Predicting the 2019 NRL premiers before a ball is kicked

Ah yes the list of mistakes. When the 50 50 calls go our way they are fair enough. When they go against us they are mistakes. I can say with certainty that had it been the Roosters on the receiving end of the "obvious " penalty try it would've made the list of mistakes. To say that the refs cheat to ensure certain teams win is offensive and ignores the microscope of reality

Maloney was bought by the roosters in late 2011, before you could even consider him a marquee player. I’ve also read that article, and Matthews Johns ‘calculated’ that for 2015’s team. Nothing of significance was mentioned about 2013. You seem to so obsessed with the roosters. It’s ridiculous

My comment disappeared but basically , it wasn't the refs call , it was an obvious penalty try as the ball bounced perfectly for Lyon. For whatever reason, the refs hammered Manly in the game and I've seen plenty of fans from other clubs say that as well. The list of mistakes is much bigger than I remember.

The bunker made that ruling and it was correct. The rule is misquoted all the time. If the bunker thought Lyon would have scored except for the illegal action then they need to award award a try. It has nothing to do with being certain of anything , it is based on an opinion. As I said I think the refs were incompetent not corrupt but they sure as hell seemed bias in that game.

Pretty cynical thinking I reckon. The NRL has not had back to back premiers for 30 years. When you apply the same microscope to any professional sport in the world it comes up the same. Soccer is played in 198 countries in the world but only six of them can win the world cup. In the NFL teams like Detroit, Buffalo, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Jets and several others virtually never compete for playoffs. Are you suggesting that we penalise teams that do well so the teams that are poorly run can compete? The fact is that in every competition in every sport there are good teams and not so good ones. It is the not so good ones job to improve and the good ones job to stay where they are.

Ummm Penalty try when the ball wasn't even in the in goal when Lyon was pulled down. And that was at a crucial moment in the 13 grand final. If it was the refs job to get the Roosters home I don't think they're giving that.

Tim, basically I think your philosophy is more rugby league socialist than mine. Having a completely even competition is a noble pursuit but actually impossible to achieve. There will always be better sides than others, better run franchises, richer areas, areas with better junior numbers, sides with better recruitment processes, etc. And in some ways having rich successful clubs helps a competition. Those clubs are the ones that get attention outside the sport, bring casual fans in and they also give other teams in the competition a benchmark to aspire to as well as a team to hate. But also I wonder if you go back through those premiership winners, how many are there where the 1% that at the end of the day made them premiership winners were things that you just cannot even out in a competition. For example, Newcastle won in 2001 for one reason and one reason only - Andrew Johns. Sure they had other great players and a good culture, etc,etc, but no Johns, no premiership. Now you cannot produce another 15 Andrew Johns and hand them out to the other clubs. You cannot force Johns to play a year with each club in turn to give them a chance to have an Andrew Johns. Newcastle did not breach the cap or anything to buy a ready made Andrew Johns. He was just a once in a generation freak of footballing nature that happened to grow up in Newcastle. Brisbane's third premiership in your timeline was 2006. Darren Lockyer. no Lockyer, no premiership. Lockyer came to the Broncos as a teenager out of Roma. He was not poached with the full force of the Broncos finances. What I'm trying to say is that often the premiership is because some once in a generation players happen to turn up at a club and the rest is history. Parramatta - Cronin, Price, Kenny, Ella, Grothe Canberra - Stuart, Daley, Clyde, Meninga, Belcher Brisbane - Langer, Walters and Renouf Manly - the Stewart brothers, Watmough, Jamie Lyon Melbourne - Cronk, Slater and Smith Cowboys - JT and Scott Wests- Benji, Farah and Scott Prince Do you see the pattern there? these were not superstars purchased as seasoned premiership winnings internationals from other clubs. In most cases lightning just struck and an exceptional player or two found themselves growing up at a particular club. So I think what I'm trying to say is: 1. there is some inequality, but unless you are going to have a fake comp with a central pool of players allocated to clubs each year, there will always be inequality 2. Good running of a club and quality front office is as much a factor as these alleged monetary inequalities 3. sometimes, you just get a good one or two come through.

Gee I hate typing on phones, that post sounds like I dictated it underwater.

I hope the Roosters dont win, but it seems more likely than other teams. Dont discount the Panthers though.

They lost thier top meter returner in fergo. That is a loss they had him cheap

Go parra :)

Statistics, got to love em. One stat from above that you failed to mention is that 75% of teams have won a flag since 1998. Show any other professional completion on the planet can say that, particularly with 16 teams. And if go back another 12 years then two of the four who miss out won multiple flags. One that most basic of measures rugby league might well be the most even competition in the world.

You could have just pulled a name out of a hat. Dragons have been a team hampered by poor coaching since Bennett's departure but McGregor has been slowly learning and the team is ready De Belin or no De Belin.

Yep, $500k to play for Catalans!

Are you so incapable of formIng your own opinion that your sources are just unsubstantiated comments in public forums from people you most likely haven’t met (unless they are just your split personalities)? Time to round up the sheep for sheering.

So I think the Rabbitohs will win and here's why 2 years before the Rabbitohs won I. 2014 2012 Storm 2013 Roosters 2014 Rabbitohs 2015 Cowboys 2016 Sharks 2017 Storm 2018 Roosters Witch means 2019 Rabbitohs 2020 Cowboys 2021 Sharks

You have left out the most important stat of all Tim. Only one team will have the Viking Clapping rogue to show them how to be mean and clever. The Raiders are near certainties. Can't wait to see the Menace and Sticky on the sideline together showing big Joey how to be clever.

Relax mate, the only people that wouldn’t what that gf are non Cowboys and Rabbits fans just like every other gf

He’d probably be ecstatic knowing it’s a win/win situation.

Don’t remember any protests marches in Qld, normally protesters are bashed and locked up, so probably nothing has changed. It’s depends where in Qld you lived. There certain things that are ok in Brisbane that you wouldn’t dare do in Townsville, etc