Top 5 at each position

[Poupou Escobar]

That's all fair comment, but hardly the same as saying we just got lucky in 2011. Also we've only missed one of the last 5 finals series, hardly inconsistent. If anything it's a reflection of how young our star players currently are.

Actually your comment about it being a bit rich coming from an Eels fan was spot on - just like the Warriors last year, the 2009 Eels arsed their way into the decider and got smoked on the day (except we only lost by 7 in the 2009 decider).

Just like the 2011 Warriors we had made the finals in 4 of the previous 5 years, and just like the Warriors we didn't have any players that anyone would have rated in the top 5 at their position other than Hayne.

One player common to both teams is Feleti Mateo, who I've rated top 5 in edge forwards if you only consider his attack, but to be honest his defence lets him down which is why most people haven't included him alongside guys like Thaiday and Blair.

The Warriors are a mid-table team (along with about 9 other sides) who happened to hit form at the right time (except against the Broncos where they were lucky to get a second chance).

Hopefully the Eels are a mid-table team as well this year because as we showed in '09 (and the Warriors showed last year) any side can give the finals a shake if they can manage to get there.

For anyone wondering about the maths of 10 mid table sides in a 16 team comp, I mean there is a talent bulge in the middle level of all teams, such that there are only a handful of top 8 certainties and only a couple of bottom 8 certainties (if any). Every other team is a mid-table side. For this reason the middle of the table stretches from about 4th to 15th or 16th.

If you're not Melbourne, Manly or Wests, you're not guaranteed a finals berth. Given a couple of key injuries, even one of those sides could miss out.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If you're not Melbourne, Manly or Wests, you're not guaranteed a finals berth. Given a couple of key injuries, even one of those sides could miss out.

Agree apart from the Wests bit. Manly and Melbourne are the only two perennial contenders IMO, Wests belong with the mid-table pack, they're usually good enough to make it to the finals but rarely go deep into a finals series unless they get on a hot streak, and aside from Benji and Farah they're hardly loaded with match-winners.

 

[God-King Dean]

Fully fit, in form, in their best position and with the right players in their club around them......

Fullback
Slater
Stewart
Hayne
Bowen
Gordon

Wing
Uate
Yow Yeh
Merrit
Nightingale
Burt

Centre
Hodges
Lyon
Inglis
Jennings
Lawrence

Pivot
Marshall
Carney
Campese
Foran
Soward

Half
Thurston
Cronk
Sandow
DCE
Johnson

Prop
Fui
Bailey
Scott
Tim Mannah
Blair

Hooker
Smith
Farah
Ennis
Luke
Srama

Second Row
Ellis
Watmough
Thaiday
Mannering
Hindy

Lock
Gallen
Luck
Lewis
Heighington
Anasta

:lol:

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Burt's not even in the best 5 wingers on Sesame St.

 

[Hutty1986]

Burt's not even in the best 5 wingers on Sesame St.

Imagine having Big Bird on the wing..just bomb for him alllll day

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Animal will tackle all day but give away a f**kload of penalties. The cookie monster will sign with Souths.

 

[beave]

He already did........... He's out for 3 months.

 

[rnb11]

Fullbacks: Slater, Stewart, Boyd, Hayne, Dugan
Wingers: Uate, Nightingale, Yow Yeh, Gordon, Vatuvei
Centres: Inglis, Lyon, Hodges, Lawrence, Jennings
Five eights: Marshall, Carney, Foran, Gidley, Widdop
Halfbacks: Thurston, Cronk, Cherry Evans, Johnson, Mullen
Hookers: Smith, Buderus, Farah, Luke, Ennis
Props: Civoniceva, Scott, Hannant, Bailey, Snowden
Second rowers: Thaiday, Bird, Watmough, Ellis, Mannering
Locks: Gallen, Parker, Lewis, Stewart, Blair

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

If Brett Morris isn't in the top 5 wingers, I'll eat Matt Kings nit infested hat.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

^^want some sauce with that then?

