On Tuesday, we asked you to vote for the 2019 NRL ladder. The results are now in, and you can find them all below, club-by-club.
There are some intriguing results here. For some clubs, there was almost unanimous agreement, while for others, it was split entirely with only one or two votes swaying it either way.
Thanks for voting, and be sure to leave a comment with what you had for your 2019 NRL ladder in the comments section below.
Brisbane Broncos
The Crowd’s tip: 6th (16%)
My tip: 8th
Opinions on the Broncos were varied heading into the new season, but the general consensus is they will finish inside the top eight.
Just four per cent of total votes had them outside the top eight, while every position between one and eight was filled otherwise.
Canberra Raiders
The Crowd’s tip: 12th (25%)
My tip: 15th
The Raiders seem to be unanimously in for a tough season, with a quarter of all voters settling on them escaping the reaches of the bottom four by a single position.
A further 30 per cent of their votes were split between 11th and 13th so, while my prediction of 15th might seem a bit harsh, most have them a long way away from the top eight.
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Crowd’s tip: 16th (33%)
My tip: 12th
This was one of the more surprising crowd votes for mine. The Bulldogs going backwards, at least, on the surface, seems unlikely, but that’s exactly what a third of all voters expect them to do, slotting them into the final position on the table.
All in all, only six per cent of voters had them sneaking into the top eight, while all up, 61 per cent of you had them in the bottom three.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Cronulla Sharks
The Crowd’s tip: 10th (15%)
My tip: 11th
I was blasted for putting the Sharks as low as 11th in my preview series, but the opinion on them seems incredibly mixed heading into the new season.
They have been picked in every position from one to twelve, with the cluster of votes appearing just outside the top eight.
Gold Coast Titans
The Crowd’s tip: 9th (16%)
My tip: 9th
The Crowd are in complete agreeement with my tip – ninth.
Okay, maybe not complete, given they are tipped around the top eight plenty, but ninth won the race.
Manly Sea Eagles
The Crowd’s tip: 13th (30%)
My tip: 14th
Manly are being widely tipped to struggle in 2019, which is hardly a surprise, based on where they ended up in 2018 and their issues with depth.
13th was the runaway winner, but almost 80 per cent of votes had them between 12th and last on the table.
Melbourne Storm
The Crowd’s tip: 4th (27%)
My tip: 3rd
The Storm are the NRL’s picture of consistency, and there are no questions they will be there and abouts again in 2019, even with a weakened line-up thanks to the retirement of Billy Slater.
Most tips had them in the top four, unsurprisingly.
Newcastle Knights
The Crowd’s tip: 8th (22%)
My tip: 7th
The Knights have had four years of pain, but started their re-emergence last year, and are expected to continue it this year. Most have them sneaking into the top eight, with 41 per cent of votes placing them in either seventh or eighth.
New Zealand Warriors
The Crowd’s tip: 14th (21%)
My tip: 13th
The Warriors are a team who, while possessing enormous potential, have plenty of questions over them, as they always seem to do.
No Shaun Johnson has given voters cold feet here one might suspect, as well as the fact tipsters have constantly been burned by them over the years when push comes to shove.
14th feels about right for mine.
North Queensland Cowboys
The Crowd’s tip: 5th (15%)
My tip: 6th
The Cowboys are widely tipped to improve this year, and that’s the way The Crowd see it. Although tips were varied, the range from fourth to sixth was the most heavily supported.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Parramatta Eels
The Crowd’s tip: 15th (42%)
My tip: 16th
There were few positive things to say about the Eels when my preview series started a month ago, and it would appear that none of that has changed for voters.
They are being tipped to finish 15th by just under half of participants, with another 24 per cent of the votes planting them with another spoon.
Penrith Panthers
The Crowd’s tip: 3rd (24%)
My tip: 5th
The Panthers have been rated a fraction higher than I had them, but then, they were a team I shuffled around the top eight almost daily as things happened off the field.
The Crowd have them in third through almost a quarter of the vote, but interestingly, unlike the other teams at the top end of town, they don’t have any love in the top spot.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Crowd’s tip: 2nd (39%)
My tip: 2nd
While the Roosters might be run away favourites to take the top gong, there is a lot of support for the club hailing out of Redfern in 2019.
Super coach Wayne Bennett has arrived, and they have exactly 60 per cent of all votes putting them in with a shot at finishing in the top two.
St George Illawarra Dragons
The Crowd’s tip: 7th (16%)
My tip: 4th
The Dragons have had a difficult off-season thanks to happenings away from the game itself, and combined with questions over the spine, there are votes every which way.
The general consensus, however, seems to be that they will eventually land in the top eight, with just 25 per cent of voters saying they would miss it.
Sydney Roosters
The Crowd’s tip: 1st (64%)
My tip: 1st
There are no ifs or buts about who The Crowd are expecting to be minor premiers, and probably premiers, come the end of the 2019 season.
The Roosters might be fighting history to go back-to-back, but more than half of voters reckon they are going to be in with a good shot of doing so.
Of the 36 per cent who didn’t pick them to be in first, only two individual voters had them outside the top four – with one of those seemingly a donkey vote in last!
Wests Tigers
The Crowd’s tip: 11th (20%)
My tip: 10th
The Tigers are another club The Crowd are split on, but 11th came away as their highest vote-getter, with a cluster between eight and thirteen.
The highest they were picked was fifth spot.
