Buy, Sell, Hold – Round 21

After the events of last week, it’s nice to know we’ve got some rugby league this weekend to look forward to (touchwood). The downside is that it means we’ve got one less day to work out what to do with the crumbling messes of our teams with minimal trades. Suddenly a 20 round season doesn’t look so bad.

Best call – BUY Kotoni Staggs (90). 3/3 for CTW recommendations over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, he’s out for the season now and needs to be sold (see below).

Worst call – SELL Taane Milne (52). Not a bad call but again snuck his way into the seventeen when most coaches were struggling for numbers. An easy hold.

Kalyn Ponga ($536,400 FLB – 98, Avg: 76.3, BE 57)

Speaking of PODs, Ponga is another giant one at a position that most people are already set. The Knights draw is one of the safest to close out the season. The Knights face Brisbane, Cronulla, Canterbury, Gold Coast and Brisbane again before the end of the season. Those Broncos not only have given up the most 100+ scores this season (23, equal with the Cowboys), they also give up the most points to fullbacks. If Ponga fires in those games it could differentiate your team from those who have Tedesco as their second fullback.

The downside is that he has been unable to stay in the field at times this season due to how strongly he is targeted by opposition defences – Ponga has played 80 minutes just once in his last four games.

Harry Grant ($596,000 HOK – 88 last round, Average: 73.6, BE 81)

The Storm hooker finally returned from an injury that has kept him out of action since Round 15, and knocked out 88 points, including a try and two line breaks in 58 minutes. His scoring before the injury wasn’t being propped up with attacking stats, as his base stats were in the 20s. That changed last week with 38 in pure base and 48 in base + power stats, the latter his highest of the season so far. With slim pickings at hooker, especially with Ben Hunt’s injury, Grant is a very attractive option at just 4% ownership.

Bradman Best ($382,500 CTW – 107, Avg: 54.3, BE 9)

Another week, another CTW option being recommended. Fingers crossed for everyone – especially Knights fans – that his horrible luck with injuries is in the past. He won’t be any cheaper than this with the 16 in Round 13 moving out of his rolling average this week. The Knights draw that was mentioned above is a huge drawing card too, although the Broncos don’t leak points to CTW as badly as they do fullback. Best is another super point of difference at just 5% ownership, although that will increase given his current status as the highest traded in player this week.

Cameron Murray ($621,000 2RF – 0, Avg: 70.0, BE 33)

Back from suspension and a string of huge scores, Murray is another semi-POD with 9% ownership currently. His last four big scores have come against the bottom half of the competition, but the Eels have been struggling of late and the Rabbitohs do face the Gold Coast and St George as well in their final five. Those scores did include some good base scores as well as, averaging 51 in base and 63 in base plus power. An expensive POD but he does have a history of big scores.

Euan Aitken ($416,800 CTW – 128, Avg: 54.2, BE 4)

He’s not going to have the luxury of playing the Tigers every week, or scoring two tries with one of them an absolute gift. However, he is named to start in the second row again, where he played 80 minutes last round on the way to a massive 58 points in base stats. If you include power stats, that number rockets up to 74. We all know how valued second rowers are when they’re available at CTW and this is a great chance to pick one up well below value. The biggest POD available this week at *checks notes* 0% ownership, in just 375 teams at the time of writing.

Kotoni Staggs ($486,500 CTW – 90, Avg: 61.8, BE 53)

Yet another serious injury for the Broncos, with Staggs missing the rest of the season with a knee injury. He looked like he was back to his barnstorming best against the Cowboys, crossing for two tries. With a draw that featured two games against the Knights, as well as the Sharks and Warriors, Staggs was a great POD at just 6% ownership.

Ben Hunt ($549,500 HFB|HOK – 51, Avg: 67.3, BE 92)

What would a week of Supercoach in 2021 be without multiple soul crushing long term injuries? Hunt had been a lone bright spot for the Dragons all season, and for Supercoaches a real option at hooker. The only positive spin out of this is that if you have the trades and $50k to spare it’s an easy move to Grant.

Daine Laurie ($462,200 FLB|CTW – 2, Avg: 57.1, BE 127)

A stellar rookie season has come crashing to a halt due to a broken leg suffered early in the season. A cruel blow for Laurie, who was looking like a great 4^th or 5^th CTW for the run home, and even more crushing for owners who were looking forward to his soft schedule for the final five rounds.

Charlie Staines ($331,600 FLB|CTW – 1, Avg: 41.4, BE 85)

One point in eight minutes of rugby league. Was outscored by Laurie who broke his leg after two minutes. Even Bevan French wasn’t this bad at scoring Supercoach points.

Jayden Brailey ($381,400 HOK – 32, Avg: 60.8, BE 62)

If he’s your only option to bring in Harry Grant then you make that trade, but with very few discretional trades remaining he is worth holding with a likely return next week after suffering a concussion. His value has dropped significantly and you’re not going to unlock enough cash to use elsewhere. Not someone you’d be playing but a useful backup hooker and worth saving a trade over. Unless you’re able to snare Grant.

Corey Harawira-Naera ($601,000 2RF – 39, Avg: 67.2, BE 103)

A great cover through the bye period but may be losing relevance now. Had only played fewer than 70 minutes once all season (65 minutes against the Broncos which included a HIA), but played 67 facing the Knights. He’s now starting from the bench which will further limit his minutes. Again, with so few trades remaining he’s a hold given he’s actually playing, but you may want to sit him as a non-playing reserve. If he’s your only route to upgrading elsewhere then I’d have no qualms about moving him on.