@kazoo-kid said in [2021 Launch](/post/1309700) said:
“Negative,” Ikin said when asked if they would make the top eight. “I’ve got them in the bottom four.
Ikin may be right and we do end up bottom 4, but I wouldn’t put a high probability on it.
The thing is, most of us who follow the WT closely believe we have upgraded our squad in quality and depth. Moreover, I believe our current squad is significantly better than the 2019 version, which came 9th.
So, how is it that we can have a better squad and still go backwards on the ladder ? (Assuming we don’t have a bad run of injuries.)
I may be a bit too simplistic in my reasoning here, but if we improve our squad and still go backwards into the bottom 4, that implies that at least two of the teams that finished below us last year have improved their squad by more than us, and I just don’t see it.
It also implies that the teams that finished 7th – 10th have improved their rosters at least as much as us, which means that they can maintain their distance above us. Of those teams, only the Titans look to have really upgraded their squad, while Newcastle and the Sharks’ hold on the 8 seems pretty tenuous to me.
It seems to me that if most of our senior players play to their ability and our younger talented squad members kick on the way we hope and believe possible, then we have every chance of making the 8.
There are a lot of “ifs” there, but I can’t believe we will go worse than last year (as long as we don’t have a horrific injury toll).