Join us each Wednesday as we take a RLW lens to NRL SuperCoach, including a Player in Focus, our Tradeoff of the Week, POD Hits & Misses and more.
Player in Focus – Reed Mahoney
Harry Grant is a proven gun and Wayde Egan is currently making a mockery of his season average (great trade bait for any draft players), but elsewhere the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs newest recruit at dummy-half has quietly increased his SuperCoach output to average 64pts this NRL season.
In the past, Reed Mahoney has been a solid scorer without being exceptional, characterised by a high BPPM based predominantly on tackles. He had a very simple role at Parramatta; provide fast and accurate service to one of the most potent attacking halves pairings in the competition.
The Bulldogs on the other hand do not have a dominant half and have lacked attacking direction in previous years, particularly in the final quarter of games. In 2023, Mahoney has stepped into that playmaking role and the difference is stark when looking at his numbers.
Under new coach Cameron Ciraldo, Mahoney is playing with more attacking flair. He’s taking the focus off Matt Burton as the Bulldogs primary avenue for points and has a license to organise their attack in good-ball.
What has been most impressive is Mahoney’s ability to do all this while playing behind an understrength pack. Jayden Okunbor, Josh Reynolds, Kurtis Morrin and Jayden Tanner have all been asked to step up in recent weeks and while performing admirably, have not won the ruck like a full-strength Canterbury pack would. It’s easy to picture Mahoney registering a few more assists like this with Tevita Pangai Jnr, Luke Thompson or Viliame Kikau as options close to the line:
Stats don’t tell us everything and attacking numbers can sometimes be skewed. A few lucky bounces can roll your way and suddenly you’ve got four tries in consecutive weeks (looking at you, Wayde Egan), but try assists and linebreak assists are a more maintainable and relevant stat.
Below shows a stats comparision of the top 5 hookers so far this season:
Mahoney’s base is impacted by missed tackles so far this season but those numbers should improve as the Bulldogs improve, especially around the ruck with troops returning.
He has a tough schedule ahead but as a primary playmaker in his team and the safety of a scoring-base that all hookers enjoy, I believe Mahoney is a long-term hold. Most importantly, he is available during the Origin period (barring injury) and will provide important cover for the 40%+ of teams currently holding Harry Grant.
Tradeoff of the Week – What to do with the five-eighth position?
- Two Popular Cheapies: Josh Schuster & Isaiya Katoa
- Two Underperforming Value Options: Adam Doueihi & Matt Burton
- Two Expensive Guns: Cameron Munster & Dylan Brown
- Two SuperPOD’s: Ezra Mam & Cody Walker
A historically high-scoring position has been overshadowed by the Nathan Cleary/Nicho Hynes halfback debate this year and is a position for high potential POD plays. This is my take on where to find the advantage in a position currently flying under the radar.
Josh Schuster – Schuster is extremely cheap, has dual position(2RF), and plays outside Tom Trbojevic in an expansive Manly attack. He will make money and have games where his attacking flair will produce huge scores, but the downside is the uncertainty. He is heavily reliant on attacking stats and there will always be concerns around his fitness. If he can stay fit, Schuster is a valuable R13 player.
Isaiya Katoa – Our other cheapie of the year is another dual position player (HFB) but is new to the NRL as he grows into his first full season in the top grade. Highly touted, we have seen glimpses of his attacking potential but so far it has returned only modest SuperCoach scores this season. The Dolphins started incredibly but squad depth is already being tested with Sean O’Sullivan out for the majority of the season and Anthony Milford picking up a hamstring injury. Katoa will either take over the team and become a genuine SuperCoach option, or the Dolphins will play predominantly through Jeremy Marshall-King and their forwards, thus limiting Katoa’s involvements. I’m leaning towards the latter.
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Adam Doueihi – The Wests Tigers playmaker was moved to fullback in Round 4 but is reportedly returning to the halves this week. Although set to lose more cash with a BE of 67, he is close to his basement price and if you could pick when (or if) the Tigers improve, he will be a buy. He may gain DPP at FLB in Round 12 if he plays a few more games there between now and then, but the Tigers have a bye R13.
Matt Burton – A popular pick to start the season, but observed a very slow start with scores of 18 and 30 which saw his ownership halved by R3. Owners have been rewarded for their patience though and he currently holds a three-round average of 66.7. The confidence to chip and chase in extra time last week was great to see as he takes the reins of this Bulldogs attack. A R13 bye isn’t ideal but he will not be rested during the Origin period and a goal kicker is always a plus.
