2020 Predictions

What are your bold predictions for this season?

• I think our boys will miss the 8 but finish around the 9-12 range after showing serious improvement under the new coaching regime.
• Sharks to miss the 8 due to a post-Gallen leadership void, a backline made of glass, and ructions over the Josh Morris situation. I also have question marks over the coaching abilities of John Morris and believe their 7th place finish last year was mostly the last gasp of their premiership winning squad which has since lost Prior, Gallen, and Feki. The loss of Jayden Brailey is also huge and his brother is nowhere near his level yet.
• Raiders to also miss the 8 due to George Williams flopping and a general lack of playmaking depth. I believe Sezer to be one of the most underrated halves (formerly) in the NRL and when he was with us, our win rate was appreciably lower during the periods he was out with injury. I also think Wighton's 2019 season was likely a flash in the pan and he will return to being a plodder now that his contract situation has been sorted. Leipana is also a huge loss and their backline will have nowhere near the potency that it used to.
• Panthers to collect the spoon with the most inexperienced squad in the NRL. The loss of James Maloney is enormous and I rated him the best half in the NRL after Cooper Cronk and DCE. Nathan Cleary is a good player but not yet at a level to lead a very young team around. He will have to shoulder a similar burden to what Ash Taylor has over the last couple of years and will likely not handle the pressure.

Some pretty good predictions in there, agree about how we’ll go and the Sharks missing the 8. I can’t see the Panthers finishing last though, Koroisau is a great signing for them and looked good in the trial against the Eels. I think the Warriors are just about a lock for last, very average squad and coach.

Reckon Api will stay fit the whole season? Who is their backup hooker?

Warriors will be bottom 4 imo but they always seem to find a way to jag enough wins to avoid the spoon.

I dont know where it will put us but if we win 50% of our games and are in the fight for all the loses, I will be happy enough knowing there is improvement on the way.

Titans predictions:
1. We won't quite reach the 8 but on the back of a better attitude we have a better season (not hard!) and most of our losses will be by a tight margin. A finish around 10-13th is where I see us unless injury strikes big time.
2. Tanah Boyd to get a start by mid year and will finish the year as our first choice 5/8
3. Treymain Spry, GL, Erin Clark and Darius Farmer all to make their Titans/NRL debuts sometime throughout the season
4. Ash to have a much better season and finishes in the top 5 for try assists in the NRL by the end of the year
5. Carty to have another improved year after moving to his preferred right edge. Not a star or a standout but will set up a lot of tries for us on that edge through drawing in defenders and flicking it to the centre. Vice versa, Proctor will steel us on that left edge in defence and will improve his form in a contract year & with the captaincy

NRL predictions:
1. Bulldogs to get the spoon JUST over the Warriors. Their fight and grit will keep them in a lot of games but over the course of the whole year fatigue will set in and their lack of stars/class will hurt them and they will struggle scoring points. NZ will go close but they will still find a way to avoid their first spoon.
2. Sharks to drop out of the 8 and fall a fair way down (11th-13th). Still a fairly solid squad but the loss of Gallen coupled with the injury proneness of Moylan, Dugan and SJ will be too much. Not to mention the Morris situation like you said willhelm.
3. Agreed again willhelm that the Raiders will drop a bit in the rankings. Still a good side but I think Williams will struggle and their attack will suffer because of it. Also I think the overachievement took it out of them last year and they won't have the same get up and go attitude. Have them around 6th.
4. Mitchell Moses or Tom Turbo for Dally M winner
5. Melbourne Storm to win the premiership and send Cam Smith out as a winner into retirement. Also marks the end of a dynasty for Melbourne who will likely drop out of the 8 next year due to the losses of Smith, Addo Carr, Vunivalu etc

1. We will beat the Raiders in round 1

2.Donkeys miss the 8 & Seibold gets the sack

3.Latrell starts to look like a fullback but it takes 12-16 rounds

4. Parra-Chooks & Manly to fight for the last game of the year

5. Warriors grab their 1st spoon

Some pretty spot on predictions here. Well done!

@Willhelm...panthers for the spoon is looking a little shaky at the moment ;)

Hahaha I couldn’t have been more wrong about the Panthers. Bloody hell they look good this year don’t they?

I am so sorry for not posting in this thread! Maybe I'll come up with some mid-year predictions.