 

[Hutty1986]

Animal will tackle all day but give away a f**kload of penalties. The cookie monster will sign with Souths.

:lol: Animal would make Ryles look almost disciplined

 

[devoid]

Surprised no one rates Matulino in their top 5 props.

 

[simon says]

Agree apart from the Wests bit. Manly and Melbourne are the only two perennial contenders IMO, Wests belong with the mid-table pack, they're usually good enough to make it to the finals but rarely go deep into a finals series unless they get on a hot streak, and aside from Benji and Farah they're hardly loaded with match-winners.

Take any teams two best players out and they look ordinary.

Melbourne without Slater and Cronk, manly without DCE and Foran etc etc.

The tigers still have plenty of talent,im pretty happy with our roster,Galloway,Ellis,Blair,Lawrence are all top quality.

 

[simon says]

And we have been in the top four the last two years,and we were a point off the gf in 2010.

Thats pretty deep into the finals IMO.

 

[firechild]

Take any teams two best players out and they look ordinary.

Melbourne without Slater and Cronk, manly without DCE and Foran etc etc.

The tigers still have plenty of talent,im pretty happy with our roster,Galloway,Ellis,Blair,Lawrence are all top quality.

Take the 2 best players out of every team and you'd probably find that Manly would still be out in front. Manly rely less on 1 or 2 key players than just about any team in the comp. Taking out Foran and DCE and you'd be left with the Stewarts, Lyon, Watmough and T-Rex to tear teams apart. Take Smith and Slater out of the Storm and they'd be also-rans. Farah and Benji from the Tigers and they'd be the same. The Dragons, Broncos and Warriors probably have the next best claims to balanced sides.

 

[hitman82]

Surprised no one rates Matulino in their top 5 props.

Same, considering he dominates everyone he comes up against, makes pretty much no errors, smashes merkins left right and centre and also never gets injured.

 

[Raider_69]

i enjoyed seeing Hindy in the top 5 back rowers on Loudy's list
Does he know what year he's living in.
in 2012, Nathan Hindmarsh probably isnt anywhere near the top 5 back rowers in the game

 

[Jason Maher]

Fullbacks
1. Billy Slater
2. Brett Stewart
3. Darius Boyd
4. Jarryd Hayne
5. Josh Dugan

Wingers
1. Akuila Uate
2. Jaral Yow Yeh
3. Manu Vatuvei
4. Jason Nightingale
5. Michael Gordon

Centres
1. Greg Inglis
2. Justin Hodges
3. Chris Lawrence
4. Michael Jennings
5. Jamie Lyon

Five Eighths
1. Benji Marshall
2. Kieran Foran
3. Todd Carney
4. Gareth Widdop
5. Jamie Soward

Halfbacks
1. Jonathan Thurston
2. Cooper Cronk
3. Daly Cherry-Evans
4. Mitchell Pearce
5. Chris Sandow

Locks
1. Paul Gallen
2. Luke Lewis
3. Glenn Stewart
4. Nate Myles
5. Corey Parker

Second Rowers
1. Gareth Ellis
2. Sam Thaiday
3. Beau Scott
4. Adam Blair
5. Sam Burgess

Props
1. Matt Scott
2. Ben Hannant
3. Petero Civoniceva
4. Fui Fui Moi Moi
5. Kade Snowden

Hookers
1. Cameron Smith
2. Robbie Farah
3. Isaac Luke
4. Matt Ballin
5. Michael Ennis

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Take the 2 best players out of every team and you'd probably find that Manly would still be out in front. Manly rely less on 1 or 2 key players than just about any team in the comp.

Spot on. Manly are strong right across the park, and I reckon both Foran and Cherry-Evans are very overrated (which isn't their fault and doesn't mean I don't think they're good players).

 

[hitman82]

So good you'd almost expect them to have won the comp :lol: