No team in this year’s NRL is as good as Sydney Roosters and South Sydney were in 2013 and last year. Not on the form exposed so far, anyway.
North Queensland is the closest you would get, with their nine straight wins, but there is something about the Cowboys that still makes it hard to believe they can go all the way and win the premiership.
They have promised a lot in the past, but have mostly fallen down on the delivery.
Right now, the top teams of the last two years – most notably the 2013 premiers, the Roosters, and the 2014 premiers, the Rabbitohs – are not at the level they were and some other teams have improved.
The result is that the teams that could currently be considered as premiership contenders are all gathered closely at a peak level below what was established in the last two years.
That doesn’t mean a team – or teams – won’t reach that level and maybe even surpass it between now and the end of the season.
But it could also mean you won’t have to be as good as the Roosters and Rabbitohs were to win this year’s premiership.
A lot will depend on what the Roosters and Rabbitohs themselves can muster between now and the end of the season and it’s going to be very interesting to see how the Roosters fare at home against Melbourne on Monday night.
The Roosters are the premiership favourites, but it’s a very open market.
When there appear to be plenty of chances and it’s hard to settle on a top pick, the bookmakers go for the team with the most class and which has a good recent record in the event and that is what they have done here.
But the Roosters had a rampaging Sonny Bill Williams when they won the premiership and also when they were eliminated by eventual premiers the Rabbitohs in last year’s preliminary finals.
And the Rabbitohs had Sam Burgess when they made it as far as the preliminary finals in 2013 and again when they won it all last year.
The difference in both of those teams minus one superstar is clear. But does it mean neither can win this competition? No, of course not. It just makes it harder.
For the Roosters, a lot will depend on Blake Ferguson making a successful comeback from injury. The Rabbitohs need Adam Reynolds to go right to the end of the season without any further mishaps once he returns from his latest setback.
St George Illawarra and Brisbane are first and second respectively after the weekend games. Is either team capable of winning the premiership? Yes, certainly, in this competition.
Melbourne is fourth, but could go to the top if they beat the Roosters.
The Storm are interesting. They are so well coached by Craig Bellamy and precise in the way they go about things that they play pretty close to their potential most years.
That was good enough to win the premiership in 2012. Last season, they finished the regular season in sixth place and were eliminated in the first week of the finals.
Melbourne are as good a barometer as you’ll get in this competition and they’re seriously in the running this season because they have lifted and the top level has come down.
The continued rise of Storm forwards Jesse Bromwich, Kevin Proctor and Tohu Harris, who are all a part of the New Zealand team that has won three straight Tests against Australia, is a big reason for that.
The Warriors, as always, are the Warriors. If they make the finals no team will want to play them in case they strike them at their best, but they are just as likely to finish 10th.
Penrith have had major injury problems since the early rounds. Every time they look like they are starting to piece their team back together, something else goes wrong. It has developed into a difficult year for them.
That rounds out the top eight.
Canterbury, currently in ninth, remains in the running because they are a proven finals team. Last year they finished the regular season in seventh, but made it all the way to the grand final.
As even as the competition is, not all teams are capable of winning it and I can’t build an argument for any of those currently filling the spots from 10th to 16th.
But the other nine teams must all have a chance. Some significantly less of a chance than others, but still a chance. It’s that sort of competition.
Now, whether that is a good thing or not is very much open to debate.
I like the effect of the salary cap in making it possible for more teams to contend for the title, but I also like to see one or two teams really up the ante and still set the bar high for those others to reach.
I’m seeing a lot of good teams at the moment, but none bordering on greatness.
Not yet, anyway.
Ken
Guest
Dragons 2005 was a good team, the retrospective push to make them awesome was just an attempt to reinforce the 'chokers' myth. They were contenders but it's not like there was any prospective 'future immortals' there like the Storm, Cowboys, Knights and Broncos had. Timmins had no knees left and wasn't playing rep football anymore, Barrett was playing well but not as well as a few years earlier and Origin players like Cooper and Gasnier were still on the up (2005 was the first full origin series for both players). They were beaten in a major semi by a hot team that went on to take the title. The Eels were the minor premiers and were taken out by a team that didn't win the title, yet you hear less about them
Ken
Guest
'but when it happens to Thurston every week (e.g. Beau Scott) it is all part of the game?' You Cowboys (and Queensland) fans are so desperate for conspiracy it's almost amusing. The back-and-forth about Thurston getting smashed by Scott was in the papers (here in Sydney at least) every day for a week. I would hazard to say it got more attention than Soward's even though, as you say, Soward was playing way before the line so the subsequent hit was much later.
Johnno
Guest
Dragons were a good side, had Ryles in his prime and Mark Gasnier,piggy riddell, and some others as have been mentioned.
Bails
Guest
Red carpet? is that supposed to be the opposite to bad refereeing? oh', you mean if your a Chicken and finish top 4 you can expect the red carpet, got it like the ref ignoring a clear shep and drop ball to allow for field goal, you mean that red carpet ..... haha thats funny ...Freudian slip maybe?
