With the finals getting under way this weekend, i thought it prudent to examine the chances of each side in the division two finals. Lets have a look:

1.Port Moresby Power
Easily the most dominant team in either division this year. The Power have been ourright favourites for about 8 rounds admist a 13 odd game winning streak. However, the Power are set to face the Fear in first round playoffs, the team that ended their winning streak two weeks ago. Should win it comfortably and also have the extra game guaranteed by a top two finish.
Form (last five games from r22) : bt South Melbourne 52-6, bt coffs Harbour 28-20, beat Hobart 26-0, lt Newcastle 18-22, bt Christchurch 42-0.
Matchbreaker: who else? Mohammed Zian-Ali.

2.Coffs Harbour Wyrms
Finally injury free after a horror run, Coffs had an unpredicatble last 10 rounds which saw them fall from first to eventually out of contact with Port. Also have the benefit of a guaranteed match and will feel they definitely have a shot at the title with an injury free squad.
Form: bt Christchurch 24-12, lt Port Morseby 20-28, lt Columbo 13-16, bt Hobart 34-10, bt Redlands 58-18.
Matchbreaker: five-eight Andrew Miller.

3.Eastwood Pumas.
Tipped to finish in the bottom five by asrl experts at years start, the Pumas have consistently stunned critics with big wins. Probably the side most likely to knock Port off their perch, but a lack of big game practice in the last four rounds may see them falter early on.
Form: bt Penrith 20-10, bt Pacific 34-0, bt St George 20-8, lt Suva 16-26, bt Perth 16-0.
Matchbreaker:Aurelion Cologni.

4.Penrith Highlanders.
Like Coffs, another unpredictable team. Also have little big game experience in the last few rounds and a last up loss to Suva may have damaged their confidence. Their first finals match against tamworth will probably be the div 2 game of the week and tell us which of these two teams is a contender.
Form: lt eastwood 10-20, bt New England 28-12, bt Pacific 30-0, bt Auckland 26-6, lt Suva 6-14.
matchbreaker:Halfback/hooker Brendon Cannon.

5.Tamworth City Titans.
A very poor run into the finals has seen lose to non-finalist fairfield and St George, narrow wins over lowly Pert and South Melbourne may mean that Tamworth dont have the gusto to get them further then the second week of finals.
Form:bt perth City 11-8, lt 12-14 Fairfield, bt Newcastle 18-8, lt St George 8-36, bt South Melbourne 44-32.
Matchbreaker:Second Rower Phil Waugh.

6.North Queensland Dolphins.
Tipped to be this years Premiers at year biginning, the Dolphins have had a tumultuios season of ups and downs. One of the strongest teams on paper, they have the team to win the trophy. Don't right the Dolphins off however as i see them as the team most likely to challenge of the bottom four. They are a teamofpatches of form and that patch could start this week.
Form: bt Suva 20-14, bt Perth 26-6, bt Fairfield 26-16, bt Pacific 28-6, lt St George 8-30.
Matchbreaker:Centre Brooke Martin.

7.Redlands Rhinos.
Up against Coffs harbour in a do or die game for Redlands this week as they try to overcome the pyschological effects of last weeks mauling by Coffs. Redlands have had a dissapointing seasons end and are likely to leave this years finals unless they can find some kind of miracle against a team that was resting three top layers last week. (I should not have said that, i am screwed now-lol)
Form: bt fairfield 12-10, lt Newcastle 18-32, lt Christchurch 12-24, bt south Melbourne 26-6, lt Coffs Harbour 18-58.
Matchbreaker-halfback Brett finch.

8.Newcastle Fear.
Will take faith in their seeming miracle even to make it to the finals this season. Achieved only by their huge upset of gianst port Moresby in r25. coach Fowler will feel blessed after the loss of two teams in matches they shouldhave really won allowed the fear into the finals backdoor. However, the Power will be more focused this week and it will take another minor miracle to see the Fear around in the next round f the finals.
Form: bt Hobart 32-4, bt Redlands 32-18, lt Tamworth 8-18, bt Port Moresby 22-18, bt Columbo 40-14.
Matchbreaker:Halfback Nathan Fien.

Newcastle Fear coach Mark Fowler believes the hard work has just started for his team as they look for an unlikely place in the Premier League.

Written off by the pundits going into the penultimate round of the season, the Fear produced a superb effort to beat runaway league leaders Port Moresby 22-18, meaning the club was still in with a slim chance of qualifying for the finals going into round 26.

And a series of improbable results - a shock loss by the Auckland Marlins at home to the Pacific Sharks, and Fairfield's stunning defeat against last placed Canberra - meant that Newcastle's 40-14 win at Colombo saw the club sneak into eight spot.

