Best week 1 finals scenario.

[applesauce]

The table as it stands right now, does it produce the best possible outcome for week one games/rivalries of the possible contending top8 teams?

1 Dragons
2 Storm
3 Sea Eagles
4 Broncos
5 Cowboys
6 Wests Tigers
7 Warriors
8 Bulldogs

Let's hope it stays like this, or the final table creates the same match ups.

 

[besthalfbackPEARCE]

No wth?

 

[HowHigh]

Dragons Bulldogs
Broncos Cowboys
Those two would be good in terms of rivalry, the rest not so much

 

[besthalfbackPEARCE]

Roosters would be way better

 

[Tiger_Tim]

The table as it stands right now, does it produce the best possible outcome for week one games/rivalries of the possible contending top8 teams?

1 Dragons
2 Storm
3 Sea Eagles
4 Broncos
5 Cowboys
6 Wests Tigers
7 Warriors
8 Bulldogs

Let's hope it stays like this, or the final table creates the same match ups.

Would be:
Fri Night - Broncos v Cowboys at Suncorp
Sat Night - Manly v Tigers at SFS
Sat Night - Storm v Warriors at AAMI
Sun- Dragons v Dogs at SFS/ANZ

Looks good to me

 

[BunniesMan]

Dragons Bulldogs
Broncos Cowboys
Those two would be good in terms of rivalry, the rest not so much

Hello? Sea Eagles - Tigers. Latte drinkers v Westies. That's a rivalry

And applesauce, all we need now is for Souths to make our charge up the ladder and steal 8th from the Dogs. Dragons v Souths would be an awesome finals game.

 

[docbrown]

Sun- Dragons v Dogs at SFS/ANZ

Looks good to me

I doubt they'd allow it to be played at ANZ and give the Dogs any advantage. Have the rules changed this year in relation to Week 1 home matches?

My guess is they'd play it at Kogarah or Wollongong (not sure what their setup is now) and lock out out 40,000 potential fans in the process.

Oh well.

 

[Red Bear]

Storm vs Warriors is a fair rivalry, and the Wests vs Manly, with some schrewd marketing, could play up on the old 70's fibros vs silvertails rivalry.

I'd think it's more likely to be something like

Dragons Manly Melbourne top 3
Bisbane Nth Qld Wests Tigers NZ 4-7
lottery for 8th, anyone bar the Tits and Raiders could realistically make it, although chooks, eels would have to get their arse into gear fast.

 

[Red Bear]

I doubt they'd allow it to be played at ANZ and give the Dogs any advantage. Have the rules changed this year in relation to Week 1 home matches?

My guess is they'd play it at Kogarah or Wollongong (not sure what their setup is now) and lock out out 40,000 potential fans in the process.

Oh well.

They changed the home finals for this year to nearest big ground. Whether the Dragons can still use Wollongong I'm unsure, but they wouldnt this year when there is only half a grandstand on the western side, so I'm guessing it'd be at the SFS (which is good, better big ground than ANZ anyway, especially with potentially 30-40K in depending on the Dragons opponent).

 

[BunniesMan]

Storm vs Warriors is a fair rivalry, and the Wests vs Manly, with some schrewd marketing, could play up on the old 70's fibros vs silvertails rivalry.

I'd think it's more likely to be something like

Dragons Manly Melbourne top 3
Bisbane Nth Qld Wests Tigers NZ 4-7
lottery for 8th, anyone bar the Tits and Raiders could realistically make it, although chooks, eels would have to get their arse into gear fast.

Top 5 have breathing room but Wests and NZ are just 2 points from 11th.

Tigers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Knights, Panthers, Rabbitohs competing for the last 3 spots.

 

[Tiger_Tim]

My guess is they'd play it at Kogarah or Wollongong (not sure what their setup is now) and lock out out 40,000 potential fans in the process.

All Sydney finals matches are now being played at SFS or ANZ - even for week one. I'm guessing they might ask the 'home' team which ground they'd prefer? I'd assume the Dragons would pick SFS, although the NRL might overrule them if they think the game might get more than 42K (whether they're playing the Dogs or not)

 

[docbrown]

They changed the home finals for this year to nearest big ground. Whether the Dragons can still use Wollongong I'm unsure, but they wouldnt this year when there is only half a grandstand on the western side, so I'm guessing it'd be at the SFS (which is good, better big ground than ANZ anyway, especially with potentially 30-40K in depending on the Dragons opponent).

So what then technically qualifies as "nearest big ground" seeing that both ANZ is bigger than SFS?

Do clubs get to pick for themselves?

 

[docbrown]

I only say this because surely - with the right promotion and with both teams playing well - Dragons vs Bulldogs in Week 1, that kind of game we need to be getting 50,000+.

I must've been overseas when they announced that change to the home venues.

 

[user_nat]

Do the rules still require the Cowboys to play week 2/3 finals at Suncorp?

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Do the rules still require the Cowboys to play week 2/3 finals at Suncorp?

No, DFS may still be used for week 2 finals, not so sure about week 3, but I'd say if the Cowboys were to host a Prelim it would be unfair to make them travel to Suncorp for it.

That said, Newcastle, Canberra and Gold Coast may all use their home grounds for week 2, but in week 3 they must play in Sydney/Brisbane. Warriors may use Mt Smart in week 1 and 2, but I'd assume they'd use Eden Park for week 3.

 

[thorson1987]

Would be:
Fri Night - Broncos v Cowboys at Suncorp
Sat Night - Manly v Tigers at SFS
Sat Night - Storm v Warriors at AAMI
Sun- Dragons v Dogs at SFS/ANZ

Looks good to me

No thanks. I still have nightmares about 2008.

 

[One Warrior]

No thanks. I still have nightmares about 2008.

I don't.

 

[thorson1987]

I don't.

We had that game. If only The Beast didn't get the ball at the end. Then smith wouldn't have got done for the grapple against the broncs and the gf would have been a differed story.

Then again it might have meant we got stripped of 3 premierships instead of 2.

 

[dragondad]

Does Melbourne have an agreement to have all semis played at Etihad.

In regards to the new home finals rule, I don't think Saints can pick whether they want to play at SFS or ANZ, it would depend on the opponent. I'm guessing any NSW opponent would be at Homebush. Last year it was decided that no matter who the winner of the Tigers v Raiders Semi Final in Canberra, it would have been at Homebush.

So we could have seen Dragons v Canberra at ANZ in Week 3.

 

[thorson1987]

Does Melbourne have an agreement to have all semis played at Etihad.

In regards to the new home finals rule, I don't think Saints can pick whether they want to play at SFS or ANZ, it would depend on the opponent. I'm guessing any NSW opponent would be at Homebush. Last year it was decided that no matter who the winner of the Tigers v Raiders Semi Final in Canberra, it would have been at Homebush.

So we could have seen Dragons v Canberra at ANZ in Week 3.

Don't quote me on this but i think week 1 will be at AAMI Park and if we get the home game in weeks 2 or 3 they will be at Etihad.