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NRL Supercoach Round 8: Time for Origin upgrades

James Graham is a delicious option for Supercoaches over the Origin Period.
Roar Guru
24th April, 2014
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It’s that crucial part of the year when Supercoaches need to start planning ahead for the tough Origin and bye rounds, which wreak havoc on most people’s top 17.

Most early season cheapies will now be around their peak price, with a decision required as to whether they will benefit you over the bye period or if it is indeed time to ‘cash in’.

Players such as Dale Copley ($176,300) and Ben Hunt ($311,200) have reached their peak prices, however if they can manage to hold their price for a few more weeks, will be handy starters for Round 11 – Hunt continues to press his ‘keeper’ case.

Gerard Beale ($202,000) presents a difficult decision. He has been a form player in the NRL and boasts a respectable 44.86 average. As a centre lying inside Brett Morris, he will be able to provide the odd 70-80 score, which should keep his score around his current mark as a minimum. If Supercoaches can carry him through Round 11, he will provide coverage for both Round 14 and 17 and is not the instant sell many seem to be going with.

Many Supercoaches are also struggling to decide on the fate of popular second-row bench players Tinirau Arona ($221,700), Manu Ma’u ($226,400) and Jason Taumalolo ($211,800).

Taumalolo is not only an absolute keeper but plays both Rounds 11 and 17. Arona is on the edge of bleeding some of the cash made, exacerbated by Paul Gallen’s return. Despite playing Round 11, it may not be worth the cash lost to keep him around, though with so many options in the centre-wing positions, it is just as hard to find the free trade to trade him out. Ma’u has the potential to be a keeper, however with Eels’ byes in Rounds 11 and 17, he may be your necessary sacrifice to upgrade to a bye-friendly option.

Origin targets
In choosing who to trade-in for your cheapies, Supercoaches will be looking at one of two options – cashing in for bye-friendly cheapies, or upgrading to bye-friendly guns.

The surprise emergence of Kirisome Auva’a has been a blessing for Supercoach players, providing not only a suitable player to cash in on, but a centre who will play all three major bye rounds. He is managing to hold his spot over Joel Reddy (for the time being) and is an absolute must buy this week.

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Curtis Rona also performed strong on debut and would potentially cover both Rounds 11 and 17. However, it is yet to be seen whether his performances will be strong enough to keep out Antonio Winterstein, thus he’s a riskier option.

Beyond the likes of Sam Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams, the most valuable players over the Origin period will come from the Bulldogs, Roosters, Titans and Tigers, all of whom play each of the major bye Rounds (11, 14 and 17).

James Graham ($298,500) is the best of the forward options, who will provide you with a very consistent 60-odd each week.

In the halves, Albert Kelly ($274,200), Adam Reynolds ($285,800) and John Sutton ($301,600) are the picks of the bunch. All three are highly unlikely to play Origin, thus providing excellent coverage. Kelly has been the most consistent of all three in 2014 (with an impressive lowest score of 45, and a 64 average), however both Reynolds and Sutton have the potential to go big more often.

The back-line options are within the Tigers and Roosters squads, with multiple options in each. Daniel Tupou ($200,000) and Shaun Kenny-Dowell ($229,200) provide the coverage and will make some very handy cash in the coming weeks, sweetening their argument. Otherwise, Pat Richards ($276,200) is a viable option, or for those willing to take the risk on him, the injury-prone Chris Lawrence ($197,500) is still very cheap for his level of involvement.

The key to being successful over this period is planning ahead, thus your trades need to be made with foresight to your options in weeks to come. So start cashing in, upgrading, and brace yourselves for a rough Supercoach period ahead!

Watch Nic as part of the ‘Third Man In’ team discuss all the Round 8 Supercoach topics in their weekly video:

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Ask any Supercoach questions via the comments below or tweet @thirdmanin_sc

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