The Crowd’s 2019 NRL ladder
1. Sydney Roosters
2. South Sydney Rabbitohs
3. Penrith Panthers
4. Melbourne Storm
5. North Queensland Cowboys
6. Brisbane Broncos
7. St George Illawarra Dragons
8. Newcastle Knights
9. Gold Coast Titans
10. Cronulla Sharks
11. Wests Tigers
12. Canberra Raiders
13. Manly Sea Eagles
14. New Zealand Warriors
15. Parramatta Eels
16. Canterbury Bulldogs
Bryan Gabriel
Guest
My best team Raiders is on his way to the final 2019.
Zenn
Roar Rookie
Ambitious to place baby Broncs at 6.
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
I don't think Roosters will be on top .. there's too much competition this year. In my opinion, the roosters are not very strong in the forwards and without a forward pack which can dominate or atleast be on equal terms with other forward packs, then the halves and backs won't be as effective either. Roosters 5th
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
Agree - the loss of Ferguson seems to be underestimated, I haven't heard much discussion about his departure and the loss it will be for the Roosters.
Renegade
Roar Guru
How many people actually voted Scotty?... like TB and others, I didn’t. I haven’t seen many people not have the sharks in the 8, you’d be foolish to leave them out.... Panthers finishing 3rd seems crazy. Roosters finishing 1st has been consistent on just about every single forum (I’m tipping the same)... I don’t think I’ve seen expectations like that on a team in some time.
Ben
Roar Guru
Pretty close to the mark on most in my opinion. The Sharkies to come in at 10th, one belong the 9th place Titans (who I believe will push for the wooden spoon) is an interesting one though...
Doug Graves
Guest
"North Queensland Cowboys The Crowd’s tip: 5th (15%)" Absolutely ridiculous. Are the voters all smoking something they shouldn't be when it comes to the Cowboys? I cannot for the life of me fathom why so many people rate this team without Thurston propping them up. They'll be lucky to avoid the bottom 4 IMHO. The rest look pretty accurate although I think the Titans are a few places too high as well.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Melbourne Storm Brisbane Broncos Sydney Roosters St. George Illawarra Dragons Parramatta Eels Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Canberra Raiders Penrith Panthers North Queensland Cowboys Newcastle Knights South Sydney Rabbitohs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs New Zealand Warriors Wests Tigers Gold Coast Titans
The Barry
Roar Guru
What about the Bulldogs spine?
Superspud
Roar Rookie
The Roosters are getting all the picks and whilst I do see them as top chances I'm not convinced they are THAT far ahead. I am concerned about their middles, they need JWH to produce big games for them to win if he is a bit off then it's good night. Will really be hoping that Collins and some of the other young fringe players stick their hands up. Other teams will study the unique defensive style employed and either work on beating it or copying it. They actually did make some errors in defense in the WCC and got away from the be patient and no matter what keep the line" structure that won the comp. Injuries go without saying and all teams are vulnerable to that. While Morris is a good player Fergo was the best winger in the game and was a massive factor, what he brings cannot be replaced. Then there is the back to back hoodoo although they did break the pre season favourite hoodoo last season. I think they are favs but I wouldn't be jumping at the 3 to 1 on offer at the moment
Superspud
Roar Rookie
— COMMENT DELETED —
Superspud
Roar Rookie
If I had to pick a team that is hardest to pick it would be the Dragons. They could finish top 2 or could finish 10th or anywhere in between and not surprise me.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
A group of us do this for NRL as well as EPL every year. This year we are doing a combined total for the two competitions. It's a lot of fun and works well with the group.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Who knows Scott it could be other teams that were in the top 8 that drop their bundle. But if I was a Warriors fan I'd be concerned with the loss of Sean Johnson and the Dragons have a reputation for getting in a rut that could cost them at the end of the season. This comp is going to be super compeititve this year.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Fair enough - they do a have a lot more depth this year and should be competing for a spot in the 8 - guess it comes down to attitude at times.
Nat
Roar Guru
Kelly hasn't set the world on fire but he has the right qualities of being a good center. Runs hard, straight and a good fend but for the other 70mins they just loiter around the back for a while. Very inconsistent in the past absolutely. I cannot fault their pack and the addition of Peach, Roberts, Jacks, Brimson I think they have more points and footballing nous. Most likely wrong but it's a quality side - on paper.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Honestly, it wouldn't knock me over if the Dragons missed the eight. I'm pretty confident about our chances, but this competition is ridiculously close, and if that off-field stuff gets to us or the spine doesn't click... A couple of early losses and playing catch-up could be the difference.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Peachey is quality but I'm not convinced by Kelly. I've thought the Titans were going to improve in the past at the start of a new season but they've continued to disappoint. They play well in patches and then go missing for a month.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Sorry Scott - I meant the crowd 4 you've shown above. You'd think the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Panthers would be top 4 candidates but I'm not as convinced about the Storm and Dragons. I'm thinking the Broncos might make the 4 and the Storm will be somewhere between 5th and 8th. This won't make me popular with you but I've said elsewhere that the Dragons and Warriors could be candidates to miss the 8 given there is usually a bit of turnover each year. I know a lot of people are writing off the Sharks but I still think they can figure in the top 6.
Nat
Roar Guru
I've got Titans up around the 8th - 11th spot and wouldn't be too surprised if they managed a place or two higher. IMO, two things severely hindered the Titans: 1) the rortating 5/8 role and those they tried in there decided tackling wasn't part of the agreement. Until Brimson was given his start but even then, a lot of his tries were good solo efforts. Whether it's Brimson, Jacks or Roberts, that issue should be done. 2) Konrad Hurrell was horrendous. Even for Tweed he was average. Peachy and Kelly are high quality and will go a long way to improving their F/A this year.