NRL Supercoach Finals | Tim's Team Reveal Week 1


<p>All right, it’s time to try and win a Hilux…</p>



<p>To state the obvious, it’s not going to be a case of walking up to the dealership and asking for the keys.</p>



<p>For those who missed the memo, there’s a brand new Hilux worth $79,000 up for grabs for the winner of NRL Supercoach finals. </p>



<p>Awesome stuff from all involved at SC headquarters.</p>



<p>It’ll be significantly tougher than regular season success, as there’s no reward in longer-term planning to get ahead of less committed Supercoach opposition.</p>



<p>It’s a week-by-week shootout, simply choosing the eight highest scorers of the week by position.</p>



<p>It caters much more to the casual Supercoacher and makes things a little less stressful for the more committed Supercoacher who spends far too many hours each week on the great game.</p>



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<p>It’s an excellent concept that should be enjoyed, without taking focus off the joy that is actual NRL finals footy.</p>



<p>Team structure is tough; if you lock in all the proven guns in the game, you’ll likely secure a fairly respectable overall position after the Grand Final concludes.</p>



<p>However, following the crowd will also mean it’s very hard to separate your side and push for the pointy end of the rankings to win the truck.</p>



<p>On the opposite end of the scale, you could go an entire team of point of difference players (PODs) at low ownership to really have a throw at the stumps.</p>



<p>There’s serious merit in doing so, but the high-risk nature of dodging the proven stars of Supercoach could mean your chances end after finals week one.</p>



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<p>I’m taking a more balanced approach, opting for a mixture of the game’s best players while adding in a few POD plays.</p>



<p>If I can obtain a respectable rank after week one, I’ll go a little harder on the POD front as we roll through finals.</p>



<p>As I write this on Thursday, I’m fairly well committed to my side for the weekend.</p>



<p>However, like any Supercoacher out there, I’ll take in any news and changes that may arise in the coming days and could always make a change. </p>



<p>There’s more detail and stats in my team list analysis from Tuesday, so go and check that out if interested.</p>



<p>Here’s my squad for NRL Supercoach finals week one.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HOK</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Blayke Brailey</strong></p>



<p>Brailey is the obvious pick here; I’m surprised he’s only at 57% selection.</p>



<p>He’s pretty much the only guaranteed 80-minute hooker pick, and he has a nice match-up with the Cowboys, whose middle defence can be very leaky.</p>



<p>He gets through plenty of work, has an elite running game, and has the ceiling to go 100+ relatively easily.</p>



<p>A boring pick, but with 43% not owning I’m very content with the decision.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FRF</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Keaon Koloamatangi</strong></p>



<p>Koloamatangi is also pretty boring, but at 36% ownership you’ll still make big moves if he scores well.</p>



<p>Excluding the returning Jackson Ford, he’s comfortably the top-averaging FRF available in finals.</p>



<p>It could be his last game for South Sydney, so he’ll get through a mountain of work in 65+ minutes.</p>



<p>An extremely safe pick, with upside, in an otherwise dull position.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2RF</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Jacob Laban</strong></p>



<p>My super POD at 2% ownership!</p>



<p>This is my big punt for the week, backing the Warriors edge back-rower.</p>



<p>Laban evolved into an 80-minute forward in the latter stages of the season, where he excelled with a three-round average of 88 points to end the campaign.</p>



<p>He’s one of the most destructive ball-runners in the game and is also lethal in the air for a big boy.</p>



<p>He runs off the maestro that is Te Maire Martin and gets a very favourable match-up on Kodi Nikorima. I love this play.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HFB</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Nathan Cleary (vice-captain)</strong></p>



<p>I really did tinker with the Nathan Cleary fade, and still am a little.</p>



<p>If I didn’t have an awful punishment on the line in my stand-off with Guru and Matty the Waterboy on Beers and Breakevens, I’d be even more tempted to leave Cleary out.</p>



<p>He had sub-par scores against the Roosters this year with just 43 and 69.</p>



<p>However, he’s the King of NRL finals and is a terrifying non-own.</p>



<p>Provided he stays in my side, he’ll be my vice-captain for double points.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5/8</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Te Maire Martin</strong></p>



<p>I’ve been hot on TMM all week across various shows and am very happy to have his services.</p>



<p>His 83-point season average is a whopping 18 points clear of the next best options at five-eighth in Cody Walker and Fletcher Sharpe. </p>



<p>I’ve gone the link-up with Laban; if these two can explode, I’ll be in very good stead heading into week two.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CTW</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Latrell Mitchell</strong></p>



<p>Trell Mit at 34%, only?</p>



<p>This seems a very dangerous fade, although I do understand there’s a certain Herbie Farnworth at 61% ownership that people are preferring.</p>



<p>If you’re opting for both players with one in the flex, you’re then fading a Cleary or Nicho type, so I get it.</p>



<p>This is the beauty of finals Supercoach, one per position!</p>



<p>I think there’ll be plenty of points in this game; the Rabbitohs will pound their left edge, and Trell should put on a show on the big stage.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FLB</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Kalyn Ponga</strong></p>



<p>Fullback is fairly wide open with a number of great options, all with concerns though.</p>



<p>Teddy has played little footy of late, while Drinky comes up against an unpredictable Sharks outfit.</p>



<p>Perhaps finals specialist Dyl Edwards is the flyer to run with?</p>



<p>I’ve gone for Kalyn Ponga, who is fresh off the bye and will be in everything for Newcastle.</p>



<p>His Supercoach form in the latter end of the season was average at best, but he was inches away on so many plays from notching a few tonnes.</p>



<p>As someone who had to death ride him over the back end of the year, it’ll be nice to be on team KP for finals.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flex</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Nicho Hynes (captain)</strong></p>



<p>Nicho’s in, and he gets my captaincy armband for triple points in week one.</p>



<p>This could backfire emphatically.</p>



<p>While not without some starring performances, we know his track record in big games isn’t crash hot.</p>



<p>However, the Sharks have built with gradual success in finals in recent years, including two wins last season.</p>



<p>One of which came against the Raiders, where Nicho put on a show.</p>



<p>I love the match-up against the Cowboys.</p>



<p>Even if the Sharks do fold and lose, I think there’ll be points in this one.</p>



<p>He doesn’t have to do much at all to score his 60-70 points, which isn’t to be sneezed at, but if the stars align, he can go 150+ on any given day.</p>



<p>Braydon Trindall returning in the halves will free him up with less responsibility, which hindered his scoring late in the year.</p>



<p>Please, Nicho, deliver the goods…</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Players I wanted</strong></h3>



<p>I was extremely keen on the link-up of Latrell Mitchell and Alex Johnston on the Rabbitohs left edge, but I already own the max amount of two Bunnies players.</p>



<p>I could drop Keaon, but as mentioned above, I do think he’s a cut above the rest in the position, while it’d also mean sacrificing Nathan Cleary. </p>



<p>It doesn’t quite add up for the risk involved.</p>



<p>The other one I flirted with was Mitch Barnett, but again I’m maxed at two Warriors players in TMM and my super POD Laban, so I’ll stick strong with that duo.</p>


NRL Supercoach Finals | Tim’s Team Reveal Week 1

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