Official NRL 2006 Thread

[Simon]

the season starts in 3 weeks from tomorrow, and im starting to get excited, now the international cricket has finished it really has started to feel like League season. So whats everyone's predicitions? ill make mine first...
Table after 26 rounds
1 Brisbane
2 Bulldogs
3 Dragons
4 Knights
5 Eels
6 Raiders
7 Cowboys
8 Roosters
9 Eagles
10 Tigers
11 Souths
12 Sharks
13 Warriors
14 Storm
15 Panthers

Premiers: Dragons
Runners Up: Bulldogs
Prelim finals: Broncos and Raiders
Top Pointscorer: Hazem El Masri
Top Try Scorer: Brett Stewart
State of Origin: Qld 2-1
Other Predictions: Andrew Johns to get another serious injury.
Roosters to have a horror start but to come home strongly and make the 8.
Tigers to be terribly inconsistent and lose their last 5 and narrowly miss the finals.
Souths to be in the top 6 after 8 weeks.
Panthers will win less than 6 games all season.
Gold Coast will sign a high profile fullback (origin player).
Scott Prince to leave Tigers.
Broncos to again suffer late season failure and crash out a week before the grand final.
The dally M medal will be won by a player whose team finished outside the top 8. (possibly Matt Orford)
Origin debutants will include Eric Grothe and Ben Creagh.
Raiders to again get snubbed by rep selectors.

obviously ive left myself open to some humble pie being served up in 30 weeks, but i figure at least 1 predicition will be right!

[Blaze]

Table After 26 Rounds

1. Eels
2. Dragons
3. Broncos
4. Cowboys
5. Bulldogs
6. Roosters
7. Tigers
8. Sea Eagles
9. Knights
10. Warriors
11. Sharks
12. Panthers
13. Rabbitohs
14. Storm
15. Raiders


Premiers: Eels(In Brian Smith's last year)
Runners Up: Bulldogs

More to come

[Blaze]

I can't wait either btw. Ivan Cleary should do good things for the Warriors club. If he introduces some of the young home grown talent like Anderson did in 02 and gives the boys a bit more of a liscence to throw the ball round then we could be a dark horse for the 8.

Being the Warriors though they will **** things up somehow and some sort of controversy will arise at some point of the season.

Btw Simon, predictions for Anzac test?

[steds]

Table after 26 rounds

1. Dragons
2. Eels
3. Bulldogs
4. Cowboys
5. Broncos
6. Sea Eagles
7. Knights
8. Roosters
9. Sharks
10. Tigers
11 Warriors
12. Raiders
13. Rabbitohs
14. Storm
15. Panthers

Premiers: Bulldogs
Runners Up: Dragons
State of Origin: NSW 2-1
Top Try Scorer: You'll say I'm stupid, but I'm backing my main man Darren Albert

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Blaze

Btw Simon, predictions for Anzac test?

tbh i have very little interest in International League, i only watched one of the tri nations matches, ill prolly end up watching the Anzac test but not with muc enthusiasm, fo arguments sake ill say Australia will win by 18...

[howardj]

Originally Posted by broncoman

the season starts in 3 weeks from tomorrow, and im starting to get excited, now the international cricket has finished it really has started to feel like League season. So whats everyone's predicitions? ill make mine first...
Table after 26 rounds
1 Brisbane
2 Bulldogs
3 Dragons
4 Knights
5 Eels
6 Raiders
7 Cowboys
8 Roosters
9 Eagles
10 Tigers
11 Souths
12 Sharks
13 Warriors
14 Storm
15 Panthers

Premiers: Dragons
Runners Up: Bulldogs
Prelim finals: Broncos and Raiders
Top Pointscorer: Hazem El Masri
Top Try Scorer: Brett Stewart
State of Origin: Qld 2-1
Other Predictions: Andrew Johns to get another serious injury.
Roosters to have a horror start but to come home strongly and make the 8.
Tigers to be terribly inconsistent and lose their last 5 and narrowly miss the finals.
Souths to be in the top 6 after 8 weeks.
Panthers will win less than 6 games all season.
Gold Coast will sign a high profile fullback (origin player).
Scott Prince to leave Tigers.
Broncos to again suffer late season failure and crash out a week before the grand final.
The dally M medal will be won by a player whose team finished outside the top 8. (possibly Matt Orford)
Origin debutants will include Eric Grothe and Ben Creagh.
Raiders to again get snubbed by rep selectors.

obviously ive left myself open to some humble pie being served up in 30 weeks, but i figure at least 1 predicition will be right!

That's why Broncoman is known as 'Broncoman'

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by broncoman

tbh i have very little interest in International League, i only watched one of the tri nations matches, ill prolly end up watching the Anzac test but not with muc enthusiasm, fo arguments sake ill say Australia will win by 18...

International league is set to go through a golden period... Well at least trans tasman league is about to.


Aren't you even the slightest bit interested now that NZ seem to have put together a decent team?

[Umpire Money]

Looks like everyone has as much faith in my panthers as I do.

Especially if gower is released. But i think the panthers can win more than 6 games.

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by Blaze

Premiers: Eels(In Brian Smith's last year)
Runners Up: Bulldogs

More to come

Wooden Spooners - Raiders
Origin - 3-0 to NSW
New Zealand to win the ANZAC test by 10 points +
Broncos to do what they do every year
Warriors to be in last position for the first 5-10 rounds
Dally M - Benji Marhsall
Matthew Elliot to be sacked mid season
Sonny Bill won't get on the paddock this season
Brett Finch to be picked for origin due to a Johns injury
Sea Eagles, Knights, Sharks and Rabbitohs to start strong and fade away.
Top point scorer - Michael Ennis
Top try scorer - Eric Grothe.

[Tim]

One thing is for certain....Warriors will NOT make the top 8.

[age_master]

Cowboys to win!

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by Tim

One thing is for certain....Warriors will NOT make the top 8.

I wouldn't go that far. I would give us a 15-20% chance. It totally depends on if the players like Toopi, Vatuvai, Webb etc continue on with the form they showed in the tri nations and whether Cleary introduces the young talent that we have into the squad.

Cleary is a much better coach than Kemp IMO so we will see.

[Tim]

Cleary is about as unproven as Tony Kemp was at NRL level last season so im not sure how you can rate Clearly any higher at this stage.

Kemp didn't have an entirely bad season last year. Never at any stage were the Warriors thrashed. They seemed to lose by only 6 points or less so it was very frustrating.

Cleary has a big job on his hands because really he has a weaker squad than Kemp had last year so I hope the board isn't expecting miracles, because I can't see it happening.

[PANIC!]

I can't wait as well...for the AFL

[Simon]

Originally Posted by howardj

That's why Broncoman is known as 'Broncoman'

tbh i think we will just hold on, our team isnt all that different from last year and we were just 1 win from the minor premiership, i dont think we will win the comp again until Wayne Bennett leaves, i just dont think he has the ability to get that extra 10% out of a team to win a premiership anymore...