Predict the premiers:

[GB!]

melb are struggling for props at the moment.
manly will win the forwards battle, hopefully meaning our backs will fire too!
its the smith, cronk, slater & inglis combo's i'm worried about.

 

[lifesgood]

I honestly can not pick who will win it

I think this is the first time ever that anyone of the top 8 can win the comp.

Dragons - Showed on friday night why they are so good, and have the number one coach in the game, but exactly right if they are down with 10 to go, can they play calm and come back?
X Factor: Darius Boyd!! Can cause havoc from anywhere on the park.

Bulldogs - What a season, were given no chance of getting minor premiership being deducted two points and being robbed against the Dragons, they still came into the last round on top! And were one win away from minor premiership althought pretty much losing four points through the season. Need Brett Kimmorley!! But they can grind a win out and can also put a side away!
X Factor:Jamal Idris, Needs to pick up his defence and what he showed at the beginning of the year in attack. Even up their attack.!

Titans - Like many of top 8 sides, which side will turn up? Im not even going to count last weeks loss to manly, cause at about the 30th or 35th minute the possession was 70-30 in favor fo manly, any side with that possession are going to get drilled. Need Zillman back so they can stop shifting their back line around. Need Princey to fire and Rogers to fire!
X Factor:William Zillman & Nathan Friend.

Storm - Loss to Manly in Melbourne, But with no Greg Inglis, and when they strugglinh, Manly Didn't have Brett Stewart either but Greg Inglis makes alot more of a difference. if Adam Blair is suspended it will hurt them. But without doubt have every chance of making their 4 consecutive grand final. But i would hate to see them lose antoher one, so if they make it they win it.
X Factor: Greg Inglis, just such a dominate player.

Manly - Put it simple, have finished fifth with probably playing 5 or 6 good games all year. Shows they are capable of dominating this competiton if they play their best football, with Stewart back, they are very capable.
X Factor:: Kieran Foran, has provided their missing link!!!

Broncos - Finally hit form after being thrashed 56 nil. Its easy, Lockyer and Hunt need to step up, and guide them!! Folau and Hodges need to do what they do best. X Factor:David Taylor.

Knights - Have beaten every side above them this year, and like the titans it depends what Knights side shows up on the day, Very capable of beating the dogs this week.
X Factor:Scott Dureua & Jarrod Mullen

Eels - How many times does a side beat the team they lost to the week before the following week. Eels are very capable of doing it, but 37 nil might of totally destoryed all the momentum they have, if they can get past this week, have no doubt about them being able to win the comp.
X Factor: Daniel mortimer, and their fullback.. umm forgot his name!?! Loll

Think the dogs will bow out without kimmorley!

Week one:

Dragons Vs Eels
Bulldogs Vs Knights
Titans Vs Broncos
Storm Vs Manly

Week Two:
Knights Vs Titans
Broncos Vs Bulldogs

Week Three:

Broncos Vs Storm
Dragons Vs Titans

Week Four:

Dragons Vs Storm


Thats a very odd finals series. But I think that has the most chance of happening.

 

[flip]

I think Dragons Vs Storm... and that worries me.

 

[mongoose]

Knights - Have beaten every side above them this year, and like the titans it depends what Knights side shows up on the day, Very capable of beating the dogs this week.
X Factor:Scott Dureua & Jarrod Mullen

Scott Dureau lol...look out rest of competition

 

[Raudonikis]

And...........

I would guess he is calling you an ostrich(i would for your comment) cos parra actually peaked at the right time you goose.

 

[Raudonikis]

Parra will go back to what they were doing before last week and blow everyone away.DA was playing mind games with the dragons knowing full well he will be up against them in week 1.He now knows where they will target and be ready for it.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

Parra will go back to what they were doing before last week and blow everyone away.DA was playing mind games with the dragons knowing full well he will be up against them in week 1.He now knows where they will target and be ready for it.

My money's on the SOX.

Biggest risk is Manly and the "Hartley" factor - which we saw against Cronulla recently. Even with Arkhole no longer runing the league to suit Manly, the referees are still their buttbuddies.

 

[Grail]

I'm tipping a Dragons v Eagles GF now.
Of all the teams in the 8, i reckon that the Knights followed by the Titans have the least chance.

 

[mongoose]

cant believe everyone is writing the titans off. They have 2 magicians in prince and campbell who have won grand finals before. Their forwards need to really aim up though. Anyway the Titans remind me a bit of the 99 storm who many people didnt give a chance.