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Cameron Munster – The gun of this position but never a top, top SuperCoach player. Munster can win any game for the Storm but at a price tag of $809,400 you need consistent tons to justify the outlay. Heavily rested during the Origin period, Craig Bellamy usually saves his main man for the big matches in the back end of the year. I will be angling for Munster as soon as possible after Origin but for me he is too expensive right now, especially given how well guns are performing in other positions.
Dylan Brown – A tough opening month has not been kind for the Eels, yet Brown has still been able to ton-up and maintain an average of 64.4. Shaun Lane is set to return and the draw significiantly improves for an Eels side who will be desperate to chalk up wins. With the second best BPPM of regular five-eighths this season (behind Munster), Brown is a high-floor option capable of wracking up attacking stats across the park. A high BE of 129 hurts but anything is possible against the Tigers in R6 for Brown, who could be a set and forget all the way through the R13 bye and Origin period.
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Ezra Mam: The pick for believers. Mam is not a value pick with a BE of 90 and a low floor with a season low of 29pts. What he does have in his favour is a position in arguably the form team in the NRL. If you believe that Brisbane will continue to dominate and lead the league in points, then Mam is a great POD to sneak up the rankings. He plays R13 but the Broncos face much harder opposition before then.
Cody Walker – If it were 2021 then this would be a one sentence segment; Pick Walker. As it stands though, Walker has struggled to match those heights in SuperCoach since. With a BE of 22, Walker is close to his basement price and the slowly easing fixtures for the Bunnies, along with returning troops in the forward pack, are all positives. Playing R13 and safe from Origin, I find Walker a very tempting prospect. The risk is three upcoming trips to Suncorp and a Souths attack that hasn’t quite clicked. I can’t question his believers, though.
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The Verdict: I am angling for Schuster and Brown. Schuster frees up cash to get Hynes next week and can be a match-up dependent play once we have more confidence in his scoring. Brown is a SuperCoach gun and is great to watch. He is scoring well, has a great upcoming draw and plays R13.
Hits and Misses
Hits: My top five POD targets for the next few weeks.
This week is very draft centered, focusing on low owned options that may be available to bolster your squad or stash away. There is still value in a few of last week’s picks, too.
Xavier Savage – Likely due back next week or the following, Savage is only owned in 22% of leagues. At fullback last year he averaged just under 58 points and will be the attacking flair the Raiders are desperate for.
Cameron McInnes – Again a stash option, but for a much shorter period. For teams struggling at 2RF, McInnes should see an uptick in minutes following the Sharks bye while Dale Finucane is suspended for three matches. A consistent PPM around 1.0 means with good minutes he is a solid plug and play.
Shaun Blore – Returning from injury, Blore has been a rare highlight for the Tigers. Whilst starting on the bench, Blore’s minutes are steadily increasing and he could win a big role as his performances continue to improve.
Haze Dunster – A short term fix who faces the Tigers this round, playing in a desperate Eels team. Will rely on tries to bump his SuperCoach scoring, but has every chance to score multiple.
Soni Luke – Unlucky with injury so far but any Panthers player is capable of huge scores in attack. Mitch Kenny is a brute in defence but his involvements in attack have not passed the eye test and Luke is sure to demand more minutes.
Misses: My top five avoids.
Jack Johns – Starting locks are always hot SuperCoach property but with Kurt Mann on the bench and Adam Elliott due back soon, there are red flags all over.
Kaeo Weekes – Had a fantastic game last week and holds a negative breakeven, but as long as he averages 21 minutes from the bench it is too risky.
Shaun Johnson – Has wound back the clock this season but unless you are planning to do a quick cash grab and flip to Nicho Hynes next week, he is a pass. For me, a trade is too valuable and with one or two injuries your team may have bigger fires to put out next week, forcing you to miss out on Hynes.
Moses Leota / Spencer Leniu – With James Fisher-Harris out, common sense suggests an uptick for minutes in the middle. When Fisher-Harris was out last year though, neither player saw a notable increase in minutes as Ivan Cleary kept his rotation consistent and let the substitute (Matt Eisenhuth) fill the gaps.
Written by Lachlan Baxter for Rugby League Writers