2015.....Top 8

[maxta]

Yeh I realise there's a few months till the new season, but......with new team changes & some teams boasting super young talent ready to step up, some for better, some for worse....just for fun...top 8 in 2015....
Not including finals, after 26 rounds.

1 - Dogs - Solid unrelenting fowards with skill, Morris boys & Lafai add needed pace out wide.
2 - Roosters - Major losses with count & SBW but still plenty of strike power all over the park.
3 - Souths - Massive loss of Burgess & Teo but still the team to beat.
4 - Manly - Added size & aggression could give the extra punch to compete in that ruck & unleash the games best backs.
5 - Nth Qld - Usually dissapoint but theres a feel 2015 they can explode into form.
Always rated Taumoulolo who is a beast, add Scott & co paving the way for JT could be right there at the finish line.
6 - NZ - So many young guns & a solid addition of Hoffman. Johnson will terrorise defence behind the monsters up front & add some serious young talent ready to have a crack at the starting 17
7 - Penrith - Tbh dont think theyu will improve on 2014 but youth & enthusiasm will again go a long way & test any team not on guard.
8 - Brisbane - Ben Hunt has improved 200% since playing half where he was a junior Aussie rep & will lead this team that has been rudderless since Lockyer retired.
Add great go foward & 2nd phase play & minus Barba, who cost them 4-5 games in 2014, throw in Boyd who is solid at the back.

 

[Clint]

As much as I hate to say it, I'm thinking Dogs next year...😡😡😡

Dogs
Cows
Brisbane
Souths
Roosters
Warriors
Manly
Melbourne

 

[The Who]

The only team not in either of your eight, with a chance, is Cronulla which has a very good roster and must surely have better luck next season.

 

[Clint]

The only team not in either of your eight, with a chance, is Cronulla which has a very good roster and must surely have better luck next season.

Yep fair point Who. I will stick Sharkies in instead of Melbourne. Only because I like them more than Melbourne. 😉

 

[maxta]

Sharks are just so good at disappointing, its almost opposite the winning culture Manly have knowing HOW to win, Cronulla seem to take a loss from the mouth of victory like no other!! No doubt the talent pool is there & with that grub Ennis...love or HATE him, he could be that missing enthusiasm they have lacked...

 

[Beaver boy]

I think the Sharks with Ennis and Barba will sneak into 8. They had a rotten run of injuries last year. Souths won't make top 4. Burgess was a colossus for them and Teo was one of their best when the big games came around.

1/2 Manly ( halves will fire, club has settled, Mateo provides the adlib, Tbojevic to make his mark)
1/2. Cowboys ( Thurston destined to win a GF, Hannant, Tamou, Scott, Tamololo = formidable
3. Dogs ( Morris too one dimensional, they needed a ball playing fullback)
4. Souths ( No Burgess)
5. Roosters (No SBW)
6. Storm ( Slowly slip sliding away)
7. Warriors ( Johnson to fire, but still too many Polenisians) they need Foran to challenge for a GF.
8. Sharks ( gun forward pack, siege mentality club, still two centres and a prop short)

 

[lsz]

Best casual racism ever

 

[Killer03]

I have the Tigers as Definite Top 8 this year. I think Jason Taylor is good at getting teams to improve and will take his Roosters experience to a club that has possibly the best young talent in the league (Brooks, Sironen, Tedesco) then there's Woods and Farah and I just think they have the makings of coming in around that 6th or 7th position. Taylor seems to instill in his teams a real consistency, which has been lacking with the Tigers this year. I couldn't believe the pasting they gave us early on in the season, and then some of the pastings they copped in return.

I see us as Definite Top 4 contenders. But I also see next year similar to this year where you don't have the top 2, 3 or 4 sprinting away at the top of the table.

 

[ManlyArmy]

Manly v Canterbury Grand Final... It's been building and 2015 seems the most likely time!

 

[Ryan]

Manlys season will come down the level of disruption DCE and KF contract negotiations will be. I think when Foran announces he's leaving (after dragging it out for ages pretending he's still considering his options) the season may go to ****.

 

[Gib the Pom]

One thing I think about this year is there is no clear top 8 with so many teams potentially on the brink that can burst in to the 8: Tigers, Sharks, Warriors.. I'd go:

1) Manly - always compete, most consistent and we'd have wrapped it up much earlier last year had we not had off-field issues, with those sorted (so far) and a genuinely improved squad think we've got a good chance.

2) Sydney - Again a lot of strike around the park that will blow most teams away, loss of leader in mini and presence in SBW will hurt them though.

3) Canterbury - will probably lead the comp but come origin time of year they will suffer again and burn out for a period enough to knock them off the top, but will come good again come the play-offs

4) Souths - lost heart of the team in Burgess, people will be looking at others like G.Burgess and Inglis, are they leaders/people that can inspire like burgess did when the going gets tough? Will have enough quality for the top 4 though.

5) Cowboys - As a few others have said its been building for a while in NQL surely this year is the year they really do push for top 4. Think they will fall just short due to rep footy period.

6) Storm - The 'big three' are over the hill now agewise and last year was a highlight of times to come, will not be playing every game together this year due to injury, team around them not good enough to compensate. They're in trouble when the big three do finish.

7) Broncos - Marginal improvement on last year, still can't see them being so much more consistent that they challenge top 4 but will be comfortable in the 8.

8) Warriors - notorious slow starters in the league but always have late charge, think this year they will have a reasonable start and will just scrape it above tigers and sharks only because it's extremely difficult for those two teams to turn around what has been disastrous seasons for one reason or another to be a top 8 side th following year despite their talent.

Whoever beats manly at whatever stage of the finals will win the comp.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Not many backing Penrith to repeat their efforts of this year ??

 

[Masked Eagle]

My concern about Penrith is that they had so many guys have career best years. Its not uncommon for players to not back that up, that being said i think they are definitely not only in the hunt for the 8 but for the top 4. I'm not so convinced about the Dogs. I think the Cowboys are a massive danger next year.

 

[Gib the Pom]

Not many backing Penrith to repeat their efforts of this year ??

Wow totally forgot about the Panthers, they go in to my 8, Warriors dropping out and Panthers to finish 6th. Everyone else drops down one.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Manlys season will come down the level of disruption DCE and KF contract negotiations will be. I think when Foran announces he's leaving (after dragging it out for ages pretending he's still considering his options) the season may go to ....

If Penn is smart he will insist a contract is done even before the start of 2015, because Ryan is right it will just become a carbon copy of 2014 otherwise.

 

[Moops]

Best casual racism ever

Oh, for God's sake! There is always one...

 

[6/71]

Best casual racism ever

Oh, for God's sake! There is always one...

What do you mean there is always one? Do they all look the same to you, you racist?

 

[Clint]

Damn people are touchy in the off season.

 

[Captain Moondog]

Damn people are touchy in the off season.

I blame the ists.

 

[Clint]

Damn people are touchy in the off season.

I blame the ists.

I blame -'people need to find more important things to complain about'