Grand Armee
Guest
The Cowboys took accountability last year. No excuses since Greeny took over.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Johnno, the Dogs team in 2005 was not great at all, they had a Premiership hangover and didn't even make the semis. The Dragons that year had an excellent team but ran into the Tigers juggernaut in the Prelim Final.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Very even Comp this year which is great, bottom feeders Manly and the Eels can beat anyone on there day. Both teams still have decent rosters and will be nuisance value all season. As for the other end of the table, anyone of 6 or 7 teams can win it, I think the Roosters are right to be favourites, they will take some beating at the pointy end. Whilst the Rabbits win games without Reynolds they keep pace with the top 4. When Reynolds returns along with Turner, Stewart and even Ah-V'aa later in the year they can make a run. Chris Grevsmuhl has been outstanding this season and Nathan Brown is a real live wire off the bench. Cameron McInnes adds another dimension from the bench. The Bunnies won't mind flying under the radar this season.
Johnno
Guest
Good/Great teams that didn't win a title: 2005- Bulldogs 2001- Eels 1997-Manly 1995- Manly 1995- DB Bitter Warriors Raiders-1993, they would of won I reckon if Ricky Stuart didn't break down in the last game of the regular season, he won the Dally M or Rothman's medal that year, Raiders, were gone after that and knocked out in the finals, and Broncos won. 1988 Power's Broncos on paper were damn good
Nova
Guest
Agreed
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
I think this article might be more about the authors excitement level regarding the teams at the top, than any regard for the actual quality being displayed.
Nova
Guest
I'm gunning for the Cowboys to make the GF and then get dudded by a dodgy call 5 seconds form fulltime that costs them the match.
Casper
Guest
you can't really argue that someone's not that good because "the opposition let him get away with it", that's a spurious comment. Cronk wasn't that bad against the kiwi's. My theory is that he fits the Qld game plan perfectly and that's why he excels. Does relatively well for the Storm but Sheens plans his game a different way and that doesn't suit Cronk. He had plenty of mates in the trans-tasman test match, the loss was not just his fault. Sean Johnson has come along in leaps and bounds with a game that makes slower halves look bad. I don't see Pearce getting any better from now on, he was in a star-studded Roosters side for their 2013 premiership and didn't aim up in the semi-final last season. They were lucky to beat the Panthers then the Cowboys each by 1 point and didn't handle the Rabbitohs very well. Pearce lacks the ability to close out a game. You can't always compare halfbacks as some are the play-makers while others defer to their 5/8. Soward is a serial under-achiever who can't tackle and Bennett's game plan protected him during the Dragon's premiership season. Foran is all class, Benji is going well and feeds off Widdop, Whoever Newcastle put up are rubbish, Hodkinson is only fair, the Tiger kids are still soft, Sandow, Robson & Keary have their days, the Souths Reynolds is good but off the scene. While Hunt lacks consistency and a good kicking game you have to be fair, he was used as a bench hooker until last season and those few years in the wilderness under Hook set back his development. Blake Austin was mentioned as a NSW SOO option & he certainly didn't outpoint Hunt on Saturday night. Morgan is another who is making good progress while DCE is in the top 3 halves in the competition when fit. Hope he's doing his weight training to carry the Gold Coast on his shoulders. One interesting point while on the halves, seemed to be a lot of hysteria when Soward got cleaned up late the other day, but when it happens to Thurston every week (e.g. Beau Scott) it is all part of the game? Soward plays so far before the line that anyone who actually gets to him stands out!!!
Blanket Jackson
Guest
What a ridiculous article. The Cowboys have won 9 straight! A feat neither Souths or the Roosters achieved in their premiership years and yet Greg Prichard proclaims "No team in this year’s NRL is as good as Sydney Roosters and South Sydney were in 2013 and last year". This article is nothing more than click bait. Poor Form Greg.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Ben hunt leads the comp in linebreak assists 1 on 1 tackles and kicking metres
LachyP
Guest
The Dragons had a killer squad that year, Barrett, Hornby, Gasnier Cooper, Bailey, Ryles, Young, Timmins, Creagh. Should have blown them away but played a shocker of a semi against the Tigers. Brown as the coach was the biggest issue we had.
Eden
Guest
Fair call given the calibre of the teams and the big match it was in. Roosters v souths this year was equally as entertaining. Could be when the two quality teams go against each other they produce the entertainment, but I found them less entertaining on average in recent years. Having said that roosters have been in some great games this year which is probably due to the faster play the ball not suiting the slightly over sized forward pack. My main take out is 2015 has been more entertaining though maybe not as clinical in execution
Kaks
Roar Guru
"Seriously guys, the salary cap is holding our clubs back." But its allowing the league to survive and grow. This is not a 'club' issue, this is a league issue.
Renegade
Guest
Beat me to it.... he can't play on any stage.
Rod
Guest
I think Mitch has some great attributes, he is a very skilled player, he is fast, fit, he has great hands a great boot on him. He really is a good player. I just don't know if he can lead the team around when the going gets tough, it's easy to look good when on the front foot, but I'm yet to see Pearce take the game by the scruff of the neck when the chips are down.I don't see a million dollar player myself. I actually thought he was good in origin, if you paired him up with Adam Reynolds and let Pearce play his natural game, he can shine for sure.JT is a million dollar player because he makes things happen on a football field.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
He's also been known to engage in the odd code-war on these threads with crosscoder. Wait. Are we talking about the same person?