With the home and away season winding towards a conclusion, opportunities for teams to break into the eight are rapidly declining.
For some clubs, fantasies of playing finals this season were dashed long ago, but for others, the dream is still alive - albeit fleetingly.
Each team outside the eight is far from the finished product. They all require an injection of talent in at least one major position on the field.
Whilst contemplating these gaps, we found ourselves pondering a hypothetical question – if each club outside the eight could select one legend to help boost their finals chances, who would they choose?
After scouring the stats, team sheets and possibilities, these were the champions we thought would make the best additions.
Wests Tigers
Wayne Pearce
Sitting two wins outside the top eight, the Wests Tigers are still a slight chance to play finals footy.
Although in somewhat of a rebuild phase, the Tigers still have arguably the club’s greatest player at their disposal in Benji Marshall.
Together with Harry Grant admirably filling Robbie Farah’s boots at hooker, we had to cast a wider net and our minds back to before the merger to make our selection.
With a weakness at the lock position, our selection logically became Wayne Pearce.
Although a Tiger of the Balmain variety, ‘Junior’ never lined up for the amalgamated club. He did however coach the side in their inaugural season of 2000.
Having represented Balmain, New South Wales and his country admirably, a peak Pearce’s skill and knowledge would almost certainly propel Wests into the eight.
