A round 27 grand final is carnage for all involved. There will be teams with mass restings, lower-ranked sides sending their players off to get a head start on their surgeries who have been playing with injury. SuperCoach is a game of luck every week, but it’s on a whole new level the last few weeks of the year. I’m going to run through the tactics I’d be using for a finals system in rounds 25–27.
*I know there are all different finals formats, but I will be going off a standard 3-week finals format.
Players I would be looking to target –
Obviously, teams with the best draw go without saying; however, their position on the ladder will factor in. Teams locked into the top 4 will obviously be more inclined to rest players, or even as the time approaches, teams just locked into the 8 may value their players being fully fit over a home final, so a lot of these factors will have to be assessed over the next 6–8 weeks.
Teams with the best draw
Manly = Dolphins, Dragons, Warriors
Canberra = Penrith, Tigers, Dolphins (especially if you’re locked into a top 2 spot as the game against the Panthers in round 25 is irrelevant)
Broncos = Knights, Cowboys, Storm (likely playing the Storm without the majority of their side like last year)
Warriors = Titans, Eels, Manly
Roosters = Eels, Storm, Rabbits (the Storm game in the middle is tricky, but the other two fixtures are awesome)
I’d be looking to attack any players with upside in these teams 100%, the only one I’d ease on the side of caution with is Canberra, as they are a huge chance of having the minor premiership wrapped up by then, which will lead to mass restings in RD 27. So when you look at it from that perspective, Penrith into Tigers into basically a bye, that’s not an ideal finals run. So if you’re in a league that likes to trade, perhaps selling your Canberra guns high could be a masterstroke.
Personally, I would be going hard for Manly and Broncos players until the cows come home. I see them finishing with a flurry.
The obvious players to target are the likes of Reuben Garrick, James Tedesco, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh, etc, however, I’m well aware people would give up their first-born child before these blokes in draft. So here are some more attainable targets that tick all the boxes for finals
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Mark Nawaqanitawase
Adam Reynolds
Lehi Hopoate
Sam Walker
Erin Clark
Angus Crichton
Players I would be looking to offload –
Just the opposite of players to target really, teams with bad draws, players who have a bye in the finals should be at the top of your trade list as they are no use to you if they aren’t playing in your most important games, and also teams in the top 4 who are $1.01 to be rested in RD 27.
Teams with the worst draw
Bulldogs = Storm, Panthers, Sharks
Storm = Bulldogs, Roosters, Broncos
Rabbitohs = Dragons, Bye, Roosters (any team with a bye in your finals system can’t be a good draw in my opinion)
Sharks = Bye, Newcastle, Bulldogs
Cowboys = Tigers, Broncos, Bye
We are in a unique situation where some of the best options in SuperCoach have a poor run in the finals, plus are most likely to be rested and miss your most important games.
You could go about this two ways, depending on your position on the ladder. If you’re in a scrap for finals, I wouldn’t be looking too far ahead, as that’s pretty much common sense. Back your best players from these teams to get you into the finals, and see what happens.
However, if you’re cruising and you’re guaranteed a top 2 spot in your league, I’d be highly considering selling these players high and solely focusing on the best team possible for these rounds. People will give you an arm and a leg for players like Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes. You might think I’m crazy telling you to sell these guns, but they are all but guaranteed to be rested in RD 27, and it’ll be too late to sell them to anyone good by then.
Big dick plays win you draft comps.
