The run home

[CJ42]

Tigers will probably be out of contention, Luke brooks gone for 5-6 weeks


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[reptar]

Tigers will probably be out of contention, Luke brooks gone for 5-6 weeks


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They should defend a bit better, then.

[CJ42]

I agree with the Mathis above. 4 wins guarantees top 4 but we could also get there with 3. For the confidence of fans it would be great to knock off the Sharks or storm but the other wins aren't easy.

Manly and tigers will probably be scrapping for the 8 and can both throw the ball around and be very dangerous. Eels will have nothing to lose which is always dangerous.

Massive game on Saturday. Would be awesome to end the Sharks run assuming they beat the Titans tonight.

This team doesn't have a lot to do with the 2010/2012 sides, bar a few players, but not even the best teams in the Comp could touch is in those end of season runs. Maybe we are hitting that kind of form at the right time? We give the Sharks a real go next week and who knows??


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[Raidersfan]

Tigers will probably be out of contention, Luke brooks gone for 5-6 weeks


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They should defend a bit better, then.

Now here is a lateral thinker

[Matt]

Tigers might be in trouble with Brooks injured. So it will depend on the severity of the knee injury as to where their season goes from here.

Manly cant afford a loss and yet they play the Dogs in 2 wks time, then Storm, then us and finish with Penrith. They will be out of the running by the time they play us, and therefore may drop their bundle.

I can see us getting 3, even if its due to the draw helping us with teams having nothing to play for, and I think we are a real chance at jagging 1 of the next 2.

[greeneyed]

This comment from a News article
"Actually i was not impressed with the raiders, if they where a serious threat to the top three they would have scored another 30 points"

From who?

[Northern Raider]

This comment from a News article
"Actually i was not impressed with the raiders, if they where a serious threat to the top three they would have scored another 30 points"

From who?

I think the comment is fair that the Raiders weren't 'on' yesterday and could have easily rattled up more if they were. To discount us as a threat because of it is pretty stupid though. I'm pretty comfortable that we had a 50 point win without really pushing the pedal. Save that gas for the next 2 weeks when we really need it.

[-PJ-]

Well we will be playing finals.
It's great to be talking about where we may finish/who we may play/and at which ground instead of switching off the tv and organising holidays for Sept.

We've come a long way and whatever happens in the next 7-8 weeks I'm proud of where we are. And the next few years will be better again, I truely believe that.

[pickles]

Hard to believe we have a finals berth wrapped up with 5 rounds to go!

I said at the start of the season I wanted to see improvement every game and a much smaller margin between our best and our worst. It seems like that is coming true!

[TongueFTW]

I think it is silly to look too far ahead. One or two injuries or suspensions for us or our opposition in the next few weeks can change everything. Just enjoy the ride!

[Northern Raider]

I think it is silly to look too far ahead. One or two injuries or suspensions for us or our opposition in the next few weeks can change everything. Just enjoy the ride!

Exactly right. Cowboys are the benchmark to beat IMO and without Thurston they are not contenders. Same goes for Melbourne without Smith or Cronk.

Sharks have more of a buffer in this regard as they are performing more as a unit than relying key individual's to lift them. Raiders same to a lesser degree. Take any one of our players out and our chances wouldn't be impacted too greatly. Brenko is an adequate replacement for any of our outside backs. Sam Williams could slot into the halves. Hodgson maybe the hardest to cover but Baptiste has proven to be effective there too. Forward depth no issue when we have guys like Vaughan and Fensom ready to come back in.

[Rob]

I think we will finish 5th but the thing in our favors how terrible the dogs are playing come on they struggled to beat the dragons.

[julian87]

Finishing within the top 4 is so, so, so crucial. It can't be understated.

Win in week 1 and we're obviously through to a Prelim in Sydney (which we'll get huge numbers to) with a week off.

Lose and we get a Semi in Canberra against either the Dogs, Broncos, Titans, Warriors (also include Panthers and Tigers as maybes), which we will pack out. We can beat anyone of them and will be very confident in doing so.

Get into a Prelim and anything can happen. As a fan, all I want is to finally get that whiff of a GF.... just once.

Agree with this post word for word essentially.

[The Nickman]

I think it is silly to look too far ahead. One or two injuries or suspensions for us or our opposition in the next few weeks can change everything. Just enjoy the ride!

Exactly right. Cowboys are the benchmark to beat IMO and without Thurston they are not contenders. Same goes for Melbourne without Smith or Cronk.

Sharks have more of a buffer in this regard as they are performing more as a unit than relying key individual's to lift them. Raiders same to a lesser degree. Take any one of our players out and our chances wouldn't be impacted too greatly. Brenko is an adequate replacement for any of our outside backs. Sam Williams could slot into the halves. Hodgson maybe the hardest to cover but Baptiste has proven to be effective there too. Forward depth no issue when we have guys like Vaughan and Fensom ready to come back in.

I think without Ennis you'd see the Sharks stumble and fall over pretty significantly.

[julian87]

I think it is silly to look too far ahead. One or two injuries or suspensions for us or our opposition in the next few weeks can change everything. Just enjoy the ride!

Exactly right. Cowboys are the benchmark to beat IMO and without Thurston they are not contenders. Same goes for Melbourne without Smith or Cronk.

Sharks have more of a buffer in this regard as they are performing more as a unit than relying key individual's to lift them. Raiders same to a lesser degree. Take any one of our players out and our chances wouldn't be impacted too greatly. Brenko is an adequate replacement for any of our outside backs. Sam Williams could slot into the halves. Hodgson maybe the hardest to cover but Baptiste has proven to be effective there too. Forward depth no issue when we have guys like Vaughan and Fensom ready to come back in.

