The question over the minor premiership at the moment comes down to simply one player- Billy Slater.
If he comes back and Melbourne re-discover their groove, then Melbourne should coast through to the minor premiership.
the question ofcourse is whether Melbourne are this year's St George.
Of the other teams, Bulldogs, Brisbane, Manly and yes, Souths are the potential candidates.
The dogs are second atm, have been uninterupted through origin, and are playing reasonable footy (although, the point must be made that they scraped through against a Farahless tigers a couple of weeks ago)...they do however have a fairly tough draw including Brisbane and Manly. But their future is in their hands really.
Key player- Michael Ennis really is the mastermind behind the dogs. Barba is talented, but Ennis is the bloke I don't think they can survive without.
Brisbane I think are most unlikely, given the fact that they've had such a tough origin period....There are niggling injuries to key players (Thaiday, Hodges, Reed) and some of the younger blokes (Norman) are starting to display signs of fatigue. That's not to say they won't be there on grand final day, I just think they may have a few slips between now and the finals....Play the Bulldogs, Melbourne and Manly over a three week period...
Key player- I think that Josh Hoffman has been awfully good for the broncos this year. But you can't go past Peter Wallace.
Manly- They done very well to be where they are this year, given their injuries and suspension. That said, the show as they say cannot continue. Moreover, they've got the hardest run home of any of the contenders, playing not only Souths, Brisbane and the Dogs, but also very hard games against the Warriors and Cowboys as well.
Key player- I think saturday showed that without Glenn and Brett Stewart, the Sea Eagles struggle.
Souths- Souths have a dream run going into the final rounds of the comp. Titans, Eels, Knights, roosters....Only play Manly and Sharks currently in the 8, and only the Tigers really present any other (foreseeable) threat. Moreover, they've got their players all back at just the right time, and a fairly light origin commitment. The question for souths is whether or not they've left the run too late, and given Melbourne and the dogs too much start.....One would expect them to drop one game between now and the finals. Some might suggest it'll be Manly, but I think Cronulla at Shark Park is probably the more likely..
Key player- Greg Inglis and Issac Luke are the obvious names, however when one considers that they have Merritt and Peats as replacements, it's not so obvious. Therefore the key player is their rookie half, and goal kicker, Adam Reynolds.
Cronulla is the only other outside chance, however the draw against the roosters, and loss yesterday, together with games against Melbourne, souths, Warriors and the cowboys say it's unrealistic. You'd want Gallen and Smith back asap.
Key player. they've won games without Gallen this year, including one against Melbourne. They've won during the origin period without Carney, and Graham I think has improved ten fold as a player. I think that two players have held this team together this year. Jeremy Smith and Ben Ross. Losing Smith has seen them suffer a draw to the roosters, and a loss to the Dragons. Ross has been the quiet achiever for cronulla this year in that Peter Cusack style.......
