Every game during the year is important, however i feel Round 1 against Brisbane is crucial for our season. For a few reasons.
1. Brisbane are coming in as bottom 4 favourites against Parramatta who are considered around 3-8 range, though comfortable top 8 team. New coach, players off-contract, at home with a sell out crowd for first time since 2019, against a team with the mindset of being a top 4 quality team.
Where have we heard that before? 2018? i believe so.
2. If we lose to brisbane in a decent fashion, we have to take that form into Melbourne. Low in confidence and will go in either way of playing same game and getting done or doing too much to make up for week before and losing by more. If we go back to back weeks with losses, it could snowball into effect like 2018 did, going in thinking we are better than what we actually are and start to go into a spiral in confidence and have no idea how to get out of it.
3. This has happened before and can happen again. Yes Arthur has gotten us out of it, yes it is a different and much better roster than 2018, but look at us last year, got to RD 10 at top of the world, had a bad game against Manly in RD 10 and started to play below par to abysmol.
Having Melbourne RD 2 has made RD 1 crucial and important, picking a win against Brisbane leading to a loss against Melbourne would not be detrimental for us as a team, though picking up a shock loss to Brisbane could derail us going up against a team that requires a lot of mental and physical preparation it can assist in the snowball effect which would be reminiscent of 2018.
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I would prefer to beat Melbourne at the end of the season especially semi finals when it counts more .
They have never lost 1 up so there goes your argument.
We played them last year when they injury plagued that's why we bet them.
I'm getting in on this conga line, Dr Wong. Souths have won at most one game against the Storm in Melbourne, they may have never won down there, so there goes your argument.
Who's going to destroy my argument? Be gentle.
Where playing them round to not round one lol
Rubbish, being in the top 4 and playing Melbourne again is more important, your having a shocker tonight LB lol
The last game of the year is the most important won to win
Finucane ruled out for first six to 8 weeks.Storm forward pack is formidable, how they have been coming in under the cap is beyond me.
No Finucane, Smith, Grant or Vunivalu.
You would think that would weaken the Storm but they seem to be able to fill those positions and keep winning.
Realistically we should be able to win our first 5 games but I would be happy with 4 from 5.
No Smith, no Grant, who will play hooker? Thats right just the NZ rep hooker is all.What a joke.
I reckon the more obvious comparison would be the 2019 finals. Smash Brisbane, get over confident then get smashed by the Storm the following week. If we lose week 1, which we shouldn't, we're more likley to turn up and play well against the Storm having been put in our place. I always get worried for Parra when they start believing any kind of hype about them.
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