Season 2025 Expectations, Predictions & Key Positions.

Muffstar said:
TAB’s 2025 NRL premiership betting markets tip Bulldogs surge, Roosters collapse, Tigers for fourth straight wooden spoon
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The 2025 premiership betting markets are almost open and the bookies are set to make some surprise selections, with the Bulldogs surging ahead, while the Roosters are set for a deep dive.
The TAB has released its first betting market on next year’s NRL, installing the Canterbury Bulldogs as a shock third favourite to win the title.
The Dogs have opened at $11 – their shortest price in years – behind only grand finalists Melbourne and Penrith.
Who would have thought this club would be a shorter price than glamour clubs such as the Roosters or Broncos going into an NRL season?
Such are the expectations on Gus Gould and Cameron Ciraldo, the two men who have lifted Canterbury from being the premiership’s easybeats into a genuine contender.
The major points are:
● Wests Tigers will start as favourites to win a fourth straight wooden spoon.
● Sydney Roosters are their longest price in years at $12.
● Brisbane Broncos might have got Madge Maguire, but are still a $17 outsider.
● Supercoach Wayne Bennett is only a $21 chance of having title success in his new gig at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The TAB’s Rohan Welsh says it will be the first time in four years Penrith will start a season not as title favourite.
“They have remarkably covered for the departure of star players in the past, but the loss of (Jarome) Luai and (James) Fisher-Harris will have to have an impact,” Welsh said.
“Now the Cleary-Luai combination is split, the Storm have arguably the best spine in the comp when healthy.
“The side we expect to fall away is the Roosters. They’ll go up at $12, but with the loss of so many stars, and key players rehabbing over summer, they could easily drift further.”
Welsh says the TAB expects a lack of interest among punters for the Roosters.
“It’s the longest opening price they’ve been since going up at $15 in 2017,” he said.
“That’s when they were coming off a wooden spoon.
“The jury is out on whether a few glamour clubs will rocket back into contention or implode.”
TAB 2025 BETTING MARKET
$4 Melbourne
$4.50 Penrith
$11 Bulldogs
$12 Roosters
$13 Cronulla, Cowboys
$15 Manly
$17 Brisbane
$21 Souths
$26 Newcastle, Warriors
$34 Canberra, Dolphins, Gold Coast, Parramatta, St George Illawarra
$41 Wests Tigers
As for the poor Tigers … “We don’t think Luai’s recruitment is enough to help the Tigers avoid another wooden spoon, let alone inspire a miracle run to a title,” Welsh said.
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Well I think they could be on the mark , because unless we sign 2-3 more class forwards rather than bargain basement players , it’s a real possibility
 
The additions of Skelton & Turuva are so important to the fortunes of the club. Getting good metres on early tackles will mask a lot of short comings in the forwards.

Forwards that were probably unfairly exposed compared to other teams due to that very reason.

If Bird & Olam are our centres next season, you get 4 good early set runners in our outside backs. I think this is being overlooked. Penrith have built a dynasty off the back of great early tackle metres.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
Well done Sammy. Have read suggestions that we should move him into the middle next year. That suggestion is certifiable. He’s a born edge backrower. He and Galvin together are money.
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I reckon Benji keeps them both on that side and Luai takes on a new challenge and position on the right side of the field.
Curious to see what side he will play for Samoa / likewise for Galvin.
 
diedpretty said:
Luai is a natural left foot kicker plus I can see a red hot left side in 26 - Luai, Sam Fainu, Makasini and Turuva.
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I know, I’m just not sure Benji wants to move Galvin to his less comfortable side just yet.
Also majority of halfbacks are right footers or play on the right.
Having Luai play left could pigeon hole him.
Remembering Sezer is a left footer but spend all of last year on the right.
 
Needaname said:
I know, I’m just not sure Benji wants to move Galvin to his less comfortable side just yet.
Also majority of halfbacks are right footers or play on the right.
Having Luai play left could pigeon hole him.
Remembering Sezer is a left footer but spend all of last year on the right.
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You need your best defenders on the right. It’s the toughest side to defend on. Luai has to start on the right due to his experience.
 
