I think our spine with a fit Bula , api being relieved by tds , luai and a best man wins @ 6 , is light years ahead of the last 2 years at least . Probably the last 5-8 years .
What the nrl has proven if your spine is class you will win at least 50% of your games . I mean Souths with lattrell are top 4 , without , they’re the worst team in the comp . Same for the knights and Ponga .
Bula had a down year , then it turned out he was carrying an injury most of the year . Same for Api .
We also have actual depth in nearly all key positions , which I can’t remember the last time that was the case . ( and no I don’t think Wakeham counts as actual depth ).
I think Galvin will come back to earth this season , and I predict Fainu will go past him at some point , speeding up the inevitable “is he an edge or lock “ conversation around Galvin . I hope I’m wrong though and this isn’t a conversation until 2027 , when he actually bulks up .
Our middles do look light on paper . But seriously , Ice was missing a chunk of the past season , and Stef was a passenger for a chunk of the rest .
On paper the pack looks weaker , I get that , but I actually don’t think it is . I think its honestly neither better or worse . But I think if we can match the 24 and 23 output , with the much improved backline we have , that should lead to way more victories .
If we can jag a Terrell May , then of course I think most of those uncertainties are answered .
The team is better next year on paper . The dragons are aging , same with manly . The roosters will start a season without JWH in the dressing room in nearly 20 year years . So they’re in transition . The dolphins will find things way tougher without uncle Wayne to steady the ship , the warriors have a million halves yet somehow have none.
Same thing for the knights yet they have a million reserve grade halves , so if Bradman best regresses at all , then they have lost a lot of strike.
I think the back half of the last season was the real Canberra so they’re beatable as well .
God knows what the eels will be . They could be amazing , they could be dead last by round 10 . There’s a lot of faith on perennial dickheads like Mitchell Moses to galvanise the team . The gutho loss is going to be huge for them .
And well you’d think Wayne will sprinkle the magic dust on Souths , but for all the positive vibes around the dolphins the last 2 years , they still didn’t come close to the 8 both years . And all of a sudden Souths are looking old as well .
Even the riff , have question marks . Luai carried that team with Yeo , when Cleary was out . For the first time in a long time they seem vulnerable .( they’ll run the table now I’ve said that lol ) .
Even the cowboys , who knows which team you’re getting . You’d honestly say Cronulla , Melbourne and Penrith , but really only Melbourne , have limited question marks .
This next season , for the first time in a long time , has soo much in flux .
I think the fact that bookies have us favourites for the spoon and 11th favourite for the title , shows how no one honestly as any idea what next year will bring .
Melbourne have to be favourites by a long way you’d think .
