2016 predictions

[giboz71]

Broncos are entitled to be favourites - a backline containing Hunt, Milford, Roberts and Boyd will be hard to stop. Cowboys will be up there again but as always, it will be hard to back up. Roosters, Souths and Bulldogs all look weaker.

Tigers and Titans will be fighting it out for the spoon

My smokies are the Raiders, and Manly have recruited well and could bounce back quite easily.

As for us, fairly confident we'll be in the semis again - tipping 5th or 6th which would be par for mine.

A good showing this season, and with money to spend in 2017, we should be in a good position to be genuine contenders in 2017.

 

[BennyV]

I see this as a year of attrition with new interchange rules and an the added age to key players in many clubs impacting on the comp.
The Broncos are young will be well managed by Bennett. They're certain to be top 4 methinks
Will JT stand up to the rigours of the season?
Manly need Lyon, Stewart and Mattai to hold up in order to succeed so at risk.
Smith, Cronk and Slater are all getting on
Depth is the key IMO and we're well served
We are also in good shape from an origin perspective
Going to be a very interesting season

I think Storm are near certainties for Top 4.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Good post Cagey One...
Just on Origin and reps, we could end up with a few involved, more specifically City/ Country but the added forward depth should hold us in good stead.
Possibles:
SOO- Dugan, Frizzell, Thompson
C Vs C - Rein, Aitken, JDB
We have a good mix of rep players (Internationals) from all over the place and It should not impact us all at once.

Thanks JB
I doubt we'd lose both Friz and Thompson to SOO, they'll both challenge though I think
Aitken will need to crack FG to make CvC don't you think?
Rein may even be SOO if Farah is injured and he's in form.

So good to have depth.

 

[Cagey Mac]

I think Storm are near certainties for Top 4.

Perhaps but age catches up with everyone ultimately and SOO will tax them heavily

 

[The Nick]

Perhaps but age catches up with everyone ultimately and SOO will tax them heavily

I've heard this every pre-season. Looking forward to the day it actually comes true.

 

[Cagey Mac]

I've heard this every pre-season. Looking forward to the day it actually comes true.

Sooner or later, like death and taxes, age catches up with everyone.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Taxes catching up with everyone....................?
What am I saying?
That was before the age of entitlement.
Maybe they can last forever
Like Rupert appears to be doing.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Interested to see how the Chooks go without RTS and the Warriors perform with RTS? The guy was unplayable last season. Too bloody good at the back and got them out of trouble a few times.

Dragons have another tough draw where they play all 2015 top 8 sides twice. How does that happen? Nobody knows. If Saints make the 8 it will be a HUGE effort. Mary's honeymoon period is over now. Needs to really show us what he is capable of and I am sure he will do OK. They certainly have great depth for 2016 and some size which is a huge plus.

 

[Lethal25]

Predictions for top 4/8 leave egg on the faces of many many people.

In saying that I would be very surprised if the Cowboys make top 4 this year.

They finished 3rd last season after winning 5 regular season games by four points or less, they lost only one regular season game when scores were that close. They also had their best away winning % in the clubs history, that will be difficult to replicate.

In conjunction with the hunter now being the hunted and the desire to work as hard for the end goal coming into question given their Everest has been climbed.

 

[Lethal25]

Interested to see how the Chooks go without RTS and the Warriors perform with RTS? The guy was unplayable last season. Too bloody good at the back and got them out of trouble a few times.

Dragons have another tough draw where they play all 2015 top 8 sides twice. How does that happen? Nobody knows. If Saints make the 8 it will be a HUGE effort. Mary's honeymoon period is over now. Needs to really show us what he is capable of and I am sure he will do OK. They certainly have great depth for 2016 and some size which is a huge plus.

One good thing Slip is we play Storm and Cowboys during the origin period.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Warriors will be interesting
Issac Luke is a bit of a loose cannon and has judiciary baggage
RTS will make a difference but their defence will still be called to account especially when away from the shaky isles.
And agreed. Getting the Cowboys and Storm during SOO is a real bonus.

 

[Lethal25]

Sooner or later, like death and taxes, age catches up with everyone.

It caught me a couple years back, it's gone way past me now!

 

[The Nick]

Warriors will be interesting
Issac Luke is a bit of a loose cannon and has judiciary baggage
RTS will make a difference but their defence will still be called to account especially when away from the shaky isles.
And agreed. Getting the Cowboys and Storm during SOO is a real bonus.

Very interested to see how RTS goes this season. Going from a well oiled machine like the Roosters to an unpredictable lot like the Warriors, he may struggle!

 

[OLD FART DRAGON]

Saints can win ,we have the engine room , more room for our 6 and 7, which means our back line can have openings, mann will play fullback, hes pretty tough, unlike duges who can be brittle at times, that and the depth in our roster .and the coaching staff , and our fans ,lets be positive.

 

[Vasilevsky]

Saints can win ,we have the engine room , more room for our 6 and 7, which means our back line can have openings, mann will play fullback, hes pretty tough, unlike duges who can be brittle at times, that and the depth in our roster .and the coaching staff , and our fans ,lets be positive.

Those neck injuries appear really minor in X-rays and MRIs but unless one get's it fixed, it can create havoc with the arms and legs, usually only on one side of the body. I find it astonishing he went up until now without getting it fixed. Especially given the ultra-tough way he plays.

 

[hewi]

With the depth in the squad this year I think there will be a lot of surprises. Not to many spots are certainties. I would like to think Havili could be come another ' Piggy' Ridell with the subsequent cult following. How good would it be to see opposition players falling like ten pins again. I loved the Riddler.

 

[BrissyRedV]

With the depth in the squad this year I think there will be a lot of surprises. Not to many spots are certainties. I would like to think Havili could be come another ' Piggy' Ridell with the subsequent cult following. How good would it be to see opposition players falling like ten pins again. I loved the Riddler.

More importantly, can Havili kick goals?

 

[Shadow Dragon]

Dragons have got one of the worst draws ever. We have 1/2 games at Koughra in 19 rounds. That has a more affective chance of dropping us.

 

[Vasilevsky]

Dragons have got one of the worst draws ever. We have 1/2 games at Koughra in 19 rounds. That has a more affective chance of dropping us.

Don't be too sure that was merely the 'luck of the draw'. Kogarah has no future. The club has made it clear this is what they want to be the case because Kogarah is no longer financially viable. Time to move on if homies want the club to be a powerhouse rather than Shonkies-like cannon fodder.