2015 top 8 flops

[Pennies]

Who won't make the 8 from last years top 8?
Usually 1 or 2 from the previous season don't back it the following year.

Roosters
Broncos
Cowboys
Storm
Bulldogs
Sharks
Rabbitohs
Dragons

I pick the Dragons and Bulldogs.
Dragons will miss Merrin and I think Benji will struggle this year.
Not impressed by the Bulldogs signings and Hodkinson will be a bigger loss than thought.

Who do you pick?

 

[BennyV]

Dogs and Souffs.

The loss of Hodko will be felt. Reynolds is a loose cannon and a moron, Mbye hasnt settled and will be targetted, Plodoate will tank.

Souths were on a downhill slope at the back end of last season, and despite grabbing Burgess have lost a fair bit of firepower and will 100% feel the loss of Luke, with Cook and McInness yet to be consistent in first grade. A couple of injuries, particularly to the likes of Reynolds, and they are gone.

Smokies, Roosters - they will cop the loss of Maloney most of all, but losing RTS and potentially Jennings and their arsenal doesnt seem so potent. This is more hope than anything!

Non-dragons fans will obviously say Dragons!

 

[Rhyno]

Dogs, dragons and Broncos

 

[Snappy]

Dogs and Dragons, replaced by Warriors and Raiders

 

[DiegoNT]

I can't keep my mind decided on who i think will make the 8 or who will drop out. The only prediction i can make with any confidence (and even that's not so high) is that the Titans and Tigers won't make it.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Historically 4 of the previous years 8 miss out. Last year only had 2, I'd expect it to go back to 3/4 this year.

 

[beejay001]

Dragons, Souths, Sharks and Dogs are the only teams I think could drop out.

Manly, Warriors, Raiders and Parra are the only teams I think could sneak in.

Put me down for Souths and Dogs to drop out for Manly and Raiders.

Broncos
Roosters
Melbourne
Manly
Cowboys
Dragons
Raiders
Sharks

 

[El Diablo]

Broncos
Dragons
Rabbits
Sharks

 

[Nice Beaver]

I expect the Dogs, Storm and Dragons to drop out with the Roosters falling down the 8.

Manly, Warriors and Raiders/Squeels to move into the 8.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I think the Dragons over achieved last year. I expect them to drop out, especially with the tough draw. I also expect the Bulldogs to regress to 9th-12th. That halves pairing is awful.

Souffs may also struggle. Even the Roosters may be a smokey to miss the 8. It's hard to stay up for so long, so we might be due a down year.

Dragons, Dogs and Souffs out. Sea Eagles, Warriors and Raiders in. The Eels have too much invested in Foran's piss weak hamstrings so I don't think they have enough across the park yet to make the 8.

 

[Pommy]

Pretty sure Dragons will drop down along with Sharks. To be replaced with Warriors and Manly, I have Penrith as a good outside chance of making the finals.
I expect Souths to be 8th-6th but I wouldn't be overly shocked if we dropped out of the 8 due to injuries and Luke is going to be a big miss for the games he wouldn't have been banned for.

 

[Johnnie Red]

I'm expecting the dogs to sneak into 7th or 8th spot. We usually find a way to make the eight.

The Dragons and Souths to be replaced by Warriors and Penrith

 

[perverse]

Dragons, Roosters and Souths all quite vulnerable if other teams have good years. I agree with most that the Dragons over-achieved last year. Roosters and Souths losses outweigh the gains for mine, even with Burgess going back to Souths. Luke was huge for them, and gave them a legitimate point of difference over other teams. His running game is second to no other hooker, and a long way ahead of the next best.

The Roosters have lost half their spine and look likely to replace them with unknown quantities of varying degrees. Either way, it will take them time to click.

I don't think the Dogs will suffer as much from losing Hodko as others seem to think, their game is primarily through the forwards anyway. As long as Mbye and Reynolds don't completely shit the bed, they should be ok and won't drop too much, if at all.

As for who will replace them, I could only say the Warriors with any degree of certainty - and even then, it's the Warriors. Raiders look the next most likely. If the Walker at 5/8th experiment works, then Manly could be up there - but I'm not yet convinced. The only teams I think outright can't do it are the Tigers and Titans... and the Knights needing an absolute fairytale of juniors coming through well and Brown having a big effect on the team to be any look-in whatsoever. I don't like the look of Parra, either... old washed up farts in the back row and two 5/8ths without a halfback. There's probably 12-13 teams in the mix for the 8, though.

 

[dogz08]

Storm
Bulldogs
Dragons
Rabbitohs

 

[Vic Mackey]

I'm expecting the dogs to sneak into 7th or 8th spot. We usually find a way to make the eight.

The dogs have had much stronger teams on paper the last 3 years and each year have unconvincingly stuttered into the bottom half of the 8.

I think they look the most likely to fall out. Then saints.

 

[gUt]

Cows may struggle with the premiership hangover. Broncs are 1 or 2 injuries away from a bad season.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Dogs, Souths most likely losing much of their depth, Sharks and Roosters maybe. We also could be a drop out but I doubt it with our roster and depth more importantly much improved from 2015 season.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

Roosters
Broncos
Cowboys
Storm
Bulldogs > Warriors
Sharks
Rabbitohs
Dragons > Penrith

Storm and Rabbits are in italics because they have the possibility of either sinking or swimming. If Burgess either injures himself or busts out compared to previous years, plus the strain he is putting on their cap, The Rabbits will definitely sink or swim.

The Storm are obvious. Big three isn't getting any younger, and there's talk Cronk may even go to the Dragqueens.

 

[Rabbits20]

Who won't make the 8 from last years top 8?
Usually 1 or 2 from the previous season don't back it the following year.

Roosters
Broncos
Cowboys
Storm
Bulldogs
Sharks
Rabbitohs
Dragons

I pick the Dragons and Bulldogs.
Dragons will miss Merrin and I think Benji will struggle this year.
Not impressed by the Bulldogs signings and Hodkinson will be a bigger loss than thought.

Who do you pick?

I agree.

I have Dragons and Dogs missing the top 8. For the same reasons too.

Replaced by Warriors and Manly.

 

[OVP]

1. Broncos
2. Sharks
3. Warriors
4. Cowboys
5. Manly
6. Storm
7. Roosters
8. Rabbits or Dragons or Parra (only if they get Jennings, otherwise 10th) or Raiders
9. As above
10. As above
11. As above
12. Dogs
13. Penrith
14. Noughts
15. Tigers
16. Tits ... the race for the spoon will be epic ... Tits will get it, just.