With all of these signings going on, how do you rate each side for next year. While it's a long way from being 'over' in terms of signings, where do you see each side finishing next year based on what they've done so far?

1. Sydney Roosters
2. Brisbane Broncos
3. Manly Sea Eagles
4. Parramatta Eels
5. St George/Illawarra Dragons
6. North Queensland Cowboys
7. Wests Tigers
8. Newcastle Knights

9. Canterbury Bulldogs
10. Cronulla Sharks
11. Melbourne Storm
12. Canberra Raiders
13. South Sydney Rabbitohs
14. New Zealand Warriors
15. Penrith Panthers

I see Tigers and SHarks higher up

I see Eels slipping slighty without signing anyone new. Penrith did the same thing and look what happened.

I see Cowboys slipping without Rauhihi

I see Melbourne if Cronk goes no good contending with Penrith and Warriors for the spoon.

I see Souths improving.

I think that eagles will be lower , maybe 7th or 8th. Canberra higher, but we'll wait to see how todd carney goes in halfback for the next 6 weeks. Predicted that if he goes well then woolford could go to esl avoid judiciary with withers to hooker. maybe 6th for them imo

Heres how i think it will shapeup:

1. Brisbane Broncos
2. Sydney Roosters
3. Parramatta Eels
4. Wests Tigers
5. St George
6. Cronulla
7. Canberra
8. Manly

9. Melbourne Storm
10. Bulldogs
11. North Queensland Cowboys
12. South Sydney Rabbitohs
13. New Zealand Warriors
14. Newcastle Knights
15. Penrith Panthers

Wow thats really hard to do. Manly, although they have orford will be missing a good 9 and a good 6, as well as having one of the worst backlines in the comp. Bulldogs could struggle, and storm might not go well if cronk goes ordinarily.

Manly dropping? They've managed to improve on a side that was, until recently, a top four side.

What have Canberra done to improve? They've even lost their most damaging forward.

NZ are fucked without Stacey.

Knights will finish well above fourteenth if they get a strength and conditioning trainer to stop the constant injuries.

Manly.. improved, no, not in my opinion. They still haven't got a decent five eight, for all we know as monoghan will most likely be tested there. Whilst Bell is an improvement, they still really only have one centre, although alberts has been promising, and are losing a key strike winger in Scott Donald. Witt will most likely be shafted, removing there first string goal kicker, to be replaced by the kicking boot of Matt Orford. Matt Orford has played well the last couple of seasons, but he has had phenomenal players around him, especially in the backline. Forward pack is still very good, although they are losing a bit of depth in Sam Harris. Just an opinion of course, but i cant see them making the top 4.

On canberra, it will rely on the coming of age of Todd Carney and Jason Smith staying on the field. There forward pack is decent, and they have some good players in there backline. I want them to be there as well.. lol.

Monghan is a 5-8 who had never played half back before coming to manly when there was a need for the half back.

With him in 6 and Orford in 7 the backline will go back to one of the top scorers like it was last season with Walker 6 and Monas 7 IMO.

Might make the top 4 but will be top 6 at least IMO. Any lower will be a failure.

Canberras forwards are not much with losing Adamson. They might struggle.

I think the Roosters will miss Cayless as they dont have a real big prop for the NRL ATM.

I think Penriths chances come down to the side gaining someone else other than fringe players, I mean they will give it their all but I think we need to gain atleast one decent player from somewhere maybe the ESL?

It's hard to see them in last place though I reckon they'll finish well out of the 8 but end up around where they are now. The worrying year is the one after when Presto goes.

Syndey, Brisbane and Parramatta will dominate the comp next year, I see Manly, Cronulla, Wests, St George and the Cowboys in the 8.

The others will find there place in the eight with the warriors wooden spooners.

I see St George Illawarra lower, perhaps 6th, 7th or 8th, based on past records.

Having a good five-eighth in Braith Anasta may help to counterbalance the loss of Cayless for the Roosters.

Yeah, I cant see penrith realisticly finishing last, but when i looked at them and other teams on paper i ran out of room to put everyone lol. Will be a very close season again next year imo

When we won the comp everyone was tipping us for the spoon because all we signed was Campbell and an unknown prop by the name of Ben Ross. The rest of the team were made up of juniors noone had heard of.

we are signing fringe players who are hungry for a chance and I like players like that.

We are 3-4 first grade signings away from being even a threat to the 8 however.

then to add depth to PL with the young guys from Flegg.

Mick, how did your pl team perform the year before 2003? Just that i have heard that the cougars have been ordinary. You will need players to step up, and its a matter as to whether you have players of that ability or not.

