Rabbitohs
2013 finish – 2nd
Predicted 2014 finish
– 1st
The Rabbitohs endured a successful but frustrating 2013.
They finished regular season play losing to the Roosters in a game that decided
the minor premiership, bounced back to beat the Storm in the first week of the
finals earning a week off, then were tipped over in the preliminary finals by
the Sea Eagles. On paper the Bunnies are arguably the best team in the competition.
Their strength and skill in the forwards is unmatched and they have a dream
spine that is bested by perhaps only the Storm. Bunnies fans haven’t enjoyed a
premiership since 1971, they’ve had their team taken away, endured multiple
wooden spoons, they now have a team that is built to win, it’s premiership or
bust for the Bunnies in 2014.
The dream headline – Mystery
fifth Burgess brother unveiled.
The nightmare
headline – Greg Inglis succumbs to knee injury.
Additions – Joel Reddy, Joe Picker, Chris Grevsmuhl,
Kirisome Auva’a, Lote Tuqiri.
Losses – Nathan Peats,
Roy Asotasi, Matt King, Michael
Crocker, Andrew Everingham, Justin Hunt, Dylan Farrell, Josh Starling,
Christian Hazard, Jeff Lima, Mitchell Buckett, Tyrone Phillips, Daniel Smith,
Fetuli Talanoa
Sea Eagles
2013 finish – 4th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 2nd
Despite going down in the grand final, Manly showed an
incredible amount of grit and determination throughout a gruelling 2013 finals
campaign. The second best defense and fourth best attack in the NRL in 2013,
the Sea Eagles have retained the majority of their core for another attempt in
2014. They’re battle hardened and know the demands what a premiership requires
with many of their stars being on board during the Sea Eagles 2011 premiership
success. The young halves pairing of Cherry-Evans (24) and Foran (23) are
continuing to blossom into the most complete halves combination in the NRL and
they’re surrounded by veteran stars all over the field.
The dream headline – Cherry-Evans
form cements Queensland number 7 jersey
The nightmare
headline – Cherry-Evans wants to be closer to home
Additions – Cheyse Blair, Josh Starling, Delroy Berryman,
Jayden Hodges, Tyson Andrews, Dunamis Lui, Jack Littlejohn, Mark O’Dare, Manaia
Rudolph.
Losses – Brent Kite,
George Rose, David Gower, Joe Gaulvao, Jacob Gagan
Roosters
2013 finish – 1st
Predicted 2014 finish
– 3rd
The dream headline – Tuivasa-Sheck
blossoms with move to custodian role.
The nightmare
headline – Channel Nine takes you inside the head of SBW as he plays his last game at ANZ stadium, his last game at Mt
Smart, his last game against the Broncos, his last game against the Tigers….
Additions – Remi
Casty, Jackson Hastings, Jonathon Rueben, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Heath L’Estrange,
Curtis Naughton, Kem Seru
Losses – Josh Ailaomai, Martin
Kennedy, Adam Henry, Henare Wells, Jack Bosden, John Asiata, Tinirau Arona,
Michael Oldfield, Luke O’Donnell
Storm
2013 finish – 3rd
Predicted 2014 finish
– 4th
Every year we hear about age creeping up on “the big three”
and yet they continue to perform at all levels of the game. Until they show me
otherwise, I’ll continue to back a team with Smith, Cronk and Slater to finish
in the top four. They’ve lost a couple of key pieces, but Bellamy has shown
time and time again that he can turn rocks into gold, as long as his three key
pieces are on hand the Storm will be amongst the elite of the competition. They may start a little slowly, but come the
business end they’ll be right there. Ben Roberts has all the talent in the
world but is incredibly frustrating to watch, if Bellamy can work his magic
with him, watch out.
The dream headline – Smith
signs new deal with the Storm
The nightmare
headline – Smith agrees to deal with Broncos
Additions – George Rose, Travis Robinson, Cody Walker, Hymel
Hunt, Felise Kaufusi, Cameron Munster, Dayne Weston, Ben Roberts, Joel Romelo
Losses – Gareth Widdop,
Maurice Blair, Jason Ryles, Brett Finch, Junior Sa’u, Lagi Setu, Jurusine
Auva’a, Matt McGahan
Titans
2013 finish – 9th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 5th
The Titans missed the top eight by just 2 points, if not for
a couple of key injuries things could have easily turned out differently. The
Titans put together a new halves combination in 2013 that very swiftly became
one of the better pairings in the NRL. Sezer and Kelly, each just 22 years of
age, bring the full compliment. Sezer provides the structure, precision kicking
to navigate a team around the park, Kelly provides a game-breaking spark that
few in the NRL possess. They have some of the fastest backs in the competition
in Mead and Gordon and are led by three of the premier Origin forwards of
recent times in Bird, Myles and Harrison and while they’ve lost the enigmatic Jamal
Idris, Maurice Blair could serve them very well. The Titans are my surprise package for 2014.
