Ideal position on the ladder

[Raidersteve]

If we don't make the top 4 what position is best for the match ups for the Raiders.

Ideally we face the Storm or Parramatta in the second week rather than Roosters or Panthers.

Depending on the final 4 it could be better to finish 6 rather than 5th.

[Botman]

I dont know that i care which of the Rabbits/Knights/Sharks we play. I think we'd be rightful favourites over them all (and it would be a huge disappointment if we lost to them, since we are a better team then them all)

Assuming the ladder stays basically where it is now in the top 4( fairly safe assumption give the ladder), i say i dont care in week 1, if its a home game we should win that... i've got it going chalk save for the Roosters beating Melbourne, which would set us up for Parramatta, which im actually OK with.

Then i have Raiders v Roosters, Storm v Penrith
And that is ideal to me, because id rather take my chances with the Roosters in week 3 and if we can get past them you'd have to feel really good about our chances in the big one and the Storm i think could give the panthers some trouble

Ideally that's how it plays out and its us v the Storm in the big one.

My expectation on this would be that we'd fall to the roosters in week 3 in this scenario.

[zim]

5th is best. Winner of 5th goes into the loser of 1 vs 4. Which if we're 5th is the Eels.
6th is going to run into the loser of 2 vs 3 which is Melbourne or the Roosters.

[The Nickman]

I think our best position is 8th, so we travel Week 1 of the finals and get battle hardened for the wars to come. Also, we then get to play the eels if they lose to Penrith Week 1 of the finals.

[simo]

My idea run is sharks - eels - melbourne - panthers/roosters

[Wiki Special]

Clearly it is 5th if top 4 is not attainable. A Sharks- Eels route to a Prelim is very appealing.

[zim]

My idea run is sharks - eels - melbourne - panthers/roosters

That happens if Melbourne beat the chooks in week 1. Otherwise just swap melb/roosters in your prediction.

[The Nickman]

FWIW, my ideal run in the finals goes Panthers, Knights, Sharks

[zim]

I think our best position is 8th, so we travel Week 1 of the finals and get battle hardened for the wars to come. Also, we then get to play the eels if they lose to Penrith Week 1 of the finals.

Would you rest Papalii in that first week do give those young guys some finals experience?

[The Nickman]

I think our best position is 8th, so we travel Week 1 of the finals and get battle hardened for the wars to come. Also, we then get to play the eels if they lose to Penrith Week 1 of the finals.

Would you rest Papalii in that first week do give those young guys some finals experience?

Absolutely. I'd give Frawley and Sam Williams some gametime too, just in case we need them in the big dance.

[FuiFui BradBrad]

I think our best position is 8th, so we travel Week 1 of the finals and get battle hardened for the wars to come. Also, we then get to play the eels if they lose to Penrith Week 1 of the finals.

Would you rest Papalii in that first week do give those young guys some finals experience?

Absolutely. I'd give Frawley and Sam Williams some gametime too, just in case we need them in the big dance.

This. Might also be worth getting Baptiste out there also to get some mileage in the legs. While we’re at it, wouldn’t hurt to see if Nagas wants to have another run for us, just in case

[Canberra Milk]

My idea run is sharks - eels - melbourne - panthers/roosters

That's the one... decent run actually, if we can get it. I don't want to have a loser mentality but I'm concerned we couldn't beat Panthers or Roosters. Let's face it Panthers gave us a football lesson and Roosters even though close-ish at 18-6, it was reminiscent of our last year's round robin games against them where we were close but never really in the game. If we can avoid them until we get to the GF, then anything can happen. Whereas Storm we've proven we can beat

I think most likely is Sharks - Eels - Roosters - Panthers

Even that is not bad. It's never easy to make a GF so if we beat Roosters on the way we will have earned it. Would be horrible to bow out to Eels. That's one we should win, maybe not easily, they're great defence etc, but I think we are the better team

Definitely don't want an Eels v Penrith boilover then have to play Panthers week 2, and Roosters week 3. That would be the hardest draw

Very grateful to be in the finals and in with a shout

[Northern Raider]

Come finals time I reckon other teams will look on the Raiders as a team they can beat but would prefer not to play them.

[benda]

Eels are cooked.. in my opinion they were flying high both on and off (beat boxing, talking about how much they love it at the club, etc) the field way too early in the season.

I could be wrong, but we will make the top 4.

Panthers are a good side, but honestly they have had a hugeeeee leg up with the draw. Hat off to them for taking advantage of that, but I cant see them winning a premiership. I see a bit of the ego in them that I saw in the Eels. When they sing the team song it's as though they won the comp.

[Ezy]

Panthers will be nervous in week one. I don't think Parra are good enough to get them, but I think our experience might give us the edge if we finish fourth.

[benda]

Come finals time I reckon other teams will look on the Raiders as a team they can beat but would prefer not to play them.

We are too unpredictable but a good defensive side. Honestly our attack is at 50%, we are probably ~7th in the league in attack. I would rank us below Souths, Eels and Knights.