I cant write off Canberra, becoz every year people do and they usually perform. I think Canberra could be a bit of a penrith 2003. They have those young guys who really just need to step up. They have Carney, Jermaine Ale, David Milne, Rothery, Kahler, Tilse, Weyman. They have the old heads around them, Jason Smith, Shifcoske, Jason Croker. A front row that makes metres in Troy Thompson and Josh Miller, and a couple of centres in frawley and Phil Graham if who given a full season without injury could be quite formidable.

The main thing is that it will again be a great season with lots of close games and a very close race for the semis.

I would like to see Canberra do a Penrith 2003. Even though I'm a Bulldogs fan, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Raiders.

I follow ESL and support the Panthers in the NRL and your predictions makes sad reading for me. Its a good job Hull KR have just won some silverware in England, even tho it is a tin pot cup!!!

I dont know whether the bulldogs have too much improvement in them until i see signings. The loss of Anasta is big and i dont know a great (or even a litle) deal about Daniel Holdsworth dragons fans imput would be appeciated. Lolesi will be missed though he has lost a reasonable portion of each season to injury. Charly Tonga looked good in patches. We do have some great new prospects emerging though and with an injury free season we should go seventh. havent studied enough teams to predict much more.

Holdsworth is a good player, i dont know how well he will fill anastas boots though, he has a great kicking game, a good passing game, if he takes the line on more he could be dangerous, we will just have to see when he gets more 1st grade time and experience how well he handles it, hes always done a solid job when stepping up at the Dragons, although i wouldnt go as far to say outstanding, although hes still a better 5/8 then Ennis

Dean Bryne also looked good when he filled in at the dragons. ;)

Parramatta will not drop due to signing noone - we don't need to, signing players when we have players like Reddy, Williams, Delaney, Cordoba etc who can't get a game would be a mistake, we'd inevitably lose some great juniors as a result.

we need to concentrate on signing up the premier league and flegg players, as no doubt there'll be some interest from other clubs. We did all our signings this season now we can sit back and concentrate on just keeping the side together.

Manly will improve with Orford, Roosters are an unknown - losing Cayless and Ricketson will hurt them but gaining Anasta and Harrison will help, which way they go will probably depend on injuries. Should finish in the eight, who knows if they can finish higher?

St George and Brisbane should be up there again, Bulldogs will improve no doubt they can't do any worse than this year although they lose Anasta they'll no doubt have a better run with injuries - will finish somewhere betweem 6-10. Knights in the 4 if Johns and Buderus are fit for most of the season, bottom 8 if not, how many games both these players play will determine their finish. They are that good.

Souths will continue their improvement, but other sides will improve more which will again leave them down the bottom. Penrith, Canberra will struggle, Melbourne will also fall.

Top Four Candidates:
Broncos
St George
Eels
(Knights)
(Roosters)

Top Eight Definates
Manly
Wests Tigers
Cowboys

Fringe Eight or just outside:
Bulldogs
Manly
Melbourne
Sharks


Bottom 7:
Penrith
Canberra
Souths

The roosters will definately be in the top 4. People seem to be forgetting that we still have plenty of leadership in the forwards in the form of Morley, and in Fitzgibbon. With Anasta in 6 and Finch in 7, we will have one of the most potent halves combinations, Harrison will be a huge gain, replacing Ricketson at Lock - he has played outstanding in a lacklustre Souths lineup, and his loss will inevitably see Souths slip behind the eight ball again....

Finch potent?

Hardly. Be good to see how Anasta goes in the tricolours, could be a smart buy and what the Roosters need to perfom.

in combination with Anasta - yes.

He's not really that crash hot, but he looked alright with Fittler in the 6, and Anasta could be just what he needs to motivate him to perform.

1. St George Illawarra
2. Parramatta Eels
3. Wests Tigers
4. Sydney Roosters
5. Canterbury Bulldogs
6. North Queensland Cowboys
7. Brisbane Broncos
8. Newcastle Knights - If Joey Stays Fit

9. Penrith Panthers
10. Melbourne Storm
11. Manly Sea Eagles
12. South Sydney Rabbitohs
13. New Zealand Warriors
14. Cronulla Sharks
15. Canberra Raiders

Anasta isn't going to help Finch one bit....Fittler done alot of the play making while Finch just kicked. The young lad from pl will be in the 7 by round 10...

Storm may suprise a few teams next season...look for them to play a Tigers style game now that Orford has moved on...Inglis and Slater are as dangerous as in broken play.