Improvers
Parramatta-Esi and Willie Tonga give us strike out wide, Sandow and Roberts give us real halves. We already have a good pack...probably lacking a good hooker but will definitely be pushing for a finals spot
Penrith-Elliot is a rubbish coach and injuries to stars like Gordon have hurt them this year. They'll be better under a good coach (or two) next year
Knights-Bennett effect, they have a pretty fair side and he's a genius
Gold Coast-They have signed well, and they have some classy players already. This year is an abberation for me, they shouldn't be this bad.
Warriors-Would not be at all surprised to see them win it. McLennan is an excellent coach and they have a very good roster, with lots of youth, talent and depth
Strugglers
Souths-Without a genuine halfback they'll be exactly like Parramatta this year (although having a good coach should ensure they finish higher on the table next year than we will this year). Good pack, some talent here and there in the backs, but no direction in the halves. Sutton is useless and Reynolds is talented but it's a big ask in his rookie season to guide the side around. They'll need to cop a bad year to build for a good one IMO.
Canberra-Serious behind the scenes issues for me. There seems to be no accountability on or off the field, which is a shame as the roster boasts some talent. There doesn't seem to be a lot of heart there though...Dugan missing games with a minor strain while Tongue plays on with four varying injuries speaks volumes for me. As does Furner still being safe, and some of his selections.
Cronulla-They still rely on Gallen too much, and don't have a lot else besides. There's too many nuffies and/or kids finding their feet. They have a coach I rated as a junior coach in Flanagan, but it remains to be seen if he can coach at the top level and whether he can attract the kind of players they need to be building around talented kids like Gardner and Townsend and Kelly.
Roosters-Brian Smith syndrome. He did a great job with them last year but he has a history of falling fast and has done so this year already. They have a lot of gun youngsters in the pack but seem to have a huge attitude problem. Pearce is average, Carney is a loose cannon who may not even be there and the backs are very average. I can't see them doing a whole lot better than this year
