souths are a team that have won 6 straight, and have only lost two straight at one point this year. That was rounds 1 and 2.
They've had injuries, and suspensions to key players at varying times during the year. Both Sam and Luke Burgess have had long stints out, Roy Asotasi has been out for most of the season, Inglis has missed 5 games to origin and suspension, Luke has missed 4 games to suspension.
Yet they've continued to win. I think the comparison with the dogs is unfair when one considers at what time the dogs have played the other top 4 sides they've defeated.
In round 20 they beat a Manly side without Brett Stewart.
In round 16 they beat a Melbourne side without Billy Slater.
This weekend is the first time they play brisbane, who have just been beaten by Canberra and Parramatta.
Now this isn't to take away from the Dogs form. They've been great no doubt, for the majority of the season. More importantly, they've improved out of sight. They've also had really solid wins against inform Cowboys, Dragons, warriors and Tigers at important intervals. But so have souths.
The two games between the dogs and souths were both high quality games, and the reality was there was a trounce of luck between the two sides in both. But some of the games they've lost. Against Newcastle, against the Gold Coast, those are games that make you wonder if the dogs can really show up on the day against a team ready to play.
Souths' losses have come against the roosters (round one- should never have lost that game), Melbourne (round two, who went on to win 10 straight), brisbane (round 4- in perth 2nd game against an opposition who won the next 6 straight), Warriors (in NZ with a severely depleted forward pack) Bulldogs (see above) and brisbane a second time (without Burgess and King, most importantly, against a mountain of possession against Brisbane side only missing Hannant).
For mine, I think that both souths and the dogs have the right to feel confident for different reasons, but the favourites for the comp should be Manly and Melbourne, who have done it time and time again. If their key players stay on the paddock, souths and the dogs will have to genuinely play their best games of footy 2 weeks in a row, to get by them. That's simply reality.
Brisbane are now limping. Injuries have really hurt them at the wrong time. Fatigue is affecting the younger players.
Cronulla have done well to get where they are but realistically, are unlikely to beat any of the top 4 (although for some reason cronulla go pretty well against Melbourne).
Cowboys will win one, but inevitably drop one. It's just how they play. the only win against top 4 opposition this year (melbourne rd 19) was harder than it should have been given melbourne's form at the time.