Needaname said:
I know, I’m just not sure Benji wants to move Galvin to his less comfortable side just yet.
Also majority of halfbacks are right footers or play on the right.
Having Luai play left could pigeon hole him.
Remembering Sezer is a left footer but spend all of last year on the right.
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Galvin mentioned in a podcast a week or two ago he would be playing right side.
There's no way on the world you move one of the best left side halves and 4x premiership winner to accommodate an 18yr old. If you thought Galvin and Fainu were good, wait until you put Luai and Fainu together.
 
Tucker said:
You need your best defenders on the right. It’s the toughest side to defend on. Luai has to start on the right due to his experience.
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palms said:
Galvin mentioned in a podcast a week or two ago he would be playing right side.
There's no way on the world you move one of the best left side halves and 4x premiership winner to accommodate an 18yr old. If you thought Galvin and Fainu were good, wait until you put Luai and Fainu together.
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A lot of teams play through a right side open attack.
The Tigers have been relying on a left side open attack for a decade with Luke Brooks and it’s always been clunky. The last time our left side attack was hot was when we had Brooks off the back of Moses with Teddy playing out the back. Effectively the shape manly played to with Brooks this season.
I think both halves are capable of playing both sides but It’s interesting to hear that Galvin said himself he will move to the right. That will also break up the Samuela partnership and provide Luai with his very own ‘Kikau’ to play shapes from.
 
Needaname said:
A lot of teams play through a right side open attack.
The Tigers have been relying on a left side open attack for a decade with Luke Brooks and it’s always been clunky. The last time our left side attack was hot was when we had Brooks off the back of Moses with Teddy playing out the back. Effectively the shape manly played to with Brooks this season.
I think both halves are capable of playing both sides but It’s interesting to hear that Galvin said himself he will move to the right. That will also break up the Samuela partnership and provide Luai with his very own ‘Kikau’ to play shapes from.
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I’m not concerned about our left side attack, it’s our right side defence that worries me.
Maybe Luai will attack on the left and defend on the right?
 
Needaname said:
A lot of teams play through a right side open attack.
The Tigers have been relying on a left side open attack for a decade with Luke Brooks and it’s always been clunky. The last time our left side attack was hot was when we had Brooks off the back of Moses with Teddy playing out the back. Effectively the shape manly played to with Brooks this season.
I think both halves are capable of playing both sides but It’s interesting to hear that Galvin said himself he will move to the right. That will also break up the Samuela partnership and provide Luai with his very own ‘Kikau’ to play shapes from.
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Yeah, Galvin himself floats around already and plays both sides of the field so I reckon that will still continue. I'd like to see Luai and Galvin connect like a lot of the better teams do with their halves.
 
upthetigers said:
If you don't mind me asking why is that the case mate? Completely guessing but is it because of the tendency to shift right to left?
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100%. The vast majority of people are right handed, therefore the natural shift is right to left. Additionally, the natural shoulder to use when on the right in defence is your left which many find hard to do. As most players are right handed, the majority of bombs get hooked to the right side defence as well.
The right edges work harder in defence than the left does.
 
Tucker said:
100%. The vast majority of people are right handed, therefore the natural shift is right to left. Additionally, the natural shoulder to use when on the right in defence is your left which many find hard to do. As most players are right handed, the majority of bombs get hooked to the right side defence as well.
The right edges work harder in defence than the left does.
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Thanks. I'm unco I bat in cricket left handed and tennis right handed. Never played the game but like thinking about games on a deeper level. Saying the word unco reminded me of hobbo he was a character on WTF 😆
 
The Chad said:
The additions of Skelton & Turuva are so important to the fortunes of the club. Getting good metres on early tackles will mask a lot of short comings in the forwards.

Forwards that were probably unfairly exposed compared to other teams due to that very reason.

