Is form that important come finals time?

Just one round of NRL action separates us from finals footy. An entire new competition starts at the end of this round.

To say all that has happened before the finals doesn't matter is ridiculous as you have to first qualify for finals to play finals footy. I know right, they should me the big bucks!!!

Eight teams remain in contention. Eight teams will play finals footy. Any one of those eight teams can win the title, this year more-so than ever.

Right now the best teams in the competition are starting to peak. The good coaches have their side ready for a title tilt as they play their best footy.

In 2016, the Sharks suffered a form slump, falling from minor premiers elect to finish third, before going on to lift their maiden title. They literally lost four and drew one of their last six regular season fixtures, including a loss to the team they would beat on Grand Final day in the Storm.

Last season the Cowboys limped into the eight, literally. They lost more games than they won in the second half of the season and were set to be bounced in the opening round by the Sharks.

A golden point victory later and the Cowboys shocked the world by making it all the way to the final game of the season. Although they ultimately lost to a near unbeatable Storm outfit, their regular season form meant nothing come finals time.

Conversely the Storm did win the last seven regular season games before entering the finals. That is just about as stark a difference as this game can produce.

In 2015 the Cowboys won the Grand Final after losing three of their last five games. They also lost first up in the semi finals. Not exactly a great run in, but they won the three games that matter.

No one remembers the three games they lost in the lead up but no one will ever forget that Thurston field goal.

2015 runner up the Broncos lost four of their last six games also.

The 2017 Storm are the only side in the past three seasons who came into the finals with red hot form under their belt. In fact the Sharks and Cowboys entered the finals in terrible circumstances yet lifted when it mattered most.

For fun let's go back as far as 2014. The Bunnies, the red and green machine who swept all before them lifted the most historic of titles. They beat everyone, right?

Not so.

Even the Bunnies lost two of their last three regular season games before putting together the performances in September and early October.

The team they beat, the Dogs (sorry to remind you Dogs fans) came from literally nowhere after falling to six defeats in eight games as they crawled into the finals.

Looking at the stats it's almost preferable to come into the finals with a recent losing record. Only the 2017 Storm bucked the trend.

Although the above stats are somewhat cherry picked, they do not lie. You don't need to be riding an eight-game win streak to brush your opponents aside come finals time.

This will be music to the ears of sides such as the Panthers and Dragons who have fallen away in recent weeks.

Even the Roosters and Bunnies have played sub-par footy over the past fortnight.

If the Grand Final was played on form right now it would be a Storm/Sharks affair.

Right now both the Raiders and Bulldogs are in better form than literally half of the team making up the top eight.

As we approach September that is insanity, right?

To win the title a team needs to win at least three games straight. A top four side can lose a first up fixture then put three wins together to lift the crown. The winner from round one needs to win their next two to be crowned premiers.

A bottom eight side needs four straight wins.

The Cowboys last year proved that three-game winning streaks in the finals mean far more than the huge losing record they brought into the finals series.

Obviously right now you'd prefer your side to be fit and firing. Set plays would be coming off, with combinations producing sparkling back line movements.

Looking at history though, form around this time of the season certainly isn't the be all and end all when it comes to deciding the Grand Final make up.

Perhaps we've written off the Dragons and Panthers too soon ...