NRL SuperCoach guide: Nailing your draft strategy and trades

This week is one of my favourite of the year because all SuperCoaches have a clean slate.

No one has made a wrong move. No one has made a poor decision when it comes to team captain. There are very few injuries so plenty of players are available and no mistakes have been made.

The draft for SuperCoach NRL, powered by OTEN TAFE NSW, does make things tricky, though.

Think NFL draft. SuperCoaches are placed in an order and everyone takes a turn selecting a player. Once a player is selected, he is unavailable to the remaining SuperCoaches, so there’s no problem associated with opponents having very similar teams – they’ll all be unique.

While professional club coaches have had months of pre-season to perfect their final squads ahead of their opening hit-out, NRL SuperCoaches will not have had as much time to prepare, so nailing the draft is key.

Here are my top tips for managing the draft and lifting your NRL SuperCoach game.

Do your research and study!
With every player in the draft only able to be selected once, this will force you to look past traditional players which were always a lock for your SuperCoach team, because it’s likely someone else will draft them before you.

Have at least two or three players listed for each position when you go into the draft so all your bases are covered.

For example, my top three fullback options would be James Tedesco, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tom Trbojevic.

Having said that, if you are first off in the draft, just pick Cameron Smith. Full stop.

It’s all about positions
This one sounds obvious, but may fall to the wayside when the thrill of the draft begins. The most valuable players in any team will be impacted by what position they play.

It’s logical when you think about it – there are far fewer available hookers (for example) that have the potential to score the consistent points expected of elite SuperCoach players.

Potentially high point scorers who play in positions like hooker, halfback and five-eighth are likely to go first, so the NRL SuperCoach that picks these players has a big advantage.

My tip would be to select in the following order: hooker, halfback and then fullback.

Remember the rules
Many of you will be used to playing SuperCoach Classic, where each of us has a salary cap (up to $7 million this year) and where the players we can select is impacted by that cap.

This means a rookie who scores big points early in the season is golden because you can use the value they create to increase your number of ‘keepers.’

This isn’t the case in SuperCoach Draft – a consistent player who will score you 70 points a week is far more valuable than taking a risk on a rookie in the same position.

Don’t forget the rookies
All that said, don’t discount the value of a rookie. Try to find a player who may have a breakout season who the other players in your draft may have forgotten. Once you have them, no one else can take them and they will also hold value when you start thinking about trading.

Some potential players that fall into this category include Jai Field and Brian Kelly.

Zig when others zag
I did say it was all about position, but if your top two hooker options are taken early, don’t just follow the crowd. Instead of focusing on your hooker, look for a better option in another position rather than picking up the eighth-best hooker because the other players in your draft are playing in that space.

Remember, there are several key positions where the spread of talent is significant, so take a holistic approach rather than focusing on one particular position if you happen to draw down the ladder in your first draft pick.

Once your squad is finalised, don’t worry too much if you didn’t get your player of choice, because there is always the opportunity to trade. In NRL SuperCoach Draft, coaches don’t have to conserve their trades because they’re unlimited, making it much easier to plan for the difficult bye rounds.

My biggest tip, despite the unlimited trade option, is to work towards the bye rounds weeks in advance. Ensure that during the crucial bye rounds you have a full squad available.

If you select the right rookies, you will increase your leverage when it comes time to trade (particularly if these rookies are in useful positions like five-eighth, fullback or hooker).

Good luck in your drafts and trades, and may the best and bravest OTEN TAFE NRL SuperCoach win.

OTEN is the TAFE NSW Online Training and Education Network. OTEN TAFE can help you achieve your personal development and career goals through its nationally accredited online training programs. With a little bit of considered research and careful study, you can lift your game in 2017.