We continue our midseason grades with the teams sitting 1st-8th...
8. South Sydney Rabbitohs: D+
They should be doing better, they really should.
They have arguably the best coach in rugby league history, two of the best strike players in the game right now, one of the nest halves pairings in the league and one of the best hookers in the league. To be 8th is inexcusable.
Latrell hasn't lived up fully to the hype, but he has still been a great player and definitely has potential at fullback. Cody Walker has dramatically lost form, to the point where Troy Dargan may be considered a better choice at five-eighth. Damien Cook hasn't been as effective as hoped under the new rule changes. And the Sam Burgess-sized hole in the forward pack hasn't been filled - while they have some slick back rowers and hard hitters, they lack the go forward that Burgess provided.
Of course, there have been positives. Alex Johnston, who may be forced out of the club after this season, has crossed 7 times in the first 10 games. After years of criticism for underperforming at club level, Dane Gagai has bagged 6 tries himself - not only the best start to a season in his career, but also already more than 5 separate full seasons in his career. Forwards Cam Murray, Jaydn Su'a and Tevita Tatola have continued to progress, while Tom Burgess and Adam Reynolds continue to be staples in the 17
Time will tell if Souths can find the form which saw them in the hunt for the 2019 minor premiership. What is known is that it will be a major disappointment should they end the year any lower on the table.
7. Wests Tigers: B+
So I had the Tigers in 16th in my preseason predictions, and I will happily admit I was wrong.
I misjudged a lot of things about the Tigers. I misjudged the go forward provided by Josh Aloai and Alex Twal. I misjudged the impact Adam Doueihi would have on the side at fullback. I misjudged the quality provided by Benji Marshall in the halves. And I misjudged the ability of David Nofoaluma to find the tryline.
But one thing I surely can't be faulted for is overlooking Harry Grant when assessing the Tigers strengths. Sure, I knew the kid was gonna be good thanks to the brief highlights I saw from his time with the Sunshine Coast Falcons last season. But you would be hard pressed to find anyone who had the nerve to say this next sentence: After 10 games, Harry Grant leads the Dally M race.
The only problem with the Tigers is they are a very shallow side, and don't have too much in terms of reliable depth. That was on show following an injury to Twal - they dropped 2 of their next 3 before a big 48-0 win over Brisbane on Friday. If they get hit by the injury bug in the second half of the season, they will probably miss the finals. But for now, I will happily ride the Tigers wave.
6. Canberra Raiders: B-
This might be one I was closer to the money on.
Yes, I know I had Canberra at 10th in my official predictions, but off-site I did up them to 8th. So that has to count for something, right? Either way, the reason Canberra are in this spot is not what I predicted. It is the dreaded I word: Injuries.
John Bateman is yet to play this season. Corey Horsburgh was injured in Round 6. Iosia Soliola suffered nasty facial fractures in Round 8. And then in a tragic Round 9 clash, Josh Hodgson (knee) and Bailey Simosson (shoulder) both had their seasons ended in cruel fashion.
But just when all hope was lost, the Raiders took a huge 2 points against the Roosters. How? Nick Cotric has continued to be in the upper echelon of wingers. Josh Papalii is doing what he does best - being a steamroller in the middle third. Elliot Whitehead, Jarrod Croker and Dunamis Lui have filled their roles perfectly. But it's the exciting 1-6-7 combo of Carnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jack Wighton and George Williams that has really allowed Canberra to continue winning.
There is no telling how far the Raiders can go. It is too early to say they can't right the wrongs of 2019.
5. Sydney Roosters: B
Wow, exactly where I predicted them at the start of this season.
Everyone knew the Roosters would struggle given the retirement of Cooper Cronk, but the first 2 weeks of the season saw a decline which no one anticipated. Luckily for them, the coronavirus postponed everything and allowed them to regroup. And they emerged from the shutdown as the team to beat with 5 straight wins.