The dream headline – Sezer
and Kelly cement themselves amongst the NRLs best
The nightmare
headline – Cartwright shown the door
Additions – Maurice Blair,
Kalifa Faifai Loa, Siuatonga Likiliki, Paul Carter ,Christian Hazard, Bad
Tigher
Losses – Luke O’Dwyer,
Hymel Hunt, Marmin Barba, Jordan Rankin, Mark O’Dare, Matthew Russell, Jamal Idris
Warriors
2013 finish – 11th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 6th
We’re all familiar with the typical clichés when it comes to
the Warriors consistency and 2013 only reinforced them. While their 11th
place finish is somewhat deceptive, they were actually only 2 points away from
tying for the 8th spot however they were handed multiple big
floggings during the year and let several games get away from them that they
should have wrapped up. They lose one of their linchpins in Elijah Taylor, but bring
to the NRL perhaps the biggest UK superstar in fullback Sam Tomkins. If Tomkins
can come anywhere close to replicating his performances in the Super League, he’ll
be amongst the elite of the competition. If Shaun Johnson can deliver
consistently each week, he could get them to the top 8 on his own, Chad
Townsend could be the ideal foil for him.
The dream headline – Tomkins
lives up to the hype
The nightmare
headline – Ben Matulino wants out
Additions – Sam Tomkins,
Jayson Bukuya, Chad Townsend
Losses – Elijah Taylor,
Steve Rapira, Russell Packer, Todd Lowrie, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Pita Godinet
Cowboys
2013 finish – 8th
Predicted 2014 finish
-7th
The Cowboys have lost three big names for 2014, fortunately
none of those are Thurston and they have some great young kids on board. Club
legend Matt Bowen departs leaving some giant boots to fill for new recruit
Lachlan Coote, but Coote has some talent of his own and should raise a few
eyebrows. Kyle Feldt came into top grade with a lot of hype and he delivered on
it big time. Once again they bring arguably the best prop combinations in the
competition to the table with Kangaroos Scott and Tamou while Tariq Sims and
Jason Taumalolo are big, brutal young players who continue to evolve. After the
way the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs in the last two seasons,
Thurston and the Cowboys are going to have a huge point to prove.
The dream headline – JT
and the Cowboys spoil dream Sydney final
The nightmare
headline – JT fined after conspiracy theories run wild
Additions – Lachlan
Coote, Cameron King, Hezron Murgha, John Asiata
Losses - Matt Bowen, Dallas Johnson, Ashley Graham, Jayden
Hodges, Felise Kaufusi, Chris Grevsmuhl, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Clint Greenshields,
Scott Moore, Wayne Ulugia
Bulldogs
2013 finish – 6th
Predicted 2014 finish
–8th
After the Ben Barba show that was a 2012 grand final run,
the Bulldogs crashed back to reality in 2013. Off court issues saw Barba out of
the team to begin the season while James Graham served a 10 week suspension.
Injuries plagued many of their stars throughout the year, including Barba once
he finally returned. When healthy, the Bulldogs have one of the most damaging
forward pack in the NRL, and a savvy leader in the halves in Josh Reynolds who
knows how to lift his team when needed, but they need to find a solution at
fullback, and the likes of Morris, Inu and Lafai are going to need to be a
consistent threat if they are going to put points on the board.
The dream headline – Hasler
brings the T-Rex back from extinction
The nightmare
headline – Fullback carousel yields poor results
Additions – Reni Maitua,
Chase Stanley, Pat O’Hanlon, Kayne Brennan, Damien Cook, Tyrone Phillips,
Losses – Ben Barba, Dene Halatau, Steve Turner, Martin
Taupau, Danny Galea, Kris Keating, Paul Carter, Leilani Latu, Jack Littlejohn,
Joel Romelo
Panthers
2013 finish – 10th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 9th
The Panthers are generating a lot of buzz for this year
after they made some great strides in 2013 and some great recruits for 2014.
