The 2022 Build Up thread

[Hutty1986]

Hot competition from the Tigers or Dragons.

Leaning towards Dragons because of the amount of ex-broncos.

We'll be shit, again. But we won't get the spoon.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Dragons should be challenging for the 8, especially if the 3 young kids they have live up to expectations. I think they are still a few years off being real challengers though. They won't go near the spoon.

 

[The Man Shake]

Top 8
1. Roosters
2. Penrith
3. Storm
4. Titans
5. Manly
6. Broncos
7. Rabbitohs
8. Knights
9. Warriors
10. Sharks
11. Eels
12. Bulldogs
13. Dragons
14. Raiders
15. Tigers
16. Cowboys

Grand Final teams and winner
Teams: Roosters vs Titans
Winner: Roosters
Clive Churchill Medallist: Angus Crichton

Wooden Spoon
Cowboys - they're so so bald. Dearden and Townsend as halves options, those two couldn't fry an egg.

Dally M Player of the Year
Cameron Munster. He'll get his head sorted and then watch out.

Rookie of the year
Does Jayden Campbell still qualify?

Signing of the season
Adam Reynolds.

The Steven Bradbury award for overachieving club
New Zealand Warriors, sadly they'll just miss out on the 8 because of a badly timed injury to Shaun Johnson.

Disappointment of the year - player
Jamal Fogarty

Disappointment of the year - club
Parramatta Eels. Moses will go backwards at a rate of knots and they'll actually miss Blake Ferguson for his ability to get yardage out of their own end.

First coach sacked
Michael Maguire.

First player to be sacked
Paul Vaughan.

State of Origin winner
Queenslander!

Longest suspension - how many weeks and whom
Josh Maguire, 7 weeks.

Most important/dramatic rugby league-related announcement (e.g. expansion)
Wests Tigers demerger. They will go back to being the Western Suburb Magpies.

First forum poster to rage quit
Balderley Rooster after being regularly mocked in the gameday spoiler threads.

 

[Sime_11]

Top 8
1. Roosters
2. Storm
3. Penrith
4. Manly
5. Eels
6. Souths
7. Cronulla
8. Warriors

Grand Final teams and winner
Teams: Roosters v Storm
Winner: Roosters
Clive Churchill Medallist: Tedesco

Wooden Spoon
Dragons

Dally M Player of the Year
Latrell

Rookie of the year
Talatau Amone - St George

Signing of the season
Nicho Hynes

The Steven Bradbury award for overachieving club
Warriors good to see them make the 8 off the back of Rhys Walsh

Disappointment of the year - player
Ponga because he is overhyped - Walsh is the real deal, so focus on Walsh

Disappointment of the year - club
Raiders - Canberra's decline to continue

First coach sacked
Michael Maguire.

First player to be sacked
Anthony Milford

State of Origin winner
NSW

Longest suspension - how many weeks and whom
Jack Hetherington - Magic Round crackdown - 9 weeks

Most important/dramatic rugby league-related announcement (e.g. expansion)
New Broadcast deal - 9 to lose sole coverage of Origin and the GF

First forum poster to rage quit
Skeepe

 

[Diesel]

Top 4:
Manly, Panthers, Roosters, Titans

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Broncos to return to the top 8, the The Dolphins signings, rumours and speculation to be constantly in the headlines.

 

[roofromoz]

Do they still exist?!?

BUMPER FARRELL

 

[roofromoz]

Broncos to return to the top 8, the The Dolphins signings, rumours and speculation to be constantly in the headlines.

Every off-contract player will be linked to them.

Plus that one player from our club that we hate and just want released / not re-signed.

 

[ReddFelon]

Titans v Knights grand final.

 

[Mr_Raditch]

So it's the first day of 2022, what better time than now for a prediction thread.

Copy & paste the below template & add your predictions:

Top 4:
Grand final matchup:
Premier:
Bottom 4:
Wooden spoon:
Smokey for the spoon:
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8:
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season:
First coach sacked:
QLD or NSW:

Top 4: Penrith, Roosters, Melbourne, Eagles
Grand final matchup: Roosters V Penrith
Premier: Roosters
Bottom 4: Cowboys, Dragons, Tigers, Newcastle
Wooden spoon: Cowboys
Smokey for the spoon: Canberra
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8: Souths
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season: Brisbane ( was going to say Canterbury but they still don't have any halfs)
First coach sacked: I'm going Payten
Wow! There is a lot of coaches who are potentially on the chopping block this year. Payten, Madge, Barrett, Griffin, Holbrook, Brown, O'Brien, Walters. You would have to think all those blokes could potentially be on the outer with their respective clubs if results don't go their way. As a Tigers fan I don't think we'll sack Madge, it was either do it at the end of last season or stick with him this entire season, regardless of results. Griffin I don't think the dragons will pick up the 3rd year option but he'll see out the season, so I won't call that a sacking. If it gets halfway to 3/4 through the season & either Canterbury or Brisbane look like missing the 8, Walters or Barrett will be gone.
QLD or NSW: NSW

 

[Smug Panther]

Top 4:Panthers,Roosters,Storm,Parra (Won't beat anyone when it matters)
Grand final matchup:Penrith v Easts
Premier:Penrith Panthers
Bottom 4:St Merge,Canberra,Tigers,Warriors
Wooden spoon:Tigpies
Smokey for the spoon:Warriors
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8:Souths
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season:Bulldogs
First coach sacked:Madge, not that it will be his fault
QLD or NSW:NSW 3-0

 

[Ghostface Killah]

Top 4: Cronulla-Sutherland, Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne, Brisbane
Grand final matchup: Cronulla-Sutherland v Eastern Suburbs
Premier: Cronulla-Sutherland
Bottom 4: Penrith, North Queensland, Illawarra, St George
Wooden spoon: St George
Smokey for the spoon: Illawarra
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8: South Sydney
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season: Western Suburbs
First coach sacked: Ivan Clearly
QLD or NSW: Queensland

 

[forby]

What a load of bs!

