You were crap at the beginning of last season as well and look how that turned out. Raiders will make the top 4 again.
Almost certain the top 4 will be Raiders Storm Broncos and Sharks. No other side looks the goods at this point.
This year is certainly running to a script eh Coolum?
Melbourne are streets ahead. You can't see anyone catching them bar some huge disaster, and with the carrot of Cronk leaving you would be brave to back against them for the Minor/Major double.
Brisbane have a great squad, a good coach, a dream schedule and the refs and NRL seem hell bent on getting them over the line. They will finish high, this much is obvious.
The Sharks have been shit and are still winning, they really can only get better so I would see them finishing in the top 4 given their squad and experience; but they won't be going back to back.
Going on current form you have to favour the Roosters for the other top 4 spot, good squad, playing well enough and a smart coach. Firepower all over the park, good NRL level halves.
On the other end of the spectrum forget the Knights.
The Bunnies, Tigers and Penrith are capable of going on a run but I am happy to write them off at this stage. It's too big a mountain to climb.
For me they are the only teams you can lock in.
Then you start to get into that glut of teams fighting for the bottom half of the 8 and spots 8-12 (i.e we are still alive but we are making up the numbers.. You could really toss the teams names in the air and let them fall where they may for the good predictions do with this mob but here goes.
I reckon the Dragons have shown enough and have enough wins on the board to build on this start and will scrape in but they will slide out of the top 4 for sure.
Manly seem solid enough to finish above 50/50, they do seem one or two injuries away from plummeting though.
Surely the Raiders have enough firepower to get enough wins to make the 8? It's a disaster for Ricky if they don't.
I like the Titans this year. They are a damn solid team for what they look like on paper and once things start heating up Hayne should get them wins. But then there's the Cowboys! Thurston will be back and they have 2 more wins than the Titans. Surely they make the 8 on the back of him. It's one or two of them, not both.
How can you tip the Warriors to do anything other than be inconsistent? Their coach is an idiot too. They miss the 8.
Dogs? Nah not with those halves.
Eels? Nah.
