Which teams are likely to improve in the NRL in 2018?

[Vic Mackey]

Tigers to surprise a lot of people, including their own supporters, now that they've got rid of the deadwood.

 

[Vee]

Who are the bog standard players we've paid overs for? Origin reps Guerra and Lillyman? Moga? Ese'ese? Watson? All of these players would be welcome at most teams. We paid some overs for Ponga, a player every team in the comp would love to have on the books.

You are talking out of your arsehole. None of these players bar Ponga even had their salary announced to the best of my knowledge.

My bad, I should have said, "Until Pearce, you've signed no-one but cast-offs and promising youngsters."

And no, Guerra, SKD and Lillyman are coming to the ends of their careers and would struggle to get a deal elsewhere Ese'ese and Watson are promising youngsters. Moga's the only one that doesn't fit either category, being too old for the youngsters and too young for the oldies. Has his moments, good and bad.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Dragons won't make the finals.

Mary is a rubbish coach. the players will feel more comfortable with how many people perceive them in comparison to last season and I just don't see them getting such favourable refereeing like this year.

If they couldn't make the finals this year then they won't next year. Hunt or no Hunt.

Improvement in terms of ladder position? Obvious one would be Knights. No injuries or off field dramas should result in more settled squads for Cowboys and Penrith that will have them climb the ladder. Top four calibre squads but you just never know with Rugby League. If Manly get Trent H and he does an Uate, Manly could go close to the top four too. Cronk has never not played with Smith and Slater barring a couple of extremely rare occasions. Great player, don't get me wrong, but it's no foregone conclusion that he jumps into the team and they start firing right away.

We'll wait and see.

 

[POPEYE]

My bad, I should have said, "Until Pearce, you've signed no-one but cast-offs and promising youngsters."

And no, Guerra, SKD and Lillyman are coming to the ends of their careers and would struggle to get a deal elsewhere Ese'ese and Watson are promising youngsters. Moga's the only one that doesn't fit either category, being too old for the youngsters and too young for the oldies. Has his moments, good and bad.

You think Brown isn't another Bellamy then

 

[mxlegend99]

Knights will definitely improve. A few really good signings (Pearce, Ponga and Watson). But the other signings while improving the Knights roster are pretty much just solid at best.

The spine which has sucked for a few seasons is now good enough to be in the top 8. If they gel quickly theres no chance any team can improve as much as them. From deadlast they have the most room for improvement.

I also think Dragons will improve. Nice forward pack signings. Competent halves so long as its not a must win game. Not a premiership threat. But certainly a top 8 side with top 4 potential.

I dont see Bulldogs or Titans having rosters good enough to.improve under a new coach. In the Round 1 lineup thread the Titans team looked very weak... my tip for tge spoon despite having a coach I rate highly. He is so far only a reserve grade coach with a reserve grade roster. His job is like Browns at the Knights was.

 

[perverse]

My bad, I should have said, "Until Pearce, you've signed no-one but cast-offs and promising youngsters."

And no, Guerra, SKD and Lillyman are coming to the ends of their careers and would struggle to get a deal elsewhere Ese'ese and Watson are promising youngsters. Moga's the only one that doesn't fit either category, being too old for the youngsters and too young for the oldies. Has his moments, good and bad.

Eh, your revised statement is a little more reasonable and closer to the mark. I still don't agree with it... looking across the squads there are a lot of players that Lillyman and Guerra would play in front of in many squads. They may have been unwanted at their previous clubs, but in the context of our squad with so much youth they are worth their weight in gold. All of our recruits outside of those two would find another club easily if need be, promising youngster or not. Hell, you say promising youngster like it's a bad thing - we've collected some of the best up and coming talent in the country.

SKD was a recruit last year, but he's actually been great for us - and I wasn't particularly a fan of picking him up at the time.

In your opinion, which teams in the NRL have recruited better than the Knights? I'm struggling to think of one. Maybe the Roosters if you really believe Cronk is going to be a massive improvement over Pearce at club level, playing without Smith and Slater around him. I personally don't believe that, in fact I think the Roosters have shat the bed with that decision.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Newcastle has signed the number three NRL half back and NSW number one half back, Mitchell Pearce. In addition they have on their roster former Sydney Roosters talents like Connor Watson, Shaun Kenny-Dowell, and Aiden Guerra, who were considered surplus to requirements by the Roosters for 2018. Three of those players have won an NRL Grand Final in recent memory (i.e. 2013). With such a generous array of Roosters trained and experienced players Newcastle look likely to make the top 8.

Meanwhile the Sydney Roosters go from strength to strength, and are unlikely to miss out on the 2018 Grand Final. If the Roosters win the Grand Final (which seems likely) in 2018, don't be surprised if they play Catalans Dragons in the WCC in 2019. The Catalans will have former Rooster star Remi Casty lining up with PNG's star full back David Mead in 2018.

 

[RazorRam0n]

Eh, your revised statement is a little more reasonable and closer to the mark. I still don't agree with it... looking across the squads there are a lot of players that Lillyman and Guerra would play in front of in many squads. They may have been unwanted at their previous clubs, but in the context of our squad with so much youth they are worth their weight in gold. All of our recruits outside of those two would find another club easily if need be, promising youngster or not. Hell, you say promising youngster like it's a bad thing - we've collected some of the best up and coming talent in the country.

SKD was a recruit last year, but he's actually been great for us - and I wasn't particularly a fan of picking him up at the time.

