1. St George-Illawarra Dragons - Pretty much the same set of superstars with a slightly more experienced coach. I'm expecting them to finish top 4 and i guess 1st is as good a place as any.
2. Parramatta Eels - Same roster with enormous depth in their premiership premier league squad. The team will be hungry at the start of next season after their debarcle in the preliminary final in 2005.
3. Wests Tigers - Well it's a bit hard to place this team any further down the ladder considering they are the defending premiers. They've lost some experienced but signed some good talent like Lolesi for next year. They have beefed up a bit in the forwards which worries me, the question hangs over my head, why change a working formula? They will miss Benji at the start of next season.
4. Newcastle Knights - Guess what? Their back and Johns isn't injured anymore. They've recruited a bit of speed on the Edge signing Brian Carney for one year and their reserve grade team that got smashed off the park last year arn't reserve graders anymore! Can finish as high as fourth but IMHO won't challenge for the title. All this considered, if Johns is injured again then bye bye Newcastle.
5. North Queensland Cowboys - Similar roster, similar result however i think if they were ever going to challenge for the title in recent times, their chance was 2005 and they blew it. Steady recruitment, all around should have a good season 2006 however if they are to challenge for the title this team needs to show a lot more consistency.
6. Brisbane Broncos - Will be interesting to see what changes Wayne makes to the culture of the whole place up there. My prediction is off to a flying start and then die in the ass at the end of the season... four or five in a row, why not one more?
7. Canterbury Bulldogs - Holdsworth to learn his trade with Sherwin in the off season, Folkes to totally destroy his natural game but the Dogs to run in at 7th anyway. If they can field a full strength pack and they play like what their paid the Dogs should have a much improved season in 2006.
8. Melbourne Storm - Lost a lot of control with Orford, it'll be interesting to see if Cronk can fill his shoes. Scott Hill is useless however the Storm have a lot of points in them with Slater, King and Inglis in their backline however i'm predicting the same old story for Melbourne.
9. Penrith Panthers - I don't know who does the recruitment at Penrith but they screwed up something royal. Penrith just outside the eight, i really rate John Lang as a coach. I feel sorry for the Penrith fans, i've never met one i didn't like (except my ex-girlfriend...). Good luck to him and good luck to Presto in his last season at the Panthers!
10. Sydney Roosters - Sacrificed too many quality players for Harrison and Anasta when essentially, they can play the same role. Personally i would have signed Harrison and brought Soward and his premier league half into the side, throw Finch on the scrap head. No Freddy, No Cayless, No Ricko, No Premiership.
11. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles - Manly to get everything they deserve after what they done to Monaghan. Lost a lot of players (even though they were of pretty poor quality) so a disrupted roster seems to me like it's gunna be a disrupted start to the season for Manly, going against last years trend where they had a great start.
12. South Sydney Rabbitohs - Slowly starting to gain some momentum but Harrison and Fletch are big losses. Will be a while before we see Souths in the eight, and even thats assuming that any talent they do develop wants to stick around and play for them.
13. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks - 30 something years and won nothing. 2006 won't be any different for this team. Lost A LOT of experience in Stevo and Peach, managed to Sign Ben Ross but this still isn't gunna be enough to put them anywhere near the eight. Covell to get hit by a car (jokes). Simmons is a joke, letting a clubman like Peachy go was foolish.
14. Canberra Raiders - Lost Ian Hindmarsh, i'm not sure whats happening with whinger... err Woolford. A grandpa 5/8th in Jason Smith and a baby halfback in Todd Carney, not sure how well they compliment each other but basically IMO their backline has nothing. Matty Elliot has gotta go..
15. New Zealand Warriors - NRL basketball team for the spoon. Poor roster with a rookie coach is going to be a disaster and i still feel they can't do much with the joke that Tony Kemp was for them in 2005. No Stacy Jones will be a problem so Nathan Fien will have to take on a much greater role. Strength in the forwards as usual for the Warriors but their backline is so poor i can only see the spoon for the Warriors in 2006.