If we get our attack to 70/80%, which we can, we will be a proper premiership threat. Our right hand side is basically non-existent.

[benda]

Panthers will be nervous in week one. I don't think Parra are good enough to get them, but I think our experience might give us the edge if we finish fourth.

Our attack when we played them was 30% effective. I just hope we can do more with the ball in our hands.

[Ezy]

Our red zone attack is still ordinary, but at least we are starting to string some passes together. Definitely an improvement since that game.

[zim]

Eels are cooked.. in my opinion they were flying high both on and off (beat boxing, talking about how much they love it at the club, etc) the field way too early in the season.

I could be wrong, but we will make the top 4.

Panthers are a good side, but honestly they have had a hugeeeee leg up with the draw. Hat off to them for taking advantage of that, but I cant see them winning a premiership. I see a bit of the ego in them that I saw in the Eels. When they sing the team song it's as though they won the comp.

The Eels having copped some injuries at the wrong end of the season too. Losing their in form 6 and the drop in form or their 9. Mahoney had been playing with injury since round 15 before missing last week and possibly this week. They don't have a Havili or Starling level player to cover or support 9 and the loss of D bags to them is similar to us losing Jack.
If they had kept those 2 on the field and healthy they'd be comfortably assured a 4 spot.
There's also a lot of panic in their attack at the moment. Pushing passes and going wide before they've earned it. They'd fix a lot of their issues just by straightening it.

[Hazza]

Obviously, ideally we finish 4th (still think there's a fair chance that happens, I give Tigers a very good chance of knocking off Parra last rd) play Penrith week 1, worst case we lose and get a home final following week v Parra or Sharks, best case we win and in the prelim.

But the way it's panning out, 5th is far from the end of the world, I'd be extremely confident in a home final v sharks, then presumably eels the following week after Penrith beat them week 1 finals. Still need that week off though I reckon. Only team I can't see us beating if we play our best is the roosters. They're pretty scary.

[-PJ-]

I'm still thinking we could climb to 4th.

But im happy with 5th, eventually we'll end up at Bruce and start favs there.

[kona_dream]

I am still very confident we finish 4th. Oh what I would give for that DCE pass that was incorrectly call in round 4 against Parra to be call correctly. Or a Jack Wighton kick for the corner instead of a 40 meter FG attempt in our over time loss.

[raiderskater]

4th would be fine, I really think we can take Penrith.

If not top 4, obviously want to be 5th.

[-TW-]

5th, spank Cronulla and then spank Parramatta week 2.

A prelim this season would be a pass considering the injuries imo

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

[gangrenous]

I can’t see Parramatta losing to either Broncos or Tigers. Think there’s a lot of wishful thinking.

[Sid]

1rd

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Raider47]

I can’t see Parramatta losing to either Broncos or Tigers. Think there’s a lot of wishful thinking.

Agreed.

Broncs are trash and Tiges aren't offering too much.

Our best chance is at 5th, win and then playing Eels the following week.

[reptar]

Just win, damn it!

[raiderskater]

I can’t see Parramatta losing to either Broncos or Tigers. Think there’s a lot of wishful thinking.

Definitely not Broncos, but I could see the Tigers taking them the distance. They were really close against Souths and nearly beat them.

[-TW-]

When they could still make finals, now they're no chance

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

[zim]

Benji and Lawrence lining up for their last game. Come on boys.

[Hong Kong Raider]

I cannot see Parra losing to either the Broncos or Wests, although the emotion of Benji's and Chris Lawrence's last games will make it initially close. I hope I'm wrong, but Tigers usually play dumb, lack defensive discipline, and class. Eels will thrash Broncos and even if we are equal on points the thrashing will give them a better for and against. I expected us to finish 5th after losing to the Roosters.

We paid for our Roosters loss 2 weeks ago and poor form after COVID losing to Newcastle, Manly and Parra. But that seems a long time ago now and momentum in the next few weeks plus no injuries are the key.

It may be a blessing in disguise to finish 5th - play Sharks again, then Parra. It's a longer route without rest or a home prelim final but the hurt of last year must surely motivate the team. It's the last time Bateman and Cotric will play for us. Perhaps Sia. That's why they shouldn't be just satisfied with a prelim final showing. Ricky can just replay the final moments after the GF to motivate them.

Records are meant to be broken. We were the first team to win the Winfield Cup from 4th spot in 1989 when everyone said you couldn't do it. We beat Souths to reach the GF, that year's minor premiers with 3 losses. We can be the first team since Canterbury in 1995 to win outside the top 4.

[Coastalraider]

In my ladder predictions, the tigers would need to beat Parra in round 20 to climb into 9th position. Otherwise they finish 10th.

We ALL know how that ends.

[The Nickman]

When they could still make finals, now they're no chance

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

They’ll be playing for their beloved 9th place though... it’s destiny

[-PJ-]

@Hong Kong..

The losses to Newcastle and Manly are still burning a hole in me.

Especially when you look at the ladder and see how Manly are travelling..

OUCH !!