2025 NRL Predictions

[BroncsFan]

Not sure if one of these has popped up yet, but with the 2025 season upon us what are your predictions of year 2025?

Premiers:
Minor Premiers:

Spooners:

Two teams to drop out of the 8:
Two teams to come into the 8:

Big improvers:
Biggest drop off:

Most tries:
Most points:

Last year's ladder
1. Melbourne Scum
2. Panthers
3. Rorters
4. Sharks
5. Cows
6. Dogs
7. Eagles
8. Knights
9. Raiders
10. Dolphins
11. Dargons
12. Broncos
13. Wahs
14. Titans
15. Eels
16. Rabbits
17. Tigers

 

[BroncsFan]

For my predictions I'll go with

Premiers: Storm (sigh)
Minor Premiers: Storm (double sigh, but hoping to jinx)

Spooners: Knights / Dargons

Two teams to drop out of the 8: Knights & maybe Rorters
Two teams to come into the 8: Broncos & Rabbits

Big improvers: Tigers
Biggest drop off: Rorters

Most tries: Khan-Pereira
Most points: Isaako

Have gone storm to win it, but feel like the comp is really open this year, so it's mostly down to big contenders potentially dropping away, but storm remaining their typical clinical machine.

I get the sense that panthers might drop a little bit, not by much, but given their home ground is being knocked down they will be on the road for the whole year. I think that could see them drop enough that other teams will be given a sniff.

The big question is who could actually contend and I feel like this year more than ever it may be whichever top 4 team is healthiest when the finals come... and when it comes to planning out a season Bellamy is probably the best ever at doing it.

A potential drop off of the panthers also coincides with rorters coming into the this year with their halfback out until May, and having lost a ton of players from their top 17, so that could be two top 4 teams from last year having to fight harder just to get back to that spot.

In terms of improvers, I've gone tigers, but that's mostly because they're looking to improve from 3-time back to back spooners and I could see them getting back up around 9th or so. I feel like if the tigers signed Des or Flanigan as coach then they'd be well in contention for the top 8 with their roster, but I'm not at all convinced by Benji being their coach.

As mentioned above I think rorters could be in for a drop, and looking at their roster it could be a fairly decent drop... so far they've got Walker and Bsmith missing the first half of the year, Manu in Japan, Suaalii earning bank from the wallabies, JWH retired, Keary retired, May released and Tupouniua released. That is a lot of churn for key and/or senior players, and they've not brought a lot of talent in to replace them. I feel like they will be in a bridging / slight rebuild year, but if they get some injuries to compound the above then they could be in for a bit of a drop off.

It also feels like knights are in for a big drop off. Feels like they've been teetering on the edge for several years now only for Ponga to come in and absolutely save them on his own, but how many times can he do it for them. I think AOB gets sacked this year and it may even end up that Ponga asks for a release... if KP requests a release you could almost lock knights in for the spoon.

Speaking of the spoon I've got it wide open, but have narrowed it down to dargs and knights at this stage. Knights because of the above and dargons because they're halves pairing just looks horrendous. They will be so reliant on Gutho and Cook to carry them, but they're getting old and Gutho for all his effort was mostly finishing off backline movements from Moses and Brown.

Big improvers I've got as broncos and rabbits... Broncos feel like they keep recruiting athletes over footballers, but then haven't been able to coach them how to win in the NRL, and when you're the biggest and the fastest in the juniors you probably don't need to know much other than turning up to win. They've got Madge who feels like he is that teaching style of coach that will hammer home the finer points, which may turn these athletes into footballing studs and if that happens the team could be anything.

Also got the rabbits in there for an improve, mostly because they were destroyed by injuries last year, and with Wayne back in town I would expect players like Latrell and Cody to grow an extra leg and play far closer to their potential than last year... not hard to be a big improver when you're coming from second last though.

 

[Browny]

Spoon Storm
Premiers and Minor Premiers Broncs
Big improvers Eels
Big Drop off Penrith

Most tries Cobbo

I’m predicting Latrell to lose the plot under Bennett

 

[Lostboy]

The Mighty Broncos
Both Premiers and minor Premiers

Eels spooners

Eagles and Roosters drop out.

Rabbitohs and Dragons in 8.

Mighty Broncos most improved
Roosters biggest drop off.

Walsh most tries.
Cleary most points.

 

[Santa]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Broncos

Spooners: Dragons

Two teams to drop out of the 8: Roosters & Cowboys
Two teams to come into the 8: Broncos & Souths

Big improvers: Broncos
Biggest drop off: Roosters

Most tries: Mariner
Most points: Isaako