Be interested to see peoples thoughts on this bet my 2 mates have. One took saints, manly, titans and warriors to win, the other took roosters, souths and wests. Who has the better deal? They also offered me the other 9 for the same money. Worth it?
Neither Souths nor Manly will win it.
Other 9 might actually be a decent bet -
Raiders are a good chance, especially if Campese comes back in time to play in the finals. They've got close to the best forward pack in the competition, and their backline is probably in the top 4.
I don't think Penrith will win it, but they're certainly capable of it. Again, great forward pack, plenty of speed out wide. Something tells me that they won't be able to rely on Luke Walsh's boot to score tries in 2011 - but they still have Lewis and Coote, who are both good ball players in their own right.
Then your chances drop off a bit. The Bulldogs really need a year or two for all the young players to gel, and they've lost a lot of experience in key positions. Knights need a good prop or 3. Broncos could be a chance, but it all depends on how Lockyer travels - if he gets injured, they're stuffed. Melbourne still have 3 of the Big 4, but I have a feeling they're overdue for a serious injury to one of them, which would throw their whole season.
I think the Cowboys, Sharks and Eels would be lucky to make the top 8.
