NRL SuperCoach Rd 10 preview, best buys & top trade-outs
Round 10 of the NRL kicks off this Friday night as Brisbane hosts Magic Round for the third year in a row, and SuperCoaches will need to be aware of the tighter schedule when assessing team lists and starting players. There are several popular trade-in and trade-out players that need to be assessed for coaches to best build their side as round 13 approaches.
Reece Walsh (FLB)
Reece Walsh has been a star for the Brisbane Broncos at fullback this season and is the most traded-out player in SuperCoach by a significant margin. Players should be wary of the fact Kalyn Ponga has opted to stay in Newcastle and train while the Knights are on their bye, as opposed to having a holiday in Bali. The more training Ponga undertakes, the more he should improve in defence, which will make State of Origin selection for the Queensland Maroons more likely. Coaches should wait until confirmation, by injury or the official Maroons selection announcement, to trade Walsh from their side as he will be pivotal come the round 13 byes.
Sunia Turuva (CTW/FLB)
Sunia Turuva is the third-most traded-out player, which could be another huge mistake for SuperCoaches. Turuva is another who provides round 13 bye coverage and could be moved into the fullback position for players to get their best 13 players on the field to score. The trade could be a result of injury concerns clouding the Fijian star; however, an upcoming match against the undermanned Warriors could be a good matchup for his point-scoring potential.
Nathan Cleary (HFB) to Nicho Hynes (HFB)
The Hynes-Cleary trade is one of the more popular swaps in SuperCoach this week, for several reasons. Cleary is reportedly carrying a groin injury which is set to prevent him from goal-kicking and could limit his time spent on the field in the lead-up to State of Origin. The Panthers star is almost guaranteed to be selected for the Blues, meaning he will be missing through the middle third of the season – especially if rested from the first-grade side. The switch would be a logical one if Hynes does not ultimately make his Origin debut for the Blues in Game 1, but if he does, coaches making this trade will be short two players and almost $2 million in their salary cap.
Jahream Bula (FLB)
Jahream Bula has impressed many in the NRL world in his first two games at the top level for the Tigers. Not only does the Tigers fullback have strong base stats with few bad marks, he is adding the attacking stats that typically come from some of the more SuperCoach-friendly players in the NRL. Bula has a chance to lock down his position in this starting side for the Tigers against the Dragons, which would bring a much needed price change, as well as having a relatively soft draw coming up with the Cowboys, Raiders, and Titans all to play after the Rabbitohs.
Corey Horsburgh (2RF/FRF)
Corey ‘Big Red’ Horsburgh has been making the lock position at Canberra his own in recent weeks while boosting his cult hero status in the NRL community. Since moving into the starting role over the last three weeks, Horsburgh has earned the trust of coach Ricky Stuart to play 70 minutes per game with a three-round average of 72 points. These minutes are unlikely to decrease, especially with the pending departure of Josh Papali’i to the Queensland Maroons State of Origin squad. Horsburgh also provides coverage for the round 13 bye and scores well historically against upcoming opponents such as the Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Tigers.
