2005 Ladder

[ByRd]

this is what i think the ladder will be:

1) BULLDOGS (loss of pricey will hurt at the start but the young guys will start to mature & improve as season goes on .eg. asotasi in his starting role, & young guys such as thurling & armit bros)

2) DRAGONS (dont think they will have as much injury problems & younger guys with more experience .eg. creagh, sims, young)

3) ROOSTERS (loss of freddy will hurt & i expect finch to struggle without him there plus they still have walker)

4) BRONCOS (alot of good young talent like hunt, thaiday,learoyd & tupou, lockyer will play better at 5/8 with a years experience there)

5) STORM (a good exciting team to watch, scott & feeney will help there pack but expect them to lose some easy games)

6) KNIGHTS (if andrew johns is there for the year they will finish higher but have lost good talent plus will struggle at origin time)

7) COWBOYS (will start to get more respect & opposition will step up to them, might finish higher but could also lack consistency)

8) PANTHERS (i think that the dream is starting to come to an end. have lost quality & experienced players & other teams will step up a gear)

9) EELS (dont wanna say much except- GET A NEW COACH, have the players but need new coaching satff)

10) WARRIORS (with price & wiki going over they will help them a little but the coach they got Kemp is not the man for the job)

11) TIGERS (if halves pairing can stay on the field, prince & marshall they might sneak into the 8, but their forward pack is below the other teams)

12) SHARKS (have some good players but i cant see them going up, about the same as this year, if Kimmorley & Dykes fire, they will do better)

13) MANLY (bought a couple of good forwards but they need a good halves pairing to go anywhere, not much in their backline)

14) SOUTHS (i actually think that they can finish higher with joe williams having some experience plus mcrae as there coach but i cant see them doing it for 26 rounds- i hope they suprise me)

15) RAIDERS (will just flop next year, might not get the spoon but wont make the 8, a couple of years after for the green machine)

 

[gregstar]

F*ck people are AGAIN predicting big things from the puffs! Set up for more tears!

 

[Greenblooded]

I think if anybody will struggle next year it will be the roosters. You watch Finchy fall apart like he did when Daley left the raiders.

1. BULLDOGS
2. STORM
3. DRAGONS
4. RAIDERS
5. MANLY
6. COWBOYS
7. PANTHERS
8. ROOSTERS
9. WARRIORS
10. KNIGHTS
11. SHARKS
12. RABBITS
13. BRONCOS
14. TIGERS
15. PARRA

A few suprises lets just wait and see.
I hope the dogs smash the rooster and freddy. :evil:

Onya Lukey 8)

 

[Greenblooded]

4. RAIDERS
5. MANLY

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Mate I've got no idea why your rolling your eyes, you tipped the Tigers to finish 6th :lol: :lol:

 

[Tommy Smith]

1. Dragons
2. Bulldogs
3. Cowboys
4. Knights
5. Broncos
6. Roosters
7. Storm
8. Eels
9. Panthers
10. Sharks
11. Manly
12. Raiders
13. Warriors
14. Tigers
15. Souths

 

[gregstar]

Tommy Smith,
are trying to be cruel to puff supporters?

 

[Tigerpete]

Ok, im not saying this only because im a Tigers supporter but there seems to be a real underestimation of the Wests Tigers in 2005. I can guarantee you we wont finsh below 10th like a lot of you believe so. If your reason for dropping us 6 spots is because we have no Darren Senter or Scott Sattler, then you'll be surprised. We have replacement who not only will fill their positions but in the opinions of many associated with the club will turn out a lot better players than those 2 ever were.

So my message to you guys is, underestimate us at your own peril!

 

[Not so silent Bob]

1 - Bulldogs
2 - Brisbane
3 - Panthers
4 - Dragons
5 - Cowboys
6 - Tigers
7 - Roosters
8 - Melbourne
9 - Knights
10 - Parramatta
11 - Sharks
12 - Warriors
13 - Rabbitohs
14 - Raiders
15 - Sea Eagles

 

[Langers]

Ok, im not saying this only because im a Tigers supporter but there seems to be a real underestimation of the Wests Tigers in 2005. I can guarantee you we wont finsh below 10th like a lot of you believe so. If your reason for dropping us 6 spots is because we have no Darren Senter or Scott Sattler, then you'll be surprised. We have replacement who not only will fill their positions but in the opinions of many associated with the club will turn out a lot better players than those 2 ever were.

So my message to you guys is, underestimate us at your own peril!

I think the Tigers will be good in the future as they have some talented juniors. However, I don't think the Tigers have improved enough over the offseason to warrant any great expectations. All the teams that the Tigers realistically compete with on the table will improve markedly for next year and i think it will be 2006 at the earliest that you guys will see the best out of guys like Marshall, Halatau, Harrison, Fulton, Gibbs etc. I think the competition will be so close next year that there could only a a win or two difference between 14th and 7th. All of these predictions are just crapshoots really.

