Tomorrow night, the 2020 NRL season will kick-off in Parramatta, and now, it’s time to reveal who will be the top two teams come September.

2. Parramatta Eels

Hosting the season opener at their fabulous stadium will be a great way to start festivities, but far greater is on the horizon for the Eels.

Parra came into 2019 with no real expectations but finished with a top-eight finish that could have been higher and a 58-0 demolition of Brisbane in the first week of the finals.

While the club fell apart when tasked with travelling to Melbourne in the second week, it was a season which has put them on the right trajectory, and it’s difficult to work out the reasons they won’t finish at the pointy end in 2020.

Playing at their new home after being nomads for years worked a dream for Parramatta, and while they need to learn to win on the road, that will come with experience, which is slowly building.

There is talent as far as the eye can see in Brad Arthur’s side, and it’s not difficult to understand why they are one of the likely competition heavyweights.

Squad

Clint Gutherson (c), Daniel Alvaro, Waqa Blake, Dylan Brown, Nathan Brown, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Andrew Davey, Rhys Davies, Haze Dunster, Kane Evans, Blake Ferguson, David Gower, George Jennings, Michael Jennings, Oregon Kaufusi, Shaun Lane, Reed Mahoney, Ryan Matterson, Mitchell Moses, Marata Niukore, Ethan Parry, Junior Paulo, Jaeman Salmon, Maika Sivo, Will Smith, Ray Stone, Brad Takairangi, Peni Terepo, Stefano Utoikamanu

Development players: Watson Heleta, David Hollis, Sam Hughes, Kyle Schneider

Coach: Brad Arthur
Captain: Clint Gutherson

Ins: Waqa Blake (Penrith Panthers mid 2019), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Penrith Panthers), Rhys Davies (development), Haze Dunster (development), Ryan Matterson (Wests Tigers), Ethan Parry (development)

Outs: Bevan French (Wigan Warriors mid 2019), Josh Hoffman (Townsville Blackhawks), Greg Lelisiuao (Gold Coast Titans), Tim Mannah (retired), Manu Ma’u (Hull FC), Tepai Moeroa (Super Rugby, Waratahs), Kaysa Pritchard (retired)

The best 17
1. Clint Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Michael Jennings
4. Waqa Blake
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Kane Evans
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Ryan Matterson
13. Nathan Brown
Interchange
14. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
15. Marata Niukore
16. Daniel Alvaro
17. Brad Takairangi

Team overview
It should be noted that the teams you see are my opinion of the best 17, not what has been named yesterday.

This looks a classy team on paper, and if the Eels perform to their best, they are going to be exciting to watch.

Their list of losses from the side who outshone all reasonable expectation 12 months ago is slim, with only Manu Ma’u, Tepai Moeroa and Tim Mannah of any note.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Ryan Matterson headline the arrivals, bulking up their pack substantially.

Campbell-Gillard will fight with Kane Evans for a spot to start in the front row alongside Junior Paulo, while the rest of the forwards seemingly picks themselves. Shaun Lane and Matterson will be a dominant second row, while Reed Mahoney and Nathan Brown are both dangerous.

What must be most pleasing to fans of the blue and gold is how settled they are, with the backline virtually locked in unless injury strikes. Maika Sivo and Blake Ferguson are two of the best wingers in the competition, while Clint Gutherson, Mitchell Moses, Michael Jennings and Waqa Blake would walk into most sides.

Strengths
They are wide and varied, but it’s hard to go past what Parra will do in the middle third – where they are arguably strongest in the competition.

Whether it’s Evans or Campbell-Gillard joining Paulo up front to start, with Brown at lock and the likes of Daniel Alvaro and Marata Niukore off the bench, it’s one heck of a side to run through the middle of other teams.

Joined up with Matterson and Lane on the outside – who are two of the more versatile, fast and agile second rowers – a mountain high-quality ball should get to the outside men.

It means, like they did last year, that Parramatta have the potential to run up big scores, and do it often.

Moses’ kicking game also has to rate a mention, with the half on fire at times last year. Whether it was long-range or short-range, he seemingly had the right option for every situation, and it was little surprise he ended up so high on the Dally M leaderboard.

