For one team, just four weeks stand between them and the Provan-Summons trophy.
The NRL finals have arrived, and so too have the biggest games of the season. There is some mouth-watering first week action. The Manly Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm? Yes please. The Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs again? Oh yes.
Those two games could tell us who is going to the grand final before we get past Week 1, given only the North Queensland Cowboys have played in Week 2 of the finals and made the grand final in the last four seasons.
And how about those elimination games? They could be anything. The Titans took the Roosters all the way in a 35-34 thriller last time, while the Eels form line could mean anything.
It might be tough to mount an argument for the teams in the bottom four of the top eight to win the premiership, but we'll give it a crack anyway.
Here is why your team can and can't win the premiership.
Manly Sea Eagles
Why they can win the premiership
Tom Trbojevic. That's it. That's the whole reason.
Never has there been a player as influential to his team as Trbojevic is to this Manly side.
His numbers we have never seen the likes of. 52 try involvements in 15 games, but even more impressive is his willingness to get involved at every opportunity.
If Manly win the premiership, then you can almost be certain that Tommy Turbo will be the Clive Churchill Medal winner. He is the best player in the competition bar none.
Why they can't win the premiership
Manly do have other problems, but the clunkiness of their right-hand side attack is up there.
Morgan Harper is a superb defensive centre, and runs the ball like a freight train, but the fact he seemingly doesn't overly enjoy passing the ball is a major problem. Jason Saab is often underutilised by Harper, even if Trbojevic does his utmost to get the tall winger involved in the game.
Unfortunately his underuse by Harper often ends in clunky plays and dropped balls, making Saab look far worse than he is.
To beat the top sides in this competition, being able to score right across the park and make the most of every attacking opportunity will be critical.
