Over the past 3 seasons we have seen the competition getting significantly harder and more competitive and two or three key signings the following year can make all the difference with moving up the ladder. I believe the below 4 teams will have a vastly improved season in 2019 and at least three of them will go toe to toe with the Roosters, Storm and Rabbits.
BRONCOS - Finished 6th in 2018. Predicted finish in 2019 will be top 3.
The Broncos will relish the return from injury of a super fit Jack Bird, Matt Gillett and man mountain Payne Haas.
The Broncos now have an amazing young rep quality foward pack in Fifita, Haas, Lodge, Pangai Jnr and the big improvement in S'uA, Staggs and Isaako.
The unknowns will be the loss of senior players McGuire, Thaiday and Sims. Will the youth in the team be the weakness or strength of the Broncos? If the young Broncos pack stay injury free they will push for the minor premiership.
KNIGHTS - Finished 11th in 2018. Predicted finish in 2019 will be top 6-8.
The Knights have arguably been the best recruiters for 2019 having signed - Klemmer, Glasby, Ramien, Gavet, Mann, Lino, Hunt, Lee and Woolford. In addition to the 9 new signings they also have Tautau Moga back from long term injury. Klemmer, Glasby and Gavet alone will turn their middle fowards into a serious pack. Ponga moving to 6 to partner Pearce in the halves could be a master move. Jesse Ramien is a State of Origin player in the making and Kurt Mann and Mason Lino will give them important depth when injuries hit.
The unknowns is - will all of these new players gell? Will Ponga moving to 6 weakend a strength? Will a makeshift fullback work when Ponga is at 6? Will the Knights players get ahead of themselves and read their praise and believe their hype to their detriment? Will Kurt Mann work at no.9? On paper the Knights look like a very strong team, but will they do the 1% things and grind out the low scoring wins?
TITANS - Finished 14th in 2018. Predicted finish in 2019 will be 8th.
Like the Knights I think we will see some big improvement from the Titans. The signings of Tyrone Peachey, Shannon Boyd, Tyrone Roberts, Brian Kelly, Ryley Jacks and Jesse Arthars will plug some important holes in the Titans roster. Shannon Boyd will be as important to the Titans as Junior Paulo is to the Eels and will give them the missing size in the middle they have been craving. AJ Brimson looks a very special player and could very easily be their new franchise player by season's end. From recent media reports it appears Bryce Cartwright is looking fit again, training hard and may be over the depression he was very much struggling with earlier in the year. Peachey and Kelly will give them the speed they were lacking in the centres and Tyrone Roberts gives them depth in the halves. The Titans starting pack of Boyd, Peats, Wallace, Proctor, James and Arrow will strongly compete with the top 4 foward packs. The Titans will be a thorn in many a team and could be the new 'Sharks' type of team who love the arm wrestle and scrap for every point.
The main unknown is, can their young inexperienced coach build the Titans culture and turn this squad into a top 8 team? ie., the Titans have the squad, but do they have the coach?
EELS - Finished 16th in 2018. Predicted finish in 2019 will be 9-10th.
The signings of Blake Ferguson, Junior Paulo and Shaun Lane will give the team size and height (different body shapes to the rest of the starting 13). The signing of Maika Sivo excites me and I hope the signing of Davey will see him go to the next level.
The reasons why I believe we will see a significant improvement in the eels is for the following combined reasons:
1. The new stadium with the potential for larger home crowds.
2. More than half the top 30 is off contract and playing for their livelihoods and future. We should see these players off contract fitter and keener then ever and the competition for positions in the top 17 will be genuine fought for each and every week. Rip Taylor will turn the ISP team into a highly competitive team and the fringe players will be better for his signing.
3. Junior Paulo's power in the middle and Ferguson's kick returns will make a monumental difference to the starts of our sets and our initial roll up the field.
4. Lane's attack on the edge and his off loads will give us good second phase.
5. The big improvement in Niukore and the successful blooding of Salmon and Mahoney.
6. 2019 is a clean slate and all players will be super hungry.
7. Nathan Brown won't be marked as heavily and could be very dangerous after Ferguson and Paulo do a hit up.
The unknown is will Dylan Brown successfully make the jump and be our no.7 moving foward. Will Moses excel without Norman? Will our attack improve without Hayne?
I would like to see the following foward pack for round 1:
8. Junior Paulo
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Daniel Alvaro
11. Marata Niukore
12. Shaun Lane
13. Nathan Brown
14. Manu Ma'u
15. Tepai Moeroa
16. Peni Terepo
17. Tim Mannah
Replies
U have 2 new teams in the top 8 - which team’s are going to drop out frm this year??
And who are the 6-7 teams tht are worse than Parra which will b below them on the ladder in 2019???
That's a hard one BJ and every year we see the unexpected. Very few predicted the steep demise of the Cowboys and Eels in 2018. The teams that could struggle are the Sharks who are missing their secondrowers and fullback and their off field drama cannot help. The Dragons could also struggle with their off field dramas and moving their 5/8 to fullback may unsettle things. My guess is the Warriors will drop out of the 8 and the sharks or Dragons will drop out of the 8.
Eels will make the top 8 in 2019. Cant see the Titans making the 8 and I dont think the knights will go as well as expected but they may just squeeze into the 8. The teams that will drop in 2019 will be the Panthers, Dragons, Storm, Raiders, Dogs, Rabbits,
I also don't think the Storm and Rabbits will not be as strong. The Raiders are missing their two props and 5/8. The Dogs have lost a heap and the Panthers may struggle with the hype.
Smell it, put your hook in it!
Sharks , Warriors and Stgeorge a big chance of not making the 8. The eels will make the 8. Manly will get their first wooden spoon.
I think Manly or the Dogs will get the wooden spoon.
Agree too that the Sharks, Warriors and Dragons will struggle! I really think the Eels are in with a big chance in 2019!
The Warriors will struggle without Johnson and Lino.
The Sharks will struggle without Graham (listed to miss half the season), Lewis and Mr NFL.
Dragons may not gel with Norman and the off field dramas will hurt them.
The Eels will be a lot stronger, but by how much will not be known until we see Brown play in the top grade.
Flapjacks with Mayple syrup please
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