Ladder

[Carlos Parra]

It's quite amazing really.

Easts have scored 440 points in 15 matches at an average of 29.33 points per game.

No other team has scored more than 400 points and there are still 6 teams that are yet to score more than 300 points this season.

[Carlos Parra]

The Chooks are now sitting comfortably in 4th position on 22 points.

They've scored 80 more points this year than their nearest rival, Melbourne (480 to their 400).

Their for and against (+195) is the best in the comp by 82 points. This will prove invaluable in the run to the finals where I have no doubt they will inexplicably drop a game or two (courtesy of the refs of course...or to injury). They now have the 3rd best defence in the comp. The numbers would be much better if Walker didn't have an off night with the boot and if they didn't let that try in at fulltime.

Easts are 1 win behind Penrith and Cronulla who play Brisbane and Gold Coast respectively next week. Easts play St George who have miraculously found their way into the top 8, but they are paying $4.30 to beat us whereas Easts are paying $1.22 for the win (similar odds to the Balmain match). If Penrith and Cronulla lose next week (unlikely) and Easts win (fingers crossed - but not Manu's!), they will slide into 2nd place.

Every other team in the top 8, except Easts and the Cowboys, have had 2 byes. If Easts lose to Saints, they'll stay 4th and remain there at least until after the Melbourne game in round 20.

Some notable stats:

• Captain Walker (130 points) is closing in on Isaako (141) to be top point scorer. Behind Meaney, no-one has kicked more goals than Captain Walker.
• Captain Walker is 4th for try assists, =4th with Tedesco for line break assists, but has still given away more penalties and set restarts than any other player.
• Young and Tupou are amongst the top 5 try scorers and they lead the stats for the most line breaks (ahead of JAC and Cobbo ).
• Other than Katoa. no-one engages the line more often than Luke Keary who is also 2nd for support play.
• Tedesco is 2nd (behind To'o) for tackle busts.
• Things are looking good, but I can't help feeling that injuries and suspensions will cruel us by season's end.

[rented tracksuit]

The Chooks are now sitting comfortably in 4th position on 22 points.

They've scored 80 more points this year than their nearest rival, Melbourne (480 to their 400).

Their for and against (+195) is the best in the comp by 82 points. This will prove invaluable in the run to the finals where I have no doubt they will inexplicably drop a game or two (courtesy of the refs of course...or to injury). They now have the 3rd best defence in the comp. The numbers would be much better if Walker didn't have an off night with the boot and if they didn't let that try in at fulltime.

Easts are 1 win behind Penrith and Cronulla who play Brisbane and Gold Coast respectively next week. Easts play St George who have miraculously found their way into the top 8, but they are paying $4.30 to beat us whereas Easts are paying $1.22 for the win (similar odds to the Balmain match). If Penrith and Cronulla lose next week (unlikely) and Easts win (fingers crossed - but not Manu's!), they will slide into 2nd place.

Every other team in the top 8, except Easts and the Cowboys, have had 2 byes. If Easts lose to Saints, they'll stay 4th and remain there at least until after the Melbourne game in round 20.

Some notable stats:

• Captain Walker (130 points) is closing in on Isaako (141) to be top point scorer. Behind Meaney, no-one has kicked more goals than Captain Walker.
• Captain Walker is 4th for try assists, =4th with Tedesco for line break assists, but has still given away more penalties and set restarts than any other player.
• Young and Tupou are amongst the top 5 try scorers and they lead the stats for the most line breaks (ahead of JAC and Cobbo ).
• Other than Katoa. no-one engages the line more often than Luke Keary who is also 2nd for support play.
• Tedesco is 2nd (behind To'o) for tackle busts.
• Things are looking good, but I can't help feeling that injuries and suspensions will cruel us by season's end.

Not one win behind.

one bye behind.

[Carlos Parra]

Not one win behind.

one bye behind.

A win/bye behind.

I considered typing 'bye', but you'd then have to mount an argument that both Penrith and Cronulla would have each lost the hypothetical game if they didn't have the bye.

[rented tracksuit]

A win/bye behind.

I considered typing 'bye', but you'd then have to mount an argument that both Penrith and Cronulla would have each lost the hypothetical game if they didn't have the bye.

All good mate. Just trying to give us even more credit as we’ve done the hardest yards so far as have the Cows.

The bye’s make the ladder positions very skewed but if you go on wins, not points, we are up there!

[Andrew Walker]

If we can get these in this week and then the bye the following We are very well poised for the run home These really are exciting times

[Carlos Parra]

All good mate. Just trying to give us even more credit as we’ve done the hardest yards so far as have the Cows.

The bye’s make the ladder positions very skewed but if you go on wins, not points, we are up there!

The credit is definitely due, but we all know they're sitting ducks (chooks) for wall to wall abuse and condemnation if they cock up in the run home (puns intended ).

[rented tracksuit]

The credit is definitely due, but we all know they're sitting ducks (chooks) for wall to wall abuse and condemnation if they cock up in the run home (puns intended ).

To be fair, there’s no reason to cock up from here. Fairly decent run home and a couple of byes up our sleve.
Joeys injury won’t help but that’s only one player. Most clubs have a few busteds this time of year.
If we get him back for finals, he should be well rested and ready to tear it up in his last campaign for us.

[Swamptrout]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With cowboys and doggies sitting in the top eight, it doesnt make the loss to them earlier in the year look half as bad as it did at the time

[Teddy]

Bloody hell blink and we can be out of not only the top 4 but top 8 with winning teams Bulldogs 22 Manly 21 and Dolphins 22 (bye) all hot on our heels good news is Cronulla are on a huge slide we can move into 3rd right on Penriths heels and the bye next week problem is the Riff and Melbourne also have byes we need to maintain some breathing room every game counts.

[Qld Chook]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With cowboys and doggies sitting in the top eight, it doesnt make the loss to them earlier in the year look half as bad as it did at the time

Both were easily winnable games and still really poor losses imo. Complacency cruelled us for both. I have never seen such a poor start than the one against the dogs. We ended up beating them in 2nd half with only 12 players. With the Cowboys, the boys were already checked out and on the bye.

[Swamptrout]

Both were easily winnable games and still really poor losses imo. Complacency cruelled us for both. I have never seen such a poor start than the one against the dogs. We ended up beating them in 2nd half with only 12 players. With the Cowboys, the boys were already checked out and on the bye.

I get it, but doesn't change the fact they are both top 8 teams and not bottom 2 sides.

[Qld Chook]

I get it, but doesn't change the fact they are both top 8 teams and not bottom 2 sides.

Yeah but Cowboys were never expected to a bottom 2 side, and they were missing 5 players too. Bulldogs have improved significantly but we were just awful that night. If we miss the top 4 because of either of them it would definitely hurt. Oh well, as long as we have learnt from them both and don't dish up something similar again.

[Mickie Lane]

3rd baby

[roosterchook]

3rd baby

How sweet it is to be 3rd. And without Manu and Suuali.