2018 Long Range Ladder Predictor

Well, bring on 2018.

Let's see how we go with this, eidt as often as you want up until Game 1 2018

Storm (only if Slater goes around again, they'll drop to 3-6 without him)
Cowboys
Broncos
Roosters
Bulldogs
Panthers
Eels
Manly

Bottom 8 will depend a lot on who if anyone picks up Cronk. He puts St G, Sharks and maybe even Tigers in the 8

St George
Sharks
Raiders
Knights
Tigers
Rabbitohs
Titans
Warriors

With Few outs and if they'd stay injury free I can't see anyone stopping the Cowboys. JT will be better for missing the back end of this season and not playing a Origin. Morgan and LoLo will only get better and MCClean will help the pack. They are my tip to win It think all next year.

Storm
Roosters
Cowboys
Dragons
Broncos
Eels
Panthers
Sharks

Manly
Bulldogs
Raiders
Rabbitohs
Titans
Knights
Tigers
Warriors

breaking mine into 5 tiers, i have done orders in the tiers but they are all fairly close

Tier 1 (avoiding injury, they will the biggest title threats)
Roosters
Cowboys
storm

Tier 2 (look like safe bets for the 8 but still a rung below the top 3)
Parra
Broncos
Cronulla

Tier 3 (capable of really contending but also capable of not making the
Raiders
Penrith
Dragons

Tier 4 (will compete for a top 8 spot most of the season, likely at least 1 ends up making it)
Manly
Souths
Bulldogs

Tier 5 ( hard to put one of these 4 up yet but i am sure at least 1 goes better, if i had to pick it would be tigers)
Tigers
Warriors
Knights
Titans

Top 4
Melbourne
Sydney
NQld
Brisbane

Top 8
Parramatta
Canberra
Penrith
Cronulla

Just Missing
Manly
NZ
StGeorge
Souths

Bottom
Wests
Gold Coast
Canterbury
50 Feet of Crap

Even Worse
Newcastle

1. Cowboys - take the grand finalists and add Thurston, Scott, & McLean. Sounds like heavy favourites to me.
2. Storm - will of course be affected by losing Cronk. Those bastards just keep finishing at or near the top of the table though.
3. Broncos - as long as they find a halfback
4. Parra - would be a poor season if they don't make top 4
5. Roosters - always dangerous. Will probably play outside Sydney once all year
6. Sea Eagles - Should be good, particularly if they get Moylan
7. Panthers - Will dominate lower grades but not NRL
8. Doggies - will be better
9. Raiders - too inconsistent but could beat anyone
10. Rabbitohs - change of coach + Inglis and Gagai should make them better
11. Sharks - a year older
12. Dragons - no explanation needed
13. Tigers - will be better, but not good enough for the top 8
14. Titans - should be starting pre-season soon and still no coach. Back Office not fixed yet
15. Knights - Will improve, but not enough for top 8
16. Warriors - I've given up on them since they had NZ spine and still finished well outside 8.

I think 8-16 will be pretty close. Wouldn't be surprised if 26 points make the 8.

It's so hard for a team not chock full of rep p,ayers to consistently make the 8 let alone the 4, that is why the likes of Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Cowboys, pretty much consistently make it, with the odd "write it off" year. Those team have zero excuse with their rosters not to make the 4, so for any other team to make it it is a solid effort.

Eels will be in a dog fight for the top 8 given it will be close and there are a number of teams fighting for it. It will be a big disappointment if they don't make the 8, but it won't be a failed season if they don't make the 4 with their roster. There is no doubt we exceeded expectations this year, so teams will be really taking us seriously every week. We should still be good enough for the 8 though.

Ice wrote:It's so hard for a team not chock full of rep p,ayers to consistently make the 8 let alone the 4, that is why the likes of Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Cowboys, pretty much consistently make it, with the odd "write it off" year. Those team have zero excuse with their rosters not to make the 4, so for any other team to make it it is a solid effort.

Jeez you're a sook sometimes

dasherhalo wrote:

Jeez you're a sook sometimes

I know you gave me the "razz" emoji above, but seriously, how is that sooking? It is hard for teams not chock full of stars to consistently make the 4, it's even hard for some that are chock full to do it consistently especially if injuries play a role.

Sorry, it was the wrong one - I couldn't find the broken record emoji. You tend to weave in a mention of everyone else's advantages into nearly every post. it's quite the skill.....

But seriously - it's the off season. Even Pieman and OSM / Ryno aren't fighting. I'm bored, don't read too much into it

I don't have much hope for the Warriors but are people really convinced they'll get their first ever spoon?

Don't see it. Harris and Blair are improvements over Hoffman and Lillyman.
Be interesting to see who plays as five-eighth for us but I can't see us getting the spoon.

I think we'll finish 8th-12th.

dasherhalo wrote: Even Pieman and OSM / Ryno aren't fighting. I'm bored, don't read too much into it :)

Never heard of her.

filthridden wrote:I don't have much hope for the Warriors but are people really convinced they'll get their first ever spoon?

Don't see it. Harris and Blair are improvements over Hoffman and Lillyman.
Be interesting to see who plays as five-eighth for us but I can't see us getting the spoon.

I think we'll finish 8th-12th.

Not really. More a protest against them that I pick them to be somewhere 4-8 pretty much every year, only for them to finish 13th. It'll be nice for them to finish above my prediction for a change. Those forwards are an improvement, but then on paper who ever is 5/8 will be a step down.

dasherhalo wrote:Sorry, it was the wrong one - I couldn't find the broken record emoji. You tend to weave in a mention of everyone else's advantages into nearly every post. it's quite the skill.....

But seriously - it's the off season. Even Pieman and OSM / Ryno aren't fighting. I'm bored, don't read too much into it

Haha, fair enough. I can't see how mentioning having multiple reps stars a couple times is "weaving" anything, but accept when you're as shite as the Eels have been over many years, you do see the good that other teams possess quite easily.

leaguegod wrote:breaking mine into 5 tiers, i have done orders in the tiers but they are all fairly close

Tier 1 (avoiding injury, they will the biggest title threats)
Roosters
Cowboys
storm

Tier 2 (look like safe bets for the 8 but still a rung below the top 3)
Parra
Broncos
Cronulla

Tier 3 (capable of really contending but also capable of not making the
Raiders
Penrith
Dragons

Tier 4 (will compete for a top 8 spot most of the season, likely at least 1 ends up making it)
Manly
Souths
Bulldogs

Tier 5 ( hard to put one of these 4 up yet but i am sure at least 1 goes better, if i had to pick it would be tigers)
Tigers
Warriors
Knights
Titans

if pearce does indeed sign with manly, i'm putting them up a tier

if i was to move a team down to replace them, it'd probably be the raiders