With Vegas in the history books for another year we turn our attention to the remainder of Round 1, kicking off with the Storm-Eels blockbuster.
I’ll be answering questions sent in by all of you each Thursday, so if you need some advice email me at thelonescout@nrl.com.au
First Take: Storm v Eels
Q: “Who are the best PODs to start the season with?”
A: The best and safest PODs are actually the “Gun” PODs. The low owned players that score solid numbers every week but aren’t hugely owned, a great example from last year is Hudson Young. A strong average and reasonably priced, Young was the top EDG player in 2025 but only picked by a few coaches. This year look to the likes of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui ($668k), Keaon Koloamatangi ($704k) or James Tedesco ($684k) as players priced high but likely to maintain or even increase their value. We’ve already seen Dylan Lucas and Jacob Preston do the same in Las Vegas last week.
Q: “Sam Walker, Moses or Hynes?”
A: With the Eels on the charge I can’t go past Mitchell Moses in this list. Both Sam Walker and Nicho Hynes have partners that will take kick metres and attacking stats away from them, Moses however is more likely to be the dominant half with the less established Jonah Pezet alongside him for 2026. He should have at least 2-3 touches of the ball every set, will kick goals and has an attractive price point.
Storm v Eels: Round 1
Q: “I'm looking for a potential POD option in the MIDs, who would be a better investment, Kurt Donoghoe ($560K) or Chris Randall ($487K)?”
A: This is a tough call. Both have potential but also come with risk. Chris Randall should get decent minutes considering the bench the Titans have gone with for Round 1, however long-term it remains to be seen if he can hold onto the lock position with a lot of upcoming Gold Coast juniors looking to take their opportunity. Kurt Donoghoe should have strong scores early on especially after we saw dummy-halves exceed expectations in Las Vegas. However Jeremy Marshall-King is due back by Round 7 and with Dolphins having the bye in Round 6 you may not get Donoghoe for long enough to make him worthwhile.
Donoghoe the missile
Q: “I didn’t pick up Ryan Couchman last week but want to put him in my team for Round 2, what is the best strategy for this week in order to make that move with only one trade?”
A: Unfortunately due to the amount of forwards on the Dragons bench last week, many coaches are in your predicament. Ryan Couchman is due to rise between $40-50k so therefore you will need to keep that amount of your salary clear after setting your final lineup for Round 1. After that, look to players who have a similar opportunity to succeed this weekend. Ativatu Lisati ($285k), Jacob Laban ($335k) and Noah Martin ($250k) all fit this bill and have the added bonus of being the same position (EDG) as Couchman. If you pick one of these players and they don’t get large minutes it is an easy swap. If they do, then you have a “good” selection headache on your hands.
Q: Hoping you might help with rookie questions, as well as selection advice - I have a half (Campbell) locked in as my VC, who is now injured. I don't have any halves on my bench. Does the next available player on the emergency list score instead, despite being a different position?
A: Firstly commiserations for the severely bad luck of having Jayden Campbell locked as VC. This is why we always recommend putting the Vice-captain on one of the Vegas players every Round 1. Despite this conundrum, you can still get a scorer from your emergency as long as one of your halves is in the positions 14-21. With plenty of value halves running around this weekend you shouldn’t have any problems finding one – I recommend Nathan Cleary ($900k), Mitch Moses ($589k) and Ethan Sanders ($350k) and their respective price points.
