The race for the spoon

Tucker

Tucker

Well-known member
I heard one of the commentators mention the other day that the race for the spoon is every bit as intriguing as the race for the minor premiership. It seems that realistically, the spoon will go to one of the current bottom 4 teams i.e.
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs - 16
  • Gold Coast Titans - 14
  • Parramatta Eels - 12
  • Wests Tigers - 12
It should be noted, that Parra and the Tigers have 1 bye each to go and the others have used all of theirs. The real table looks like this:
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs - 16 (-112)
  • Gold Coast Titans - 14 (-71)
  • Parramatta Eels - 14 (-129)
  • Wests Tigers - 14 (-139)
It is tight.
Below is the remaining draw.

1719879432014.png

Obviously anything can happen in 10 weeks but I really think we have a comparratively easy enough run home that we should miss the spoon.
For starters, we have already beaten two of the teams we are fighting it out with and 3 of our last 9 games are against teams from this bracket. We also have only 3 current top 8 sides to contend with. Add the bye and we should scrape enough points together to be safe.
Parramatta are in a similar boat. They have 4 top 8 sides + Brisbane but also 3 games against this bottom teir group and a bye. They should just avoid it.
Souths have a tougher run. They have 5 top 8 teams and no bye. They also have 3 teams from this bottom teir group and that should be enough to keep them from the bottom.
The Titans have 6 top 8 games + Broncos, with Manly and Newcastle both away...and no bye. It is a very tough run home and for that reason, I think they will be the 2024 wooden spooners.

So yes, we may escape the dreaded 3rd spoon in succession. It is up to us. Our upcoming run of games are not as bad as our competition are facing. It will be an interesting run home and if we do get the spoon, we deserve every shit kicking we will cop. The Titans are the favourite for mine.

Im interested to know what the rest of you think. I know it means we will likely come 16th, but to me the stigma of 3 spoons in a row will be hard to take. Can we avoid it?
 
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It’s very doable - this season could be our most successful one for 3yrs and we still come last as well.

We have more home games (5) than the others plus we play Souths twice and Parra once. If we want to avoid the spoon those are all must win games.

Souths have the toughest ending to the draw pending if players from Panthers/Roosters get rested. Latrell & Cook have started to find their form mixed with Burgess swang song will drive them.

Parra getting Mitch back sucks, totally different team when he plays & some players will be tapped and lift performance for new homes.

Titans injuries will determine their fate if they get the fire power for a few games together they will nab a win or few.

If we can beat the others in contention, It will come down to F&A. If the blowout loss trend continues for us (last 3 losses have been terrible) we will finish last - we don’t have the ability to score the points week in week out the other teams have.
 
I reckon 2 wins and the bye should be enough as a minimum.
The Titans would need 3 wins and that looks unlikely when you look at their remaining games.
It makes you feel sick to claim that 2 wins from our last 9 should achieve us something.The good clubs would consider those results an utter failure lol....
 
Love your work! I have been trying to do the mantal gymnastics on this myself. I trust that round 27 isn't the decider.

I think the next three weeks will set the field as Parra play Souths and the Titans and then we pick up Souths. If Parra lose both of those games and we don't beat Souths it will most likely come down to round 27 at home unless we can jag a win - I guess we have two shots at Souths.

I doubt we get the job done against Melbourne or the Sharks the second time around. Playing the Warriors at home probably means we will be up against the good version of them - so maybe a 25% chance there. I pray for another home ground shellacking of the Cowboys but again low probability. The three home games to finish the season with the bye giving us a rest prior to Parra is in our favour.

If we can get the wood on Souths at Gosford and finish strong the three home games I think we get there. Not confident at this stage though.
 
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Hate being negative but we certainly have the worst roster in the comp and compared to the Eels, Titans or Rabbits we would be overachieving to win more games than any of them. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe we are a better side than last year (although how we finish the season will decide that more clearly) - it’s just that the lack of decent depth at NRL standards compared to our opponents is blatant.
 
TigerSJ said:
Hate being negative but we certainly have the worst roster in the comp and compared to the Eels, Titans or Rabbits we would be overachieving to win more games than any of them. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe we are a better side than last year (although how we finish the season will decide that more clearly) - it’s just that the lack of decent depth at NRL standards compared to our opponents is blatant.
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The Titans have a lot tougher run home than us.
It is very possible that they struggle to win again and if the do, that will be all their effort gone.
We have 5 home games and 1 at Gosford. Win 2 of these and we should avoid it.
Still nothing to celebrate, but at least it is a short term goal.
 
Tom Shines said:
I think the Titans are a much better side than us … there draw is harder no doubt … but I think they will have us covered …

If the Tigers didn’t win a further game this season I wouldn’t be that surprised actually…
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They are a better side I agree, yet we beat them 2 week ago.
I said at the time that win may have declared who gets the spoon.
Im going to stick with it, Titans will pip us due to them having to play most of their remaining games against serious contenders for the 8.
 
Tucker said:
You dont think they have 2 more wins in them?
Click to expand...
Maybe, but will it be enough? Have to depend on the other teams losing also. I think our only real threat for the spoon is the Titans. Souths and Parra are both improving. Happy to be proven wrong of course, but I just think we are too vulnerable. The Roosters game brought reality back home for me.
 
Well there’s the first hiccup in the plan.
Did not think Titans would do Cronulla after having a spell last week. I thought their momentum may have been spoiled by it.
Very good win for them.
 
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