I think without Ennis you'd see the Sharks stumble and fall over pretty significantly.

Yeah there isn't a team in the top 6 that relies on one man as much as the Sharks rely on Michael Ennis. I couldn't disagree more with the idea that Sharks have better depth/squad flexibility leading into the finals. They deadset don't even have a second hooker.

[Botman]

I think they'd struggle mightily without Barba too
He gives them a creative spark no one else can

Holmes or Bird could play fullback but they can give them what Barba does at the back in attack.

[legend]

Pretty sure the Storm would be stuffed without Smith. 40-0 loss against Manly in the 2008 GF anyone?

[Northern Raider]

Thurston at Cowboys is more crucial than Ennis at Sharks.

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[Raidersfan]

Thurston at Cowboys is more crucial than Ennis at Sharks.

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Absolutely.

Thurston is one of the best players I have ever watched, his influence of the result of a game is more than any other player in the NRL atm. Take Thurston out of the Cowboys and they find themselves struggling for a position in the eight with the likes of Titans and Dragons.

[dubby]

Let's just take it a week at a time, hey.

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[Chickas shoe]

Let's just take it a week at a time, hey.

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fair enough. Sound advice.

[Fair Cop]

This comment from a News article
"Actually i was not impressed with the raiders, if they where a serious threat to the top three they would have scored another 30 points"

Yeah Melbourne and Cronulla would have put 80 on them.

[Sid]

Pretty sure the Storm would be stuffed without Smith. 40-0 loss against Manly in the 2008 GF anyone?

they'd certainly struggle without slater.. Wait

[Campo88]

So just had a dream... Might have been something to do with picking up the GF tickets soon....

Storm/Raiders GF.

We let them out to 26-0 first half, come back to lead 28-26, they get a penalty 78th minute to tie the game....20sec left in the game Austin shanks a fieldy, bounces back off the crossbar. Lands in Storm hands who juggle it right into Crokers arms who charges home to seal the deal with a try.

Taking it a week at a time but god this would be great

Entire stadium has heart attacks......sounds about right for us haha

[Ilanraiders]

So just had a dream... Might have been something to do with picking up the GF tickets soon....

Storm/Raiders GF.

We let them out to 26-0 first half, come back to lead 28-26, they get a penalty 78th minute to tie the game....20sec left in the game Austin shanks a fieldy, bounces back off the crossbar. Lands in Storm hands who juggle it right into Crokers arms who charges home to seal the deal with a try.

Taking it a week at a time but god this would be great

Entire stadium has heart attacks......sounds about right for us haha

I like the heart attack part coz that's just us!!!

[-PJ-]

So just had a dream... Might have been something to do with picking up the GF tickets soon....

Storm/Raiders GF.

We let them out to 26-0 first half, come back to lead 28-26, they get a penalty 78th minute to tie the game....20sec left in the game Austin shanks a fieldy, bounces back off the crossbar. Lands in Storm hands who juggle it right into Crokers arms who charges home to seal the deal with a try.

Taking it a week at a time but god this would be great

Entire stadium has heart attacks......sounds about right for us haha

Sorry, I call BS

[Raidersfan]

So just had a dream... Might have been something to do with picking up the GF tickets soon....

Storm/Raiders GF.

We let them out to 26-0 first half, come back to lead 28-26, they get a penalty 78th minute to tie the game....20sec left in the game Austin shanks a fieldy, bounces back off the crossbar. Lands in Storm hands who juggle it right into Crokers arms who charges home to seal the deal with a try.

Taking it a week at a time but god this would be great

Entire stadium has heart attacks......sounds about right for us haha

Sorry, I call BS

I think its the next blockbuster

[Campo88]

You can call it Bloomin' Stupendous if you want PJ!

[tommyhud9]

Very hard run in I feel, I'd take 3/5 wins. Playing the top two teams, and two in-form teams (manly/wests) away from home... We have a LOT to do before we are making the top 4.

[Seiffert82]

The Cows and Dogs play each other again in round 25 so 4 out of 5 wins for us definitely gets us a top 4 position.

The Dogs also play the Broncos in Brisbane, while the Cows also play the Titans and Warriors.

2/5 guarantees us a top 6 spot, but looking at the Titansn, Tigers, Panthers and Warriors draws we probably realistically only need to win 1 game to get there. They all play each other in various combinations so will be knocking each other out of contention.

[julian87]

If we're being serious it would take a monumental choke for us to not finish in the top 4 of this competition.

3. 32 - Bulldogs
4. 31 - Raiders *
5. 28 - Cowboys
6. 28 - Broncos

* game in hand

We're 3 points clear without even playing this week. If we win tomorrow it's a lay down misere, but even if we lose it should be just about definite. Everything has fallen for us.

- Parra at home minus Scott is our crowd's last chance of a send off, should be a gimme.
- A broken Manly at Brooky minus Walker and maybe Trbojevic?
- Wests without Tedesco, we already beat them by 50 this year with him

[-TW-]

Win tomorrow and seal it would be better

[Ilanraiders]

Win tomorrow and seal it would be better

Yep!!!

[CJ42]

I don't like to get too far ahead, but if we beat the storm, we will be looking at outright 3rd or 2nd if the Sharks capitulation continues, with no losses in the next 3 game.


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[edwahu]

I'm a bit cautious on the Manly game as its Lyons last home game.