2013 Predictions

[Big Pete]

Let's get this rolling early!

Premiers
Biggest Improver
Fall From Grace
Dally M Player
Origin Series
Wooden Spooners
Top Try Scorer
Rookie of the Year
Final top 8

Feel free to add your own categories

 

[Big Pete]

Premiers - Bulldogs. Won't finish as highly on the ladder but will be stronger for the experience and can see the likes of T-Rex, Lafai & Hodkinson (anyone is better than Keating) making a difference to the side.

Biggest Improver - Newcastle. They got rid of all the dead weight in 2012 and have practically bought themselves premiership experience. Don't know if it'll win them a premiership but they should make the Top 8 comfortably and put themselves in a position. For Bennett to win a premiership at Newcastle, he's going to have to unearth some quality players, I feel right now there are way too many hacks in the side. (eg. Tahu, Scott, Kidley, Buderus, Fa'alogo, Mason etc.)

Fall From Grace - Cronulla. On paper their roster looks the best it has in at least a decade but there's a ton of question marks on this side that could derail them. If Carney fails to recover from his achillies injury and Gordon succumbs to another injury I can see them really struggling. I thought a lot of their success this year was all about timing and riding a wave of momentum. Whether they can create that wave is the biggest question. Don't think enough has been made of J. Smith's departure. Lewis is a different type of player and it's difficult to tell whether he can bring his own brand of magic to the squad. Heighington was a silly purchase that still has me scratching my head.

Dally M Player - Jonathan Thurston. More out of hope for the Cowboys if anything. JT is more than capable of taking the award out and if he finds top form the Cows could be well on their way to winning their maiden premiership. Their form away from Townsville will be of importance. If they can rectify that, our little brothers could become champions.

Origin Series - Queensland 2-1. No sure thing, NSW are our equals at the moment but the home field advantage simply leads me to lean our way.

Wooden Spooners - Warriors. Tough to say at this stage but the hiring of Elliott really worries me and I just don't think he'll be able to get them out of their slump. Their recruitment was fairly ordinary and if they suffer any injuries our kiwi bru's maybe in trouble.

Rookie of the Year - David Klemmer. I forgot to mention him earlier but I reckon the NYC Player of the Year will make a seamless transition and kill it off the bench this year. It's players like Finucane, Jackson & Klemmer I want the Dogs to play and if they continue to bring through these players I'll lighten up.

Final Top 8
1. Melbourne Storm
2. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
3. Manly Sea Eagles
4. North Queensland Cowboys
5. Newcastle Knights
6. Brisbane Broncos
7. Gold Coast Titans
8. Sydney Roosters

 

[Bucking Beads]

Premiers Cowboys
Biggest Improver Titans
Fall From Grace Broncos
Dally M Player Thurston
Origin Series NSW
Wooden Spooners Warriors
Top Try Scorer Inglis
Rookie of the Year
Final top 8 Bulldogs, Cowboys, Rabbits, Storm, Titans, Knights, Sharks, Tigers

 

[Browny]

NRL to introduce a three game series between the aboriginal all stars and nz all stars. It will run the same time as origin. Nrl's thinking that they should deplete all the teams at the same time

 

[Son Edo]

Premiers - Bulldogs
Biggest Improver - Sydney Roosters
Fall From Grace - Brisbane Broncos - Hope I'm wrong
Dally M Player - Cooper Cronk
Origin Series - Queensland
Wooden Spooners - Penrith Panthers
Top Try Scorer - Andrew Everingham
Final top 8 - In no order
Storm, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Cowboys, Knights, Sharks, Roosters.

 

[Broncoman]

Wooden spooners: Penrith. They are really going to miss Michael Gordon and Luke Lewis and they have lost cemented half Travis Burns to Super League, and there is infighting at the board. Some tough years ahead at the foot of the mountains.

 

[Anonymous person]

Premiers - Storm: still have the best player (Slater) and the most important (Smith) in the league, with the second best halfback. They just keep taking discarded nobodies and turning them into stars, and theyll do it again to replace the 5 or so players theyre losing after this year.
Biggest Improver - Warriors: they cant get any worse, and with their roster they should be in the 8.
Fall From Grace - Manly: just cant see them keeping up their form from the last 2 years. showed glimpses of losing it this year, and with a few player losses itll be even harder.
Dally M Player - Cooper Cronk. been right up there the last 3 years, i have a feeling he'll make it his own next year.
Origin Series - Queensland 3-0. NSW will be so deflated from this year, new nuffy coach, QLDs halves with a series under their belt, Barba should be there to add some more spark, Civo wont be there, Mcguire will be there, Chambers might be there, Inglis possibly playing some fullback.....looking good for QLD even though theyre all getting on in age.
Wooden Spooners - Wests. Theyre deadset in shambles. I'm not expecting Marshall and/or farah to be there, and without either one of them theyre gone.
Top Try Scorer - Barba.
Rookie of the Year - no idea
Final top 8 -
1. Storm
2. Bulldogs
3. Sharks
4. Warriors
5. Souths
6. Broncos
7. Manly
8. Knights

 

[fredie]

NRL to introduce a three game series between the aboriginal all stars and nz all stars. It will run the same time as origin. Nrl's thinking that they should deplete all the teams at the same time

Indigenous all stars , how about a 3 game series vs nrl all stars on at the same time as origin you say. who will get 1st pick of players ? who will get the left overs ?

how can you pick tigers in top 8 what a joke

 

[Browny]

Nothing to see here

 

[OXY-351]

with the second best halfback.

Behind who?

 

[Kimlo]

Behind who?

Thurston.

 

[OXY-351]

Thurston.

Isn't Thurston a 5/8th these days? He won the Dally M for 5/8th of the year.

Not trying to be pedandtic (and assumed it was Thurston) but was just wondering if AP rated someone else currently playing halfback in the comp as better than Cronk.

 

[Kimlo]

True. For some reason I was thinking Thurston when I thought 7. If not Thurston then I wouldn't really rate anyone ahead of Cronk.

 

[fredie]

Eels v roosters grand final

 

[Son Edo]

Getting carried away with yourself, Fredie

 

[Browny]

He means rd 26 battle for the wooden spoon

 

[fredie]

Sonny money bill Williams roosters vs Jarrod Hayne train eels

 

[Alec]

It makes sense. Pearce and Sandow are the two most promising halves in the NRL. Minichiello is a champion with possibly the greatest hands in the NRL and Hayne's humility no doubt has won over countless fans already.