 

[Someone2]

Top 4: manly, Manly, Eels, Broncos,Storm
Grand final matchup: Eels vs manly
Premier: Eels
Bottom 4: tigers, bulldogs, knights, cowboys
Wooden spoon: Tigers
Smokey for the spoon: Dragons
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8: panthers ( finish 7-8th)
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season: Broncos
First coach sacked: Maguire
QLD or NSW: NSW

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

Top 4: Roosters, Melbourne, Manly, Parra
Grand final matchup: Melbourne vs Manly
Premier: Melbourne (barf)
Bottom 4: Dragons, Tigers, Cowboys, Warriors
Wooden spoon: Tigers
Smokey for the spoon: Cowboys
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8: Rabbitohs
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season: Broncos
First coach sacked: Madge
QLD or NSW: NSW 2-1

 

[Marlins]

Top 4: Sharks, Titans, Storm, Panthers
Grand final matchup: Sharks, Titans
Premier: Sharks
Bottom 4: Tigers, Cowboys, Raiders, Dragons
Wooden spoon: Tigers
Smokey for the spoon: Raiders
Heaviest fall out of last seasons top 8: Eels
Biggest climb up the ladder from last season: Sharks
First coach sacked: Madge
QLD or NSW: QLD

 

[Vic Mackey]

16. Tigers (Maguire is getting the sack early in the season, they are a rabble their recruitment leaves a bit to be desired they almost stumbled on the correct way last season Douehi and Laurie were intelligent signings players who are good and first-grade standard but being held back by others, they use their junior base poorly there is no reason the Tigers shouldn't be as strong as Penrith, they put in two of the most gutless performances I've ever seen last season the Raudonikis match and the last game of the season both absolute disgraceful performances and the club is in a mess and has been since Tim Sheens left.)

We're a shout for the spoon so not disputing that. However the part about ''misuing juniors'' and ''they should be as good as Penrith'' which seem to be common opinions are probably the biggest fallacies in rugby league.

Using Junior Base Poorly:
For starters our Jersey Flegg side was coming first undefeated when the comp finished up this year. This was all whilst missing arguably the star play maker who did his ACL in the trails. From that squad all bar 3 are still with the club. Entering this years squad are 6 players from Wests/Balmain SG Ball who have played for Jnr NSW/Aus.

Wests Magpies SG Ball made the Prelim and were one of only 2 teams to beat Premiers Manly who were probably the best Ball team in the past decade. Brett Kimmorley and the ex Junior Talent Manager for Cricket Australia have now been appointed in charge of the pathways to move both Junior bases into the Wests Tigers system.

The Juniors are the strongest they have ever been.

They should be as good as Penrith:

People have this opinion that Wests Magpies are this massive Jnr Nursery the same size as Penriths. You do realize the Penrith Jnrs have approx 40 clubs compared to the Magpies 12? The Magpies are actually the same size as Manlys. When the Magpies get to under 13s they need to merge with Canterbury just to play a comp. Penrith still have A/B/C/D for most of their ages. Saying this is like saying Australia should produce as many Olympic Medals as USA

 

[The_Frog]

Wests Tigers demerger. They will go back to being the Western Suburb Magpies.

Not a chance. Tigers is a much stronger brand. Magpies own the whole show pretty much anyway.

 

[The_Frog]

We're a shout for the spoon so not disputing that. However the part about ''misuing juniors'' and ''they should be as good as Penrith'' which seem to be common opinions are probably the biggest fallacies in rugby league.

Using Junior Base Poorly:
For starters our Jersey Flegg side was coming first undefeated when the comp finished up this year. This was all whilst missing arguably the star play maker who did his ACL in the trails. From that squad all bar 3 are still with the club. Entering this years squad are 6 players from Wests/Balmain SG Ball who have played for Jnr NSW/Aus.

Wests Magpies SG Ball made the Prelim and were one of only 2 teams to beat Premiers Manly who were probably the best Ball team in the past decade. Brett Kimmorley and the ex Junior Talent Manager for Cricket Australia have now been appointed in charge of the pathways to move both Junior bases into the Wests Tigers system.

The Juniors are the strongest they have ever been.

They should be as good as Penrith:

People have this opinion that Wests Magpies are this massive Jnr Nursery the same size as Penriths. You do realize the Penrith Jnrs have approx 40 clubs compared to the Magpies 12? The Magpies are actually the same size as Manlys. When the Magpies get to under 13s they need to merge with Canterbury just to play a comp. Penrith still have A/B/C/D for most of their ages. Saying this is like saying Australia should produce as many Olympic Medals as USA

It's not the juniors, its not the coach, it's the front office.

 

[Vic Mackey]

It's not the juniors, its not the coach, it's the front office.

Its a lot of things. The front office has actually done an amazing job with everything apart from winning football games.