we skipped ladder predictions, and now we get to cheat having seen 4 teams play
Penrith enter the season looking for 4 on the bounce. They've lost a few guys again, and Luia is off at season's end. Surely the losses are starting to take a toll? Spencer Leniu might be the loss that finally pulls them back (He's already a loss to the Roosters too lol), their prop rotation was relentless, and Leniu from the bench was a key in big finals. They lost their backup half as well. Will still win an awful lot of games, but surely, surely, they can't go the well again? Surely.
The Broncos were my early pick but they, according to the weekend, are still working out how to replace the guys they lost to the Dolphins. Still a loaded side though, will win heaps of games at Suncorp, and should be at the pointy end. I think they live and die by how many Reece Walsh and Ezra Mamm hero plays come off, and how many become nothing more than dumb errors at dumb times.
Melbourne. Why won't you fucking die? They finished 3rd last year despite being dogshit most of the season. They were a mile off the top 2 sides, but so were everyone else. Bellamy won't let them finish any worse than 6th by virtue of pure rage alone.
Cronulla looked good all year then collapsed. They've lost a little depth and stability. Is their spine any good? Are their middles> I think they are a chance to fade out
Newcastle rode a wave home, but that doesn't look sustainable. Ponga is a freak though. They will have to replace Young's huge number of tries. Out of the 8
The Raiders get worse every year, but hang around because the team is as stubborn and grumpy as their coach
The Roosters will not be that bad again, and that bad was a miracle play from a prelim. But i still question their two midget halves. Cheese looked twice the player he was last year in their R1 game which is a massive boost. Losing Leniu to a probably long suspension is not helpful.
Souths can't defend, and actually have some plodders in the backline while their injuries are around. Latrell is the best guy int eh comp to watch, but is simply not fit enough to play fullback all season in a team with championship asperations.
Manly will rise, Brooks is a good buy, not least because it ends the Schuster at 6 experiment. Again, as every year, does Turbo stay fit?
Everyone else sucks
To the Warriors
Good year last year, thus expectations have been raised. So, history tells us, 6 win season coming up
But maybe not? We have a calm, settled, organised coach who appears to have the boys playing hard for him, and what stood out last year was the repeated efforts, and the belief to come back when things go wrong, where in the past we just folded. Big question mark is, is this actually sustainable?
Will Shaun Johnson's Indian Summer go another year? Is this relaxed, happy, confident Shaun here to stay? Who partners him in the halves to take some of the slack? Do we have have the edge players to take advantage of what was last year a great set of middles? Can Capewell and Harris exist on teh same field? And can they last the year? Did rugby ruin RTS or did it round out his skills? Can the soul glow enigma again score more than he lets in?
The complete lack of chat from inside the camp, and the absence of "fittest ever" headlines etc is certainly heartwarming. A few pundits here pushing us for a big year. I'm not sold, i think we finish 5th or 6th.
The entirely wrong ladder
Penrith
Roosters
Brisbane
Melbourne
Warriors
Manly
Souths
Cronulla
Cowboys
Eels
Newcastle
Gold Coast
Raiders
Tigers
Bulldogs
Dolphins
St George
