Round 6 of the 2019 NRL season starts tonight and several teams will be itching to get some much-needed momentum with a win over the weekend.
Of the clubs outside the top eight, the Sharks, Warriors and Panthers are sitting on two wins while the Knights, Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Bulldogs have just one win apiece.
On the Game of Codes podcast, Roar NRL Expert Mary Konstantopoulos and Editor Daniel Jeffrey were posed the question by host Matt Petherick: which of these sides is most in need of a win?
While Jeffrey said the 1-4 Cowboys need to secure the two points to have any hope of keeping their season alive, Konstantopoulos admitted she’s less optimistic about the sides outside the top 11 and argued Cronulla’s home game against Penrith tonight is crucial to the Sharks staying in finals contention. Hear why Cronulla is her pick:
The Sharks have been hit hard by injury in 2019 and will face the Panthers tonight without Matt Moylan, Aaron Woods or Wade Graham. Andrew Fifita and Paul Gallen are tentative selections for the matchup after training with niggling injuries during the week.
While Cronulla have won their last six against Penrith and 11 of the last 13, encounters between the two sides are typically tight contests: just four of the past 12 matches finished with a margin in excess of eight points.
The Sharks will take on the Broncos and Storm in Round 7 and 8 respectively before a clash with the Titans in Brisbane for Magic Round.
Listen to the full episode below or subscribe to Game of Codes on iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts.
Farmer Geddon
Guest
Most teams that fall behind by at least 4 losses can be ruled out as a Premiership threat. You need to be Top 4 to be a realistic chance for the Premiership, which means at least a 16/8 win loss ratio. Teams who are 1/5 after this round will need a 15/3 ratio over remainder of the season -- can't see any of this lot doing that, though they may make the bottom half of the 8.
Andrew Miller
Editor
Is it too early to say the season is already over for every team who is 1-4 heading into the round, or is 1-5 the threshold (surely no later)?
Sammy
Guest
I think there are 4 tiers of Rectangular Football Stadiums: Tier 1 : Internationals, State of Origin, Grand Finals, Semi-Finals... and Brisbane Broncos. Capacity to be 50,000+, eg ANZ (Sydney) and Suncorp (Brisbane) Tier 2: Shared by multiple NRL, Super Rugby and A-League Clubs. Capacity to be 30,000-42,000, eg Bankwest (Parramatta), New Allianz (Sydney), AAMI (Melbourne), New Civic (Canberra). Tier 3: High Class Suburban and Regional - single NRL Club, Capacity to be 21,000 to 29,000, eg Panthers (Penrith), Shark Park (Cronulla) and Brookvale (Manly) in Sydney Metro, plus Newcastle, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Townsville and Gosford. Tier 4: Heritage NRL, NSW / Qld Cup, Regional Cities, Capacity to be 10,000 to 20,000, eg Henson Park, North Sydney Oval, Leichhardt, Belmore, Kogarah, Campbelltown, Bathurst, Tamworth. The challenge for the Tier 3 - High Class Suburban and Regional Stadiums in Manly, Penrith and Cronulla is to develop entertainment precincts around their stadiums, which requires negotiating with the Local Councils.
Rob
Guest
Agree re Knights. Don't think the Sharks would be too worried considering how hard they've been hit by injury. Graham and Moylan back in the next few weeks a huge boost.
RandyM
Guest
I would say The Knights need a win desperately. They were expected to do better than they have. Pressure is mounting on Nathan Brown. They have a winnable game against the Titans who are also desperate to get off the bottom of the ladder. Broncos and Cowboys have tough away games against Raiders and Warriors... All 3 QLD sides could be in big big trouble after this weekend...