If Bird & Olam are our centres next season, you get 4 good early set runners in our outside backs. I think this is being overlooked. Penrith have built a dynasty off the back of great early tackle metres.
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And a forward pack containing JFH ...Leota ...Martin Sorensen and Yeo .....doesn't hurt
 
upthetigers said:
Thanks. I'm unco I bat in cricket left handed and tennis right handed. Never played the game but like thinking about games on a deeper level. Saying the word unco reminded me of hobbo he was a character on WTF 😆
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I think you’d be surprised how many cricketers bat and bowl different sides. It does my head in, I struggle with one.
I have a theory about the top level of sport people finding it easier to bat, bowl, pass, or kick with both. That’s why they are the best I guess.
 
Buttface said:
I think you’d be surprised how many cricketers bat and bowl different sides. It does my head in, I struggle with one.
I have a theory about the top level of sport people finding it easier to bat, bowl, pass, or kick with both. That’s why they are the best I guess.
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Some of us have learnt to he left and right handed .....for a few years I played both hockey and rugby league in winter ...being left handed and learning to play hockey was interesting
Then because I played a few seasons of Union at school learnt to kick left and right footed
Threw a ball right handed ....played tennis right handed ....played golf both left and right handed ......actually took out my 5 wood and replaced it with a right handed 6 iron in case the need arose
If you do learn to do new things young enough it isn't that hard to learn
 
The Chad said:
The additions of Skelton & Turuva are so important to the fortunes of the club. Getting good metres on early tackles will mask a lot of short comings in the forwards.

Forwards that were probably unfairly exposed compared to other teams due to that very reason.

If Bird & Olam are our centres next season, you get 4 good early set runners in our outside backs. I think this is being overlooked. Penrith have built a dynasty off the back of great early tackle metres.
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You’re right Penrith’s outside backs set up their sets beautifully.

What then happens is their elite forwards (Yeo, fish, Martin etc) are primed to set up Nathan and Jerome to go to work late in the set.

And those same forwards are relatively fresh to go to town in defence off the back of the great kicking game. All game long.

It’s an all 17 approach which we’ve never seen the likes of before.
 
happy_tiger said:
Some of us have learnt to he left and right handed .....for a few years I played both hockey and rugby league in winter ...being left handed and learning to play hockey was interesting
Then because I played a few seasons of Union at school learnt to kick left and right footed
Threw a ball right handed ....played tennis right handed ....played golf both left and right handed ......actually took out my 5 wood and replaced it with a right handed 6 iron in case the need arose
If you do learn to do new things young enough it isn't that hard to learn
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Yeah, you’re in the freak category.
I taught myself to throw the stumps down left handed from close range. That’s about it, and I had to break it down one winter. It’s handy for mid wicket fielding to right handers when you got no lefties in the team.
 
At this point I'm leaning towards:
1. Bula
2. Laulii (R)
3. Olam (L)
4. Douehi (R)
5. Turuva (L)
6. Galvin (R)
7. Luai (L)
8. Klemmer
9. Api
10. I've got no idea? Sukkar/Twal/Hunt/Fainu
11. S Fainu (L)
12. Seyfarth (R)
13. Pole

14. Bird
15. Hunt
16. Sukkar/Twal/Hunt/Fainu
17. Bateman

It's a tough decision to split S Fainu and Galvin but I think it's the right call.

Props: Klemmer/Sukkar/Twal/Hunt/Fainu looks very weak. I don't know where our metres come from. Bula doesn't exactly make many post contact metres either. The only ones who can do a decent hit up are Turuva and Olam (who hasn't done a good hit up for 2 years though). In the forwards, we have Pole and Hunt who combined last for 40 minutes...

With crap form of Klemmer/Bateman and loss of Papalii/Stefano, I don't know how we get on the front foot. The only assistant coach who "specialises" in forwards is Mr 5 metre run at makers Highno. Bulldogs did amazing this year considering their pack but they killed it with their fitness. Our head of performance is Peter Moussa who has been with us on/off for almost a decade but we have never even been close to a "fit" team.

A lot is going to fall on Luai... what can he do for us?
 
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