 

[BD5733]

1 Roosters
2 Dogs
3 Parra
4 Dragons
5 Panthers
6 Storm
7 Warriors
8 Broncos

9 Knights
10 Cowboys
11 Tigers
12 Sharks
13 Manly
14 Raiders
15 Souths

 

[Tommy Smith]

Ok, im not saying this only because im a Tigers supporter but there seems to be a real underestimation of the Wests Tigers in 2005. I can guarantee you we wont finsh below 10th like a lot of you believe so. If your reason for dropping us 6 spots is because we have no Darren Senter or Scott Sattler, then you'll be surprised. We have replacement who not only will fill their positions but in the opinions of many associated with the club will turn out a lot better players than those 2 ever were.

So my message to you guys is, underestimate us at your own peril!

I've heard that line, or something similar, over about 4 off-seasons now. I can't possibly see how the Tigers can improve their position on the table when they've only bought to my knowledge, Paul Wahtuira. And they've lost Sattler, Senter, Moodie... They may imporve as a team next year as players get older and more experienced but look how much teams below them will improve such as the Knights, Sharks and inparticular the Eels.

 

[greentooth]

Wow i can't beleive how many are tipping the raiders for the spoon. We have dynamite backline for next year and if O'hara and Weyman step up we'll have a powerful forward pack. The halves are again out major concern. With a bit a confidence we can easily make the top 8 again.

 

[The Colonel]

The halves are again out major concern.

I think there in lies the reason many have tipped the Raiders for the spoon. ;-)

 

[Langers]

1. Roosters - The signings of Brett Firman, Joel Monaghan, Amos Roberts should cover the loss of Fittler. Their forward pack is so dominant it will make life easy for Finch, Firman and Wing to control the play. The Roosters juggernaut looks set to continue for many seasons to come.

2. Dragons - This team is so talented and I think they are now ready to step it up a gear. The loss of Kite and Riddell will be somewhat covered by the gains of Michael Ennis and the continued improvements in their several oustanding young props. They have good depth and talent in both first grade and PL. I feel this may be Brown's last chance.

3. Bulldogs - With their only major loss being Steve Price they should continue on their winning ways. Big mobile pack, clever halves and strong backline is a great combination. Sonny Bill Williams, Willie Mason and Andrew Ryan will form the best backrow in the competition. Roy Asotasi has the talent to fill the void left by Steve Price.

4. Panthers - No signifcant losses bar Whatuira and Lang who are easily covered for due to their good depth. If Gower were to go down with a serious injury this team would miss the finals completely..thats how important he is to this team I feel. I expect several of their players who had down seasons to pick up their form again. If they hit their straps they will be top 2.

5. Broncos - Even though I have placed them 5th I think it will be somewhat of a rebuilding year for them. Players like Costigan, Tupou, Stagg, Learoyd etc should gain invaluable experience. It is a testament to their depth that they can inject so many youngsters yet still remain competitive. Their aging forward pack is of great concern however. People always tip them to finish lower than they actually end up finishing but I would be very surprised if they finished in the top 4.

6. Storm - I have queries about their forward pack but with they talent they have in the most important positions it is hard to see them missing the 8. Slater, Orford, Hill and Smith will guide them to 6th.

7. Cowboys - Have shown marked improvement, riding the highs of the NRL finals series 2004. Teams will now lift to play against them just like they do against the Bulldogs, Roosters etc, making every game that little bit harder for them. The halves pairing next year will be absolutely crucial.

8. Knights - I think the Knights may struggle for depth a bit with Joey and Buderus obviously being the keys. If either of them is out for extended periods they could be in serious trouble. My placing of them in 8th is of the presumption that they will have much better luck with injuries in season 05'.

9. Eels - I reluctantly put them here as I have doubts over their halves situation. There is no denying their talented roster however and it will be crucial for them to get off to a good start. Made some great signings and I have tipped them to start off the season slow before getting their combinations better and just missing the 8 after a late season flurry. Keys to success will be their forward pack and tightening the defence. This may be Smith's last chance.

10. Manly - Should be big improvers next year with an intimidating forward pack. Won't be able to finish any higher than this unless defence shows marked improvement. Could finish higher pending on moves in the player market with the halves and centres being the major concerns currently. If those holes are adequately filled I think they are in for a good year. Michael Monaghan, Brett Stewart and Ben Kennedy will be crucial.

11. Sharks - Finished off the 2004 season pretty strongly indicating to a bright 2005. Their big mobile forward pack will set the platform for Kimmorley to cause some havoc, hopefully with Vagana getting more involved. They need to start the season off well as I feel they are somewhat of a confidence team.

