Top 8 - Contenders and pretenders

[gUt]

Really looking forward to the Broncos v Roosters tonight as a guage for the finals. Both teams are seemingly on the up.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

If the Broncos can get up tonight then I'll be looking at them as the team to beat.

 

[typicalfan]

You never know. We're still looking like the sort of side that would require a so-called miracle run throughout the finals. 2010, out of all years, seems like it could very well be won by one of those sides.

Brian Smith doesn't seem to create premiership winning teams. I think the Roosters making the finals this year would be considered a success anyway. I don't think this year is the year of the Rooster.

 

[Tom Ace]

Really looking forward to the Broncos v Roosters tonight as a guage for the finals. Both teams are seemingly on the up.

We've got Myles and Pearce out so not quite an accurate gauge.

 

[CMUX]

Brian Smith doesn't seem to create premiership winning teams. I think the Roosters making the finals this year would be considered a success anyway. I don't think this year is the year of the Rooster.

I agree. Personally at the beginning of the year i thought 10 wins would = a successful season and we have already done that. Of course i would like to see them go as far as possible though.

 

[Ray Parlour]

Wests Tigers would have to be the most undeserving team currently in the top 8.

They have played terrible for pretty much the entire season and its puzzling how they have remained in the 8.

They were shown up yesterday as a massive pack of jokers and won't be threatening anyone in the finals this year.

 

[Mr Saab]

Wests Tigers would have to be the most undeserving team currently in the top 8.

They have played terrible for pretty much the entire season and its puzzling how they have remained in the 8.

They were shown up yesterday as a massive pack of jokers and won't be threatening anyone in the finals this year.

With Daniel Fitzhenry in the team the Tigers wont be a threat to anyone

 

[hardbaby]

The Dragons should take out the minor premiership from here and with lots of players coming back from injury are my tip (but it is pretty close).

I think Parra and Brisbane are both looking very dangerous and certainly have the players to take out the Dragons if they perform at their peak.

Penrith have been a bit of a surprise packet but I think will struggle for consistency now that teams have wised up. Kick, kick, kick...

The Tigers are pretenders - get steam rolled in the forwards, play with almost no discipline and rely way too much on Farah and Marshall.

Manly should be a threat with that pack but don't seem to be able to play a full 80 minutes and have inexperienced players in key positions.

The Roosters have had a great year but will come up short, as will the Rabbits (major injury toll at the moment).

The Warriors are the smokey but as a supporter I never really worry about them. Mind you, next year they look like they will be deadly.

All in all, the Dragons are the stand out but there are plenty of other teams who would fancy their chances!!

 

[Iafeta]

Brian Smith doesn't seem to create premiership winning teams. I think the Roosters making the finals this year would be considered a success anyway. I don't think this year is the year of the Rooster.

That is pretty much how I feel about the Warriors. It's a minor miracle that we're up where we are given the injuries we have endured. If anything, this season is already a success because of the amount of quality juniors we have helped develop due to the adversity. Augers well for us long term.

 

[gUt]

We've got Myles and Pearce out so not quite an accurate gauge.

Yeah I just learned this. At least we won't be subjected to Pearce's usual Hayne-esque commentary jizzfountain.

 

[Coaster]

I missed the game friday night coaster but i take it your team has fixed the ordinary D it has displayed most of the year?

I missed the game also, and yet to see a replay.
Most of our defensive issues are mindset.
and easy losses to teams under us have cost us this year.
But we still have beaten Manly twice, the Dragons and the Storm pre cap scandal.

I think if we make the finals this year, we have an X factor in Bird that will give us that extra edge needed for the finals.

Make no mistake, we have not yet looked like a contender, but i do think we have treated this year much like Storm of 09, and hopefully a similar result.

 

[Big Pete]

You'll also want Princey firing. He's been pretty disappointing so far in 2010 but he did show some good signs on Friday night.

 

[user_nat]

He also showed some very horrible signs on Friday.

 

[Loudstrat]

It's funny that Souths, Penrith and Manly have the best attack - considering they don't jump out as genuine contenders. Yes, I did allude to Manly's problems in attack - they couldn't score in the second half for ages - only got confidence yesterday.

And the best defenders - Saints - by a mile, then Parra and Penrith.

Which suggests Saints and Penrith are the two. Yet Penrith - in a slump -seem only to score by kicks. Is this a problem - or something that's blown out of proportion? I think the latter. If they have been good at it up until now, they will still be good at it. Defending a try off a kick is not something you can learn overnight - or Folau would have been worked out long before this.

Maybe we still have to give Penrith some credit for being consistent. I know that Wests and manly - 3rd and 4th - have been inconsistent. Yet at this stage last year - who was picking EITHER Melbourne of Parra as grand finalists?

 

[Big Pete]

He'd been showing those horrible signs all season, very rarely was he showing anything positive.

 

[_Johnsy]

The next 3 weeks will tell us all that we need to know about the drags, Broncs, Roosters then Manly.

 

[_Johnsy]

Yet at this stage last year - who was picking EITHER Melbourne of Parra as grand finalists?

Mate to be honest Melbourne were always going to be playing in the GF.

 

[Proud2BeCanberran]

I'm not giving us much hope but a win this week against the cheats makes it 4 on the trot. If this somehow occured I would be backing us to ride a bit of a spike in confidence and sneak into 8th place.

Tell you what a Dragons v Canberra match week one of the finals would be interesting!

We really did f*** our chances this year though with meek home losses/capitulations/fade-outs against wests, souths, easts and bulldogs. All games we should have won.

A miracle win this week will be key. If we can do the impossible we will need to win 3/5 and with home games against the lowly cowboys, the faltering panthers and our bitch the dragons, i would be quietly confident.

 

[_Johnsy]

We really did f*** our chances this year though with meek home losses/capitulations/fade-outs against wests, souths, easts and bulldogs. All games we should have won.

This is the same story for Canberra, and has been for a while, only difference is they usually throw a few away games away.

2 more seasons and the Raiders will be a top 4 side if they can keep most of their roster & improve in a few areas (really need a 1/2, who knows Carney may return)

 

[TV Ted Ellery]

Wests Tigers would have to be the most undeserving team currently in the top 8.

How can a team be undeserving of its position? Contrary to what you probably believe the top-8 is worked out objectively, that is teams are ranked according to the amount of points they accrue during the season. The Tigers are coming 4th on the basis that they have won more games and thus accumulated more points than 12 other teams in the competition. Comprendes?

They have played terrible for pretty much the entire season and its puzzling how they have remained in the 8.

They have remained in the top 8 because they have achieved a greater level of consistency than most other teams, including the Eels, Broncos and Warriors.

I have low expectations for how the Tigers will perform in the finals, should they make it, but the fact remains that they deserve to be in their current position. If the Tigers have been playing as badly as you suggest then it reflects poorly on the 12 teams (including presumably yours) sitting lower on the ladder.