The new favourite for the 2012 premiership is?

[BunniesMan]

Official BunniesMan power rankings for season 2012, the gold standard of power rankings:
1. Melbourne Storm
2. South Sydney Rabbitohs
3. Wests Tigers
4. New Zealand Warriors
5. Newcastle Knights
6. North Queensland Cowboys
7. Manly Sea Eagles
8. Brisbane Broncos
9. Canberra Raiders
10. Canterbury Bulldogs
11. Parramatta Eels
12. Penrith Panthers
13. Sydney Roosters
14. St George Illawarra Dragons
15. Gold Coast Titans
16. Cronulla Sharks

Mark it down, and put some money on it.

 

[Pete Cash]

But you are always wrong

 

[Cliffhanger]

While a majority of your predictions are laughable, I have decided to focus on the three most ridiculous ones.

Official BunniesMan power rankings for season 2012, the gold standard of power rankings:
1. Melbourne Storm
2. South Sydney Rabbitohs:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
3. Wests Tigers
4. New Zealand Warriors
5. Newcastle Knights
6. North Queensland Cowboys
7. Manly Sea Eagles - Really you believe Manly despite having second best spine if not the best, won't manage better than 7? You're an idiot!
8. Brisbane Broncos
9. Canberra Raiders
10. Canterbury Bulldogs
11. Parramatta Eels
12. Penrith Panthers
13. Sydney Roosters
14. St George Illawarra Dragons - St George have problems, but still have one of the best rosters in the competition.
15. Gold Coast Titans
16. Cronulla Sharks

Mark it down, and put some money on it.

 

[The Joker]

And "at least" mildly geniused

 

[Evenflow]

Lol. Well said. All the hype just shows how many people's analytical skills are limited to the next tabloid headline. All the bullshit about Bennett and Saints ignores all the other factors that were in play. Things are rarely one dimensional. All generalisations are rubbish btw, generally speaking.
The doom and gloom surrounding the loss of a coach is laughable, people going as far as to predict the clubs demise. It was ever thus, Gibson went through a raft of clubs and they all survived. Nothing to see here really.

We all saw what happened when Cleary announced he was going to Penrith as well.

If only it was as simple as just losing the coach. Everyone knows that Manly are in turmoil off field in the boardroom and the players are (rightly) pissed right off that the powers that be let their coach go with the internal power struggles going on.

I'm not writing Manly off completely but if anyone honestly believes that the events of the past few days with their coach walking out won't have an adverse affect on field they're flat out kidding themselves or just plain deluded. You can't compare the Cleary situation to this one, Cleary left with the clubs blessing without any acrimony from either them, him or the players. Can you say that same about Manly and Des?

The best thing for Manly right now is f**k the board right off because if someone doesn't oust them you can bet your last dollar it'll get much worse before it gets better. From all reports the players are filthy at them for playing a massive part in making Des walk so you can't imagine they'll want to hang around when their contracts are up or the the ones with get out clauses will want to stay.

 

[BunniesMan]

While a majority of your predictions are laughable, I have decided to focus on the three most ridiculous ones.

St George are incredibly average. They weren't good enough to win the comp this year. Take away the best coach in the comp, an origin fullback and centre, and they will not make the 8.

They overachieved thanks to Bennett. Soward isn't good, he'll be flatout maintaining a first 17 spot by the end of the year.

And Manly. Their coach left because of a chaotic boardroom and ownership situation. Multiple players whose primary loyalty is to Des ahead of their club, will contemplate leaving.

They are a mess at the moment, they will not be a contender in 2012.

BTW, I don't have them finishing 7th like you seem to think. That wasn't a ladder predictor, it was power rankings. That's the order of most likely to least likely to win the comp. Not necessarily the order in which they'll finish the year.

In fact, it won't surprise me at all if Manly miss the 8.

 

[Cliffhanger]

Um, why are people assuming that Rugby League players know how to think for themselves?

 

[Cliffhanger]

St George are incredibly average. They weren't good enough to win the comp this year. Take away the best coach in the comp, an origin fullback and centre, and they will not make the 8.

They overachieved thanks to Bennett. Soward isn't good, he'll be flatout maintaining a first 17 spot by the end of the year.

And Manly. Their coach left because of a chaotic boardroom and ownership situation. Multiple players whose primary loyalty is to Des ahead of their club, will contemplate leaving.

They are a mess at the moment, they will not be a contender in 2012.

BTW, I don't have them finishing 7th like you seem to think. That wasn't a ladder predictor, it was power rankings. That's the order of most likely to least likely to win the comp. Not necessarily the order in which they'll finish the year.

In fact, it won't surprise me at all if Manly miss the 8.

And you still think 50uff$ are more likely than 14 other teams? Sandow was instrumental in every single Rabbitohs' win this year and you really think that without him they will look more likely than 14 other sides?

