Captains: Round 4 NRL SuperCoach skippers


<p>Apologies in advance, I’m stepping in for the wonderful Clementine Cassidy to cover the captaincy analysis for NRL Supercoach Round 4 and I can’t promise it’ll be as colourful.</p>



<p>Clem is out of action this week, so I’ve taken the responsibility of filling her not so huge boots.</p>



<p>I’ll do my utmost best to plug Prince Nicho’s wet hair (incoming) and any support crew meetings that may be upcoming for Cleary-Ponga captainers in round 3.</p>



<p>For those asking last week, as you’d have soon realised, unfortunately when your captain is your lowest scoring player and they drop out as the Flex you don’t get your vice-captaincy score doubled.</p>



<p>If your captain is your lowest scorer, they drop out and you don’t have a skipper for that week. Ouch.</p>



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<p>One major thing to note this week when considering your captaincy selection is that it’s forecast to be wet! Very wet!</p>



<p>Outside of the Thursday night clash between the Rabbitohs and Panthers which may also be showery, every game of the week is predicted to be heavily impacted by rain.</p>



<p>The worst of it is in Sydney on Saturday with two games to be hosted.</p>



<p>Of course this is all forecast, so keep an eye on that rain radar and updated forecast as the week progresses.</p>



<p>If the heavy rain does come, it does enhance appeal of playing it safer with high workrate forwards such as Payne Haas or Terrell May, rather than risking scrappy low-scoring affairs with attack reliant players.</p>



<p>Further, it reduces the score required from a successful vice-captain to warrant looping.</p>



<p>Let’s take a look at the options for NRL Supercoach Round 4.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Tom Trbojevic v Eels</strong></h2>



<p>Geez whizz this is a match-up made in Supercoach heaven…</p>



<p>The highest upside player in the game, Sunday afternoon, at home at Brookie Oval, against a winless Eels outfit that have conceded 276 points to fullbacks in the first three rounds.</p>



<p>But…</p>



<p>Yes, there’s a but…</p>



<p>There’s meant to be a deluge of rain leading into this game which isn’t ideal for a Brookie surface which has been known to chop up in the wet in the past.</p>



<p>Then there’s the fact Turbo was rested last week due to hamstring tightness.</p>



<p>There’s the injury concern, and the chance of an early shower if Manly put a score on.</p>



<p>I do feel though that if Manly do pile on the points and Turbo gets an early rest he’ll be in the thick of the scoring and should have an acceptable captaincy score by that stage.</p>



<p>Surprisingly he did only manage 55 points against the Eels at Brookie in round 8 last year, with a try!</p>



<p>I think he’s the clear pick this week, but it’s not as clear as it should be.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Payne Haas v Dolphins</strong></h2>



<p>How the times have changed that a front-rower becomes a genuine captaincy option.</p>



<p>Regardless of the wet weather, Haas has immediately become an elite captaincy pick every week on current form.</p>



<p>He has a three round average of 114 and his 140 last week was a whisker from being onwards of 200+.</p>



<p>He’s the safest option this week, and I’m reluctantly beginning to think he may not have the ceiling of some of the more fancied backline stars. Gun.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reuben Garrick v Eels</strong></h2>



<p>Garrick was sublime last week scoring four tries for 157 Supercoach points.</p>



<p>The Spy did note that his workrate is down on recent years, perhaps this is due to his string of headknocks that they’re advising him that he doesn’t need to run 15-20 times per game?</p>



<p>Regardless, less runs means less tacklebusts and scoring. It reduces his floor which makes him a riskier captaincy play than in the past.</p>



<p>He’s averaging 11 runs per game. He only had 10 runs against the Raiders and still scored four tries!</p>



<p>If you own Garrick and Turbo, Turbo is the obvious pick. If you don’t own Turbo, generally I’d say Garrick is a massive option in this game, but I’d want to see the rain forecast clear significantly to do so. Pass for now.</p>



<p>Those that own Daly Cherry-Evans but no Tom Turbo could look at DCE too who I rate as an option.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Terrell May v Warriors</strong></h2>



<p>In the wet, why not go the man with the base?</p>



<p>May has been exceptional this season, playing 65 minutes each week for an average of 79 points per game.</p>



<p>While I acknowledge he’s a prop and isn’t going to rack up many major attacking stats, it’s worth noting he doesn’t have a try, try-assist, linebreak or linebreak assist to his name this year.</p>



<p>Per game this season he’s averaging 18.6 runs, 35 tackles, three offloads and 2.3 tacklebreaks.</p>



<p>Running off Api Koroisau there’ll be attack to come, and with that he’ll see a few 100+ scores.</p>



<p>If we get to Sunday and it’s bucketing down rain for the Manly clash and we get cold on Turbo, May is a nice back-up option.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ryan Papenhuyzen and Clint Gutherson – Storm v Dragons</strong></h2>



<p>Both players with huge ceilings, and both in outstanding form with captaincy credentials.</p>



<p>However, there’s 10-70mm of rain predicted for Sydney on Saturday so I’m putting a line through both men immediately. Papy is also in some doubt with an ankle injury.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>VERDICT</strong></h2>



<p>Put the fears of injury aside for Tom Trbojevic, and focus on the fear of not captaining him for a potential 150+ for the dream match-up with the Eels.</p>



<p>He looks the clear play for me.</p>



<p>If you don’t own or you’re scared off by injury concern, rain or an early shower, I think Payne Haas becomes the next best option this week.</p>



<p>It’s very rare I’d advise around FRFs as skippers, but Haas is an exception to that rule on current form. The rain incoming also enhances the credentials of Terrell May.</p>



<p>I probably wouldn’t captain him, but he’s a great backup option in the final game of the round if anything happens to Turbo or if Brookie turns into a swimming pool.</p>



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Captains: Round 4 NRL SuperCoach skippers

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