The temptation late in the season is always to grab a bottom dollar cheapie and run, freeing up cash for upgrades - but don’t just chase the lowest price tag to fund the guns you need for the run home.
A smart downgrade can still offer crucial depth, potential upside, and flexibility during the resting, suspension, and injury chaos of the back end of the year.
Another upside to these types of downgrades is that, more often than not, you're also bringing in a point-of-difference (POD) player—key in head-to-head finals matchups, and potentially game-changing for overall rank climbers.
MORE: NRL Supercoach: What to do at Hooker
Fallen Guns
Isaah Yeo | 2RF | $536,100 | 10% ownership
One of the most consistent back-rowers of recent seasons, Yeo is now available at his lowest price of the year.
Still playing 80 minutes most weeks, he’s averaging around a 60 base + power floor in 2025 despite posting his lowest overall average since 2021.
Penrith has one of the most favourable draws over the closing rounds, and after reduced minutes last week and a rest this week, it’s fair to expect his normal workload to resume.
From Rounds 19–27 last year, Yeo averaged a strong 82 points per game. With that run and draw, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some attacking stats added to that already solid base and a repeat 2024 finish.
Jeremiah Nanai | 2RF | $500,100 | 2% ownership
Nanai is another player who has dipped to his lowest price of the year—and he’s now in bargain territory.
Unlike Yeo, Nanai comes with a very poor raw base (36), which makes his scores volatile, but his attacking ceiling is undeniable.
From Rounds 8–14 this year, he played consistent 80-minute games and averaged 77 points, including a season-high 131 in Round 8.
He’s currently on track for the lowest try-scoring strike rate of his career with just 6 tries so far. By comparison, he scored 13 tries in 2024.
The upside is there, but don’t be shocked by the occasional 30–40 point score along the way.
Lachlan Galvin | 5/8 | $436,500 | 5% ownership
The riskiest of the “fallen gun” downgrades—but possibly the most rewarding, Galvin has just been re-installed as a starter.
While it looks a permanent move, there's always the risk that coach Ciraldo reshuffles again.
That said, his price offers real value, with the potential for a genuine Supercoach gun playing in one of the better teams in the competition, and with a friendly draw to finish.
Galvin averaged 64 points per game in his rookie year, with real potential to push closer to 70 in his secondthat was derailed by his move to Belmore.
His current price likely represents around $200k in value. At a tricky 5/8 position, he’s a high-risk, high-reward downgrade option that could fill a valuable reserve slot for cheap.
Ronaldo Mulitalo | CTW | $406,700 | 4% ownership
If Mulitalo is anything, it’s consistently inconsistent. Every year there’s a window where the Cronulla winger drops to bargain pricing—and this is that time.
Mulitalo has scored 18, 21, and 17 tries in each of the past three seasons, yet has only managed 6 tries in 16 appearances this year. That’s why his price has plummeted.
But with three straight seasons averaging 60+ and a final run featuring games against Souths, Cowboys, Dragons, Titans, and Knights between Rounds 21–26, there’s strong potential for a late-season explosion.
Last year in Rounds 19–27, he averaged 92 points—a near-best CTW option during that stretch.
Can history repeat? With that draw, it’s brave to bet against it entirely.
Increased Opportunity
Tannah Boyd | HFB/5/8 | $329,600 | 2% ownership
Boyd is back in the NRL starting in the halves following Luke Metcalf’s season-ending injury.
Not only does this open the door at halfback, but Boyd also resumes goal-kicking duties for a Warriors team with one of the softest draws on the run home.
The added scoring from conversions boosts Boyd’s low but that said, he’s had similar opportunities before and produced season averages of just 34, 49, and 43 as a starting half in the past.
Expectations need to be realistic—but in a stronger side with goal-kicking and a soft schedule, he shapes as a very useful downgrade and cash generator if you still need that.
Cut-Price Value
Jack Howarth | CTW | $373,800 | 3% ownership
Howarth was tipped for a breakout year after settling into a centre role last season, but patchy form and repeated absences have derailed that plan.
He’s averaging just 47 points, though that includes a 17-minute injury-affected game. Remove that, and his “true” average is closer to 50.
It’s not exciting, and with only one try this year, you’d expect some correction there and he has shown a solid floor in stretches, but the scores have still varied wildly.
He’s more of a downgrade purely for cash purposes or as an emergency CTW cover—not someone you’d want to rely on, even with a favourable matchup.
The upside however, is maybe he does deliver on the promise he has shown and improve on his young career for one of the best teams in the competition.
Jeral Skelton | CTW | $366,200 | 2% ownership
Skelton drew plenty of early Supercoach attention in the preseason as a POD based on his base + power scoring output for the Bulldogs - in limited appearances last year, he looked like a potential Brian To’o clone.
But hamstring injuries have wrecked his 2025 season, keeping him sidelined multiple times and partly explaining his paltry average of just 45 points – a drop from 64 last season.
At this price, there's huge potential value with the uspide we have seen previously and some of the Tigers immediate draw.
Skelton faces the Titans this week—an ideal CTW matchup—and he also plays them again in Round 27, making him a juicy Hail Mary play to close out the season.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | CTW | $350,000 | 1% ownership
DWZ averaged a career-best 70 PPG in 2023, but has tumbled to just 34 this year largely due to multiple games missed with injury.
Still, with a dream Warriors draw and only one match against a top-eight side from Round 20 onward, there’s reason for optimism.
In his return from injury last round, he notched a season-high 83 points against the Tigers—he’s known for punishing bottom-eight teams.
The Warriors play the Titans twice and have a soft final stretch. The downside? He’ll throw in some horror scores too, so AE risk is real.
He has never consistently been a Supercoach gun but at just $350k, he’s bottom-dollar value with the upside to go big in the right matchups.
Final Word
Normally, some of these players should not be considered, but the primary goal of a downgrade is to create the cash you need for other trades to gear up for the run home, making it a very viable and often essential option.
Depending on your team there are other players to consider, but we have left out some higher priced options that may also be viable – like a Adam Doueihi if the Tigers keep him at lock.
Whether you lean toward a cut-price option or a discounted gun though, depends entirely on your team’s needs, as well.
Just make sure you understand the risks involved with some of these choices if you're freeing up cash and plan on getting your new signings onto the field.
That said, there’s always the chance you could strike gold too – which is one of the funnest things about Supercoach when it comes off!