ($562,500)



As soon as he was confirmed goal-kicker for the Roosters he became an absolute lock in my side.



When the Roosters start obliterating teams you can expect TKO to score 100+ without any attacking stats if he stays on to kick for his normal 55-65 minutes which is just absurd.



He’s a skipper option every week without a doubt and should be extremely fixture proof.



He has lots of upside with little to no risk – LOCK HIM IN



Tino Fa&#8217;asuamaleaui ($504,900)



I wrestled between Tino and big Junior Paulo for a few weeks for this 2nd FRF spot.



The Eels bench makeup makes Paulo even more appetising and I do actually believe he will outscore Tino across the season, however the extra $70k was very hard to find in my salary cap, and from all reports Tino should be seeing a solid 60 minutes in a Titans side that will be looking for a top 8 finish for the first time in years.



Matt Lodge ($299,000)



With Haas out for the opening few weeks Lodge will see 50-55 minutes which will see him average around 60 with little to no risk.



A likely $150-200k price rise over the opening months is nothing to scoff at, so for me he was one of my first picked.



Stefano Utoikamanu ($186,800)



Nearly bottom dollar price and should see a solid $100k price rise over the first 3-4 weeks as long as he stays healthy and produces a solid PPM on 25-35mins.



<a id="dxABK8hzTcZMGKNDn9WWjQ" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1273283020" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'dxABK8hzTcZMGKNDn9WWjQ',sig:'lCfdkUryqqUdnmuxc2hDHnUIFPM1DO7mkJ1TnDXUQKk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1273283020',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2RF</h2>



Angus Crichton ($670,500)



I said the same about TKO, but Angus is also a massive captaincy play every week.



He was in scintillating form towards the end of last season and looked to continue that form in the pre-season trials.



He’s seriously capable of averaging over 80 this season if he gets enough attacking ball (which I suspect he will).



Ryan Matterson ($666,000)



There’s been a lot of talk about Matto’s move from the right to left edge, however it doesn’t concern me one bit &#8211; you could put this guy at hooker and he would still be just as lethal.



He should score the exact same as last season and I expect him to hold his price tag above $600k the whole season, so if you are looking to get him cheaper down the track I think you might struggle.



Mitchell Barnett ($543,300)



A last minute inclusion to my team with today’s news that Barnett will in fact be goal-kicking for the Knights ahead of Tex Hoy.



This makes him a borderline must have at $543k because he will be averaging in the 70s quite comfortably and will now have even bigger upside.



GET ONBOARD WITH TOPSPORT! Back your knowledge, and follow our NRL market previews throughout the season. Use the code SCPLAYBOOK when signing up.&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.topsport.com.au/?Referrer=SC%20Playbook" target="_blank">Check them out here ahead of season kick off.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="575" src="http://13.210.220.211/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--1024x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1948538" srcset="https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--300x168.jpg 300w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--768x431.jpg 768w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--2048x1149.jpg 2048w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--640x359.jpg 640w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--1200x673.jpg 1200w, https://blog.scplaybook.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TopSport-SC-Playbook-Rugby-2048x1149-No-SuperCoach--800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 98vw, (max-width: 1199px) 64vw, 770px" /></figure>



Jordan Riki ($277,500)



Riki looked good during the pre-season and should play 80 minutes on and edge which will make owners a ton of cash, regardless of whether the Broncos perform well or not.



There’s just not many other players in the 2RF position around this price that you can say will do the same.



Ryan James ($236,700)



I’m not overly excited on Ryan James and I do not see him getting much more than 25-30 minutes off the Raiders bench, however that should still be enough to make $100k over the opening month or two, so we can then upgrade him to some of the more emerging/exciting 2RF prospects who reveal themselves.



Ben Trbojevic ($173,700)



The classic CTW/2RF dual NPR who provides vital versatility at times when making trades.



<a id="aDP8q2EHRy5XpKgDm5B08Q" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1304345473" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'aDP8q2EHRy5XpKgDm5B08Q',sig:'0o6sQ0QxAcKlTcKwjBhgnN8kSI_B1ZLfBgFJ3PnTgIk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1304345473',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HFB</h2>



Nathan Cleary ($734,300)



A self-explanatory selection. Cleary will average roughly the same as last season so you pretty much know exactly what you are getting for $734k – and that’s a 75-80 point averaging halfback.



Sam Walker ($173,700)



The second of my three NPRs which allows me to stack up elsewhere in the salary cap. I actually expect Walker to get a run through the season at some point, and it may come a lot earlier than some people expect.



