The terraces in England often sing, “The league is upside down, the league is upside down,” as bottom clubs mock their own plight. I don’t expect Storm fans to take such a light-hearted view at their own position for a while yet, but the fact that they are sitting at the bottom of the table and will continue to do so for the year has big ramifications for the rest of the competition.
The Storm’s guaranteed wooden spoon takes big pressure off the Broncos and Sharks, who were looking set to slug it out, while it also opens a up an extra position in the top four and then the top eight for another side looking to make a run in the finals.
The Dragons have now seen their main competitor for the minor premiership drop out of the race, so maybe Peter Doust might start thinking about get those t-shirts printed again.
The Dragons are likely to be the hot favourite for the title, but while their season form remains impeccable, they simply have to be viewed in the post-season with caution.
In short, anyone tipping the Dragons as specials in April needs medicating.
I’d argue the Panthers may well be the side to benefit most from the Storm’s demise as their chances of holding onto their top four spot have increased dramatically.
The Bulldogs also benefit at present, sneaking into the top eight despite a 3-4 record. And it’s likely the team finishing 8th this year will have a less than 50 percent win record, so maybe a sending a box of chocolates down south might be a nice gesture.
It may be sent from Bondi Junction.
Looking at the table, I’m not convinced anyone currently sitting 10th or below has the ability to make a run into the eight.
There is obviously mountains of football to played this season, but sides like the Knights, Raiders and Cowboys need to start finding their feet quickly to stay in the race.
Speaking of the amount of football to be played, the absence of the Storm will also make injuries play an even bigger impact on sides looking to take advantage of the even field.
The competition now looks incredibly close, so any lasting injury at the wrong time could be disastrous for a team looking to get their names on the Premier’s trophy at the end of the season.
Let’s also get this out of the way now: whoever wins can rightly call themselves Premiers. Let’s not have any talk of them having been gifted it with the Storm out of the way.
But whoever’s name is on the trophy at the season’s end, let’s hope it stays there.
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