Unfortunately, it seems like the Roosters train is starting to slow down. Boom forward Lindsay Collins and high flyer Daniel Tupou have missed time, and Angus Crichton is set to join them on the sideline. But the biggest loss is Victor Radley - the hard hitting, ball playing lock's season ended in Round 7, and since then the Roosters goal line defence has been a bit on the downslide.
What has been good has been the form of a lot of the players. Kyle Flanagan has stepped in and delivered far beyond what was expected of him. Brett Morris has scored 9 tries in 9 games, while Matt Ikuvalu's 5 try performance against the Cowboys will live long in the memory. Sio Siua Taukeiaho has been superb as usual, while James Tedesco is still at his best.
Right now, the threepeat does not look likely. But with Trent Robinson in the box and Tedesco at the back, you can't count out the Roosters yet.
4. Newcastle Knights: A-
Adam O'Brien has truly turned this side around
Despite having very similar rosters, the 2019 and 2020 Knights are two completely different teams, largely thanks to their new head coach. Kalyn Ponga has become one of the best fullbacks in the league, largely thank to the work of his spinemates in Kurt Mann, Mitchell Pearce and Andrew McCullough. David Klemmer has been playing his best footy in years, and Bradman Best is looking like a potential NSW bolter.
This team is well built and playing strong footy, with their mobile forward pack built perfectly for the new ruleset. The work of Pearce in having his forwards running holes has been nothing short of marvellous. But they aren't perfect - Melbourne proved that, as did Parramatta. Newcastle need to learn to grind out games if they want to be a real contender this year. But the sky is well and truly the limit for the Novocastrians, both now and the future.
3. Melbourne Storm: B+
The guarantees in life - death, taxes, and the Melbourne Storm in the top four.
Of course, any team with Cameron Smith is going to be successful. To be doing what he's doing at 37 is insane. He might not be the most athletic player but his IQ and ability to put the ball where it has to be almost every time. Smith is reason why Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr have combined for 13 tries this season. Ryan Papenhuyzen would not have the space in the middle of the park if not for Smith. And Brandon Smith would not be as good if not for the mentorship of his namesake.
The only issue with Melbourne is their adaptation to the new rules. They aren't exactly the fastest pack in the league, and that leaves them prone to conceding set restarts. This would hurt them against more mobile packs, particularly the 2 teams above them. However, Cam Smith is too good to doubt, and doubting Melbourne has been strongly disproved over the last 15 seasons.
2. Parramatta Eels: A-
When I put the Eels 2nd in my predictions, everyone called me a madman.
Mitchell Moses has done exactly what I thought he would do - be a catalyst for everything good for the Eels. And that has been shown in recent weeks given his absence with a calf injury. Clint Gutherson has also been at his dynamic best, while Maika Sivo has bagged 9 tries in 10 games. Reed Mahoney is on track to be QLD's hooker, Dylan Brown is looking like the next Benji Marshall and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Shaun Lane, Nathan Brown and Ryan Matterson have all been great.
Picking weaknesses in this team is a tough task - both their losses are understandable (Roosters after 3 straight games, Manly without Moses). Their depth is awesome, their starters are awesome, they score tries, stop tries and win close games. Parra are a real threat to take out the comp. Maybe the drought is truly over.
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Penrith Panthers- A+
Panthers fans, be honest with me here - did you expect them to be here right now?
With the benefit of hindsight, it makes sense that Penrith are this good. Nathan Cleary works best with an attacking five-eighth; which is exactly what Jerome Luai provides. Api Korisau has been perfect, and the new rules have made him even deadlier. James Tamou has turned back the clock to his Cowboys days, Viliame Kikau is Viliame Kikau and Dylan Edwards is all of a sudden looking like 2014 Matt Moylan.
The Panthers may be the best positioned team this season, because of their focus on defence. They have only scored 30 points or more once this season, yet have still won 8 and drawn 1 of their first 10. It is ridiculous how good this side is defensively. The old adage that attacking teams collapse in Semi Final football might be the reason why the Provan-Summon's trophy is headed back to Penrith... or is it?
