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I actually found this quite difficult, and it certainly helped me in reassessing our chances this year. I'm not reading too much into the St Helens victory to be honest, I don't think they are NRL standard.
I'm sure plenty will argue until they are blue in the face about my ladder. Put e'm up Chook Pen and we will see who gets closest come Round 26 this year!
1. Storm - Extremely potent backline: Slater, Koribete, Munster, Chambers and Cronk. Intimidating pack with Bromwich, McLean, Harris, Finucane and the Proctologist. Cameron Smith orchestrating it all, with one of the best coaches in the business at the helm once again
2. Broncos - Well coached, and with addition of Roberts in the backs and prop Mcguire back they will be hard to stop. Oates, Milford and Hunt to improve even more on 2015 - if I was in the country i'd be putting a cheeky bet on either Milf or Hunt to take the Dally M.
3. Cowboys - I dont think they lost anyone over the offseason so will be right amongst it, but I think their achilles heel is still Thurston. If he is out through injury at any point in the season they may drop back a little. As we all know, statistical likelihood of going back to back in the modern era is close to zero.
4. Sharks - After about 10 years straight of not being able to score points, the Sharks finally have a decent backline and a well balanced team. Holmes and Bird will have massive years IMO, partially as a result of Maloneys influence. The pack is slightly ageing but very effective and brimming with experience - Lewis, Gallen, Fifita brothers and 'The Grub' amongst them. I think they have a small premiership window so enthusiasm may get them closer than some think.
5. Sea Eagles - Have bought better than any other team - Tapau, Myles, Korisau and Walker all strengthen the team. Lyon, Matai and Stewart are noticably aging and probably only have a season or two before hanging up the boots, but i think there is enough talent around them such as Trobjevic, Taufua and co to make it far less impactful. With Lussick, Matai, Taupau and Myles all in the team i'm expecting them to rack up a big Penalty count too.
6. Warriors - will be entertaining to watch, but will leak like a sieve yet again and lack the coaching to go all the way. Unless......Cleary joins them early in the season. In which case I would have them finishing top 4.
7. Rabbitohs - Inglis is the key, and if he isn't enthusiastic and involved they will go nowhere fast. Johnson is the most overrated back in the comp IMO, he was made to look like a total fool at times last year while filling in at Fullback. The Burgii will be a bit less effective due to the limited interchange..they wont be able to ride in on the back of Sammy boy this time. Out of the finals in the first game. Then again, internal strife could easily see them drop out of the 8 altogether.
8. Panthers - Some of the best young talent in the game: Moylan, Cartwright, Segeyaro, DWZ, Campbell-Gillard etc. Steered around by the criminally underrated Soward and with a solid and experienced pack they will improve greatly upon last year. If the team stays injury free, i'd even have them as my smoky for a Grand Final day appearance.
9. Raiders - I could have easily had them in the 8 in place of the Panthers or Rabbits. Loaded with talent: Sezar, Wighton, Austin, Soliola, Clydsdale, Fensom are all immense players. Waqa & Lee on the wings will ensure plenty of entertaining and enterprising attack. They were very enthusiastic last year - it remains to be seen as to whether Sticky will ruin them or whether he has turned the corner as a coach.
10. Roosters - The most disruptive season for any team in recent memory. All it takes is Ferguson going down with a long term injury and our backline starts to looks not quite Titans-esque, but very weakand inexperienced indeed - bearing in mind we may still lose SKD. With two youngsters in the halves, I expect our kicking game (especially long kicking game) to be poor until Pearce returns. The pack is one of the best on paper and will get the job done in many games, but we do not have the cattle in the backline this year to translate that into wins. I predict a very slow first half of the year, but we will come home strong and just miss the 8. All that said, i'm pretty excited about 2017 when our youngsters will mature.
11. Bulldogs - Do not like their halves at all, + Graham gets way too involved in playmaking (which is largely substandard). Still laden with bludgers like Williams and Fatsiano. Lost Lafai who was a good centre and picked up Hopoate for a kings ransom. Hasler's conservative approach will bore fans to tears. I predict the dogs to be the dullest team to watch this year.
12. Eels - Obviously an improved roster. A very impressive backline with Gordon, Radradra, Jennings, Foran, Gutherson and Norman. I still think their forward pack is aging and overrated - Watmong, Scott, Mannah - and still one of the weaker in the comp. Also, the threat of - minus 4 points due to cap breaches hangs over them.
13. Dragons - just don't have enough class across the park for mine and the pack remains largely shite with the exception of Frizzel. Marshall will continue to decline, which will leave Widdop as the main man. Good centre pairing of The Dugan and Lafai but that's about it. Will be nowhere near being in contention.
14. Knights - Some good young talent, but overall roster is quite weak. If they stay fit (doubtful, both are made from glass) I think the Mullen/Hogkinson duo will steer them to quite a few victories here and there.
15. Tigers - Unbalanced team - 3 hookers ffs! - with a coach that will have his authority undermined constantly. Have lost their enforcer and best forward to Manly. Further infighting is inevitable. Outside of Woods, a very ordinary looking pack with Tim Grant, Curtis Sironen and Chris Lawrence starring.