 

[saints_fireup]

I honestly can't pick a winner. Any team on their day will be able to take out the title.

Although, I see it will come down to defence, errors and completions. The Dragons, Bulldogs and Storm have the quality in these areas to grind out a game. The Broncos and Manly have the experience and winning culture. The Eels have the x-factor.

It will be an interesting series.

 

[Snoop]

My biggest worry is that with the Titans and Dogs looking very vulnerable at the moment that the loser of 4 v 5 will bow out just because 2 and 3 are on wobbly legs. Time for the NRL to swallow their pride and adopt the AFL finals system.

 

[user_nat]

Week Three:

Broncos Vs Storm

I hope not, getting sick of the Storm knocking us out every 2nd year. (08, 07, and sorta in 05, 04)

 

[ostrich20]

I would guess he is calling you an ostrich(i would for your comment) cos parra actually peaked at the right time you goose.

It would be pretty hard to keep a momentum run of 8 straight wins followed by four successive finals win to claim the premiership.

I would say the Broncos have peaked at the right time as a comparison.

 

[Raider_69]

Saints imo

Dogs will go out in straight sets without Kimmorley. Short of him coming back before week 2, i dont give them much hope

Titans have struggled away from home all year, once they hit week 2 and 3, they'll be away from the Coast and down their hopes go

Melbourne, the Brett Finch factor will stop them. Potential grand finalists but at the end of the day, no side will even win a comp with Finch in the halves

Manly, probably grand finalists, will fall to saints... good side, but back to back is imo, impossible these days. They'll fall in week 3 or in the decider to saints

Broncos, decent roughy, hitting form at the right time but i think Manly, Melbourne and Dragons will all beat them if they play them. I see them going out week 1 tbh, titans will beat them at Skilled and the Knights will beat the Dogs without Kimmorley, so that will end the Broncos

Newcastle, lucky to be playing the dogs which will extend their season by a week. They'll beat a kimmorley less Dogs, but lose in week 2.

Parramatta, good chance to knock over saints in week 1, they are a different team with Hindmarsh. But i think finishing 8th has really ended them. If they got top 6, i'd have backed them all the way. Cant do it from 8th imo

This from a man who ran at the tail end of a 200 person tipping comp... :lol:

 

[Loudstrat]

Parra will go back to what they were doing before last week and blow everyone away.DA was playing mind games with the dragons knowing full well he will be up against them in week 1.He now knows where they will target and be ready for it.

There is no way Hindy and Grothe would have missed last week if it wasn't sudden death. I reckon Anderson took a slim opportunity to rest them before the finals. Funny, had Parra won they would have only come 7th.

Back to full strength (well, without brother Keating), and with Mateo getting match fitness - different story on Sunday.

 

[Loudstrat]

It would be pretty hard to keep a momentum run of 8 straight wins followed by four successive finals win to claim the premiership.

I would say the Broncos have peaked at the right time as a comparison.

Parra won 7 straight and had a loss. Depleted side, pressure off. Sigh of relief. Dunno if they can win 4 straight - but they had their 7 straight over 6 finals contenders.

Brisbane have 5 on the trot, and their form has been less impressive, and they came from worse form than Parra, so how would it be easier for them to win 9 straight?

 

[Timmah]

I love everyone writing off the Dogs

 

[ostrich20]

Parra won 7 straight and had a loss. Depleted side, pressure off. Sigh of relief. Dunno if they can win 4 straight - but they had their 7 straight over 6 finals contenders.

Brisbane have 5 on the trot, and their form has been less impressive, and they came from worse form than Parra, so how would it be easier for them to win 9 straight?

if they beat the drags it would have been 8 wins...

i don't really wat to get into a complete comparison of form between the eels and the broncos, but a loss a few weeks before the finals is better to maintain focus, and just like you said, the eels went into that game with the pressure off and now face the dragons again and most likely will exit early.

Rugby League is all about momentum and you can only maintain it for so long.

I don't think manly would have won the premiership last year without the late loss to souths to reassure focus...

 

[Loudstrat]

So Brisbane's late loss is good, and Parra's late loss is bad.........? I loved how Brisbane got slaughtered by everyone they played for 6 weeks, just to maintain focus for the finals :crazy:

I love everyone writing off the Dogs

That's because they are crap :lol:

 

[ostrich20]

So Brisbane's late loss is good, and Parra's late loss is bad.........:roll:

The results will speak for themselves buddy.