Analysing The Top 8

[mikeob]

Comprehensive look at who will make the 8. Warriors Riding High

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The next two weeks are massive for us. I think we make the eight regardless, but given all three teams position on the table, what we do against the Sharks and Raiders probably determines whether we finish top four. We’ve beaten both away already, still we can hopefully come away with four points. I just hope Webster has worked on a wet weather game plan as that’s been out obvious Achilles heel at home this year.

 

[nswarrior]

The next two weeks are massive for us. I think we make the eight regardless, but given all three teams position on the table, what we do against the Sharks and Raiders probably determines whether we finish top four. We’ve beaten both away already, still we can hopefully come away with four points. I just hope Webster has worked on a wet weather game plan as that’s been out obvious Achilles heel at home this year.

Agree - if we win the next 2 then we are looking really good.

Apart from the wet weather I think the team also loses focus or intensity after a couple of wins eg Broncos and Souths. We have to play tough and maintain the resilience in games where we maybe favourites and the pressure is off because we have won a couple

 

[ozenzud]

Years of hoping for just a top 8 spot, makes a top 4 finish seems an impossible dream. The Rabbits game, yes in the wet, was a big disappointment and a bring back to earth game. They will have to win at least one of these next two to achieve a top 4. Easily lose both, but will still make the 8 from there.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Honestly, this year is as good a chance as any in our history....if we're talking about making the GF.

Apart from the Panthers who are elite, the rest are on our level. That's so uncommon. You usually have 3-4 who are elite or close (usually Storm, Roosters and someone else) and the rest make up the numbers.

I feel as if the Broncs, Sharks, us, Raiders, Eels, Rabbits and to maybe a lesser extent Cowboys could have a blanket thrown over them in terms of quality. Makes fair sense given the Sharks in 3rd have the same amount of wins as the Rabbits in 8th (!) and Cows in 9th on one less. And how nuts that the 1st placed Panthers have one more win than 8th in round 19.

Still don't see anyone touching the Panthers, although I'd back the Eels to give them a run.

 

[Blair]

...Still don't see anyone touching the Panthers, although I'd back the Eels to give them a run.

It's very unlikely but there's a chance Penrith won't make the GF, which makes for a great opportunity for the other two sides that do.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

It's very unlikely but there's a chance Penrith won't make the GF, which makes for a great opportunity for the other two sides that do.

Yep. If someone pulls out a big performance in an eliminator (think us on either of those finals where we beat Melbourne in Melbourne) it throws the whole thing wide open. Penrith are good but they’re like the All Blacks in world cups- they might be the team to beat but that just takes one team with nothing to lose to aim up and beat them on the day, and we all know that that happens!

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Years of hoping for just a top 8 spot, makes a top 4 finish seems an impossible dream. The Rabbits game, yes in the wet, was a big disappointment and a bring back to earth game. They will have to win at least one of these next two to achieve a top 4. Easily lose both, but will still make the 8 from there.

Don't forget losing to an understrength Broncos and a loss to the Roosters at home in the wet as games that should have been won but weren't!

 

[Penrose Warrior]

It's very unlikely but there's a chance Penrith won't make the GF, which makes for a great opportunity for the other two sides that do.

I can't see it happening, but yeah that definitely would. I see the Rabbits as the next best side, I think they could beat Penrith in a major semi and win it all.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I can see Cody Walker going on a big run after tonight and Mitchell coming back and Souths going all the way from here

I’d put the top 4 as Souths, Panthers, Broncos and Storm

The Sharks, Warriors and Raiders don’t convince me in their performances amongst those sides at the moment, and the ability to put 4 games together in a row at that level, that might be a bit harsh on the Raiders but i just don’t have them right up there as a side personally

cowboys might use up too much gas coming from so far back to make the bottom half of the 8

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I can see Cody Walker going on a big run after tonight and Mitchell coming back and Souths going all the way from here

I’d put the top 4 as Souths, Panthers, Broncos and Storm

The Sharks, Warriors and Raiders don’t convince me in their performances amongst those sides at the moment, and the ability to put 4 games together in a row at that level, that might be a bit harsh on the Raiders but i just don’t have them right up there as a side personally

cowboys might use up too much gas coming from so far back to make the bottom half of the 8

Not harsh on the Raiders at all, they’re pretty much the sort of side that we’ve been at times in past years - capable of beating anyone but also prone to dropping the bundle and giving up leads.