In your opinion, which teams in the NRL have recruited better than the Knights? I'm struggling to think of one. Maybe the Roosters if you really believe Cronk is going to be a massive improvement over Pearce at club level, playing without Smith and Slater around him. I personally don't believe that, in fact I think the Roosters have shat the bed with that decision.

not following what this point is...

how many clubs would they be definitely better than current starters? arguably no more than half....and guess what no more than half means?... missing out on finals. adding reasonably experienced talent to get competitive is one thing, but that adequate talent is pointless if you're competing for top 8 and trying to reach that next level, a good example is beau scott for eels, helped to make eels competitive, but now eels have outgrown him trying to get to the next level

again, i'm not disputing that they will improve, i'm questioning how far some people are claiming they will improve

 

[Rhino_NQ]

the likes of lillyman and heighington going to the knights goes a bit deeper then just what to expect from their on field performances being on the wrong side of 30 and their best well behind them. There is a very young and raw pack that ran out for the knights last year and putting a former origin experienced warhorse, a 300 gamer international wh 2 premiership rings and another origin and internationa in guerra being around them in their ears on a daiy basis will do the likes of barnett and safiti brothers a world of good.

 

[ed-grimley]

I don't think Cronk is the Messiah at Easts.

 

[perverse]

not following what this point is...

how many clubs would they be definitely better than current starters? arguably no more than half....and guess what no more than half means?... missing out on finals. adding reasonably experienced talent to get competitive is one thing, but that adequate talent is pointless if you're competing for top 8 and trying to reach that next level, a good example is beau scott for eels, helped to make eels competitive, but now eels have outgrown him trying to get to the next level

again, i'm not disputing that they will improve, i'm questioning how far some people are claiming they will improve

The point is simply that I believe our recruitment has been stellar for our needs, or by most other metrics. Vee disagrees, and I don't think there's any real basis to that. I was responding to his claim that we've overpaid a bunch of duds and promising youngsters. I just don't think that's the case. I feel like the conversation is easy to follow and you're taking it in a direction of your own again. No one is in here saying we're going to the top 4, if you follow my conversation with Vee it's pretty clear that I'm just refuting his position that our recruitment has been poor.

Competing for the top 8 would be a huge year for us. I don't get why that's in any way controversial or surprising. Just being there or there abouts at the pointy end of the season is a massive improvement. We've got a lot of kids who will continue to grow and improve too, some with 2 or more seasons under their belt now.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

I don't think Cronk is the Messiah at Easts.

Cronk alone maybe not. But Cronk with James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell, Luke Keary and Jake Friend definitely is.

 

[Spot On]

I would think any team with a million dollar halfback needs to be expecting a top 8 finish.

Hunt and Pearce have a lot of expectation on them in 2018.

 

[playdaball]

Warriors will improve, they can't do any worse ... can they??

 

[Spot On]

Warriors will improve, they can't do any worse ... can they??

I thought that last season.

 

[Johns Magic]

I would think any team with a million dollar halfback needs to be expecting a top 8 finish.

Care to elaborate on this view?

 

[Johns Magic]

not following what this point is...

how many clubs would they be definitely better than current starters? arguably no more than half....and guess what no more than half means?... missing out on finals.

I dare say Lillyman and Guerra would start for the Storm next year. You backing the Storm to miss the top 8?

 

[RazorRam0n]

I dare say Lillyman and Guerra would start for the Storm next year. You backing the Storm to miss the top 8?

Dreaming

Starters are Jesse Brom and Glasby who already leapfrogged lillyman in origin, then Nas and Christian Welch who's also leapfrogged lillyman in origin

Backrow is kaufusi Finucane (2 animals) and Kenny Brom if not Hoffman, Guerra would be lucky to be ahead of Stimson tbh

 

[Johns Magic]

Dreaming

Starters are Jesse Brom and Glasby who already leapfrogged lillyman in origin, then Nas and Christian Welch who's also leapfrogged lillyman in origin

Backrow is kaufusi Finucane (2 animals) and Kenny Brom if not Hoffman, Guerra would be lucky to be ahead of Stimson tbh

Bullshit all round.

You don't even seem to realise that Kasiano has gone there for a start.

Welch made the emerging Queensland squad? So what? Does 20 tackles and 50 metres a game turn you on?

Glasby is a very different style and only played Origin because of Cam Smith - where he proceeded to embarrass himself. Lillyman is a better player and a much better metre eater which they will be looking to gain to replace McLean. No doubt Glasby has a place in the 17 but Lillyman would start over him in my honest opinion, although I can cop if you disagree on that. I don't cop that Lillyman wouldn't figure in the Storm 17 if he signed for them.

Guerra would start over Ken Brom or Hoffman for sure. No other club would touch Hoffman, and Ken has been a bit-part player for years and will continue to be because that's his ceiling.

If you think Bellamy wouldn't pick Guerra who until a few months ago was a piece of furniture for Queensland Origin over them then there is no use even having this conversation because you will just rely on the fact that Bellamy is able to manufacture decent players from nothing. That means they don't NEED Guerra, but doesn't mean they wouldn't love to get him. Stimson, LOL.

 

[This Year?]

Knights is a no-brainer and doesn't require much discussion.

The other team would be the Dragons. 2 rep players in Hunt & Graham joining a team full of talent and promising juniors.

I have the Dragons pushing to be in the top 4.

Don't get your hopes up.

We have the Mary factor.