Finals predictions

[qwerty51]

If NSW Country got a home semi where are they playing?

 

[Jaghond]

In the Illawarra, I believe (- Win Stadium ?)

 

[Highlander35]

Rays will limp into the finals with a win over the Stars, after City and Eagles beat Vikings and Spirit respectively.

Rising beat the Rays @ AAMI. City get up over the Eagles by a narrow margin.

Rising to take out the Championship, with the margin depending on who's available for City.

 

[Ash]

Rays also need a BP win for that scenario.

http://www.rugby.com.au/nrc/CompetitionLadder.aspx

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Rays also need a BP win for that scenario.

http://www.rugby.com.au/nrc/CompetitionLadder.aspx

The Rays also need both the Spirit and Vikings to lose by more than 8 points.

 

[qwerty51]

The Rising could get totally fucked over by the EOYT. The Wallabies are leaving next Friday for the EOYT. Due to poor scheduling this week should've been the semis like the Currie Cup/ITM with next week the final on Thursday so they everyone would be available. Seeing as the Wallabies are playing 5 matches I'd expect a squad of 35+.

They could potentially lose Toby Smith, Paul Alo-Emile, Luke Jones, Sean McMahon, Nic Stirzaker, Mitch Inman, Tom English.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

The Rising could get totally fucked over by the EOYT. The Wallabies are leaving next Friday for the EOYT. Due to poor scheduling this week should've been the semis like the Currie Cup/ITM with next week the final on Thursday so they everyone would be available. Seeing as the Wallabies are playing 5 matches I'd expect a squad of 35+.

They could potentially lose Toby Smith, Paul Alo-Emile, Luke Jones, Sean McMahon, Nic Stirzaker, Mitch Inman, Tom English.

That would be a bittersweet result but, in my horribly biased opinion, I reckon the first three you named plus Inman should be in the squad now. I would also have Burgo in as the third half-back option.

It wouldn't surprise me to see any of them named next week but, equally I wouldn't be surprised if none of them are selected.

 

[Highlander35]

Lol. We'd be completely and utterly fucked.

Well. Maybe. Kinda. Would need to bring in more backs.

1. Tui
2. Leafa
3. Cruze
4. Jeffries
5. Neville
6. Rolly Polly
7. Sione
8. Timani
9. Burgo
10. JD
11. Joe
12. The 'fro
13. Fatty
14. RLM
15. Jonah

16. Sexy
17. Fereti
18. Simpson
19. Cummins (Finished his Currie Cup contract could probably be signed)
20. Pom
21. Meehan
22. Imo
23. (maybe Koroibola, Seveti or Valenti from outside the squad?)

We can cover for backrowers, but if we lose more than one prop, the scrum will go, and those backs aren't the ideal ones, especially with Sefa and Telusa out for the season.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

^ 19. Gus Hamilton

23. Didn't Kemu Valetini play a couple of the trial games for the Rebels this year? He'd go OK.

 

[oztimmay]

Fairly shit timing with the EOYT, again another win for foresight from the ARU. Still, I think largely the 32 named for Bled 3 will be on the plane to Europe. Would love to see more of our boys hop on the plane, but want to see rising get the silverware.

Tin Foil Hat on, I really think the ARU need a win down here in Mexico to help supplement a tough season for the rebels and keep supper interest. You don't have that sort of problem with NSW or QLD at the moment.

 

[Pfitzy]

Fairly shit timing with the EOYT, again another win for foresight from the ARU.

Understand you're nervous about potential disadvantage, but the the fuck else could they do?

They wanted 8-10 teams, got 9, had to fit it after Brisbane/Sydney Premier Rugby, and needed everyone to get a go at each other beforehand.

Unless we start messing with the people supplying most of the players - Sydney and QLD - you're not going to get it any other way.

 

[oztimmay]

Understand you're nervous about potential disadvantage, but the the fuck else could they do?

They wanted 8-10 teams, got 9, had to fit it after Brisbane/Sydney Premier Rugby, and needed everyone to get a go at each other beforehand.

Unless we start messing with the people supplying most of the players - Sydney and QLD - you're not going to get it any other way.

Yeh I know, there is no such thing as a perfect world. Grateful we even have the comp, hope it's back for next year.

 

[Brumby Runner]

The Rising could get totally fucked over by the EOYT. The Wallabies are leaving next Friday for the EOYT. Due to poor scheduling this week should've been the semis like the Currie Cup/ITM with next week the final on Thursday so they everyone would be available. Seeing as the Wallabies are playing 5 matches I'd expect a squad of 35+.

They could potentially lose Toby Smith, Paul Alo-Emile, Luke Jones, Sean McMahon, Nic Stirzaker, Mitch Inman, Tom English.

Probably won't be the worst case scenario. As others have posted, the squad for the third Bledisloe will make up the bulk of the touring squad, unless they are absolutely thrashed this weekend. Only three or four others are likely to get a ticket on the plane. I can see Jones going, and I'd like to see PAE, Neville, McMahon (could go to the 7s?), Inman and maybe English go too, but it's very unlikely more than one of these would make the tour based on the numbers. No 9s will likely be Genia, Phipps and White barring injuries, so can't see Stirzaker making it this year.

All in all, expect to still see a strong team line up for the Rising in the semis and finals of the NRC.

 

[Braveheart81]

My guess would be that almost no one outside the squad who isn't a currently injured player will be added to the squad.

I'd guess that TPN, Palu, and To'omua (and possibly someone else I'm forgetting) will join the squad so I doubt that there'll be more debutants called up.

 

[qwerty51]

You guys are mad. 35 squad minimum.

 

[Wilson]

You guys are mad. 35 squad minimum.

I feel like they announced that they were going to treat it as a warm up for the world cup and only take a world cup sized squad. If it happened it was a while ago though, so the thinking may have changed.

 

[qwerty51]

NZ are taking 33 and are playing only 4 games and 2 of them are USA and Scotland.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

No more predictions

Fox Sports reporting that:
NSW Country Eagles will play Brisbane City at Central Coast Stadium on Friday 7:30pm

Melbourne Rising will play Perth Spirit at AAMI Park on Saturday at 3:30 pm.

Both games live on Fox.

 

[TOCC]

Bumped this thread for 2017...

2 rounds remaining, Rays, Rams and Rising are out of contention..

Vikings: bye, Rams(A)
QCountry: Drua(A), Spirit(H)
Drua: QCountry(H), Rays(H)
City: Rams(H), Eagles(A)
Spirit: Rays(H), QCountry(A)
Eagles: Rising(A), City(H)

From remaining rounds:
Vikings: bye, 5
QCountry: 0, 5
Drua: 5, 5
City: 5, 1
Spirit: 5, 1
Eagles: 1, 5

So my finals prediction ladder:
Vikings: 30
Drua: 30
QCountry: 29
City: 24
Spirit: 22
Eagles: 19




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[RugbyReg]

yep I came up with a similar prediction prior to this round, although I expected Perth to win yesterday, which snuck them into the 4.

But I suspect it will finish as you predict too.

Perth's barbarian impacted last game likely to be very costly to them. Although I wonder if QLD Country will be without Duncan P, Izzy P and perhaps one or two more??