NRL SuperCoach R19 preview & trade tips

Round 19 is the last major bye week in the 2023 NRL season. With seven teams sitting out, it will test the planning of SuperCoaches and the depth of their squads.

SuperCoach finals start in round 23 and NRL Fantasy finals start in round 24, so it is imperative to start prioritising players that will remain in their side for the rest of the season.

Also, heavy defeats for sides like the Tigers and Dragons in round 18 suggest that SuperCoaches should be looking to bring in players who will be playing the most games against the poorer sides in the competition.

TRADE IN

Tyrone Munro (CTW) was impressive on debut for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in New Zealand, scoring a try and making two line-breaks in horrendous conditions. Munro has been given another opportunity to show his immense talent when Souths play the Bulldogs this weekend. Another strong performance could see him retain his position in the starting side ahead of Richie Kennar, especially with Campbell Graham under an injury cloud and Taane Milne’s rap sheet at the judiciary lengthening. This is a terrific option for coaches to have a bottom-dollar player in their CTW position with the possibility of improving in value.

Albert Hopoate (FLB/CTW) is having a brilliant season on the wing for the Canberra Raiders, with a scoring average over 62 points in his last five games alone. Hopoate has a relatively low breakeven, meaning upcoming matches against the Dragons and Warriors could push his value well above $500k. Hopoate could be a brilliant point of difference and give owners the option to trade up to a top-level SuperCoach player in the FLB/CTW position.

Hudson Young (2RF), much the same as Hopoate, has the opportunity to increase quickly in value over the next fortnight. The Canberra forward has averaged more than 70 points per game in his last three matches and scores very well historically against the Dragons and Warriors. Matches later in the season against the Tigers, Bulldogs and Sharks will provide more opportunities for Young to reach his point-scoring best as a strong point of difference.

TRADE OUT

Mitchell Moses (HFB) and Clint Gutherson (FLB) will return from New South Wales Blues camp for State of Origin to an Eels team that must travel to Townsville, Melbourne, Brisbane and Penrith to take on some of the best teams in the NRL. The Eels have just one match against a bottom-four side on the run home, along with matches against the Warriors and Roosters that could result in a win or loss. Moving Moses and Gutherson on at their top-dollar prices should free up plenty of cap space to bring in players with softer upcoming draws.

The Cronulla Sharks will have to travel to New Zealand, Penrith and Perth to take on the Warriors, Panthers and Souths respectively in tough matches, as well as hosting the Raiders in round 27. Cronulla have struggled for the last two years to beat teams in the top eight, so this stretch could heavily impact the scoring potential of Ronaldo Mulitalo (CTW). Look for other players with softer draws to finish the season.

Those who brought in Jahream Bula (FLB) prior to his first price rise will have enjoyed one of the greatest SuperCoach journeys in recent history. Sadly, those point-scoring, money-making days appear to be over, as the losses of Luke Brooks and Api Koroisau have had a huge impact on the Wests Tigers’ performances. While there is still plenty of value in Bula’s price, coaches need to reshuffle their sides and move him on.

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