After things looked bleak with superstars like Jennings and Lewis out of the
squad, Gus Gould and co have done an excellent job of putting together a strong
looking squad in a hurry. What prevents me from getting fully on board with the
Panthers like so many are doing is the issue of the halves. Isaac John remains
from last year while Luke Walsh departs, meanwhile they bring in Soward and
Wallace. John is a young player with a lot of talent who is still finding his feet
in first grade, Soward ended up in England last year and Wallace arrives from a
team who are struggling in the halves themselves.
The dream headline – Idris
storms back into NSW side
The nightmare
headline - Soward on the fast track to Super League.
Additions – Peter
Wallace, Jamie Soward, Elijah Taylor, Brent Kite, Kevin Naiqama, Tyrone
Peachey, Shaun Spence, Will Smith, Leilani Latu, Wellington Albert, Jamal Idris
Losses- Lachlan
Coote, Luke Walsh, Mose Masoe, Clint Newton, Danny Galea, Travis Robinson,
Blake Austin, Cameron Ciraldo, Toby Evans, Mosese Pangai, Dayne Weston, Kyle O’Donnell,
Brad Tighe
Knights
2013 finish – 7th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 10th
The Knights made an interesting run to end the year and
finished the season with one of the better defences in the competition. But an
already old team grows another year older. The inspiration of Buderus is gone,
speedster Kevin Naiqama is gone and while they age the Knights have done little
to improve their side in terms of recruitment. They’ve already had a troubled
start to the year with one of the few signings they did make Russell Packer now
in jail and veteran Willie Mason being done for drunk driving. The Knights
still have a lot of great players and a very underrated backline, but they only
scraped into the playoffs last year and while I don’t see them making progress
I do see other teams making the leap.
The dream headline – Kurt
Gidley makes it through the year injury free.
The nightmare
headline – Bennett to return to Broncos.
Additions – Clint Newton, Michael Dobson
Losses – Danny Buderus,
Neville Costigan, Kevin Naiqama,
Peter Mata’utia, Siuatonga Likiliki, Will Smith.
Tigers
2013 finish – 15th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 11th
The end of the Benji era and the beginning of the age of
Brooks should be an exciting time for Tigers fans. As one of the games most
entertaining players leaves, a young man heralded as the next Andrew Johns
steps into the frame. If Brooks lives up to the hype, and his single NRL effort
so far gave every indication that he would, then he could lead a very quick
resurgence for the Tigers. The Tigers struggled mightily in 2013, but their
place on the ladder does not tell the whole story with the team facing an
unreal injury toll that few teams if any would be able to overcome. When
healthy, this team has some serious young talent, a backline full of young
stars like Koroibete, Simona and Nofoaluma has the potential to be as deadly as
any in the competition. If the Tigers can stay on the park, I expect them to
make a lot of noise this year and be really fun to watch.
The dream headline – Brooks
quick to justify Joey comparisons
The nightmare
headline – Robbie Farah done for the year
Additions – Pat Richards,
Dene Halatau, Cory Paterson, Martin Taupau, Blake Austin, Keith Lulia, Yileen
Gordon.
Losses – Benji Marshall,
Blake Ayshford, Lote Tuqiri, Joel Reddy, Eddy Pettybourne, Matt Groat,
Jacob Miller, Brenden Santi, Shaun Spence, Mosese Pangai, Manaia Rudolph
Sharks
2013 finish – 5th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 12th
The Sharks went through the 2013 with a massive cloud over
their heads, the ASADA scandal a constant looming threat to derail their
season. That threat remains and already the Sharks 2014 campaign has suffered
multiple interruptions. The Sharks have made some useful acquisitions, but also
seen some valued contributors leaving the Shire. They continue to have an
amazing forward pack with the likes of Gallen, Fifita and Lewis and one of the
games best halves in Todd Carney, but another year of controversy may prove too
exhausting for this unit to handle with some of their better depth players no
longer around to pick up the slack when stars go down or leave for Origin.
The dream headline – Investigation
into the Sharks comes to an end
The nightmare
headline – Gallen becomes ASADAs biggest scalp
Additions – Blake Ayshford,
Matt Prior, Eric Grothe Jr, Daniel Holdsworth, Jacob Gagan, Tinirau Arona.
Losses – Jayson Bukuya,
Jon Green, Tyrone Peachey, Ben Ross,
Mark Taufua, Chad Townsend, Stewart Mills, Ben Pomeroy.
