10. State of Origin winner
The 2018 series victory wasn’t fortuitous like 2014 was for New South Wales. There’s a genuine dynasty building on the back of Brad Fittler’s quirky methods. The shield will stay below the border.
9. Bargain buy
Many won’t even be tipping Ryley Jacks to be the starting five-eighth for the Gold Coast, but he’ll be the man to bring out the best in Ash Taylor. Great buy for the Titans.
8. Worst buy
Corey Norman. He doesn’t have the spark or the defence required for a fullback, and if he plays five-eighth for the Dragons then expect a clunky partnership with Hunt. This is if the deal does finally go through.
7. Best Buy
Dave Klemmer is the man Newcastle have needed. A strong, aggressive leader of the forward pack. He’s on big money, but he’ll show why he deserves it when he lifts the players around him - and takes the Knights to just their second finals series in the span of eight years.
6. Biggest drop
While the Dragons will fall, the Warriors will be the biggest drop off, falling from finals football down to the bottom four. Releasing an international caliber halfback without a replacement will do that.
5. Biggest improver
The Cowboys have arguably the best forward pack in the competition, and with Michael Morgan leading the ship at halfback and Ben Barba at the back, North Queensland will jump from the bottom four to sixth.
4. Wooden spoon
Look away Bulldogs fans - it’s gonna be a long year. The spine is inexperienced and clunky, the forward pack is undermanned and there’s little strike in the backline. This won’t be a year to remember for Canterbury.
3. Minor premiers
The Roosters have a fantastic squad, and Trent Robinson knows how to manage a regular season. Provided the spine stays fit, they’ll be on top again.
2. Runners up
No one goes back-to-back. The Roosters will make the big one, but they won’t win it. The premiers are a hunted species every year, everyone improves against them. Fatigue will get them at the end of the season.
1. Premiers
Wayne Bennett is the best coach in rugby league history and will guide a stacked South Sydney side to their 22nd premiership. While they lose Crichton, it opens a spot for Cam Murray to start. Bennett has a knack of getting the best out of his players, and he’ll lift players like Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker to a new level.
Here are predictions:
Just read an article about Alex Johnston wanting out , so # 1 may change.
Wow, pretty much all useless predictions and as Yoda says, “the bias is strong with this one”.
Roosters will likely be premiers again , however if say Cronk and Friend get serious injuries then that goes out the door.
Learn how to spell (calibre) and “clunky”!!!!!! As for your predictions- learn how to spell ….
😁😂😆🤣😁😂😆🤣 If souffths aren’t under enough pressure already with the signing of a coach who has lost his defence playbook and now letting local juniors walk like Jason Clark and soon Bennett will release the services of Johnstone as he does not fit into his Darius fullback plan has already caused upheavals and change for the worse. Now Souffths have turned into the true Transit Lounge of the 2000’s signing a heap of nobodies from other clubs like Corey Allan (2021), Cory Denniss (Newcastle Knights, 2020), Kurt Dillon (Cronulla Sharks, 2020), Rhys Kennedy (2019), Liam Knight (Canberra Raiders, 2020), Matt McIlwrick (Wests Tigers, 2019), Bayley Sironen (Wests Tigers, 2019)
The Burgess twins are into there last season as they will be offered massive money to change clubs and souffths have no hope to match those offers. Old man Sutton will be on his last legs also. Gagai is useless as a centre when he is a winger and Inglis is only half the trouble he was to tackle as he was 5 yrs ago. The Roosters showed everybody how to handle big packs by disposing of Melbourne, Souffths and Cronulla with ease in last season semis.
How could any body predict that this washed up relic will get souffth rabbit a comp when his last test match he coached for England they leaked 34 points to nil and his last game for Brisbane in Brisbane his coaching style leaked 48 points🤣😆😂😁😂😆🤣😆😁😂🐇🥄 Further more not one player has from Bennetts Bronco NRL team followed him to Souffths because they were all pleased he left and left for good. Then one by one the Bronco players that could have followed re-signed with the Brizzy Ponies.
Soufffths first for 2019 is i’m sorry to say to this journalist but he has been sucked into the old trap of living in the past of Bennett’s achievements. Bennett really needed to retire about 5 years ago.
Should change the title from fearless predictions to baseless predictions.
The game has passed skeletor by so South’s WON’T win the title this year. I don’t even have them in my top 8.
Roosters won’t make the GF let alone go back to back.
The only one that sounds about right is the dogs getting the spoon although my Eels will give them a run for their money.
Lol to say Souths aren’t in your top 8 abused.
You shouldn’t believe that rubbish.
AJ is happy and he will be staying.
Fullback or Wing, it doesn’t matter.