To the contrary of what’s about to come, Bankwest Stadium is also a strength, although it’s unclear if some of that advantage will disappear this year.

Weaknesses
It’s hard to identify much wrong, but their 2019 season will tell you exactly what needs correcting if they are to contend for the premiership.

Defence, and playing away from home with the same energy and consistency with which they play at home.

The fact Parramatta could only muster five victories away in 2019 (and one of them was at Bankwest) is a major cause for concern, while their defence was inconsistent, leaking 32 in a finals game and north of 30 four times in the regular season.

Simply put, a premiership team doesn’t let those kinds of scores in, but the Eels should be able to learn and improve.

The only real spot of weakness in their 17 may be a little bit of the bench, and their edge defence, with Sivo still picking the wrong positioning at times, while Alvaro and Brad Takairangi are solid from the pine, but could get run over by some of the competition’s better forwards.

Another potential issue is a lack of experience in key positions when the going gets tough, but Gutherson, Moses, Brown and Mahoney should have learnt a lot from last year.

Fixture breakdown

Teams to play twice: Canterbury Bulldogs, North Queensland Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm, St George Illawarra Dragons, Penrith Panthers
Five-day turnarounds: 3
Seven plus day turnarounds: 13
Best home run: Round 11 – 22 (8 out of 11)
Worst away run: Round 2 – 10 (7 out of 9)

If there was ever a draw which went in runs, it’s this year for Parramatta.

From Round 2, they play seven of their next nine on the road, including three in Queensland, one in Darwin and one in Melbourne, before they turn it around and play eight of their next 11 at home, with the only trips out of Sydney being to Canberra and Brisbane.

Don’t be at all surprised to see the Eels suddenly go from fringe of the eight to superstars once they go past Round 10, but it’s certainly going to be a test early.

Their double-up list is handy as well, with only the Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Storm appearing on it out of last year’s top eight, and their run home, which includes the Dragons, Knights and Panthers, couldn’t read like more of a dream.

Three dreaded five-day turnarounds won’t help though.

1. Melbourne Storm

The dictionary definition of the word ‘consistency’ should be changed to simply read ‘Melbourne Storm’, because this club are the picture of it.

While Cameron Smith is another year older and seemingly will never actually slow down, the youngsters are also a year older, and it’s hard to see them not at least match their run to the preliminary finals last year.

Even though they fell short to the Sydney Roosters in that penultimate match – a grand final replay come a week early if you will – it was another stunning season for the men in purple, who simply continue to defy the odds.

No matter what stands in Melbourne’s way, they get the job done, and will continue to do so with a strong forward pack and talent all the way down their roster.

With the experience of Smith on the field and Craig Bellamy off it, few teams hold a candle to the Storm in that element, and anything less than a top-four finish would surprise.

They look the pick of the bunch.

Squad

Cameron Smtih (c), Josh Addo-Carr, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jesse Bromwich, Kenneath Bromwich, Sandor Earl, Tom Eisenhuth, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Dale Finucane, Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes, Nico Hynes, Ryley Jacks, Cooper Johns, Tui Kamikamica, Felise Kaufusi, Max King, Brenko Lee, Isaac Lumelume, Cameron Munster, Justin Olam, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Aaron Pene, Darryn Schonig, Marion Seve, Brandon Smith, Albert Vete, Suliasi Vunivalu, Christian Welch

Development players: Kelma Tuilagai

Coach: Craig Bellamy
Captain: Cameron Smith

Ins: Nico Hynes (Sunshine Coast Falcons mid 2019), Ryley Jacks (Gold Coast Titans), Cooper Johns (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Max King (Gold Coast Titans mid 2019), Brenko Lee (Gold Coast Titans), Isaac Lumelume (Cronulla Sharks mid 2019), Aaron Pene (Central Queensland Capras mid 2019)

Outs: Cheyse Blair (Castleford Tigers), Will Chambers (Japanese rugby), Brodie Croft (Brisbane Broncos), Curtis Scott (Canberra Raiders), Joe Stimson (Canterbury Bulldogs), Billy Walters (Wests Tigers)

The best 17
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen
2. Suliasi Vunivalu
3. Marion Seve
4. Justin Olam
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Jesse Bromwich
9. Cameron Smith
10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
11. Felise Kaufusi
12. Kenny Bromwich
13. Dale Finucane
Interchange:
14. Brandon Smith
15. Tui Kamikamica
16. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
17. Christian Welch

Team overview
Joe Stimson and Brodie Croft the biggest losses, although Croft had been replaced in the starting 17 by the back end of last year.

