Best Premiers in the last 16 years?

[Jono078]

Off-season is here and I have something a little cool to go with it.

Firstly to the thread title itself.. How do you rank the premiers of the last 10-20 years? Where does this 2021 Panthers team rank for you?

They've been dominant for 2 years now and besides some injuries and origin disruptions they've not really lost a match besides for the 2020 grand final and against the Bunnies this year in the first week of finals.

For me though the 2013 and 2018/19 Roosters standout. Just loaded with talent in their prime and play an exciting and tough brand of footy.

With that said.. I've used my simulator to pit the last 16 premiers against each other in a full season to determine who is the best.


I ended up doing it several times and there were different winners but there were a few that won on multiple occasions.

Enjoy!

 

[Munky]

Storm 2017 I remember being unstoppable.

Luke Keary played the best game by a half in that period in the 2018 GF but that team wasn't dominant during the regular season.

Manly 08 for the fact they went 40 nil over the cheats in the GF.

In regard to PENRITH I think the 2020 team was better than 2021 due to fitness levels over the regular season. Still a very dominant side for the past two seasons though.

 

[Valheru]

Storm 2017 I remember being unstoppable.

Luke Keary played the best game by a half in that period in the 2018 GF but that team wasn't dominant during the regular season.

Manly 08 for the fact they went 40 nil over the cheats in the GF.

In regard to PENRITH I think the 2020 team was better than 2021 due to fitness levels over the regular season. Still a very dominant side for the past two seasons though.

Re: roosters 2018 you are right they were far from dominant throughout the regular season but were historically good in the finals series. Depends what your metric is I guess. 2019 was dominant even though they didn't finish 1st, a bit like 2021 PENRITH.

It would be interesting to add some of the better non premiers although obviously the simulation is limited to 16 teams. Roosters 2015 for example, you won't get a much more dominant regular season than that. Storm 2011 and dragons 2009 would be other examples.

 

[Craigshark]

Re: roosters 2018 you are right they were far from dominant throughout the regular season but were historically good in the finals series. Depends what your metric is I guess. 2019 was dominant even though they didn't finish 1st, a bit like 2021 PENRITH.

It would be interesting to add some of the better non premiers although obviously the simulation is limited to 16 teams. Roosters 2015 for example, you won't get a much more dominant regular season than that. Storm 2011 and dragons 2009 would be other examples.

had Luke Lewis not dropped the ball over the line in week one of the finals against the roosters, things could have been different

 

[nick87]

1. Every
2. Premiership
3. Winning
4. Team
5. Overcame
6. Adversity
7. And won
8. The
9. Premiership
10. Fairly.
11. They
12. Should
13. All
14. Be
15. Celebrated
16. 2016 Sharks

 

[Munky]

While a bit outside the period the 04 Bulldogs were stacked and beat an excellent Roosters side.

The 2004 top 4 had some very good rosters.

 

[Jono078]

While a bit outside the period the 04 Bulldogs were stacked and beat an excellent Roosters side.

The 2004 top 4 had some very good rosters.

I wish I had rosters going back to 2000, just would be a lot of work and hard to rate players in retrospect.

Thanks for all the replies as well, some good discussion going on!

From my observation across multiple simulations the 07 Storm and 08 Manly team were always up there around the end.

Panthers this year (and last) are boosted by historically great defense, especially in this attacking era where points are scored more than ever.

I can certainly add more teams or even substitute any team..

Best minor premiers in the last 16 years? Top rated teams against each other?

I can do a whole season of the last 16 origin winners..

Open to any requests although I think my next simulation is to see how a prime Andrew Johns influences the Knights in the 2021 season.

 

[Munky]

Open to any requests although I think my next simulation is to see how a prime Andrew Johns influences the Knights in the 2021 season.

By ringing Gids?

 

[some11]

Storm 2017 was a f**king walkover.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Easy this. Big Gal in 2016

 

[Someguy]

2017 Storm was the most inevitable result imo.

special mention 2014 Souths, nothing was going the change the ending to that NRL fairytale

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

2017 Storm was the most inevitable result imo.

I agree with this although even with the slow start to their season, there did seem a sense of inevitability with the 2018 Roosters as well. They were always the bookies favourite from beginning to end. Both teams dominated their GF games too.

 

[magpie_man]

While a bit outside the period the 04 Bulldogs were stacked and beat an excellent Roosters side.

The 2004 top 4 had some very good rosters.

Amazing team, especially the forward pack

 

[GongPanther]

Like to know the average age of the past 20 GFs. IMO, the Panthers will be on a good run for the next 5 years given their age and the fact that they do have room for improvement, especially in attack.

 

[Munky]

Amazing team, especially the forward pack

Asotasi, SBW and Thurston on the bench.

Maitua would have been on the bench too except Price getting injured the week before.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I wish I had rosters going back to 2000, just would be a lot of work and hard to rate players in retrospect.

Thanks for all the replies as well, some good discussion going on!

From my observation across multiple simulations the 07 Storm and 08 Manly team were always up there around the end.

Panthers this year (and last) are boosted by historically great defense, especially in this attacking era where points are scored more than ever.

I can certainly add more teams or even substitute any team..

Best minor premiers in the last 16 years? Top rated teams against each other?

I can do a whole season of the last 16 origin winners..

Open to any requests although I think my next simulation is to see how a prime Andrew Johns influences the Knights in the 2021 season.

You can find most of each club's rosters for about the last 20 years here - https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/

Just need to search it.

 

[Jono078]

You can find most of each club's rosters for about the last 20 years here - https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/

Just need to search it.

It's not so much getting the rosters and line-ups, RLP has been a huge help for that. It's a lot of manual time for adding them in and especially rating the players, and doing so correctly for that time period.

 

[Chippy73]

I think it's Manly 2008 (the cumulative finals for/against was like 800-4) but I would say that.

Realistically only fans from clubs that didn't win a premiership in the aformentioned period can make a call on this with objectivity IMO

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

2013 Roosters and 2017 Melbourne. Ideally, I would like both clubs to fight to their death.

 

[Valheru]

I agree with this although even with the slow start to their season, there did seem a sense of inevitability with the 2018 Roosters as well. They were always the bookies favourite from beginning to end. Both teams dominated their GF games too.

Interesting you feel that way. I was never confident in 2018 until half time of the GF.

2019 though I never doubted that we would win the comp from the kick off of round 1.