This Media crap about AJ is just that.
I spoken to many Souths players, they all say the same thing that they are happy and excited for the new season and they are all fit also, even on the very first day!
The Aj CRAP is just rubbish as I have spoken to his family personally.
AJ hasn’t even received any offers from other clubs it is all just Media Propaganda.
His whole family are deeply disturbed with all of these accusations.
Johnston will be at Redfern in 2019 and 2020.
Bennett didn’t release Jason Clark as that decision was made in May 2017
The twins won’t be going anywhere
Souffs gf?
Hahaha you really are making it up dude.
If you calling a Souths v Roosters GF, can’t see the Rabbitohs winning unless the entire spine from Roosters are all out injured.
If injuries are kind to Penrith, 2019 could be their chance
Clubs improving in 2019
Newcastle, Cows, Tigers, Manly, Titans, Broncos
Clubs staying similar to 2018
Parra , Dogs, Sharks, Panthers , Storm, Roosters
Clubs going down from 2018 results
Warriors, Saints, Raiders, Souths
“when people knock teams or players they infact fear them”
So is that why you always knock the roosters penso?hahaha
At least we got some juniors to get rid of woodduck, and why do you keep quoting my comments, can’t you think on your own son.
Back2back , if you do not know by now why people knock the Roosters, then no need for me to explain it to you.
Yeah you have…..
Finally, good to read a decent and respected journalist having a say. Easff’s coach Cooper Cronk having put the envy boot into his old Captain Smithy last year with the help of the South Sydney trained Keary won’t have the interest this year, and will hand the team back to Robbo. Word going round is Robbo was very thankful Cooper only had one arm to coach with at the back end of last season.
Anyway, thank goodness THAT Rooster has gone home to roost.
Holy crap you dribble spew from your mouth.
You should have reviewed your comment before you posted it, Kelby.
“At least we got some juniors to get rid of”
Atleast we have more than 1 premiership in the last 40+ years, Souths are developing losers.
Wow back2back, now you are fabricating history to suit yourselves , stop listening to that idiot woodduck , developing players to disguise your lack of junior committement over the years, i would have thought you would have been smarter than that backo, guess not, but to say you have won 1 more comp than us over the last 40 years is a seriously dumb comment.
3hats Do you think Souffths can afford 3 million dollar Burgess brothers???????. I know of a bloke who lives in the nursing home who is related to Brian Fletcher, and the claims are they will be leaving in a package deal in 2020.
Also Johnston is very unhappy the only thing that is keeping him at Soufffths according to the Fletch birdy is that he has left his run to late this year but will snap up a big money offer next season from a rival club. Thank God we are assured it won’t be the Roosters.
“Wow back2back, now you are fabricating history to suit yourselves”
Explain to me how I’m fabricating stories? The rabbits only have 1 premiership since 1971, so that is 1 in 40+ years
I’ll be waiting pea brain
rabbitwithdudzon sounds like you named yourself well, so when you drink a dudzon, which another is term for light beer, then you go on a dribble a thon😂🤣😆😁😂🤣…..💪👴👉🐓🏆🐇🥄
“Fearless” ??? … Clueless would be more apt.
Copied and saved for season’s end … and the reckoning.
Don’t believe what the media are saying when it comes to players salaries, I don’t and that goes for players at every team, the main guys are being overestimated.
Sam is on about $800k under the Cap, the Twins on about $500k MAX.
Sure there are some TPAs added.
So that is about $1.8M not $3M
As far as AJ is concerned he is happy at Souths, I know one of his family members personally.
I talk to AJ when I see him also.
You can take that as a fact.
AJ did Re-Sign in 2016 as a Winger and he did take less.
He got a go at FB during Inglis injury.
In 2018 GI was underdone so AJ stayed there.
Corey Allan is Impressive and will get his opportunity, In Rd 1? Maybe.
The media speculation always comes up when AJ is overseas, he is back now and will be back training next week.
I hope to see him on Tuesday!
The Salary Cap next season is the Base of $9.3M
Long Serving Players Allowance $300k
Development Cap is $300k for 4 to 6 players
An additional $200k is for either Development and/or LSP Allowance.
The Total is $9.6M plus that $200k.
Do you really think that $3M would be for only 3 players?
Really? I doubt it.
Cook, GI, Sam, Reynolds, George, Tom and Gagai are our highest paid players.
Those 7 players take up about $5M of the Cap.
Sure there are some TPAs also!
Well a bloke that talks cap logic is refreshing on this site after fellow Souffths flipouts Nero Reagen and his off siders kept at me for the 5 players that they believed the Roosters had signed for a million each🤣🤣😁😆🤣