Ballr NRL SuperCoach podcast: Round 13, 2026 NRL team lists analysis
Jono and Matt discussed Round 13 Origin contingency plans and the lessons learnt from the first major bye round in this week's Ballr TLT podcast.
The latest episode of the Ballr NRL SuperCoach Podcast sees hosts Jono and Matt break down everything SuperCoach managers need to know heading into Round 13, with State of Origin impacts looming large over trade decisions.
The episode is backed by ballr.live, the home of NRL SuperCoach data, projections, and live NRL scores match centre tools.
State of Origin chaos: Who backs up in NRL Round 13?
With State of Origin I threatening to change every piece of advice, Jono and Matt kept the episode tight and promised a live Friday night Q&A on the Ballrs-Only Discord.
The big storyline? Nicho Hynes is out with a calf injury, potentially missing up to four of the next five weeks — making him an immediate sell if he misses Round 15.
Top Trade Targets for Round 13
- Te Maire Martin was the most-purchased player among the top 10%, and both hosts agreed he's excellent value at $235k with a -95 break-even — especially as a dual-position halfback/five-eighth. His status for Round 15 is key, and some coaches may wait to buy him at a slight premium rather than burn a trade now.
- Terrell May was flagged as the standout front-row buy of the week at $800k. With no remaining byes in the Origin period and an elite points-per-minute of 1.37, he's considered a lock for the run home. Joe Tapine ($668k) and Toby Couchman ($704k) were also discussed, with Tapine edging it for overall players due to better bye coverage.
- Cody Ramsey was identified as the most underrated buy of the round — a near-zero ownership cheapie at $251k with a -27 break-even, playing on the wing for the Roosters with strong bye coverage in Round 15.
- Kai Pearce-Paul of the Tigers was praised as an almost no-brainer at $634k, particularly given the Tigers' uninterrupted fixture run through the rest of the State of Origin bye period.
Ballr's tools offer advanced player statistics, projections, comparisons and rankings to help SuperCoach managers make exactly these calls each week.
Captaincy Considerations
With Origin backups uncertain, Reece Walsh was mentioned as a great captaincy option if you take the risk on trading him in, with a Knights VC considered a must given their favourable fixture against Parramatta.
Tigers forwards Alex Twal and Terrell May could also be reliable scorers worthy of a safe C.
Key Takeaway
The hosts' biggest lesson from the first bye round: own the high-ceiling players.
Missing Scott Drinkwater as captain was costly for Jono and Matt and it's a mistake both are determined not to repeat in Round 15 when the next major bye round takes place.
Ballr's weekly projections and rankings — available at ballr.live — are designed to surface exactly this kind of high-upside value before the rest of the competition catches on.