12. Tigers - The placing of the Tigers here is more to do with the improvement of other teams that they will realistically be competing with for a spot in the 8. If their forwards don't get the work done up front, which is a concern of mine, it will leave little room for the likes of Prince, Marshall and Hodgson to weave their magic. It is crucial that some of their young forwards like Gibbs and Harrison really step up to the mark to support guys like Skandalis and Laffranchi.

13. Warriors - They are a physically dominating side who simply play dumb football. The injections of Price and Wiki will help but because of their lack of halves situation I think they may struggle. The culture they built there in season 04' will take more than one season to dig themselves out of. They will be capable of causing upsets if on their game.

14. Raiders - Sorry raider fans but you guys were an obvious choice to go here. The losses of Wiki, Davico and Monaghan, coupled with a lack of playmaking options doesn't look great. However on the plus side I know you guys have some great young players like Nathan Smith, Weyman, Carney and Milne who will hopefully get plenty of 1st grade to set you guys up for a strong bounce back in
06'.

15. Rabbitohs - Several new signings will bring hope but it is clear Richardson is planning for the future by buying several talented juniors more than immediate success. Just because I've picked them to finish wooden spooners doesn't mean I don't think that they will improve. If they get their defence sorted their season prospects are much brighter but I can't personally see them challenging for top 12 unless they get off to a flying start and remain practically injury free.

 

[The Colonel]

This may be Smith's last chance.

And the award for understatement of the week goes to...... ;-)

 

[Langers]

This may be Smith's last chance.

And the award for understatement of the week goes to...... ;-)

hehe. Well considering he has survived until now he may last forever

 

[aids]

1. bulldogs* (Strong solid perfornmance for the 2004 season, 1 major loss baring off-field drama's they will be minor premiers, sherwin and lolesi as stand out players)

2. storm ( the best attacking team around will only lose a few players this year and learn again from how well they went this year, orford and kidwell as stand out players)

3. parra ( a big call, but i think with the players they picked up and the form players of the 2004 season they have kept they will go very well, key players dean widders, hindmarsh and marsh)

4. sharks ( a few good buys for the 2005 season, if noddy and peachy stay fit will be something for the cronulla fans to be happy about, stand out players covell and sullivan)

5. roosters* (a few losses and a few good signings will still prove a solid team but expect a slow start, standout players monahan(?) and finch)

6. st. george ( will claim the boofhead title for the 2005 season after running over teams with their strong forward pack and will lack smarts when barret is out injured(he will be 70% of the time, stand out players will be timmins and bailey)

7. souths ( i've got a feeling that the rabbits will have a similar season to the cowboys, playing off talent and emotion, stand out players williams and manu)

8. broncos ( will start the season on a high note, but will fall apart near the middle of the year, expect a lot of the older players to hang up the boots, stand out players thorn and costigan)

9. newcastle ( similar season to 2004, even if johns is un-injured newcastle is still missing a lot of depth, stand out players , seage and carmont)

10. manly (coaching will be a key issue with manlys season, they will expect to go will with the few good signing they have and will show hassler up, stand out players kite and kennedy(expect kennedy as capt./ coach by the end of the year))

11. canberra ( will show some promise late in the year with some good juniors comming through, however will be dragging their bums on the bottom of the table for most of the year, stand players local junior 1 and local junior 2.)

12. warriors (see manly, replace kennedy for price, stand out players wiki and price)


13. cowboys ( i've got a bad feeling that they might be burnt out after an excellent year, and some of the go forward form this year might suffer through injury, stand out players, sargent and williams)

14. penrith ( next year will be a rebulding year, spending a lot of time working on kids from the cougars with mixed results, stand out players local junior 1 and rooney)

15. tigers (i'm a wests fan and i've got a really bad feeling about next year, but i'm still getting 2 season tickets just incase, i think gettign close to the 8 and missing out will be really negative on the team, stand out players harrison and fulton)






* these two places will be determined by the winners of this weekend.
winner 1st, loser 5th)

 

[Greenblooded]

The halves are again out major concern.

I think there in lies the reason many have tipped the Raiders for the spoon. ;-)

2005, the year Todd Carney makes his mark 8)

 

[The Colonel]

The halves are again out major concern.

I think there in lies the reason many have tipped the Raiders for the spoon. ;-)

2005, the year Todd Carney makes his mark 8)

Make it 2006 and I think you'll have a winner. 2005 will hopefully be the year he gains the confidence and poise needed to lead a team in first grade. ;-)

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

lack of halves situation I think they may struggle.

Your really not a warrior follower are you?? we have Fein, Jones, Hohaia, Ropati and not to mention a whole batercard comp to look forward to.