2025 Season

I have to believe getting to Cronulla’s level is doable. They have the #2 hooker, Tricky is a good halfback who’s a cut below the elite ones, Nicho is one of the top five-eighths (don’t @ me - that is not a halfback, I don’t care about the number), and of all the fullbacks who are nailed on week to week starters I think Will Kennedy is probably the worst. Really good spine but not near the very best.

They have good regular seasons because they have a lot of really good repeatable attacking systems built around what their best players do well. They have a gun backline and they have a ****load of forward depth.

That last part is POS’ big challenge. But honestly - they signed Addin Fonua-Blake, but besides that all those middles are either products of their development system or pretty unfashionable players their previous club gave up on. They needed AFB because none of the other guys are pack leaders but they’re all great players to back up a top tier prop.

I know a lot of us are nervous about the pack next year but the approach is the right one at least, finally. Getting a strong, deep pack comes from players like Lachlan Crouch, Manulelua and ESL panning out the way guys like Jesse Colquhon, Sifa Talakai and Toby Rudolph have. Don’t know what their cap looks like but they definitely haven’t been paying a premium to import players on Jack Hetherington’s level.
 
jamesgould said:
I’m really disappointed for them, would have been great to see a different club and set of fans go all the way. Much like the Knights they’re not one of the fashionable sides. Instead we’re left with Storm, Broncos, Panthers … feels like I’ve seen this movie every year for about 15-20 years.
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I’d have loved to have seen them in it. I’m glad it can’t be Brisbane v Penrith, I don’t think I’d have even watched that.
I guess I’m all in on Cronulla now, it’s now down to picking the team I dislike the least.
 
I'm at the point that I want to see Penrith win 5 in a row than see anyone else win except for maybe the Sharks.

Was actually hoping Canberra would kick on in finals but last week's game took a lot out of them.

Would rather see win Penrith 5 straight than see either Brisbane or Dogs win 1 in a row and Storm would be the same movie as the last 20 years.

At least with Penrith as predictable as they are they have the opportunity to do something no one else has done in a long time and will ever do again.

Sharks I don't mind if they win but then you'll never hear end of them winning it from that drunk Buzz.
 
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd said:
I’m wondering who is more filthy this week….Knights fans or Raiders fans…? Our season is done and we’re 100% top 4 next year now we have Holbrook. But the Green Machine……! What a whimper.
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I reckon the only thing which would feel worse is the way the Broncos blew it in 2023. Past a certain point with the Knights this year it was, well, whatever, on to 2026. But Raiders fans thought it was their year (they almost had me believing it with how they kept pulling these last minute wins out their arse).

I’m not a big Fogarty guy but he is their most important player and if you want to know how they feel about their appointed replacement: They tried to sign Sandon Smith a couple months ago (priced out) then tried to sign Jake Clifford. They don’t think Sanders is ready. So even if he pans out it’ll take years for him to effectively replace what Jamal does for them.

Joe Tapine is 32 next year. This was their shot at it and it’s gone. We know very well how long it can take to get back there. They went 8-1 in games decided by 1 score, which points to them being a 14-16 win team which had way better than average luck rather than a team you’d expect to win 19 games again next year. Take Fogarty out and this is a 10 win team IMO. That’s how fine the margins can be in this sport.

Full disclosure, I have a frenemy at work who’s a Raiders fan who absolutely gave it to me for literally months about Gagai dropping that Ponga pass last year (every Monday he sends me a message which reads - “Career Finals Wins: Kalyn Ponga - 1, [Random **** Raiders Player] [number bigger than 1]”) so I kind of love this.
 
Celticman98 said:
I'm at the point that I want to see Penrith win 5 in a row than see anyone else win except for maybe the Sharks.

Was actually hoping Canberra would kick on in finals but last week's game took a lot out of them.

Would rather see win Penrith 5 straight than see either Brisbane or Dogs win 1 in a row and Storm would be the same movie as the last 20 years.

At least with Penrith as predictable as they are they have the opportunity to do something no one else has done in a long time and will ever do again.

Sharks I don't mind if they win but then you'll never hear end of them winning it from that drunk Buzz.
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Absolutely with you. In this sport the glamour clubs have a massive unfair advantage. The salary cap rewards being located in Bondi or Brisbane. That’s the flaw in the system. The other is that the system punishes development clubs in regional areas - success is punished by the bigger clubs picking the eyes out of your roster. They broke the system by breaking it over their ****ing knee and deserve everything they get. They have just a few transcendent talents and it’s elevated by total buy in from everyone else. 5 in a row would be a deserved reward.
 
Celticman98 said:
Was actually hoping Canberra would kick on in finals but last week's game took a lot out of them.
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How close they were to beating the Broncos and going to week three … there was literally a fingertip in it … it’s pretty crazy. Instead they’re gone with a whimper. I dunno about the players, but that sort of thing haunts me as a supporter for decades.

Thinking of a few Blackcaps incidents over the years here in particular haha.
 
I might have the wrong end of the stick but I have been very impressed with Cronulla both weeks and I think they would have handled Canberra close to as easily if they met in week 1 too. It’s a bad matchup for the Raiders.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
I might have the wrong end of the stick but I have been very impressed with Cronulla both weeks and I think they would have handled Canberra close to as easily if they met in week 1 too. It’s a bad matchup for the Raiders.
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Yeah I tipped the Sharks both weeks. Think they’re just at that point where they’ve played loads of finals matches, they’re hardened, know what to expect, and can get it done without a load of fuss. Saw they talking in the media about they’re sick of “waiting till next year”, so I think their mindset is very good. Dunno if they’ll make the GF, but they’re playing very well.
 
All roads lead to Melbourne. It's Melbourne and ? They will be hard to beat. Harry Grant is the man. They struggled a bit without him but when he is playing, it's a different story. Pezet has shown he can do a job if Hughes doesn't play. I say they will still carry Pezet and Wishart on the bench if Hughes plays. With Pappy and Muster, they will be too good for whoever they come up against.
 
The doubts around Melbourne are purely that Trent Loiero is probably their best middle. No doubts around the spine but their middles have to stand up to AFB, Talakai, etc.
 
I think he got a 3 game suspension. But this time around they have Stefano who’s starting to live up to hype. Yeah probably slightly weaker forward pack than Broncos and Sharks. On parr with Panthers.
 
Honestly think Penrith’s pack is still up there even without Fish. Papali’i has been giving them a different dimension, it’s basically like they get what they used to get from Leniu for 20 minutes but he gives it to them twice. I suspect Yeo has paced himself for when it matters and I know Leota has because he does it every year now, he’s there to be a monster for one month in Spring, not the week to week consistent guy. To’o and Edwards still doing what they do, they’ve unearthed another gun centre, and Cleary still makes the best decisions under pressure & fatigue in the NRL. And they got rid of Luai which helps their attack. Honestly think 5 in a row from them is the least surprising outcome now.

Pure eye test **** but my vibe is we’re heading for a Sharks Panthers GF. 5th vs 7th. And I think Cronulla are actually the only team with the tools to stop them unless Brisbane get Ezra Mam back fit. I sincerely do not think the Storm are built to beat Penrith in a big game. I don’t think they have an answer to Penrith hitting their pigs too hard & totally taking them out of the game.
 
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Feel a little bad for Edwards there, it's a penalty but there wasn't much in it at all, it looked much worse in slow motion
 
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