Robbo doesn’t muck around with his halves and if Lam isn’t cutting it then Walker will be straight in.



<a id="ou_topERQ49qAK8MbTgJPA" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1306214728" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ou_topERQ49qAK8MbTgJPA',sig:'xswIA3ux6EkQwvGU0zfMDaO_yUztqO2SGLXAvUAG20o=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1306214728',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5/8</h2>



Cameron Munster ($620,100)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



I wanted Walker, but settled with Munster. Realistically they should average the same across the course of the season, however Munster may need a bit more time to take charge of that storm side without Grant for the opening month.



In saying that, he may also go ballistic and prove why he is the best 5/8 in the game.



Matthew Moylan ($253,600)



I really didn’t want Moylan and I definitely won’t be playing him in my 17 unless he shows something over the first three rounds.



He’s really only here to save money elsewhere while also maybe making $150k if he manages to turn it on against some weaker teams.



<a id="xr_tivhOS8VbbUHFH7cL6g" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1304355430" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'xr_tivhOS8VbbUHFH7cL6g',sig:'l4Ks3fM4lgzMqlNcvwREiP6eQ9ekQ1bR86_F5wKvI7A=',w:'424px',h:'594px',items:'1304355430',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CTW</h2>



Charlie Staines ($297,700)



I don’t think you can go without a Penrith CTW who is priced under $300k who averages the highest of any player in SC history coming into the season (albeit a 2 game sample size).



There’s just no real reason to leave him out/anti-POD him because he is so cheap and plays in such a fantastic attacking side.



James Roberts ($277,700)



If the Jet was any more expensive I wouldn’t have him, however at $277k I think he can make some serious money for you if he gets enough early ball from the Tigers halves and edge forwards.



I’ll probably try to upgrade him to a Brain To’o or Stephen Crichton as soon as possible.



Bailey Simonsson ($205,000)



A starting winger in a Raiders side that is in the hunt for the 2021 premiership, yes please.



With a bit of luck and a few pummelling of weaker sides, Simonsson could make upwards of $300k over the first 6-7 weeks.



<a id="P2s0rUgpTRtLoJ6f5_Wn4w" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1213811677" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'P2s0rUgpTRtLoJ6f5_Wn4w',sig:'V6e4CUfSfqd4draONcHoVBbX8eY1vyxSHMJwy3I7Ass=',w:'594px',h:'362px',items:'1213811677',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



Daine Laurie ($223,200)



Starting fullback at $223k is impossible to pass up in NRL SuperCoach. The hitups alone will warrant a price rise, but I think we might see this lad average up in the 50s and make some serious cash in the short term.



Jason Saab ($233,200)



A big young lad who is good in the air and takes strong hitups. I can’t see too much threat to his job security either, so he should make a solid $150k in the bank over the first month of footy provided he gets a few meat pies.



Joseph Suaalii ($173,700)



My third and final NPR, however we know he will come in at some stage to play for the Roosters during the season (hopefully over the origin period).



I’m happy to just let him sit on the pine for 12 weeks in the meantime, which I did in fact do with a few players during my winning season.



What I am trying to say is that it’s not the be all and end all to grab every single cash cow, nuffs can work too as long as you have a plan set out for the byes.



Fanitesi Niu ($232,500­)



We saw last year that he has massive potential and was probably just thrown into first grade at the worst time possible for a prodigious young player.



I expect with a full pre-season under his belt at centre he could turn into something special and maybe even a keeper.



<a id="Q9qKAXnBSh9zqpKXLG-y1w" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1304323892" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Q9qKAXnBSh9zqpKXLG-y1w',sig:'1-Ng1U_gqOXDpCqIWFMWtHz7LWds4bU1u6WzvytRoJ4=',w:'396px',h:'594px',items:'1304323892',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FLB</h2>



James Tedesco ($843,100)



Set-and-forget captain every week (unless Papy with the goal-kicking looks set to outscore him).



Ryan Papenhuyzen ($629,0000



He could average higher than Teddy with the kicking, but we will also have to see how he handles the extra responsibility and whether it affects any of his other outputs at all.

Team Announcement: 2019 champion Dez Creek drops his side

Discussion (0)

NRL Supercoach 2026: Former champion Dez Creek’s team reveal

The Final Word | Round 22 NRL Supercoach Trades Plans and Strategy

The Final Word | Round 14 NRL Supercoach Trades plans and strategy

The Final Word | Round 13 NRL Supercoach Trades & Captains