On top of that, struggling centre Will Chambers has departed, while Cheyse Blair and the promising Billy Walters also leave, but those names won’t have a tangible impact.

As is often the case with a Bellamy-coached side, there are no superstar gains, but a good helping of depth players will keep things ticking along nicely.

Their young spine – featuring the exciting Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes, but led by Cameron Munster and Cameron Smith – is solid, while Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr provide flare on the wings, and Justin Olam and Marion Seve lock down the centre spots.

Like the backline, the forward pack is settled. Watch for Tino F’asuamaleaui to make his mark from the bench, with the likes of Harry Grant, Tom Eisenhuth, Max King and Darryn Schonig not even mentioned.

Strengths
It’s rare a player on his own can be the team’s biggest strength, but that is exactly what the Storm get out of Smith.

Their 400-game veteran has it all – passing, running, kicking and defence – but to go on top of that is the calm head he brings to tense situations, always able to pick the right play. It’s like having a coach in your starting 13 each week.

Then there is the pace the side play with. They are full of agile forwards, and because of the service Smith provides out of hooker, there is always the opportunity to catch defensive lines, especially at the back end of halves, off guard.

That’s then capitalised on by Vunivalu and Addo-Carr, who are two of the fastest players in the game. That should only get better and better this year with Papenhuyzen permanently at fullback, and ball runners Munster and Hughes in the halves.

Weaknesses
Melbourne might have plenty of options to keep their kicking game going, but unlike last year, when Croft was at the helm, they have no main kicker this year.

When you think of the great teams, they have always had a kicking leader, whether that be Cooper Cronk, Adam Reynolds or another.

The Storm don’t have that. Munster will have to stick his hand up, but he is a natural ball runner, and so that could stagnate his performance, as it seemed to in the finals last year once Croft was no longer in the 17.

Fixture breakdown

Teams to play twice: New Zealand Warriors, Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney Rabbitohs, North Queensland Cowboys, Parramatta Eels, Sydney Roosters, Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders
Five-day turnarounds: 3
Seven plus day turnarounds: 17
Best home run: Round 3-8 (5 out of 6)
Worst away run: Round 14-20 (5 out of 7)

The Storm have the equal most five-day turnarounds and one of the tougher double-up lists, with the Sharks, Rabbitohs, Eels, Cowboys, Roosters and Raiders all appearing, so if they are going to finish at the top, they’ll have to do it the hard way.

Surrendering a home game to Magic Round won’t make life any easier either, although playing four of their first seven at home allows momentum to build, with the Panthers, Titans, Warriors and Dragons all listed in the early going.

While they have some softer games first up, Melbourne will be battle-hardened by the time finals arrive, with the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Eels and Raiders all featuring in their last six rounds, including a tough trip to Canberra for their final game of the season.

Hopefully you have enjoyed this series. It’s been a blast to write once again. Now, let’s get on with the footy.

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The final ladder prediction

1. Melbourne Storm
2. Parramatta Eels
3. Sydney Roosters
4. South Sydney Rabbitohs
5. Canberra Raiders
6. North Queensland Cowboys
7. Manly Sea Eagles
8. Cronulla Sharks
9. Penrith Panthers
10. St George Illawarra Dragons
11. Newcastle Knights
12. Brisbane Broncos
13. Canterbury Bulldogs
14. Gold Coast Titans
15. New Zealand Warriors
16. Wests Tigers

Part 1: The bottom two
Part 2: Rounding out the bottom four
Part 3: Not terrible, not good, just average
Part 4: Middle of the road
Part 5: Making up the numbers
Part 6: Missing the four
Part 7: The contenders