1. Sydney Roosters - I personally think the Roosters will be better side next season. The young players have big game experience now. they have also made a quality signing in Anthony Watts who played well every time i watched the Cowboys play, they also get to welcome back Aiden Guerra who i believe is a quality young player and will improve the team.
2. Wests Tigers - Really could of won it this year if the bounce of the ball went there way, With Tuiaki and Moltzen back they should be even better, Robert Lui had a very good finals series so i would go with Moltzen at Fullback.
3. Melbourne Storm - Will be incredibly fired up still have three of the best players in the competition, They will have a very young side so it is difficult to predict what will happen, But if any team can bring through quality young players it's Melbourne.
4. Canberra Raiders - I am banking on Terry Campese to be back relatively early from injury, They have some of the best outside backs in the League and a monster forward pack, If they could only get Gower or Orford then i believe they would win the comp.
5. Warriors - If i were the Warriors i would definitely throw Shaun Johnson into the starting side he looks to me at least that he could be a champion in the making, With the Warriors winning the under 20's grand final so impressively and First Grade doing so well last seasons, This is really the time for the Warriors to make a charge for the Premiership i honestly believe within the next three seasons they will make the Grand Final.
6. Brisbane Broncos - With Hannant and Inglis coming in and Hodges coming back i fully expect them to make the finals this year, Again it will come down to Lockyer but the younger players are a year older and really need to stand up.
7. South Sydney - Souths will make the eight next year despite not adding to there roster they had some promising players in there under 20's side, I would be seriously considering Adam Reynolds for first grade over Sandow, They also need Asotasi to pull his finger out and become the player we know he can be.
8. St George Illawarra - I think they will have a hang over, Teams will work them out and they will have to change to a bit more of an expansive style. Will still make the eight but will miss Smith and Costigan very very badly.
9. Canterbury Bulldogs - Have spent big and will look awesome some weeks and mediocre the next, Have brought in a huge amount of players, I think Keating and Hodgkinson will work well together they did well in city country, Main key is what will happen with Ben Barba will he excel or will he become like Preston Campbell when he was dropped for Kimmorley.
10. North Queensland - They will improve this year i think they will become tough to beat in Townsville, Hopefully Bowen can be fit for the full season, There back line looks exciting, I still think they lack a bit in the forwards but it depends on how Tariq Sims goes.
11. Penrith - I believe Penrith will come crashing down this season, Whilst Pritchard is very lazy he was still always a threat whether he ran the ball twelve times or twice. I think Penrith need to bite the bullet and install either Gordon,Jennings or Coote into five-eighth. I would pick Jennings because he needs to see much more of the ball and move Gordon into Jennings position. Travis Burns whilst a wholehearted player and i can never bag him for that he just doesn't offer enough of a threat to the defence. I would consider moving him to lock.
12. Gold Coast Titans - This will be a transitional year for the Titans they have an old squad and it seems to me they are on there way down. I think last season was there year in a way but they blew it awfully. I think they will find it difficult to bounce back from that.
13. Manly Sea Eagles - Manly for me have a bit of an unknown quality to them in the Halves which is why i have tipped them so low Foran is a good player, But i am not sure how they will go hopefully Stewart gets back into form like the titans i believe there in transition.
14. Parramatta Eels - They are capable of anything in my opinion, But they have to put up with constant bickering and turmoil above them, Another team in transition if i were Parramatta i would be thinking of bringing in the young players early for the likes of Grothe,Burt and Tahu if results are going bad. Be good to see Shackelton back too.
15. Newcastle Knights - I think Newcastle are not a bad team even though i tipped them to come second last it is more by default, I could easily see them making the top 8, have made two good signings in Costigan and Likiliki. It's hard for me to justify them being so low they have a good halves pairing a good hooker, and exciting three quarter line maybe i am just not sold on there forwards.
16. Cronulla Sharks - Whilst i tipped Cronulla to come last i think in terms of on field personal they are heading in the right direction, They have one of the best forward packs in the competition, Wade Graham and Tim Smith are both young and if given time could turn into a good halves pairing, The outside backs are solid with more of an attacking threat now that Covell is finally gone. With Gardner,Gordon and Best they at least pose a threat out wide.
In fact there 1,6,7,9 has some potential for the future they are all young and all have talent, They have the go forward already it's never been the problem hopefully they can improve as a team and more importantly become better to watch from a neutral's perspective.