 

[JJ]

I can't see it happening, but yeah that definitely would. I see the Rabbits as the next best side, I think they could beat Penrith in a major semi and win it all.

Yep, Penrith are a great side, even depleted from previous years…

at full strength Souths are very dangerous (Cook, Murray, Walker and Mitchell are scary, like Penrith's equivalents), as are the Eels, whether either will be for various reasons is a question.

Warriors being top 4 is optimistic tbh, but first time for a long while that there is a cause for optimism

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Realistically this is where I'm at with our club.

2023 - Formation of our Dynasty year (Finish 6th-10th)
2024 - The deep finals year. (Finish Top 4)
2025 - We win it. (without SJ)
2026 - Onwards have a reputation of being a Top 4 side (All levels of Warriors competitive)

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Yep, Penrith are a great side, even depleted from previous years…

at full strength Souths are very dangerous (Cook, Murray, Walker and Mitchell are scary, like Penrith's equivalents), as are the Eels, whether either will be for various reasons is a question.

Warriors being top 4 is optimistic tbh, but first time for a long while that there is a cause for optimism

I mean it's optimistic from where we were last year, but I don't feel like it is now.

Four games at home, 3 away and none of the away games (Tigers, Titans and Dolphins) are in the 8. Sharks, Raiders, Sea Eagles and Dragons at home.

No one is silly enough to suggest we'll win all of those, but man that is as plum a draw as you could probably get. If you want a platform to make the top 4, that's it.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Realistically this is where I'm at with our club.

2023 - Formation of our Dynasty year (Finish 4th-8th)
2024 - The deep finals year. (Finish Top 4)
2025 - We win it. (without SJ)
2026 - Onwards have a reputation of being a Top 4 side (All levels of Warriors competitive)

Fixed the first line for you. Missing the finals from here would be a failure and not something I’m prepared to countenance. Even 7th or 8th would be a bit meh, I’m expecting us to finish 4-6 if our current form trajectory continues.
pretty much agree with the rest though, and optimistic that we could even still have SJ in 2025 if he goes well next year.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The official NRL final predictor has us finishing 6th- and that’s assuming we lose to both the Raiders and Sharks. If we win one or both of those (and really we should win at least one, we’ve beaten both sides away already) we can finish as high as 3rd.

 

[JJ]

I mean it's optimistic from where we were last year, but I don't feel like it is now.

Four games at home, 3 away and none of the away games (Tigers, Titans and Dolphins) are in the 8. Sharks, Raiders, Sea Eagles and Dragons at home.

No one is silly enough to suggest we'll win all of those, but man that is as plum a draw as you could probably get. If you want a platform to make the top 4, that's it.

Yep, abd the table is tight. I haven’t looked at the draw much, but I kind of expect the three I mentioned plus Melbourne to push on, teams like us, Canberra, Cronulla and Brisbane have things to prove imo

but we’re well in the mix, which is great tbh

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yep, abd the table is tight. I haven’t looked at the draw much, but I kind of expect the three I mentioned plus Melbourne to push on, teams like us, Canberra, Cronulla and Brisbane have things to prove imo

but we’re well in the mix, which is great tbh

Our draw is as good as it gets. We have two home games against teams on our level that we’ve already beaten then every other game is against a side outside the 8. If we miss the 8 from here we will NOT look at this season as progress, just another Warriors false dawn. We have no excuses. From where we are now 6th should be our pass mark.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Happy to move from saying I don’t rate the Sharks, to calling them a myth. They will be there, but they aren’t a contender, much like the Raiders

 

[SpaceMonkey]

look at those odds. And Im pretty sure a few of us got on them at close to $4