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4 unbeaten teams

Walt Flanigan

Referee
Messages
20,727
We won't be having our usual amount of success in the NYC. Ricky wants as many of the 20 year olds as possible playing in open aged competitions. So we're going to have younger sides than most.
 

isaiah

Bench
Messages
4,629
We won't be having our usual amount of success in the NYC. Ricky wants as many of the 20 year olds as possible playing in open aged competitions. So we're going to have younger sides than most.
Who are playing in nsw cup or isc? I seem to remember the year you won this comp that you had a young team, including some who played 18's that same season
 

Big Pete

Referee
Messages
28,939
Panthers beat Broncos in round 9 by 40-24...and in round 5,Panthers beat Cows by 32-22.

The Panthers are the team that is dominating,is on top of the ladder.

Penrith are the form team at the moment, but worth pointing out that Penrith used just about every player they could in that game while the Broncos had just promoted their best player to ISC.

Unless the Panthers bring back DWZ (I doubt it) Brisbane have a lot more improvement in them.
 

isaiah

Bench
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4,629
Penrith use more players than any of the other top teams. How do they fit them all under the cap?
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
You have a squad of 25, who are your 25 highest paid players presumably. Then you have a second tier, which is much of the NSW Cup side and Under 20's.

My understanding is that when having injuries you can use as many second tier players in first grade as necessary to field a team, but only if there isn't a top 25 player available who is able to play in that position.

I suppose you'd like to see clubs with huge injury tolls field a team of nine or ten players? Or else get fined for having too many injuries?
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
Cows vs Manly (Lang Park)
Panthers vs Broncos (Sydney)

Hardly fair if the minor premiers have to travel 3000km or more to play 4. So I'd expect Cows to play as curtain raiser to the Lang Park game. Likewise, Panthers who are guaranteed 2nd shouldn't have to trek to Brisbane.

The bottom 4 of the 8 will probably stay as they are but its by no means certain.
 

isaiah

Bench
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4,629
Will the winners of the qualifying semis make the gf or do people think a finalist can come from positions 5-8 or a week 1 loser? I think cows and Panthers will win this weekend.
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
The Warriors won this comp from 8th place last year. Not only that they scored after full time in the Round 26 game and converted from the sideline. This gave them a draw and 8th place on for and against. The play off for 8th place against the Trent Barrett coached Panthers in Round 26 was the last game the Warriors didn't win.

So absolutely anything can happen in this comp, its the nature of the beast, with footballers and teams developing as they go.

Having said that the Panthers and Cows have been the two best teams all season and really do deserve to meet in the decider.
 
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Big Pete

Referee
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28,939
It depends on whether any of those other teams have eligible ISC or NSW Cup players they can call on.

The key for the Warriors was that they were able to bring in Solomone Kata and Tuimoala Lolohea from NSW Cup and they really gave the Warriors a boost during the finals series.

If the Warriors decided they wanted to go back to back, they could call in Lolohea, Niukore, Hingano and Tevaga and they would make a huge difference. Also I don't know where they are but Sipley and Roache would also be handy additions.

Personally, I'm tipping the Cowboys to go all the way. Of course anything and everything happens in the NYC but I think the addition of Ponga was the last piece of the puzzle for them, I think they'll blitz a rudderless Brisbane during the first week (thanks Fox Sports for delaying that till 7:30am on Sunday...) and that should carry them.

I'll be very interested to see how Manly go with Trbojevic playing for them full-time. For my money, he's been the best NYC player this year and I think his inclusion could really rattle the finals make-up.
 

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,471
Penriths pack is just to good for most of these teams. Clark coming back next game as well we should be deserved favourites.
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
Warriors are weirdos. I could see them fluking a win past Penrith in Week 3.

I could see this too, but in reality the Panthers have gone through them like a dose of salts. Outstanding effort by Cameron Ceraldo with this team following plenty of criticism of his appointment.
 

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