Round 23 NRL SuperCoach Positional Averages & Matchups

By Alex Christie - @SuperCoachRealm

How it works

Positional points conceded data is a key SuperCoach tool, but raw averages can be misleading. Goalkicking, HIAs, sin bins, injuries and mid-game role changes can all shift where points are scored.

To make this more accurate, every average in this article has been manually tracked and adjusted to better show where teams are conceding points.

This article looks at season averages, while also using the last three-round average (3RA) and last five-round average (5RA) to highlight current trends.

Front Row Forward has been excluded due to middle-forward rotations making it difficult to accurately assign points conceded.

Colour guide

• Blue – elite
• Green – good
• Yellow – okay
• Orange – not good
• Red – terrible

Team Overview

The Dragons have taken over at the top of the overall rankings with an average of 67.2 points conceded per position. They rose slightly from 67.1 while Parramatta dropped from 67.2 to 66.1 and fell from 1st to 3rd.

To no surprise, North Queensland produced the biggest movement of the week. The Cowboys climbed from equal 4th to 2nd after their average jumped by 1.8 to 66.3. The Tigers dropped by 0.8 to 65.9 but remain firmly inside the leading group in 4th. Only 1.3 points now separate the top four teams.

The Titans also moved higher after rising from 63.7 to 64.7. Brisbane recorded the next largest increase behind the Cowboys, jumping by 1.1 to 61.3 and moving into 8th. Canberra rose by 0.5 to 63.0 but remained 7th.

The directional splits continue to show several major differences. The Tigers remain the highest ranked right side matchup at 66.8, followed by the Dragons at 65.3 and Cowboys at 64.6. Parramatta still lead the left side rankings at 68.9, with the Titans at 67.1 and Melbourne at 66.5.

The Roosters have fallen below Penrith to become the most restrictive team overall at 55.4. They also have the lowest right side average at 51.1. The Panthers now sit 16th overall at 56.1 and remain the lowest left side matchup at 52.9.

Fullback

Kaeo Weekes and Keano Kini sit in the two standout matchups. Newcastle concede 75.7 for the season with averages of 86.0 across three rounds and 86.6 across five. Kini faces a Cowboys side that has exploded to 119.7 across three and 93.4 across five. Both are well clear of the field on recent numbers.

Scott Drinkwater has a solid matchup against the Titans at 68.4 for the season and 67.7 across three. Reece Walsh’s Dolphins matchup is improving with their three-round average rising to 71.7. James Tedesco or Cody Ramsey will face a Bulldogs side conceding 70.7 across three and 64.6 across five. Sua Fa’alogo’s Manly matchup is more appealing through the 72.0 five-round average than its 62.8 season figure.

Kalyn Ponga faces a Canberra side conceding 68.0 for the season but only 55.3 across three and 55.0 across five. Will Kennedy has a similar split against the Dragons. Their 75.9 season average ranks 1st but has fallen to 52.8 across five. Connor Tracey gets the toughest matchup against the Roosters at 55.8 for the season and 43.8 across five.

Right wing

Jamayne Isaako has the clear standout recent matchup against Brisbane. The Broncos have surged to 95.7 across three rounds and 84.0 across five despite sitting at only 58.2 for the season. Tuimalatu-Brown also gets a strong Manly matchup at 70.0 for the season, 81.7 across three and 76.4 across five.

Brian To’o faces a Warriors side conceding 61.5 across the season. Their recent averages have dropped to 52.3 and 55.2. Mark Nawaqanitawase has a far tougher matchup against the Bulldogs, who sit at only 34.3 across three rounds and 33.2 across five. Jacob Kiraz lands at the very bottom against the Roosters. They concede 45.2 across the season, 38.3 across three and a competition-low 32.0 across five. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak also faces a difficult Panthers edge sitting at 42.4 for the season and 35.7 across three.

Right centre

Tom Chester gets the standout matchup against Gold Coast. The Titans rank 1st for the season at 70.3 and remain strong at 66.7 across three rounds and 62.6 across five. Nick Meaney also deserves attention against Manly, whose recent averages sit at 77.7 and 72.2. Jack Bostock’s Brisbane matchup sits closer to the middle at 58.5 for the season, 62.0 across three and 57.0 across five. Simi Sasagi faces a tougher Newcastle edge conceding 56.5 for the season and 55.8 across five.

Robert Toia has one of the worst matchups against the Bulldogs. Their average has dropped to 49.7 across three rounds and 44.4 across five. Dane Gagai faces an even tougher Canberra edge sitting at 39.0 across three and a competition-low 33.4 across five. Moses Suli and Enari Tuala also land near the bottom against the Sharks and Roosters.

Right half

The biggest recent matchups belong to Duffy against the Dolphins and Mitchell Moses against South Sydney. The Dolphins have climbed to 92.7 across three rounds and 82.0 across five. South Sydney sit at 86.3 across three and 76.4 across five.

Jaxon Purdue’s Titans matchup is far better than the 51.4 season average suggests. Gold Coast have risen to 69.7 across three rounds and 66.2 across five. Te Maire Martin faces a Penrith side conceding 53.4 for the season with recent figures of 57.3 and 49.6.

Nicho Hynes and Nathan Cleary both face difficult matchups on paper, however, the Hynes matchup is one I wouldn’t think too deeply about the stats for. The Dragons have dropped to 38.7 across three rounds and 48.8 across five ahead of Hynes’ matchup. The Warriors sit at 43.0 across three and 44.6 across five for Cleary. Ethan Sanders has the toughest recent matchup against Newcastle at 38.3 across three and 38.0 across five.

Right second row

Heilum Luki and Jack Williams have the best recent matchups among the relevant players. The Titans have climbed to 92.3 across three rounds and 79.6 across five for Luki. South Sydney sit at 85.3 across three and 84.4 across five for Williams.