That satisfied most Fear fans, especially given their disappointing showing over the past few years and given they would need to perform miracles once again against Port Moresby.

But led by forward powerhouse Willie Mason, who was again backed up by the exciting 2004 Dally M winger of the year Leon Pryce, the Fear produced a brilliant 20-8 victory - the club's first finals win since 1997.

"It was a superb effort by the boys," said Fowler afterwards, "but they have stepped up so well recently that we now will go into the game against Eastwood at Telstra Stadium full of confidence."

"But we had nothing to lose against Port Moresby … no one expected us to win … whereas the run we have had recently people will give us an even chance against Eastwood."

Fowler admits one factor in the club's run has been good luck with injuries - the club has managed to avoid any long-term absentees and has used just 20 players all season - and says he is wary of an Eastwood team coming off the back of 26-8 defeat at the hands of the North Queensland Cowboys.

"They are a good team - you don't finish third in the league without being so," he said. "The got seven more points than us during the season, and we will have to watch their two second-rowers in particular (Matt Adamson and Daniel Vickerman) as well as Rob Burrow."

Fowler has made just one change to the squad that beat Port Moresby, with boom prop Richard Moore returning from injury to take the place of Mick Higham on the bench.

That means much will be expected once again of the young halfback combination of Thomas Leullai and Nathan Fien, while the Fear's forward pack should provide plenty of go-forward with Joe Vagana, Willie Mason, Jamie Feeney and Kirk Reynoldson in good form.

The club has also been well served by Craig Hall coming off the bench, while skipper Sean Rudder has provided good service from dummy-half.

Finals Sixes and Sevens
It has now come down to the business end of the season in the ASRL Premiership, with four teams remaining in contention for the the Premership. In this article we reveiw the most important positions in any team's attack, Five Eight and Halfback.

Capetown Ravens
6. Andrew Mehrtens
7. Derek Gateshead

Strengths: Both players seem to work well together, with Mehrts being the main playmaker, whilst Gatehead seems to be the understudy but a fairly good understudy. They were Capetown's first ever half combination and have been the driving force which toom them from Division One to the premiership last year.

Weeknesses: Lack of experience in the Premiership finals race could prove to be something that counts against these two players.

Overall: One of the form combinations in the competition, and the major reason why Capetown were in the top four on the table.

Rating: 8.5/10

Central Phoenix
6. Danny Orr
7. Paul Deacon

Strengths: Probabaly the most underated combination, left in the finals lies with these two pommy players. Paul Deacon is the major players, with his great kicking game, although there is a lot to like about Orr's vision as well.

Weeknesses: Haven't really spent to much time in a vastly different looking Central lineup could be something which would be against them, particularly at this time in the year.

Overall: Pretty much an X-Factor as compared with other team and one that I don't think is capable of leading a team to the premiership, at least this season.

Rating: 7/10

Central Coast Falcons
6. Braith Anasta
7. Brent Sherwin

Strengths: They seem to be combination which complements each other, with Anasta's running game and Sherwin's kicking game with Braith Anasta and is pretty much the best combination, in the halves that the Falcons have ever had.

Weeknesses: Like with Central, Sherwin was new signing by Central Coast from Wellington, meanind he has less experience then the vast amout of season, that Joey Johns has had for the crusade and even Gateshead at Capetown.

Overall: When you have the NSW Five-Eight in your halves that's always a good thing and Brent Sherwin has had a bit of experience in the finals with Wellington, so I think this combination could lead to a premiership

Rating: 8/10

Gold Caost Crusade
6. Jonny Wilkinson
7. Andrew Johns

Strenghts: Have now been at Gold Coast together, for numerous season's now and have been the form Five-Eight and Halfback combination of the ASRL for the past two seasons. Both have a good kicking game, with a good ability to break the line and do a sidestep. Johns has a good defensive game as well.

Weeknesses: The fact that both players are good in their own right, can also count against them as well, with both known mostly as individual players, it can sometimes be a combination of champions instead of a champion combination.

Overall: The best combination, in the ASRL since the days of Wally Lewis and Allan Langer and Dailey and Ricky Stuart. Both are two of the best the ASRL has to offer and it has been that way for years. This combination also knows what it takes to win a premiership whereas the opposition, combinations have not won a premiership together.

Rating: 9.5/10

Can I expect any more? I think I'm waiting on Maunder, Dave, and Trog. I'll give everyone until Friday night and then I'll fire this wagon up again.

Gonna paint a wagon, gonna paint it good....