Very generous odds for the Premiership

[Duff]

I hope your right mate. I'd give anything for us to win it this year ! Well, apart from anything homosexual..

It's about going the extra mile Ryan.

Those odds are a joke. If I was a gambler I'd take a chunk of Brisbane, Manly & the Cowboys.

You'd want a bit more than's on offer to touch Souths, Titans or Tigers.

 

[Chip and Chase]

I think it's fair enough that Titans have shortened following the signing of Bird. He will be a good foil for Scott Prince. However they will struggle come Origin time if Lockyer retires from rep footy, Prince may be named as Qld halfback with Thurston at 5/8. I also fully expect Greg Bird will be named as 5/8 for the Blues. They will struggle to win through the Origin campaign without those 2.  

Parra's destiny rests in the hands of Jarryd Hayne. I for one didn't believe the hype surrounding this guy last year and given his performances in the GF, 4 nations and the recent All Stars game he certainly wasn't playing like the supposed best player in the world. He does some brilliant things, but they are generally low percentage plays that don't always come off. He will stuggle this year under the weight of expectation and the pressure of being more closely marked in defence. Having Tahu back will help their penetration out wide though.

I think we are paying overs at the moment if we can keep our best side on the park. I'll be having a bit of the $14.00 on offer for sure.

Having said that, it is a very open comp this year, with no stand out favourite. You could say that anyone of the Dogs, Storm, Dragons, Eels or Manly are a big chance. Don't know if the acquisition of Tuqiri is enough to make the Tigers a threat and whilst Burgess and Taylor are good signings, Sandow really needs to get consistent if the Bunnies are to figure in the running.

 

[clontaago]

I think the key to Souths success is Sutton more than Sandow.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Agree, Sutton was a one man band for a big chunk of the end of last season and absolutely they won't be a threat if he is missing. However my point was that Sandow needs to contribute more because I don't think Sutton can carry them through a whole season.

 

[clontaago]

Yeah true.

Who are the Bunnies outside backs this year? I think thats where they will struggle.

 

[Garts]

I think the odds are on the money for us. We have not settled on a half (that we know for sure) and whoever ends up there is inexperienced. Having a inexperienced person playing the most important position will blow out the odds.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Yeah true.

Who are the Bunnies outside backs this year? I think thats where they will struggle.

I'm assuming Merritt, Best, Champion, Talanoa, Simpson. Don't know whether Wesser is likely to be able to offer them anything this year. Not the most star studded back line but Merritt and Best know how to find a tryline and Simpson and Talanoa went well in patches last year.

 

[ManlyBacker]

I thought the bunnies' speed out wide was ok last season and they have a good shot. But it does come down to Finals experience and to win a GF Titans, Souths, Saints, Cowboys, Tigers and Panthers are all good risks. I thought that Marshall did little in the All Stars so he is a negative for the Tiges imo. I agree about Hayne. He is better to drop the fluro boots so no-one knows what his feet are doing and as C&C says he has done little since before the GF.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Tigers have Jason Cayless and Liam Fulton returning, both offer experience and have won comps, and will add to a reasonable pack with the likes of Ellis, Galloway etc. Taumata at 7 could be their wild card

 

[Volley]

Moltzen should be their 7.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Yes, that is true when Tuqiri arrives and plays Fullback, forgot about Moltzen. In Marshall, Moltzen, Taumata, Lawrence, Ellis, Farah, Cayless etc they certainly have the players to be a threat if they click into gear

 

[DSM5]

In the Tigers pack only Ellis is quality.  The rest plodders.  Souths chances rest on Sutton and I don't think he has a full game in him.  Hot and cold in the one game is his go.  They will really miss Wing's reading of the game.  The Dogs will now need to score between the posts, unlike other years, so that brings them back to the field.  Just how long is it since they didn't have a brilliant kicker?  Parra?  Will Tahu's knees.  stay good?  unlikely.  He's good but injury prone.  I'm not convinced of the doomsayers about Foran at number 7.  I think he's a natural player so a 'running in' period will not be needed.  Hodkinson played in the Qld Cup winning side and that's a very good comp.  Of the others, Brisbane? no, NQ? no.  Tits? maybe, but will they win away from Skilled?  usually not.  Storm will be up there and we'll beat them again, this time 50 nil.  I'm confident.     

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Yeah true.

Who are the Bunnies outside backs this year? I think thats where they will struggle.

What's in a name? If the name was also the description then Souths would really be laughing with the likes of Merit, Best and Champion.

 

[Matabele]

Yeah true.

Who are the Bunnies outside backs this year? I think thats where they will struggle.

Their backline scored more tries than any other unit in the NRL last year.  Now they've added some massive grunt to their pack, it worries me.  Not just Burgess and Taylor, but Crocker with a full off season and even Ross may contribute.  Asotosi back from injury too.

 

[niccipops]

I hope your right mate. I'd give anything for us to win it this year ! Well, apart from anything homosexual..

Good to see that your a man who draws the line at certain points, or perhaps certain points of entry.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Something is doing there, is anyone carrying any injury that we don't know about?

Sportbet have drifted out also, wish I would have waited instead of getting in on 11 to 1.

Parramatta  6.00
Bulldogs  7.00    
Melbourne  7.50    
St George Illawarra  7.50    
Gold Coast  11.00    
South Sydney  11.00    
Manly  13.00    
Wests Tigers  13.00    
Brisbane  21.00    
Penrith  21.00
Newcastle  26.00    
North Queensland  26.00  
Sydney Roosters  26.00
Canberra  34.00
NZ Warriors  34.00
Cronulla  41.00

What is going on? Now Sportsbet has us back to $10.

Parramatta  5.50    
Melbourne  7
Bulldogs  8   
Manly 10        
St George Illawarra  10    
Gold Coast  13
Wests Tigers  13      
South Sydney  15    
Penrith  19
Brisbane  21.00    
North Queensland  23
Sydney Roosters  26
Newcastle  31
Cronulla  34
Canberra  34
NZ Warriors  51

Was that a different Sportsbet?? Even so, a very large variation in prices.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Of the pundits/experts in the paper quite a few are picking Manly to slide and many don't even have us in the Final 8.

 

[Matabele]

Of the pundits/experts in the paper quite a few are picking Manly to slide and many don't even have us in the Final 8.

  The "experts" must have a higher opinion of Orford than we do.

 

[ManlyBacker]

Centrebet still has us at 14's. I guess sealing up Foran may get some other agencies a bit twitchy as that means he can focus on us long term.

 

[Canteen Worker]

The odds reflect money outlaid by punters. Obviously not many Manly fans are putting their money where their mouths are?