NRL SuperCoach Round 15 Preview: Key Trades, Captaincy Calls & Injury Watch

Round 15 is shaping up as the toughest NRL SuperCoach bye round of the season — and the crew on the latest Ballr NRL SuperCoach Podcast episode pulled no punches breaking it all down.

Hosts Jono and Matt Rix, joined by NRL Physio Brien Seeney, tackled the big questions around fielding 13 players, the best Round 15 trade targets, and where to point the captain's armband.

The Bye Round Problem

With most coaches sitting in the mid-to-high teens on remaining trades and no boosts left, the panel stressed caution.

Matt noted that burning three or four trades to fill a team this week "can set your season way back."

Brien came in with just seven players scoring before trades - a situation that underscores just how brutal this bye round is.

Top Trade Targets for Round 15

Te Maire Martin emerged as the consensus must-buy halfback, averaging 67.8 from his 80-minute games in 2024 and posting 81, 94, and 76 so far in 2025.

With Luke Metcalf named in reserve grade again and a breakeven of minus 45, the panel called him a "locked and loaded" pickup.

David Fifita was singled out as the highest-ceiling option in the back row. Despite only posting 44 base-plus-power in his return game (with five tackle busts across 80 minutes), Brien highlighted his 120-point upside — rare at his price point.

He comes in with just 7% ownership among top-ranked coaches, making him a genuine SuperCoach point-of-difference.

Terrell May was labelled the safest trade of the week. With Royce Hunt (pec) and Ethan Roberts (moon boot) both out, May faces a Tigers bench of Seyfarth, Bunty Afoa, Patrick Herbert, and Mavrick Geyer — almost no threat to his 80-minute role.

The panel sees him comfortably averaging 90–100 and covering both Round 15 and 18.

Xavier Willison was an intriguing discussion point, checking in with a three-round base average of 72 on the Ballr Player Statistics table.

With Haas and Carrigan both absent, he could push toward 80 minutes — but the hosts noted he's a likely trade-out when the Broncos' forward pack returns.

Brendan Piakura drew attention after a breakout 80-minute performance with 67 base-plus-power and a breakeven of minus 23.

Priced at $370k and covering Rounds 15 and 18, Matt suggested an average in the mid-40s is realistic outside of the odd spike week.

Injury Intel - Brien's Blueprint

NRL Physio offered his expertise to discuss three players likely to be in the sights of SuperCoaches in the coming weeks.

Brien flagged a 50% re-dislocation risk for Adam Doueihi's shoulder before any surgery — a significant red flag for prospective buyers when he returns.

For Tom Trbojevic (hamstring), the re-injury rate sits around 10–12% in weeks one and two post-return, dropping below 4% from week three — which conveniently aligns with Round 18 against Parramatta. Brien is firmly targeting Turbo as a Round 18 captain.

Nicho Hynes, averaging 95.5 this season, was discussed as a hold despite missing multiple rounds.

Calf injuries carry a low recurrence rate once healed, but timelines can extend unpredictably.

Captaincy Chat

The panel tossed up Herbie Farnworth and Jamayne Issako as Vice-Captain, with Terrell May and Jackson Ford floated as Captain options, with both capable of going 100+ thanks to the make-up of their respective benches.

David Fifita was floated as the bold POD VC option, given his 120-point upside on a Thursday night against an under-strength Broncos side.

Catch the full episode in the player above and track your NRL SuperCoach scores this weekend in our Match Centres.