Top 8 contenders according to Sportsbet and my rose tinted glasses.

[Bates]

I agree about the lack of pace and the lack of a true game breaking, dominant forward. We are definitely a top 4 side if we go well, but we don't have the strike or upper potential of the Broncos and still Penrith.

We have a load of depth - a lot of players with a very high floor but not many with a really high ceiling. Other than Sam who...despite his faults, has more game breaking , try assisting creativity than anyone else in the comp. And Teddy who is....Teddy. Mark also has a high ceiling, but I think we saw that last year and while I hope, I doubt he'll be quite as incredible this year.

to me, it comes down to us fixing our Achilles heel of the post Boyd and Jake era. Discipline. Can we stop making so many stupid, dumb, enraging ****ing errors and can we give away fewer penalties?

and then can we get another year like last year out of Teddy, a full consistent year out of Sam, can Robson come in and be as promised and can our young forwards take another step?

Great post mate.

You've nailed it!

[David Sutherland]

At the end of the regular season the Roosters were 5th in most tries so no slouches in that department

Most tries at the end of the 2025 regular season

1. Dolphins - 121
2. Storm - 117
3. Broncos - 114
4. Raiders - 113
5. Roosters - 112
6. Sharks - 104
7. Panthers - 99
8. Bulldogs - 92
9. Warriors - 91

It's not the 100 metres at the Olympics - some of the best players have been ones that were only quick over 15 to 30 metres tops

The Roosters can score tries/points and can improve on this but the areas that need the most improvement in to be a genuine premiership threat is in defence plus reducing errors and penalties and set restarts conceded

2025

• Attack - 5th
• Defence - 8th
• Errors - 1st
• Penalties Conceded - 6th ( have improved as often were number 1)

The new so called spine of James Tedesco , DCE, Sam Walker and Reece Robson will take time to gel

[Bates]

I agree about the lack of pace and the lack of a true game breaking, dominant forward. We are definitely a top 4 side if we go well, but we don't have the strike or upper potential of the Broncos and still Penrith.

We have a load of depth - a lot of players with a very high floor but not many with a really high ceiling. Other than Sam who...despite his faults, has more game breaking , try assisting creativity than anyone else in the comp. And Teddy who is....Teddy. Mark also has a high ceiling, but I think we saw that last year and while I hope, I doubt he'll be quite as incredible this year.

to me, it comes down to us fixing our Achilles heel of the post Boyd and Jake era. Discipline. Can we stop making so many stupid, dumb, enraging ****ing errors and can we give away fewer penalties?

and then can we get another year like last year out of Teddy, a full consistent year out of Sam, can Robson come in and be as promised and can our young forwards take another step?

This is on Robbo!

He's a great coach who's helped us win 3 comps. Robbo also created an environment that's allowed players to reach their full potential and helped the club go from strength to strength off the field.

However, imo he no longer has the killer instinct as he's ticked all the boxes! It's just a well payed job that he enjoys. You can see the difference in all his interviews with a tone akin to a Hollywood star. He's now trying to revolutionise the way the Roosters play the game. High risk hit and miss footy that either blows teams off the park or we get a pumped like we did against Cronulla in last years final series.

[caz]

Nothing but a GF appearance should be accepted.

The coach has his ' Cooper Cronk '. The Coach talks a lot of rubbish.

GO ROOSTERS.

(I guess we will lose our first match).

this should be the mindset - nothing but a premiership or at the very least a gf appearance is acceptable - but looking at it objectively i'm not sure we're clearly better than at least 15 of the other teams. no competent punter would have us at odds on to make the gf, let alone to win the comp.

and of course when it comes down to it the gf is a long way away. the boys just need to put in the work necessary, tick off all the short term boxes and be prepared

[Kentucky_Fried_Rooster]

Dam misleading title.
I read it as $7.50 to make the top 8 and was about to put $1,000 on it.

Even $7.50 for a premiership is good value and expect it to drop to $4 before the origin period.
We will win the grand final this season and missing playing in it is a fail with this team.

[Bates]

Cam Smith is now on the Broncos coaching staff. (source Fox Sports)

imo $5.00 should now be $4.00

Season opener is Knights $61.00 to win the comp vs Cowboys $34.00 to win the comp. Should be awesome

[A Country Member]

Im not confident we'll win against the Warriors in NZ.

I think it’s a great early test for the team, especially the pack.

[Bates]

Knights $pine. They're giving it away up North!

1. Ponga. $1.2 mill a year
6. Brown. $1.3 mill a year
7. Fletcher Sharp. Can't find any info however just signed a 3 year deal. Quality player min $500k a year imo.
9. Sandon Smith. $500k a year

[Avalon Rooster]

Dam misleading title.
I read it as $7.50 to make the top 8 and was about to put $1,000 on it.

Even $7.50 for a premiership is good value and expect it to drop to $4 before the origin period.
We will win the grand final this season and missing playing in it is a fail with this team.

we will almost certainly start slowly because....that's what we do...so if you do fancy putting some money down, my guess is that there'll be an opportunity to get better odds than this

[Avalon Rooster]

Knights $pine. They're giving it away up North!

1. Ponga. $1.2 mill a year
6. Brown. $1.3 mill a year
7. Fletcher Sharp. Can't find any info however just signed a 3 year deal. Quality player min $500k a year imo.
9. Sandon Smith. $500k a year

I'd have Phoenix Crossland over Sandon at 9 tbh - gutsy player and a decent defender Not sure what he's on but he's an international so can't be peanuts? Maybe the Knights play him at 13 or 14 but if it was me, I'd have Sandon at 14 and Crossland at 9

[Mickie Lane]

I'd have Phoenix Crossland over Sandon at 9 tbh - gutsy player and a decent defender Not sure what he's on but he's an international so can't be peanuts? Maybe the Knights play him at 13 or 14 but if it was me, I'd have Sandon at 14 and Crossland at 9

Sandon will be the Knights first choice halfback unless he is injured.
Ponga
Brown
Smith
Crossland

will be Newcastles spine.

[Bates]

Sandon will be the Knights first choice halfback unless he is injured.
Ponga
Brown
Smith
Crossland

will be Newcastles spine.

I rate Fletcher Sharp ahead of the others in the spine I've listed above. He's consistently a very good player where as Ponga, Brown and Sandon Smith are hit and miss. Actually more miss than hit! Holbrook will have his work cut out.

Sharp is tenacious. I love tenacious players!

[Mickie Lane]

I rate Fletcher Sharp ahead of the others in the spine I've listed above. He's consistently a very good player where as Ponga, Brown and Sandon Smith are hit and miss. Actually more miss than hit! Holbrook will have his work cut out.

Sharp is tenacious. I love tenacious players!

He’ll be on the wing unless Smith, Brown or Ponga are injured.

[Bates]

He’ll be on the wing unless Smith, Brown or Ponga are injured.

I rate Hutch higher than Sandon Smith.

Do you remember those kids in your junior team that would stare at the sky whilst a game of footy was played around them??? That's Sandon

[Mickie Lane]

I rate Hutch higher than Sandon Smith.

Do you remember those kids in your junior team that would stare at the sky whilst a game of footy was played around them??? That's Sandon

I think you’ll get a surprise about Sandon, he’s an organising halfback & he’ll be given the chief playmaking role at the Knights which I think will take his game up a notch.