For the final time in 2008, Greg Prichard assesses how your team is really placed in the National Rugby League.
Do you agree with his assessment after Round 26? Join the debate.
1 MELBOURNE (1)
Win-loss record: 17-7
Against the Rabbitohs, they provided a timely reminder of how dynamic and efficient they can be when they know what they have to do. They needed to win by at least 26 points to clinch the minor premiership and they did it easily. The team to beat.
2 MANLY (2)
Win-loss record: 17-7
Took a while to break away from the struggling Panthers, but got the win in the end. They failed to set the Storm a too-hard target in the minor premiership race, but coach Des Hasler was really only concerned with them finishing top two. Main dangers.
3 CRONULLA (3)
Win-loss record: 17-7
It wil be intriguing to see how they go in the finals series. Will
the fact they are the lowest-scoring team in the top eight come
back to haunt them, or will their formidable defence be tight
enough to keep them in games? Don't go writing them off.
4 BRISBANE (4)
Win-loss record: 14-1-9
We know they've got the players to go deep into the finals. It's
whether everything really clicks for the Broncos. There have only
been a few times when it has this season. At other times they've
battled to wins, but, most importantly, they are still here.
5 WARRIORS (7)
Win-loss record: 13-11
Have struggled on the road, so it would have done their psyche a
lot of good to get an away win last weekend, even if it was only
against the Eels. Huge ask to beat the Storm, but they would have
more hope than a couple of other top-eight teams.
6 CANBERRA (8)
Win-loss record: 13-11
They had no trouble racking up big totals in winning at home over the second half of the season, but playing away remains a different story. If they don't muscle up in defence they can't hope to beat a Sharks team that won't give them much.
7 SYDNEY ROOSTERS (9)
Win-loss record: 15-9
What did their 10-0 win over the Dragons in pouring rain mean? The
main point was that they played much smarter football than the dumb
Dragons in the wet. Now, with the rain gone, their defence will get
a much sterner test from the Broncos.
8 ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA (5)
Win-loss record: 13-11
Didn't adjust to the awful conditions against the Roosters. Then,
to make matters worse, the Raiders snuck past them on points
for-and-against differential to leave them facing a
win-or-you're-out situation against the Sea Eagles.
9 NEWCASTLE (6)
Win-loss record: 12-12
It was a lot to expect of them to win both their last two games.
They beat the Storm, to give themselves a chance of making the
finals, but then lost to the Broncos. They needed help after that -
the Eels to beat the Warriors - but it never looked likely.
10 PARRAMATTA (10)
Win-loss record: 11-13
This was a season to forget from a team that was considered to be
as a big a threat to the Storm as the Sea Eagles were. The post
mortems will not unearth too many positives and the attitude will
have to improve dramatically next year.
11 WESTS TIGERS (14)
Win-loss record: 11-13
Their season finished on a good note, with a big away win over the
Titans, but that result will just add to the frustration for the
team and its fans, because it showed what the Tigers could do, but
didn't do nearly as often as they should have.
12 PENRITH (11)
Win-loss record: 10-1-13
The team stumbled to the end of the season, and the coach, Matthew
Elliott, looked gone. But he managed to survive and will have one
last shot at trying to get the Panthers to perform to expectations,
next year. Who knows how it will turn out.
13 SOUTH SYDNEY (12)
Win-loss record: 8-16
14 NORTH QUEENSLAND (13)
Win-loss record: 5-19
Their season had become a mess before it was even halfway over.
Next season, Neil Henry arrives to coach, and judging by what he
has done with Canberra, there is every reason for the Cowboys to be
optimistic about improving - a lot.
15 GOLD COAST (15)
Win-loss record: 10-14
Finished on a poor note with a comprehensive home loss to the
Tigers. Injuries stopped them for the second straight year, but at
some stage they will no longer be able to use that as an excuse. It
will be time to aim up in their third year.
16 BULLDOGS (16)
Win-loss record: 5-19
The year from hell. Worst attack (433 points, even less than
Cronulla scored), worst defence (782, next worst was 666, from
Souths) and the wooden spoon. Captain Andrew Ryan summed it up when
he said he just wanted to find a hole somewhere.
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