16. Titans - Expecting another scandal or two before the year is out. At least 1/2 the team wouldn't look out of place in reserve grade.
I'm sure plenty will argue until they are blue in the face about my ladder. Put e'm up Chook Pen and we will see who gets closest come Round 26 this year!
1. Storm - Extremely potent backline: Slater, Koribete, Munster, Chambers and Cronk. Intimidating pack with Bromwich, McLean, Harris, Finucane and the Proctologist. Cameron Smith orchestrating it all, with one of the best coaches in the business at the helm once again
2. Broncos - Well coached, and with addition of Roberts in the backs and prop Mcguire back they will be hard to stop. Oates, Milford and Hunt to improve even more on 2015 - if I was in the country i'd be putting a cheeky bet on either Milf or Hunt to take the Dally M.
3. Cowboys - I dont think they lost anyone over the offseason so will be right amongst it, but I think their achilles heel is still Thurston. If he is out through injury at any point in the season they may drop back a little. As we all know, statistical likelihood of going back to back in the modern era is close to zero.
4. Sharks - After about 10 years straight of not being able to score points, the Sharks finally have a decent backline and a well balanced team. Holmes and Bird will have massive years IMO, partially as a result of Maloneys influence. The pack is slightly ageing but very effective and brimming with experience - Lewis, Gallen, Fifita brothers and 'The Grub' amongst them. I think they have a small premiership window so enthusiasm may get them closer than some think.
5. Sea Eagles - Have bought better than any other team - Tapau, Myles, Korisau and Walker all strengthen the team. Lyon, Matai and Stewart are noticably aging and probably only have a season or two before hanging up the boots, but i think there is enough talent around them such as Trobjevic, Taufua and co to make it far less impactful. With Lussick, Matai, Taupau and Myles all in the team i'm expecting them to rack up a big Penalty count too.
6. Warriors - will be entertaining to watch, but will leak like a sieve yet again and lack the coaching to go all the way. Unless......Cleary joins them early in the season. In which case I would have them finishing top 4.
7. Rabbitohs - Inglis is the key, and if he isn't enthusiastic and involved they will go nowhere fast. Johnson is the most overrated back in the comp IMO, he was made to look like a total fool at times last year while filling in at Fullback. The Burgii will be a bit less effective due to the limited interchange..they wont be able to ride in on the back of Sammy boy this time. Out of the finals in the first game. Then again, internal strife could easily see them drop out of the 8 altogether.
8. Panthers - Some of the best young talent in the game: Moylan, Cartwright, Segeyaro, DWZ, Campbell-Gillard etc. Steered around by the criminally underrated Soward and with a solid and experienced pack they will improve greatly upon last year. If the team stays injury free, i'd even have them as my smoky for a Grand Final day appearance.
9. Raiders - I could have easily had them in the 8 in place of the Panthers or Rabbits. Loaded with talent: Sezar, Wighton, Austin, Soliola, Clydsdale, Fensom are all immense players. Waqa & Lee on the wings will ensure plenty of entertaining and enterprising attack. They were very enthusiastic last year - it remains to be seen as to whether Sticky will ruin them or whether he has turned the corner as a coach.
10. Roosters - The most disruptive season for any team in recent memory. All it takes is Ferguson going down with a long term injury and our backline starts to looks not quite Titans-esque, but very weakand inexperienced indeed - bearing in mind we may still lose SKD. With two youngsters in the halves, I expect our kicking game (especially long kicking game) to be poor until Pearce returns. The pack is one of the best on paper and will get the job done in many games, but we do not have the cattle in the backline this year to translate that into wins. I predict a very slow first half of the year, but we will come home strong and just miss the 8. All that said, i'm pretty excited about 2017 when our youngsters will mature.
11. Bulldogs - Do not like their halves at all, + Graham gets way too involved in playmaking (which is largely substandard). Still laden with bludgers like Williams and Fatsiano. Lost Lafai who was a good centre and picked up Hopoate for a kings ransom. Hasler's conservative approach will bore fans to tears. I predict the dogs to be the dullest team to watch this year.
12. Eels - Obviously an improved roster. A very impressive backline with Gordon, Radradra, Jennings, Foran, Gutherson and Norman. I still think their forward pack is aging and overrated - Watmong, Scott, Mannah - and still one of the weaker in the comp. Also, the threat of - minus 4 points due to cap breaches hangs over them.
13. Dragons - just don't have enough class across the park for mine and the pack remains largely shite with the exception of Frizzel. Marshall will continue to decline, which will leave Widdop as the main man. Good centre pairing of The Dugan and Lafai but that's about it. Will be nowhere near being in contention.
14. Knights - Some good young talent, but overall roster is quite weak. If they stay fit (doubtful, both are made from glass) I think the Mullen/Hogkinson duo will steer them to quite a few victories here and there.
15. Tigers - Unbalanced team - 3 hookers ffs! - with a coach that will have his authority undermined constantly. Have lost their enforcer and best forward to Manly. Further infighting is inevitable. Outside of Woods, a very ordinary looking pack with Tim Grant, Curtis Sironen and Chris Lawrence starring.
16. Titans - Expecting another scandal or two before the year is out. At least 1/2 the team wouldn't look out of place in reserve grade.
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