Did you consider the possibility that the fact it is Hasler's last season might be what inspires them to give him one last premiership with Manly? Or even realise that most players don't concern themselves with what's happening with the board. There's way too much quality in the side in 2012, for them not to be up there.

I don't believe the Dragons will win the comp, but they are far from the third least likely team. Soward is an arrogant and a defensive liability but he still has one of the best boots in the game, and as a team the Dragons still have a fairly strong side.

 

[Noa]

I know Im much more confident about the Storm next season then I was this season.

 

[BunniesMan]

And you still think 50uff$ are more likely than 14 other teams? Sandow was instrumental in every single Rabbitohs' win this year and you really think that without him they will look more likely than 14 other sides?

Did you consider the possibility that the fact it is Hasler's last season might be what inspires them to give him one last premiership with Manly? Or even realise that most players don't concern themselves with what's happening with the board. There's way too much quality in the side in 2012, for them not to be up there.

I don't believe the Dragons will win the comp, but they are far from the third least likely team. Soward is an arrogant and a defensive liability but he still has one of the best boots in the game, and as a team the Dragons still have a fairly strong side.

Sandow was instrumental in some wins. He was also instrumental in some losses.

On a football field, just doing a bunch of good things doesn't make you a good player. It's doing good things while eliminating the bad things, the top players in the game are top players because they do that. Sandow doesn't. He creates a try from nothing, then he lets in a try with hopeless defense. That's a net benefit of ZERO.

 

[saint_marto88]

Sandow was instrumental in some wins. He was also instrumental in some losses.

On a football field, just doing a bunch of good things doesn't make you a good player. It's doing good things while eliminating the bad things, the top players in the game are top players because they do that. Sandow doesn't. He creates a try from nothing, then he lets in a try with hopeless defense. That's a net benefit of ZERO.

BOOOOOOOOORING

You're still an idiot.

 

[Cliffhanger]

Sandow was instrumental in some wins. He was also instrumental in some losses.

On a football field, just doing a bunch of good things doesn't make you a good player. It's doing good things while eliminating the bad things, the top players in the game are top players because they do that. Sandow doesn't. He creates a try from nothing, then he lets in a try with hopeless defense. That's a net benefit of ZERO.

His boot was still the only reason 50uff$ were ever within reach of the top eight this year, he created things from nothing, which is what you need at a club like 50uff$ because they are a nothing team. 50uff$ are f**ked for 2012.

 

[Noa]

Lol@50uffs fans trying to downplay the importance of Sandow last year. They'll replace him eventually but theres some serious laps of denile going on on most 50uffs sites.

 

[mongoose]

I've said it before and been wrong but 2012 will be the year of the cowboy. The thurston injury really stuffed them last season. I know they won 3 from 4 or something while he was out but he was well off the pace when he came back. Their pack is huge as well.

 

[BunniesMan]

His boot was still the only reason 50uff$ were ever within reach of the top eight this year, he created things from nothing, which is what you need at a club like 50uff$ because they are a nothing team. 50uff$ are f**ked for 2012.

Lol@50uffs fans trying to downplay the importance of Sandow last year. They'll replace him eventually but theres some serious laps of denile going on on most 50uffs sites.

Before we lost him he's supposedly one of the worst halves him in the comp. As soon as he signed elsewhered this forum's opinion on his talent quadrupled overnight.

Your attemps at trolling Souths and pretending to believe we're a significant worse team without him is painfully transparent. Unless you actually believe what you're saying, in which case I pity you.

The upgrade we're making in coaching will be many times more important to our performance in 2012 than the loss of Sandow.

 

[Mr Fourex]

1. Melbourne Storm
2. Manly Sea Eagles
3. Auckland Warriors
4. Wests Tigers
5. NQ Cowboys

The Storm will have limited disruptions in their outfit from this year to next. As long as the Big 3 stay fit, Bellamy will have them ready to go. Manly are in similar territory .......Hasler leaving will be a non-issue. The Warriors otoh will have a new coach. Teething problems are bound to arise.

Tigers are due to go to the next level. If they aren't there this year I think they'll drop off altogether......or finally get rid of Sheens.

NQ Cowboys are the dark horse. With a bit more of the rub of the green and if Thurston stays fit, I think they could wrestle the favourites out of the prize. Thurston will be looking/needs to have a big 2012. He's in my mind gone a bit stale. Tariq Sims will explode.........

Matt Bowen's last season ........maybe?

What more incentive could they need.

 

[Jason Maher]

Souffs have got this...

 

[Cliffhanger]

Lol@Bunniesman pitying people for believing their own opinions. This coming from the guy who makes ridiculously confident predictions based on nothing at the beginning of every season.

 

[POPEYE]

Storm will be the favourites only if they discontinue their policy of making do with recycled forwards.

About time they realised finding a champion forward leader or two would not spoil their reputation of not taking the easy way out

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Knights/Storm followed by Tigers.

Being that I only started following the footy in 2003, this is the first time I've ever read this!