Whose in and whose out?

[Vogstar90]

Which teams do you believe will struggle and which teams will lift from last years season, this season?

Straight up I say the Rabbitohs, Roosters and Warriors will be top 4 contenders while the Raiders, Titans will slip into the top eight. While the Tigers, Knights, Sharks, Bulldogs and Cowboys will finish outside the top eight.

 

[Jeba]

I think you're mad to say the Cowboys will struggle. Travis Burns is a massive signing, now Thurston finally has a really good partner in the halves. They will struggle early while Thurston is out but after that they will be very hard to beat.

Titans will make the 8 for the first time, the Bulldogs will not.

 

[mick]

I think you're mad to say the Cowboys will struggle. Travis Burns is a massive signing, now Thurston finally has a really good partner in the halves. They will struggle early while Thurston is out but after that they will be very hard to beat.

Indeed they could. They're hoping he only misses 6 games, but it could easily be 8. If he isn't back until round nine, they're going to want to not have many losses under their belt by then... a third of the way through the season.

I'm tipping a 4th-6th place finish for them.

 

[dandaman]

The panthers will have a rise in the ladder but might just miss out: 10th or 11th

Panthers, Sharks, West Tigers are due for a good season

 

[ethos]

I think Souths will make the top 4.

The Bulldogs, well, they'll slide all the way down to 16th.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The Cowboys have the best squad in the comp.. If they learn how to come through the Origin period in good shape they will be a massive chance in winning their first premiership.

 

[Alec]

Cowboys won't be that good. Their defense last year was absolutely shocking, and will still be pretty bad this year even with O'Donnell and Burns in the side.

Sharks should also do well IMO.

 

[The Brizz]

Up on last year: Roosters, Cronulla, Cowboys, Titans
Down: Dragons, Bulldogs
About the same: Broncos, Rabbitohs, Storm, Manly, Parra
Who knows: Tigers, Panthers, Raiders, Knights, Warriors

 

[Raw Boned Youngster]

Jeb, in my opinion Travis Burns is a great defender but has no tactical nous.

He is one of those in between players; too small to play in the back row and too dumb to play at 6.

Rock solid and nothing else.

I agree that the Cowboys, despite their clientelle, will drop down and have the dredded and unexplained slump.

I think Parra will be the standouts, Roosters will be burning hot and lukewarm and the real surprise will be the Knights - Brian Smith loves a challenge and will channel enough hatred, vitriol and genuine tactics to get the side up.

Then he should quit at the end of the year.

 

[Jeba]

Jeb, in my opinion Travis Burns is a great defender but has no tactical nous.

He is one of those in between players; too small to play in the back row and too dumb to play at 6.

Rock solid and nothing else.

Fair. He won't get 3 or 4 try assists every game, however the Cowboys have Thurston, Bowen and Payne for that. Burns will simply be a tough little bastard to take a little bit of pressure off Thurston and when he is at his best the Cowboys win. Burns would be a great asset to any team.

 

[Black Philip]

Cowboys won't be that good. Their defense last year was absolutely shocking, and will still be pretty bad this year even with O'Donnell and Burns in the side.

Sharks should also do well IMO.

How do you figure? O'Donnell will work wonders for them. And most of last year the cowboys had a depleted pack due to injuries didn't they? So they were bound to struggle.

 

[The Brizz]

Steve Southern is also key to their defense and he missed a large amount of the season as well.

 

[brettbrett]

Yeh I reckon Rabbitohs, Rooster, Eels high. I want to say Bulldogs low but I think this season will be the one that Sonny Bill Williams will be free from injuries and live up to the hype. I will place em at about 8. I also think Cowboys, Warriors will do OKAY. Titans relatively low. Tigers below the 8.

 

[Jeba]

Seems to be a lot of confidence about the Rabbitohs making the 8. I just can't buy it. Yeh I know last year they made it but they had a lot of luck go their way it had to be said. They were definatley an improved outfit but I am not sold that they are a competitive side just yet.

 

[brettbrett]

Yeh I reckon Rabbitohs, Rooster, Eels high. I want to say Bulldogs low but I think this season will be the one that Sonny Bill Williams will be free from injuries and live up to the hype. I will place em at about 8. I also think Cowboys, Warriors will do OKAY. Titans relatively low. Tigers below the 8.

He was free from injuries last year and he still didn't set the world on fire - don't get me wrong, he absolutely dominated in about 3-4 games but that was about it - No real cossistancy. He's getting paid half a mil and he's yet to prove that he is worth it.

did he??? Sorry short term memory. I agree he still hasn't set the world on fire...but i think he will this season.