Haumole Olakau’atu faces the highest season average against Melbourne at 78.7. The Storm remain strong at 72.0 across three rounds and 74.2 across five. David Fifita also has a favourable matchup if he lines up on the right against Parramatta, who concede 75.1 for the season. His side remains unclear though, so these figures may not apply if he shifts to the left. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki faces a Brisbane edge conceding 71.2 for the season but lower recent averages of 63.0 and 65.4. Oryn Keeley’s Manly matchup sits at 65.9 for the season and 67.4 across five. Jacob Preston has the toughest matchup of the relevant group against the Roosters at 61.5 for the season and 61.0 across five.

Jacob Laban has the strongest matchup across the entire position against Penrith. Their average has reached 109.0 across three rounds and 89.0 across five. Jordan Riki sits at the other end against a Dolphins edge conceding only 51.3 across three and 52.6 across five.

Left wing

Ronaldo Mulitalo gets the highest ranked matchup against the Dragons. They concede 72.4 for the season and 75.3 across three rounds. Their five round average has dropped to 56.4 though. Josh Addo-Carr and Murray Taulagi also have strong recent matchups. South Sydney sit at 79.0 across three and 76.2 across five while the Titans are at 78.0 across both periods. Selwyn Cobbo’s Brisbane matchup is better than its 59.6 season average suggests. The Broncos have risen to 68.3 across three rounds and 71.6 across five. Greg Marzhew gets a solid Canberra matchup at 63.7 for the season and 67.7 across three.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira faces a restrictive Panthers edge conceding 51.8 for the season and 44.3 across three rounds. Tom Jenkins has an even tougher matchup against the Warriors at 44.5 for the season, 37.0 across three and 44.2 across five. Jethro Rinakama sits at the bottom against the Roosters, who have fallen to 35.3 across three and 34.0 across five.

Left centre

Tolu Koula has the clear standout matchup against Melbourne. The Storm concede a competition-high 79.5 for the season and remain at 78.7 across three rounds and 73.8 across five. Mawene Hiroti also gets a strong Dragons matchup at 70.6 for the season, 79.0 across three and 67.8 across five.

Tallis Duncan faces an Eels edge conceding 68.3 for the season. Their recent numbers have cooled to 61.0 across three rounds and 61.4 across five but it remains one of the better matchups available.

Herbie Farnworth faces a Brisbane side sitting at 54.6 for the season. Their three-round average has fallen to only 37.0 before recovering to 53.2 across five. Valentine Holmes also gets a difficult matchup against Cronulla at 52.5 for the season and 47.0 across five. Howarth faces the lowest season average against Manly at 47.8. Savala also runs into a tough Bulldogs edge conceding 30.3 across three rounds and 42.4 across five.

Left half

Jayden Campbell has the standout recent matchup against North Queensland after Sam Walker’s masterclass last week. The Cowboys concede 64.2 for the season but have exploded to 97.7 across three rounds and 77.8 across five. Jake Clifford faces the highest season average against Gold Coast at 71.0. Their five round average remains strong at 71.8. Cameron Munster also gets a major boost against Manly. Their season average sits at 59.7 but that has climbed to 73.0 across three rounds and 78.2 across five. Ronald Volkman deserves attention against South Sydney, who concede 80.7 across three and 72.4 across five. Fletcher Sharpe and Sam Walker face tougher recent matchups. Canberra have dropped from a 63.7 season average to 49.7 across three and 50.4 across five. The Bulldogs sit at 60.9 for the season but only 55.3 across three and 55.8 across five. Stephen Crichton faces a Roosters side conceding 52.5 for the season and 44.0 across three rounds. Ethan Strange, Jack Cogger and Chanel Harris-Tavita also land near the bottom against Newcastle, the Warriors and Penrith.

Left second row

Francis Manuleleua has the standout matchup against Canberra. The Raiders concede a competition-high 74.0 for the season and have climbed to 80.0 across three rounds and 81.0 across five. Beau Fermor also gets a major boost against North Queensland, who have risen to 88.0 across three and 78.2 across five.

Isaiah Papali’i faces a Warriors edge conceding 69.8 for the season, 77.7 across three and 79.4 across five. Viliame Kikau’s Roosters matchup is similarly strong at 69.7 for the season and 70.8 across five.

David Fifita would face an Eels side conceding 71.1 for the season if he lines up on the left. Their recent averages are lower at 56.7 across three rounds and 64.8 across five. These figures will not apply if he plays on the right.

Hamish Stewart has the toughest matchup among the relevant players against Cronulla. The Sharks concede 64.3 for the season and have fallen to 52.6 across five rounds. Zac Hosking and Kurt Capewell sit at the bottom against Newcastle and Penrith, whose season averages are 58.4 and 58.3.

Hooker

Blayke Brailey has the standout hooker matchup against the Dragons. They rank 1st for the season at 73.1 and have climbed to 78.3 across three rounds and 80.8 across five. Oliver Pascoe and Sam Verrills also get a favourable season matchup against North Queensland at 70.8. Their recent numbers are lower at 61.0 across three rounds and 63.6 across five. Jeremy Marshall-King faces a Brisbane side conceding 65.5 for the season with recent averages of 61.3 and 60.6.

Reece Robson’s Bulldogs matchup looks tougher than the 65.1 season average suggests. Canterbury have dropped to 48.7 across three rounds and 57.6 across five. Damien Cook and Jacob Liddle face another difficult recent matchup against Cronulla, who concede only 46.3 across three and 52.8 across five.

Freddy Lussick has the lowest season matchup against the Warriors at 56.4. Owen Pattie and Tom Starling also face a restrictive Newcastle side sitting at 58.7 across three rounds and 53.2 across five.

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