Round 9 waiver wire targets: Must-add SuperCoach NRL Draft players

As we warm into the season we are starting to see some big shifts away from our traditional match up planning as we get a true reflection on how sides are going.

Penrith used to be a team to avoid.

Their edges are now brittle and giving up huge points to right side attacks.

Tigers used to be a fixture to circle in the calendar as a side that would give up huge points to opposition sides.

Now they’ve got one of the most committed sides in the comp.

We’re even seeing in-season swings with the Cowboys and Dolphins showing some great attacking flare in the last four rounds, while the Knights have fallen off a cliff.

Good coaches can spot and pivot with these trends, particularly with a view towards match-ups for your final series. As we get towards the midpoint of the year, we will develop some articles sharing our predictions for the sides and players to target for an edge in your finals.

Below are the Top Waiver picks of the week who should be available in most leagues. We will also share our picks for the best Captaincy choices each round at the end of this article.

Let’s dive in.

Xavier Willison | FRF | 23.5 per cent owned

Sliding right under the radar has been Willison who has shifted out to an edge in recent weeks. This has shown off his attacking prowess - the bloke really knows his way to the try line.

The edge spots at the Broncos are hardly set in stone (outside of Riki), so Willison presents an interesting prospect with low ownership and a potential dual. Long term if he were to hold his edge spot he could be a great play at your FRF with try scoring upside.

Harry Hayes | 2RF / CTW | 3.2 per cent owned

With Curran and Sitili Tupouniua facing a decent stint on the sideline, Hayes time of relevance is back. We have touched on him before - he’s an absolute workhorse who thrives in big minutes and that time is come for him to get those. He’s a better own at CTW given he relies on base and not attack and the beauty of him is he won’t score below 40 which is valuable at the position.

Victor Radley | 2RF | 33.4 per cent owned

We’re finally getting a regular glimpse of what Radley will do this year and it looks like he can be a 50 averaging guy at 2RF. If he finds form he could go even better, but he’s a decent guy to pick-up whose flying under the radar this year.

Bailey Hayward | 2RF-5/8 | 6.7 per cent owned

Hayward becomes a one week play with Matt Burton suspended. He will get 80 minutes on the left flank shovelling the ball to Viliame Kikau against a weak Titans side.

Sione Finau | CTW | 15.6 per cent owned

A quiet first week in first grade for Finau, but he still holds good real estate at the Dragons and should be playable while in the starting side.

Latu Fainu | 5/8 | 6.4 per cent owned

If you’re the Lachie Galvin owner, picking up Latu is a great idea. The two could become interchangeable if Benji opts to get game time into the future starting half for the Tigers. Keep your eyes on TLT.

Bailey Simonsson | CTW | 13.5 per cent owned

Another player that is the serious draft coaches secret weapons. Simonsson does something very important for SuperCoach which is break a lot of tackles.

While he might not have a high flying average, his base and power stats mean he rarely goes below 40 which is extremely useful in deep leagues. While he’s in first grade - he’s currently in Zac Lomax’s right wing spot - he’s a great own.

Billy Burns | 2RF | 3.1 per cent owned

An injury to Teig Wilton paves the way for Billy Burns to get a run in first grade for the next two-four weeks. The left edge for Cronulla has been fruitful all season and Burns runs a good line. He could also provide bye round coverage if Teig isn’t able to return by Round 12.

Leka Halasima | 2RF | 18.8 per cent owned

Leka earned his second start in a row this week. This time it was a late switch from the bench, and while he didn’t get huge minutes he still punched out a strong score in the 50s.

Mat Croker | 2RF / FRF | 21.2 per cent owned

Rinse and repeat from what we said last week - Croker is a beast when getting minutes at lock and a score of 54 this week was proof again. If named to start, he’s a safe plug and play.

Jake Averillo | CTW | 35.2 per cent owned

The Dolphins are running hot and Averillo has been right in the thick of it with a 3RA of 73. He’s try reliant but a fundamentally sound player who should be able to hit a season average over 50. A guy worth playing on match-ups at the worst.

Best Captaincy Options

Here’s my picks for the best skipper options this week:

James Tedesco vs. Dolphins: a monster ton last round for Teddy and a fast Suncorp track against the leaky Dolphins awaits.

Scott Drinkwater vs. Warriors: his goal kicking this season means Drinky is going to have a good floor.

Jacob Kiraz vs. Titans: Across the board the Titans are leaking tries. Kiraz just needs one to touch a captain-able score.

Payne Haas vs. Panthers: Haas needs a mention every week, especially in a revenge game like this. Yes, the 2023 GF is still recent enough for the Broncos to seek revenge.

Terrell May vs. Dragons: In games that are close the Tigers front rower gets no rest. He’s as safe as it gets.