Top 4

[simon64]

Six rounds in and I'm struggling to see any side outside the Scum, Manly, the Bunnies and Rooters filling the top 4 places.

The Broncos may be a chance but origin will affect their run mid season. The Cowgirls will suffer even more.
The Knights can't win away from home.

 

[Dan]

According to the commentary team last night the only teams are

Melbourne,
Rabbitohs and
Roosters

Manly weren't considered as part of the same calibre

 

[Clint]

The next 5 weeks will be a fair indication of where we sit.
The top 4 are fairly obvious choices imo.
If the Bulldogs can get their ****e together they are capable of stringing a run together, ala Parra 2009.
They will struggle to make the top 4 now, but could 'cause a few headaches along the way.

 

[MissKate]

According to the commentary team last night the only teams are

Melbourne,
Rabbitohs and
Roosters

Manly weren't considered as part of the same calibre

Yes well according to the commentary team yesterday (so called experts) the roosters will not be effected by SOO, so if pearce and maloney get picked as the half for nsw this will in no way effect the roosters - I don't claim to be an expert but I somehow think it will effect them.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Maloney won't be picked

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

According to the commentary team last night the only teams are

Melbourne,
Rabbitohs and
Roosters

Manly weren't considered as part of the same calibre

we'll see what the experts say come Sunday morn footy show. Manly by 12 with 21,478 watching.

 

[MK Eagle]

Based on minor premiership not finals.
1 - Storm - Should again win minor premiership - clinical with guns in prime positions. Still see weakesses in their defence as shown by Broncs & Warriors. Amazed they keep such a high level of consistency & still think Cam Smith is the most influential player in the game
2 - Manly - Critics can continue to leave out Manly, imo the defence is solid, have willing fowards, super halves, world class centres & Gift to come back. Good a show as any.
3 - Souths - Arguably the best foward(S.Burgess) & back(Inglis) in the NRL. Tough fowards, fast backs & quality half but with so much depending on the inconsistent Sutton in such a pivotal position, will again fall short by 1 game of the GF.
4 - Roosters - Showing flashes of brilliance with great attacking footy & an amazing accountant...SBW gives them an X factor & Maloney is in top form. Still see them losing the plot against the tougher faster defence lines but will be thereabouts & take some stopping.
Only other 2 teams who can threaten are Nth Qld who should come good & hate to say it but the Pups will get a roll on at some stage with the potential to match MOST of the above at full strength, if they agree to play together???

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

With 15 consecutive wins i think the Storm bubble will burst, courtesy of some key injuries at key times. They have peaked too early. 'Competitions are not won in March' (or April).

The best possible GF for the NRL and for the masses would be an all sydney thing. That 's gotta be Souths V Manly GF.

And the final score will be . . . . . . . . 40 - Nil. GI's try will be disallowed.

 

[Dan]

According to the commentary team last night the only teams are

Melbourne,
Rabbitohs and
Roosters

Manly weren't considered as part of the same calibre

Yes well according to the commentary team yesterday (so called experts) the roosters will not be effected by SOO, so if pearce and maloney get picked as the half for nsw this will in no way effect the roosters - I don't claim to be an expert but I somehow think it will effect them.

not to mention Jennings as well

 

[The Who]

Before the season started I tipped Cronulla to be top four. They certainly have the players, but have obviously been under off-field pressure.
Easts have surprised me, unfortunately. I didn't think they would make the top 8. However, I'll wait until they play us and Melbourne before being fully convinced.
The media are going OTT about SBW. Yesterday he got away one terrific offload, but apart from that I thought he was quiet, and his stats are nothing flash. He is getting the credit when his other forwards (particularly JWH) deserve it.

 

[DSM5]

If the warriors had a brain they might have won last night against the scum. Going for a two point lead, fifteen minutes before the end, instead of applying pressure and being brave enough to back themselves to score says it all. Must have been an Elliot call. A truly stupid football team. If they had a good coach, things last night might have been different. I thought they had a chance of the four, but didn't take into account the coach.

 

[Clint]

Maloney won't be picked

On current form I'd pick Maloney.
His combination with Pearce plus his goal kicking has him ahead of Carney atm imo.

 

[torana355]

Maloney won't be picked

On current form I'd pick Maloney.
His combination with Pearce plus his goal kicking has him ahead of Carney atm imo.

+1 Ive always rated Maloney, i think the Warriors made him look worse then he is as he is looking great at the Roosters.

 

[Dan]

If the warriors had a brain they might have won last night against the scum. Going for a two point lead, fifteen minutes before the end, instead of applying pressure and being brave enough to back themselves to score says it all. Must have been an Elliot call. A truly stupid football team. If they had a good coach, things last night might have been different. I thought they had a chance of the four, but didn't take into account the coach.

The thing is Elliot would make a great assistant coach, he obviously had a great game plan in order to ruffle melbourne and for the most part they executed well. The problem was they had no idea what to do with the lead once they had it and were only ever concerned with getting in front not staying there.

So in part he is a good coach, only in part however. If he had someone else helping him or a captain wise enough to know that kicking was a dumb move, then the outcome of that game would have been different.

Just wreaked of an inexperienced team and captain, or one not used to winning

 

[swoop]

The mexicans will suffer during and after the SOO period. Choc, Brett maybe gift might be the ones out for us. We can cover the backrow but who plays fullback?

 

[MK Eagle]

If the warriors had a brain they might have won last night against the scum. Going for a two point lead, fifteen minutes before the end, instead of applying pressure and being brave enough to back themselves to score says it all. Must have been an Elliot call. A truly stupid football team. If they had a good coach, things last night might have been different. I thought they had a chance of the four, but didn't take into account the coach.

The thing is Elliot would make a great assistant coach, he obviously had a great game plan in order to ruffle melbourne and for the most part they executed well. The problem was they had no idea what to do with the lead once they had it and were only ever concerned with getting in front not staying there.

So in part he is a good coach, only in part however. If he had someone else helping him or a captain wise enough to know that kicking was a dumb move, then the outcome of that game would have been different.

Just wreaked of an inexperienced team and captain, or one not used to winning

Shocking call going for 2, as NZ needed at least 1 more try to win with 15 mins left & were not going to get much better than 6 tackles, 10 out from the tryline. I cant go for good coaching for the effort keeping NZ in the game. It was more the worst Melbourne 1st half in over a season & the fact NZ play that unstructured attacking style of footy that Storm have always struggled with.

 

[Dan]

I disagree there was some great structure by NZ, poor execution at times but they had a clear game plan, quick line speed, and spread it to the edges. They tried quick ball movement through the hands from edge to edge rather than consistently trying to go through the middle

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Maloney won't be picked

On current form I'd pick Maloney.
His combination with Pearce plus his goal kicking has him ahead of Carney atm imo.

Carney and Pearce would have played more games together than Maloney and Pearce I'd say so combo not an issue for me

Carney has a better all round game than Maloney, only area Maloney would win would be support play

Silly to toss out Carney after 1 series for another debutant IMO

---

Thought the 2 was the correct call tbh, when the game is tied inside the last 15 you need to take what is on offer

 

[simon64]

It'll be interesting to see what effect the SOO period has on the top 4 as they currently stand.

The Scum will lose Slater, Cronk, Hoffman and Smith. They're not even half the side without them.

We will lose Snake, Choc and maybe Gift depending on his form upon returning from injury. I think we can cover them ok.

The Bunnies will only lose GI so they should be ok.

The Rooters will lose Jennings, Pearce and maybe Maloney.

I've probably missed someone doing this off the top of my head.

 

[Dan]

Bunnies might lose Merrit too