Broncos
2013 finish – 12th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 13th
2013 saw the Broncos finish with their lowest ever placing
on the ladder finishing 12th and missing the playoffs for just the
second time. The Broncos have now gone 7 seasons without a premiership, the
longest drought in club history. Mustering only 434 points last year, good for
12th in the NRL, the Broncos will hope that star recruit Ben Barba’s
days with the “Epic Bender Crew” are behind him and he can find the magic that
made him a Dally M winner in 2012. The halves remain a huge question mark that
will play a vital part in the Broncos chances in 2014.
The dream headline
– Magic man Ben Barba is smiling once more.
The nightmare
headline – Broncos attempt to lure back retired Prince.
Additions – Ben
Barba, Martin Kennedy, Todd Lowrie, Daniel Divot, Stewart Mills, Marmin
Barba, Jon Green
Losses – Scott Prince, Peter Wallace, Corey Norman, Luke Capewell,
Lama Tasi, Delroy Berryman, Kurt Baptiste, Scott Anderson, Dunamis Lui, Claeb
Timu, Nick Slyney
Dragons
2013 finish – 14th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 14th
A real changing of the guard for the Dragons with many long
serving members retiring or venturing elsewhere, the Dragons have made some
acquisitions as they begin their first full season of the Josh Dugan era. The
Dragons will need to improve drastically on their anaemic attack that put up
just 379 points on the year, an average of 15 points per game, only the Eels
achieved less. If Gareth Widdop can show he is more than just a product of
Bellamy and the Storm, it will go a long way towards helping the Dragons be
competitive but it’s going to take a while for the Dragons to rekindle some
combinations that can put points on the board.
The dream headline – Widdop
stands tall out of Melbourne shadow.
The nightmare
headline – Dugan and Ferguson start roofing company.
Additions – Gareth Widdop,
Sam Williams, Joel Thompson, Mike
Cooper, Dylan Farrell, Josh Ailaomai, Matt Groat, Peter Mata’utia, Michael
Witt, Willie Mataka.
Losses – Michael Weyman,
Matt Cooper, Nathan Fien, Chase Satnley, Cameron King, Matt Prior, Kayne Brennan, Jackson Hasitngs, Daniel Vidot, Damien
Cook, Evander Cummins.
Eels
2013 finish – 16th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 15th
The Eels have acquired some interesting recruits for 2013
and finally welcome young potential superstar Will Hopoate to the fold, but
from a team that had only 5 wins last year big improvements are going to take a
while. Hopoate left the NRL as a young Origin player taking the competition by
storm, how long will it take him to reacclimatise after 2 years out of the
game? Nathan Peats looked great at the Rabbitohs playing behind Issac Luke as
part of a giant Bunnies outfit, how will he fair as a possible go to man at
hooker on a struggling team? Corey Norman has showed a lot of talent at the
Broncos, but was punted out of top grade last year and will be part of a big
question mark in the halves. The Eels forward pack is lead well by Mannah and
Moimoi but are lacking in skill, experience and depth.
The dream headline – Elder
Willi Hopoate makes instant impact
The nightmare headline
– Hayne seeks release on compassionate grounds
Additions – Will Hopoate,
Lee Mossop, Nathan Peats, Corey Norman, Justin Hunt, David Gower, Brenden Santi, Toby
Evans, Evander Cummins, Liam Foran.
Losses – Reni Maitua, Chese Blair, Jake Mullaney, Pat O’Hanlon,
Matt Keating, Taulima Tautai, Matt Ryan.
Raiders
2013 finish – 13th
Predicted 2014 finish
– 16th
When the biggest news of the year is the drinking habits and
release of your star fullback and sexual assault charges against your star
centre, your season doesn’t usually go too swimmingly. Such was the case for
the Raiders in 2013 who, once again, saw a world class talent risk throwing his
career away at the club. Now the Raiders enter 2014 with their shining light of
2013 Anthony Milford getting his bags packed to head to the Broncos. The
Raiders still have some strong contributors in the likes of Fensom, Papalii and
Robinson, but the Raiders will be fighting an uphill battle all season long.
They’ll fight hard, but the points won’t be there, instead the Raiders will
need to find satisfaction in watching the progress of players like Cornish, Lee
and Wighton.
The dream headline – Milford
tells the Broncos to take a leap.
The nightmare
headline – Shaun Fensom joins long list of drunken Raiders larrikins
Additions – Lagi Setu, Kyle O’Donnell, Kurt Baptiste
Losses – Blake Ferguson,
Joel Thompson, Shaun Berrigan, Sam Williams, Joe Picker, Jonathon Reuben,
Hayden Crockett, Dimitri Pelo, Michael Picker
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