The NRL season isn't far away now! Here is part four of our 50 Fearless Predictions for 2020.

10. Dally M Women's Player of the Year - Kezzie Apps shone on and off the field last year, but will step up once again as St George Illawarra and New South Wales captain, and lead from the front.

9. Dally M Coach of the Year - Brad Arthur probably should have won the award in 2019, but will finally get his hands on the award after turning the 2018 wooden spooners into the 2020 premiers.

8. Dally M Rookie of the Year - Phoenix Crossland will shine partnering Mitchell Pearce in the halves for Newcastle, enough so that the sandy haired Kiwi will take out the award, narrowly beating out team mate Bradman Best and a surprise packet in Cronulla's Toby Rudolf.

7. Dally M Medalist - Mitchell Moses will back up his stellar 2019, improving his game further under the tutelage of Andrew Johns and win his first Dally M medal, leading Parramatta to their first Grand Final in over a decade.

6. NRLW Premiers - You've got to lose one to win one, and that'll be the case this year as Dragons' captain Kezzie Apps holds the trophy aloft on Grand Final day, beating out the Broncos' who'll play in their third consecutive decider.

5. Wooden Spoon -  The Bulldogs have made no sizeable recruits and with Kieran Foran out for the season, Canterbury will be beaten in strength and class by every other team in 2020.

4. Minor Premiership - South Sydney will sit in first place for the first time since 1989, on the back of some handy pre-season recruits and the resurgence of Adam Reynolds.

3. Clive Churchill - Reed Mahoney will star as he outguns Damien Cook and proves he's ready to grab a Maroon jersey, putting in a stellar performance on rugby league's greatest stage.

2. Runners up - Wayne Bennett will go close, but not close enough as the likes of Adam Reynolds, Damien Cook and Cameron Murray guide South Sydney to their second Grand Final appearance in seven years.

1. Premiers - The Parramatta Eels will break a 35-year-old drought and claim the title on the back of their star signings and the young spine. The 2010s were ruled by Melbourne and the Roosters, the 2020s will be Parramatta's decade of dominance.

See also: 50-41, 40-31, 20-11

23 COMMENTS

  2. Commentary of the NRLW is so biased. Broncos have been far and away the best team for the past 2 seasons, but the commentators keep raving about the NSW club players. Bit of credit where it is due wouldn’t go astray.

  3. I don’t know what you’re on Blythey, you should pull that rabbit out of your a#s* and stop reading comics.
    I’d like to see your score out of 50, I’m guessing you’ll be repeating,…. kindergarten….

  4. The Dogs to get the spoon? Are you being serious? They weren’t even close to getting it last year with the absolute dogsh*t season they had for the most part. They will be gunning for 7th-8th spot this year and finish 10th at worst.

  6. #Cb4ever, will you guys get cap relief for Foran or isn’t the dogs in greenburgs golden circle like manly.

  7. The first half of the decade will be dominated by Souths and Cowboys. Its too hard to forecast beyond that. Hopefully the Tigers are a Western Sydney powerhouse by then.

  8. Your number 1 is absolutely hilarious.

    So you think the Roosters and Storm are just going to go away, The British Raiders will lie down and play dead and Souths will just vanish into thin air ? Even if the Eels do improve and become consistent finalists (which in itself would be a marked improvement on the last 2 decades) that is a long long way from domination.

  9. Fearless predictions now means you have to get everyone exactly right or you will be banished from making them ever again!!!

  10. Someone’s dreaming.
    Souths out of the 8
    Eels close but not close enough
    Boyd retires the way he started, a premiership winger
    Broncos def Roosters in Gf
    New Qld a dynasty starts
    Keary = Dally M
    Milford = Clive Churchill (finally gets his deserved rewards after being unfairly robbed in 2015) *JT will be one of the best halves of this generation, but for all but 2 minutes Milford owner him and Morgan.

  11. Talk about dreaming stiive. Don’t get me wrong, I am far from confident of an Eels premiership in 2020, but a Broncos premiership? I call that one dreaming

  12. Roosters will take it out again. Same deal they’ve had through most on the last decade. A sluggish start, strong in the middle and then extremely hard to beat at finals time..

  13. I do think the NRL will want to ensure Brisbane are also dominant in 2020s. In the meantime, Sydney’s Rugby League heartland (no that doesn’t include Eastern Suburbs) will slowly lose interest and start to look for the exit like they have rugby. Nobody wants to watch the same teams at the top each year – and more than ever the gap between have and have not clubs is widening. Souths the only team that can keep things interesting for Sydneysiders in the foreseeable future.

  14. I do hope Parra goes well too – but time will tell if they can be a consistently good club year in year out.

  15. “Nobody wants to watch the same teams at the top each year”

    I don’t mind watching the Storm at the top each year!

  16. “Roosters will take it out again. Same deal they’ve had through most on the last decade. A sluggish start, strong in the middle and then extremely hard to beat at finals time..”

    I think the Roosters will be up there but I don’t think they will win it. They will miss Cronk big time and they will drop a couple of close ones missing Mitchells boot. The comp is a bit more open to a surprise package this season.

  18. Top 8 will be

    1: Souths
    2: Roosters
    3: Eels
    4: Storm
    5: Raiders
    6: Sharks
    7: Manly
    8: Dogs

    Eels will win the Grand final against the roosters
    I predicted the eels would win 2020 GF two years ago. It’s time to deliver.

    I think the dogs will be the dark horse. Dean pay is a very smart coach and will make the 8

  19. Eels47 – I’m not so much dreaming as starting to see a decent side forming, maybe 1-2 more seasons before the Bennett effect is gone. Hopefully not the 10 it will take ST George Illawarra and Newcastle.
    On a side note, Souths is starting to resemble a cursed Bennett team. Last year may have been your final hope bunnies supporters.

  20. screamingeagle, no chance we get it because Greenburg loves to rail the Dogs any chance he gets. I’m pretty sure the compo money for Foran has already been denied, what a joke. I heard they are denying it because Foran is trying to return before round 13 or something. They should get that money regardless of when he tries to come back because he got injured during an international game which isn’t the Bulldogs fault, yet they’re going to get shafted for it

  21. There is a very big difference between a player who is out for a period cos he got injured and a player who has to retire completely from the game because he got injured. By your reckoning the Storm should have got big compensation when Slater was out for 3 years.

    I like to critisise the NRL hierarchy as much as the next man but you have nothing to complain about here.

  22. As Parramatta Eels Supporter it Would be a Dream!!! 2020 is going to be our year!!! From all the amazing player we can do anything! If we don’t win premiership probably top 4 we shall see. We Will just wish and wait

    💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛 #Blue&GoldArmy #GoTheEels #PARRAdise #UpUpParra💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙

  23. Would be a Dream!!! 2020 is going to be our year!!! From all the amazing player we can do anything! If we don’t win premiership probably top 4 we shall see. We Will just wish and wait 💙💛💙💛
    💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛 #Blue&GoldArmy #GoTheEels #PARRAdise #UpUpParra #Parra2020Premiership💛💙💛💙
    2020 is the decade of the Mighty Parramatta Eels we will brake the 35 year drought!!! 💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙

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