Round 16 ShortCuts

Greetings.

The last couple of rounds have been tough regarding the injury ward.

Yet another reminder about the value of squad depth and keeping trades up your sleeve. A note for the black book of 2026, perhaps?

The Commissioner is all over this - see below for more on him

Don’t worry. We’re here with you to get you through the remaining byes, ready to rip into the run home post-Origin.

Let’s ShortCut.

🍔 What’s on the Menu?

🔄 Ins and Outs

🎯 Trade Targets

📆 Fixtures

👨🏼‍✈️ Captain Obvious

🤵🏻‍♂️ Commissioner’s Corner

🔄 Ins and Outs

• Haumole Olakau’atu is out for 4-6 weeks with a dislocated shoulder.

• Mawene Hiroti tweaked a calf and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Siosifa Talakai ($303k) takes his place.

• Keaon Koloamatangi is on the extended bench.

• Penrith’s Origin stars have been rested.

• Fletcher Sharpe named despite calf concern.

• Bradman Best returns.

• David Fifita named as 18th man.

We recommend a large handful of salt with most of the Origin stars named to be backing up.

Something to keep an eye on as we move into the weekend.

🎯 Targets

Our watchlist for the players you should target over the coming weeks.

Hopefully, you have a good crop of these guns already.

Ideally, your final team will be made up of these guns, apart from the cash grabs.

Fullback

• James Tedesco

• Ryan Papenhuyzen

CTW

• Herbie Farnworth

• Reuben Garrick

• Dylan Lucas (2RF as well)

• Jacob Kiraz

• Jack Bostock (Cash grab option)

5/8

• Jayden Campbell (FLB too)

• Ethan Strange (Possible cash grab option, his big score will drop out of his average by round 18, so factor that into your plans)

Halfback 

• Jahrome Hughes

2RF

• Eliesa Katoa

• Brendan Piakura (BE of 7. Priced at $337k and coming off one of the best games of his career, he mounts a decent case as a downgrade option. He’ll likely play rounds 18 and 19)

• Dylan Lucas (CTW as well)

• Viliame Kikau (Impressive on the weekend with a 109-point performance, including 91 in base + power)

• Tallis Duncan (Cash grab option – just be mindful his big score will drop out come round 18)

Haumole Olakau’atu (injured), Keaon Koloamatangi (injured TBC)

FRF

• Terrell May

• Erin Clark (2RF too)

Hooker

No one at the moment - Harry Grant should be in your plans post byes.

Job watch on:

• Api Koroisau

• Damien Cook

• Jazz Tevaga (2RF as well)

• Chris Randall (2RF as well - best game on the edge so far last weekend. Hard to invest with Fifita still hanging around though

• Sandon Smith (HFB too)

• Wayde Egan

📆 Fixtures

👨🏼‍✈️ Captain Obvious

As we can see below, it’s Teddy and Teddy only for the Top 1% of SuperCoach as it stands (Thursday afternoon).

More interestingly is the vice-captaincy.

Papenhuyen presents the strongest case.

Herbie is the second most vice-captained but faces a stingy Newcastle defence.

Hynes against the Broncos doesn’t interest us.

Terrell May against Canberra is a safe play.

🤵🏻‍♂️ Commissioner’s Corner

Another green arrow for the Commish means he continues his push to the top 1K.

Plans this week:

Nothing.

No one really interests him apart from Jahrome Hughes.

But with a commitment to DCE made last week, he’s happy to hold out on the Storm half.

Eyes on Jacob Kiraz next week.

It may be a case of playing it cool over the next day or two until you have news about Origin back-ups.

The Commissioner will do the same. Tino, Haas, Munster, and Koloamatangi are all question marks, and one or two could go depending on the news.

With 20 trades and 2 boosts still remaining, he has room for movement.

VC: Papenhuyzen

C: Tedesco

Unless something deplorable happens, this won’t change.

🎬 Final Play

If you can do it, save a trade, maybe two.

With no major obvious trade-out options amongst the top-owned players, nor trade-in targets for the Commissioner, an extra trade or two in the coming weeks could be gold.

Until then, up the Maroons.

✂️ SCSC

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