Ballr podcasts: Sunday Snap NRL Round 12 review
All the big talking points covered after Round 12 in the Sunday Snap with Jono and Tubes.
The Sunday Snap pair of Jono and Tubes have sifted through the biggest talking points from SuperCoach NRL Round 12.
The first major bye round of the 2026 NRL SuperCoach season delivered exactly what coaches feared — massive score swings, brutal trade regrets and a handful of players who may define the season moving forward.
While Tubes cracked 1100, others like Jono struggled to scrape past 850, proving once again that bye round planning is critical in overall rankings.
Jacob Kiraz explodes on return
One of the biggest talking points on the Sunday Snap from Round 12 was the return of Jacob Kiraz.
Back from injury, Kiraz posted 109 SuperCoach points playing fullback after Connor Tracey’s late withdrawal.
More importantly, the attacking stats that made him a popular SuperCoach pick in Round 1 returned immediately, including:
- 6 tackle busts
- 7 offloads
- Huge work rate
At around $600k, Kiraz shapes as one of the most popular trade targets over the next fortnight, despite missing key bye coverage rounds 15 and 18.
Te Maire Martin delivers for SuperCoach risk-takers
Another major winner was Te Maire Martin, who justified his status as the most popular trade-in of the week with 94 points, including two tries, for the Warriors.
The key question now is whether he keeps his role once Luke Metcalf is available for selection.
If named again on Tuesday, $235k Martin could become a genuine must-have cheapie thanks to his Round 15 and Round 18 bye coverage.
Jaxon Purdue owners finally snap
No player frustrated coaches more than Jaxon Purdue.
After another disappointing score of 21 points, many SuperCoach players are ready to rage trade despite Purdue dropping below his starting price.
The concern isn’t just form — the Cowboys also miss key bye rounds and face a difficult upcoming draw.
- Round 13 - Raiders (Away)
- Round 14 - Dolphins (Home)
- Round 15 - Bye
- Round 16 - Warriors (A)
- Round 17 - Panthers (H)
- Round 18 - Bye
The boys also discussed the merits of Cooper Bai aka Cooper 'Bye Bye', who is not getting the role owners envisioned.
Scott Drinkwater dominates captaincy
Scott Drinkwater rewarded 16% of coaches in the top 10% who trusted him with the captaincy, scoring 119 points against South Sydney (110 pre-updates).
Drinkwater looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, finishing with:
- 3 try assists
- 4 line break assists
- Constant involvement in attacking sets
With upcoming matches against the Raiders and Dolphins, Drinkwater remains one of the best premium fullback options in NRL SuperCoach.
Emerging PODs gaining momentum
Several low-ownership players continue to emerge as strong POD (point of difference) options:
- Matt Timoko was busy for the Raiders, with incredible base + power in a losing side
- Connelly Lemuelu remains an ultra-low-owned edge forward option, with great bye coverage beyond Round 13
- Clayton Faulalo starred again for Manly with a 100-point performance, but is only expected to have two more chances at fullback
- Alofiana Khan-Pereira showed why SuperCoaches took a chance on him and exposed Setu Tu's poor defence. Josiah Karapani gets to run at him next
- Matt Dufty had a whopping 58 points in runs for the Rabbitohs and could be a sneaky option at $389k if named in the No.1 over Jye Gray in Round 14
Bye round strategy now becomes everything
Round 12 reinforced a major SuperCoach truth: bye rounds can completely reshape rankings.
Coaches are now heavily prioritising players available in Round 15 and Round 18, making squad depth as important as scoring upside.
With Origin and injury chaos building, the next two weeks could define the entire 2026 NRL SuperCoach season.
Get more insights on strategy and players to target for Round 13 on the upcoming Ballr NRL Team List Tuesday podcast.
