Blog with James Hooper below from 1pm.
Righto riddle us this and try and pick the winner of the grand final right here and now?
In the for-real stakes we can’t recall a more open competition with 11 rounds of the regular season still to be played.
We’ll get a true read on the Bulldogs this Thursday night when they play the back in-form four-time premiers the Panthers to open round 17 on Thursday night.
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Canterbury-Bankstown will be fresh off a bye while the Panthers reminded us they’re far from a spent force with an outstanding win despite missing $4.5 million worth of Origin talent against the Wahs on Super Saturday.
We’re saying the way the Bulldogs have evolved the club’s defensive system they could absolutely lift the Provan-Summons trophy come September and write Penrith off at your own peril.
If the majority of the Panthers big-name players are fit they could become the first side in the modern era to win the competition from outside the top four.
The Raiders can absolutely win it and once-again showed how they can win in a variety of different ways with a gutsy victory over Wests Tigers at Campbelltown on Friday night.
This current Green Machine side is the closest thing we’ve seen to the flamboyantly brilliant and tough-as-nails Canberra sides of the early 1990s.
They’ve got the hard nut edge in the forwards with Joe Tapine, Josh Papali’i, Corey Horsburgh and Hudson Young then they’ve got speed and x-factor everywhere across the backline with Ethan Strange, Xavier Savage, Kaeo Weekes, Seb Kris and Matt Timoko.
Could they win it? Absolutely. What a great team to watch.
Panthers shock Warriors in NZ | 04:06
The Storm are the Storm, there’s a reason while they’re still the outright favourites to win another competition because they’ve got the best roster in the NRL.
Sua Fa’alogo showed on Super Saturday the depth Melbourne are blessed with when he replaced Queensland Origin winger Xavier Coates and showcased how he can turn a game in the blink of an eye.
Sure South Sydney had enormous success targeting his edge where Alex Johnston scored four tries but the point is the Storm have the most well-rounded roster in the competition.
Even if they’re not totally humming can they win it? Every day of the week. They showed it again on Saturday night against a gallant Rabbitohs outfit who desperately needed two points yet when it goes to golden point Melbourne are simply programmed to win.
The Wahs had a setback against the Panthers but we’ve already seen enough from them to quality for the serious title contenders category.
They wouldn’t want to lose Luke Metcalf who looked to have picked up an injury on Saturday but with the depth they’ve got in the Wahs forwards, Wayde Egan at dummy-half and a powerful and robust back five they’re right in it.
What a story that would be if the Wahs can end a 30-year title drought. It would not only put rugby league on the map in New Zealand but it could do serious damage to rugby union in what’s until now been a totally rugby-obsessed country.
Broncos record remarkable win vs. Sharks | 04:15
The other smokey who could go on a run from outside the top four is the Brisbane Broncos.
Granted they’re an erratic side and they’re leaking far too many points for Michael Maguire’s liking but what the Broncos have got in spades is class.
Whether it’s Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, they’ve still got Ben Hunt to come back into the side, there’s enough big game players there that if Madge can get it right then Brisbane aren’t a write off just yet.
When the Sharks went up by 16 points on Sunday the Broncos had no right to come roaring back into the contest.
We’ll get a true read on the Broncos in the next fortnight when they play top four sides the Wahs and then the Bulldogs.
If Brisbane can somehow win both of those games and gain some momentum then they’ve got enough talent in their squad to go on a run.
What a player Payne Haas is. The machine-like front rower was clearly busted against Cronulla on Sunday but even facing the adversity of carrying injury the big unit just keeps finding.
Who do you think will win this year’s premiership? And what were your likes or dislikes from round 16?
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