The NRL is now only a small number of sleeps away and everything around the league is heating up, including my ladder prediction as we are now nearing the top four.
6. Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels begin another year knowing that they hold the current longest premiership drought. A usual trend occurred in the first half of last year’s season as the Eels held a record of 12-3 after Round 15.
The Eels more than often seem like a team that shows lot of promise for parts of the season, however, fall off the rails in the long run. They commonly look like they just lose their spark and their mentality switches towards the end of the season – and I don’t mean that in a good way.
They start to play scrappy footy and not free-flowing side-to side football, which is what they’re best at. The blue and gold men showed a version of this in 2021 as after looking like a top-class team, they had a period where they lost five of seven games.
Three of these losses had differences of at least 28 points. Despite that end phase, they had an alright finals series as they were two points short of progressing to the prelims.
The Eels have some slight changes to their side as Blake Ferguson and Michael Oldfield were released, Keegan Hipgrave retired, and Will Smith has found a new home on the Gold Coast.
Mitch Rein has been snagged from the Titans, however, he looks to be nowhere in the likely Round 1 line-up. The only recruited player who seems to be in Brad Arthur’s probable starting team is winger Bailey Simonsson.
I believe that the Eels will once again look hot in periods, however, they’ll end up in a spot that’s near the cusp of the finals.
5. Cronulla Sharks
The Sharks’ points differential stood in the way of them playing finals footy in 2021 as the eighth-placed Titans got the better of them in that department.
The problem for the Sharks last season was not in attack discipline, rather it was the discipline on defence as they held the title for highest total missed tackles in the league.
The Cronulla Sharks will be one of the most exciting teams to watch in 2022. They have a re-shaped team, and the new additions will mean so much to how this team performs and their results.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Cronulla have signed some big names, including Nicho Hynes, Cameron McInnes, Dale Finucane, and Matt Ikuvalu. I am most excited to see how Hynes performs in the halfback role alongside Matt Moylan as that’s a very interesting combination. If it works it could be very deadly.
Plus having Will Kennedy playing fullback, who I think is one of the more underrated players in the competition. Kennedy can turn it on, and he is a superb game manager.
The addition of McInnes will be quality as they will have his strength and toughness in the 9 jersey, plus Blayke Brailey to come off the bench in the utility role.
Cameron will also be a great help to the Sharkies’ defence ,who were ranked second-last in 2021.
To add to this, Cronulla have a great forward pack and Dale Finucane will be a further upgrade to the forward group.
I think that Cronulla will surprise a lot of people this season and I believe that they are a dark horse to make the top four.
mushi
Roar Guru
Well if your top 17 isn't good enough to beat someone else's depth you can hardly say your depth is of equivalent quality. It's even more indefensible coming from some who labelled the author's prediction of the same finish as last year as "rubbish". If it's such a cracker team how did it finish behind a rooster that had visited the abattoir?
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Getting social skills advice while online. Yeah good one genius
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Seriously, you have the reading skills of a 5 year old (figure out the ‘ twice if you…Ben Hunt haunt’ , and the social skills of a Neanderthal. ‘September 17th, 2018 1:47 pm BEN Hunt will head home to Queensland to get away from rugby league as he fears his end-of-season form with St George Illawarra may have cost him a possible Australian jersey.’ Goodness..
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
You mean Ben Hunt....who was playing playing at the Broncos? Are you just trolling or are you honestly that stupid?
souvalis
Roar Rookie
So you do want to bring up your million dollar man's 'worse play of the season'.. begging for pain. (Read before you flap off).
KenW
Roar Rookie
They really live rent-free in there don't they?
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Actually the Dragons played finals in 2015 and 2018. I'd you're going to dribble make it accurate dribble
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Or we could mention the Sharks being over the cap in the years preceding and following 2016 but we're somehow compliant in their premiership year. Nothing suspicious at all there
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
That had nothing to do with depth
Smoked
Roar Rookie
Hard not to agree. Sorry to Sharknado on your parade Christo, this sharks team has a few good recruits but it’s a bit optimistic to think their halves will be good enough to steer them to 5th.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
In that 7 year parameter Sharks have missed the 8 once (on a countback). That's not often enough ? Conversely the dear old Dragons have made the 8 once, sorry twice if you want a Ben Hunt haunt re lit... way back in 2015 prefacing a dismal cluster of 15ths, 11ths and 12ths.
Dionysus
Guest
I think these predictions will turn out to be pretty accurate though I doubt that either team will advance very far in the finals. Its nice to see the Sharks finally changing the shape of their team from one that always used to have an air of "thuggishness" about it to one that looks like it has some genuine excitement. Capturing Nicho Hynes signature was a real plus that I think will pay big dividends for the Sharks this season. As for the Eels, my assessment of them is that they have gone backwards from last year (sorry Eels fans). I expect them to come out of the blocks firing but the usual fade before the finals will sent in as they fall back down the ladder. Sixth is likely where they will finish but it would not surprise me to see them even lower.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Love me a pre season countdown! Nice stuff. If Dylan Brown has a great season, the Eels are dangerous. He's a tad overrated for mine, but he could be the difference. Sharks defence will be better you'd think with Fitzy cracking the whip but a top 8 finish would be more than enough. Use Moylan off the bench, Trindall is tougher and a goal kicker. Build for the next few years.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Careful, don't want to open up the non-Storm 2010 season debate...
no one in particular
Roar Guru
They should go through the middle more. Their best players are 8 & 9. However, their biggest egos are 1, 6 & 7
no one in particular
Roar Guru
So Sharks 11th?
KenW
Roar Rookie
If this were to hold true it's a pity Cronulla aren't a more competitive team and could ride the Dragons into finals contention more often...
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Not really. The Dragons have definitely struggled in recent seasons but look primed for a much better year. Unlike Sharks fans, Dragons fans don't walk around with a massive chip on their shoulder. 1 premiership in 54 years? Must hurt
KenW
Roar Rookie
Him too.
Malo
Guest
Eels will smash the Sharks.