Bye Planner

Updated BYE PLANNER at end of Round 8 [- data courtesy of Bizness, site regular!! Thanks mate!

The file has five (5) spreadsheet tabs, those being, “Planner”, “2018 Stats”, “Byes -Draw”, “Draw – Home-Away”, and “Season Draw – Times”.

PLANNER – (your main tab) – TO MAKE IT WORK:

Update your current players in each position at the end of Round 8 from the drop down list in each cell (Column B)
This will bring up their relevant data based on start of year and also their bye schedule over the bye weeks (rounds 13-17), and shown in columns R to Y (you get a couple of rounds before to consider those trades!).
Updated round 8 data is also now shown across columns I to P. Note, BE’s may be out by 1 or 2 to the official SC site, due to rounding calculations.
You should select if they are possible Origin Players in Column H from the drop down selection in each cell in this column.
In column G, you can nominate whether you think they will play or be an NPR (this is important in determining your real numbers for the byes)
“Possible” counts of available players in each bye week are shown under the relevant player category groups (eg. FRF or HOK etc) in black shaded cells.
The Total number of available players in each bye week will also appear in row 36 with colour coding for the numbers (good, maybe ,ohoh!)
2018 Key Player Data is shown on the Planner tab and also on the separate tab, 2018 Stats.
Enter your current team value at end of round 8 in cell J38.
Enter your current cash at bank in Cell J39.
Now go back to column B and make the planned possible trades you would like to make for round 9 and check cell J41 to see if you can afford it – error messages will appear!
Also check your new bye planning numbers in Columns R to Y!! Helpful?? Try again? Keep planning!!

2018 STATS

Most of your key data is showing in this tab with the changes between rounds 1, 4 and 8.
Filters are on all columns allowing you to select all players from: a particular club only, or all players in a particular position, or PPM or Avg Minutes etc, if this helps your bye planning selection process.
PPM, Averages, and Avg. minutes per game from 2016 also included here

BYES –DRAW

Is included on separate tab for just the bye rounds only and it feeds to the Planner tab

DRAW – HOME-AWAY

The full season draw is included for each club with all 25 rounds shown on a line for each club
Two versions of this shown with the second one indicating when the teams are home or away

SEASON DRAW – TIMES

Is included for the full season and you can see where all matches are played and correct starting times and what TV station it is showed on

There it is … have a play, see what you think. Provide us your thoughts, ideas, plans etc in the thread comments and good luck!

BYE PLANNING THOUGHTS

Now, for some thoughts on your Bye Planning … how are you going? If, like me, all the injuries, poor performing guns and time for team management has played a part, you may be in real trouble!

For those chasing Overall (OA) glory, read on. Those playing H2H, this may not mean as much to you, as you will be more interested in getting the most number of high performing guns in at the right times, saving trades for finals, and not worrying about the byes – though this may be interesting reading regardless.

Never underestimate the ultimate importance of the bye rounds. 2018 is shaping up to be harder than previous years … unless you have been lucky with injuries and your starting selections. This is where you can make up ground, surge ahead … or lose the race, if not managed correctly.

You can make up to 2 trades every week. Every week. There is no longer 4 trades on the bye rounds. Only the two (2). How many have you already burned? How many left?

Now comes the change this year: SUPER TRADE WEEK! On June 24 the NRL pauses for a stand-alone Origin bye round — that’s between rounds 15 and 16.

You get a big five (5) trades to burn in this week. Will you use them all?
You should … this is the chance to remove those players who got you through the first big bye round (BB1) (round 13) and set you up for the second big bye round (BB2) (round 17).
Here’s the thing, if you want three guns, having played their bye in round 13, and ditching some cash cows to fund it, (we will all be hoping for some new cows to be available) … AND you had better have built up a nice FAT (I’m talking BIRD at the Broncos fat here! Halfback? I think he ate the previous one!) BANK BALANCE to be able to afford it!
You then need those players to be guns into the end of the year … so who’s rethinking their strategies from this point on now?

Do you think you’re home now? Well think again … it’s still not that easy! Here’s why:

If you make sure you have 17 starters in BB1, you really only have 8 starters available for BB2 in Rnd 17 (25-17 = 8) at that point in time (stay with me, I’m a beancounter!).
You have 11 trades available between 13 and 17 (2 in Rnd 14, 2 in Rnd 15, 5 in Rnd 16, 2 in Rnd17)
You need a minimum of 9 to get 17 on the park in Rnd17 – that’s assuming you have the cash for 1 to 1 trading.
This doesn’t account for your origin players and any non-playing rookies (NPRs). And let’s face it, we will all have, and want, origin players (thinking Turbo, Teddy, CS9, Munster, Jurbo … the list goes on!) … and will mostly have some NPRs!!
Can you get 17 on the park in both bye weeks? No? I’m thinking many may not be able to now.
Thinking about burning a trade for Sorenson this week? Will he actually play in Rnd13? If not (Fifi not origin, Gal will be back, Lewis back so where is his spot?), he’s one less that round and also not available in 17 when he has his bye. This is what I would now consider a luxury trade if you have made few trades thus far … otherwise, it may well hurt you!

Given the way the season has progressed thus far, depending on how you are placed after the first 8 rounds, and how many trades you have burned, I think for many it will be a struggle to get close to 17 on the park in Rnd13. If you do, you will surely struggle to get anywhere close to that number in Rnd17.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Take into account how many trades you have used thus far. How many left?
How many players do you currently have available for Rnd13 after round 8? (take into account injured / NPR’s; those likely for origin – use the fields in the bye planner to make those choices!)
If you want 17 on field in Rnd17 you will need to burn a minimum of 9 trades – more likely all 11 – how many trades left now?
Will your team be positioned with the right mix of guns to the end of the year after Rnd17? No? How many more trades do you need to correct that?
Once corrected, do you have any trades left for the inevitable injuries / outs?

OK folks, hopefully that gets you all thinking some more about where you are positioned after 8 rounds.

I for one am seriously thinking that Sorenson is not the choice I need to make now, despite his potential cash growth … but you have to get him in, and then out again!

You may find you need to now think about finding a nice balance of numbers available in Rnd13 and Rnd17. What’s that magic number? 14? 15? 13?

Tell us where you are placed in the thread comments below!

Trades made / left

Numbers available now for Rnd13

Plans for trades to Rnd13

Planned trades between Rnd13 and 17

Finally, if, like many, you are now reconsidering your position, share your thoughts below … it may well help others, or they may be able to help you!

Enjoy the Bye Planner folks … hope it and these words help your planning … now where’s the scotch?!!

Cheers

Macca