Any predictions on teams to watch in 2019 and maybe even a Finishing Ladder
-Will South's struggle without Quade Cooper??
-Can GPS keep up the rage of 2018
-Will the new coaches make a difference to their Teams (Easts, Brothers etc)
Getting excited already and its still months away.
Mate Always hard to tell as teams differ so greatly from year to year as players either move to Super Rugby interstate, Move overseas, or retire.
The big movers this year for mine is Brothers. Every team except the Prems made the finals last year so I expect them to improve.
Bond played the house down in the second half last year and would have given it a real shake had they made the finals.
Norths who knows they were steadily improving but have lost the coach as well as some other issues.
Easts new and very capable coaches so may find it difficult under new management.
UQ Business as usual
GPS I have heard of a few retirements so I expect a Premiership hangover.
The Bank are generally a better team on paper than on the park.
Souths Similar coaches but many changes in the team so could have a drop off.
Wests I expect them to bounce back after a poor year compared to expectations last year.
Until we see who has gone where it would be difficult to use anything other than a broad brush.
Mate Always hard to tell as teams differ so greatly from year to year as players either move to Super Rugby interstate, Move overseas, or retire.
The big movers this year for mine is Brothers. Every team except the Prems made the finals last year so I expect them to improve.
Bond played the house down in the second half last year and would have given it a real shake had they made the finals.
Norths who knows they were steadily improving but have lost the coach as well as some other issues.
Easts new and very capable coaches so may find it difficult under new management.
UQ Business as usual
GPS I have heard of a few retirements so I expect a Premiership hangover.
The Bank are generally a better team on paper than on the park.
Souths Similar coaches but many changes in the team so could have a drop off.
Wests I expect them to bounce back after a poor year compared to expectations last year.
Until we see who has gone where it would be difficult to use anything other than a broad brush.
I'd be very surprised if GPS don't experience a Premiership hangover.
Maybe hangover is the wrong description but to win a premiership in any sport/grade requires a lot of things to go right - recruitment, retention, injury etc and it's unusual to get that run for you two years in a row.
Mind you Brothers had a great run through the 80's, St George RL 11 straight, Brisbane Lions (3), and the Broncos were the last NRL club to go back to back ('92-'93).
2016 - Uq win reserve grade 2017 - Uq win premsReserve grade players are reserve graders because they are not as good as the first graders.
2016 - Uq win reserve grade 2017 - Uq win prems
2017 - Gps win reserve grade 2018 - Gps win prems
Anyone want to put some dollars on brothers for prems in 2019?
Hearing that Sunnybank captain Nathan Den Hoedt has picked up a training contract with the Waratahs and will play club Rugby for Randwick next year. Can anyone confirm this? Would be a huge loss for the dragons if true