The top 8 is done and dusted. Where they will all finish is all that needs to be decided. Yes I do realise that Canberra and Newcastle both have a chance to stay in the hunt within striking distance but I cant see them sneaking into 8th position.
Canberra should win today against Penrith but stranger things have happened, especially with the Green Machine. Supporting this mob is great fodder for a heart attack and their form line represents the Manhattan skyline, up and down.That being said I still make sure I watch the Raiders play every week because when it sticks there isn't many sides better to watch. If they had Terry Campese for a full season this year I think they would be a top 8 side. A big concern for them in the future is that Coach David Furner had to take his team out of the ACT the night before their victory against Brisbane and treat it like an away game. Canberra Stadium used to be the most feared road trip in the NRL. I have seen many good sides travel to the nations capital and lose by a big margin. I have also seen the Raiders side that couldn't win away from Canberra if you put it on a silver platter for them.
Its been the problem for the past couple of season and we keep hearing the excuse "we are a young side". That has to stop in the next few weeks for them to have any hope for making the 8 and if they want to play regular September football in years to come.
My boys, the mighty Newcastle Knights have been very hard to follow at times this season. It took 19 weeks for them to get used to Wayne Bennett and what he expects from his team. The win against Manly showed what they are capable of when they play the top sides. Its easy to say with the benefit of hindsight but I actually left the Knights out of my top 8 at the start of this season. Their club culture is built on being the underdog and the transition to being the 'biggest dog in the yard' was always going to take longer than one pre-season. They will miss the eight this year but their should be some good times to come. Tyrone Roberts has emerged as a player of great promise and taken a lot of pressure off Jarrod Mullen, who has also been really good in the back half of the year especially with his kicking game. Akuila Uate being dropped from Origin has been the best thing to happen to him in his short career and he looks hungry. The big key going forward is Darius Boyd beginning to look comfortable with his new team. Boyd and Mullen played as the five-eighth and fullback in the 2005 Australian schoolboys team 7 years ago and that old combination is really starting to click.
The Dragons this season, to put it simply, have been poor. 2012 was gone for them quite some time ago even though they were only put to bed last night by the Tigers. The pre-season for 2013 will be a massive test for Steve Price and his coaching staff. Defensively there isn't too much to worry about but their attack is weak. The experts will tell you defence wins you games but scoring a few try's won't harm your chances either. It could well be a case for re-inventing the wheel for St George as they have looked stale and flat for a major chunk of the season. Apart from Brett Morris out wide they don't have much strike power and with some spare money under the cap they could really use a quality centre with Matt Cooper certain to move on after 2013. Some tough times ahead for the 2010 premiers.
I am starting to get that feel for the Tigers and I hope I'm not let down. Last's night performance was just what the doctor ordered. Forcing 5 line drop outs and completing 34/40 sets in cyclonic conditions is 'winning' football. They were forced into playing that style but they will hopefully see the benefits in the coming weeks. Friday night against the Bulldogs shapes as a game of the year contender. Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah have been at their best in their last 2 games. The signs are there for one of those late season runs from the Wests Tigers. Their biggest obstacle is the Wests Tigers.
The Finals series gets better every year and this season will be no different.
After watching Friday nights game, Manly have convinced me they are capable of going back to back. It could well be the Sea Eagles and the Bulldogs playing off on the first weekend in October. It would be the most heavily saturated all Sydney Grand final in terms of media coverage for years, possibly ever.
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