😂 ok I’ll put them as the maybe 9th or 10th fighting for the close contested 8th spot, but the Sharks have been a real disappointment imo; as since they won the GF in 2016 against the Strom 14-12, and in the years post that, they missed out on the 8 once in 2021 and have done nothing while they were in the bottom 8 or in the top 4 to make a real challenge, they don’t have the squad to go all the way, its a proven fact. Also, in 2025 the top 8 will be probably the most fought for and competitive ever in the NRL era, at best they could be fighting for 8th with the 9th or 10th spot teams just like last the 8th spot was fought for, as they will definitely not be 4th like last year. I just took a stab at it and want to know how accurate that is at end of season, I’m probably wrong, but its worth a shot 😂

My top 8 2025
Storm as they always do as Bellamy demands that
Broncos
Souths
Manly
Panthers
Dragons
Bulldogs
Dolphins
Raiders
😂 lets see if I’m right, might as well go all out 👍

In the last 11 years since Sticky first started coaching the Raiders they have made the top 4 twice with one GF appearance and the bottom 8 three times and missed out 6 times at 3x 10th place one at 9th and one at 15th, so Sticky has virtually had a 45% record of making the 8. Don’t know but in the last 5 years and since the GF of 2019 the Raiders haven’t looked like winning anything even when they made the 8, lets see what happens in 2025 as the comp is getting allot more competitive and the Raiders will need to do well from the start if they are going to have any chance of making the 8 imo, otherwise Stickie’s job is most certainly on the line. Should be an interesting watch what Sticky comes up with and what his excuses will be, which is the best that has come out of the Raiders in the last few years 😂

That is not true, it’s the complete opposite, as when he captained Souths only for 2 years 2020 to 2021 he was quite as a mouse and all of sudden at the Bronx he’s adopted the exact captaincy methods of Cam Smiths of being on the lip with every decision. and especially when he’s been playing against Souths, If you doubt me, go to NRL.com and have a look at the worst of Reyno lipping ref Klein and what he can be like for 80min, watch the R9 2023 game against Souths at Suncorp as that is what I mean, but all that he did that night didn’t help as the Bronx lost 23-6 and got smashed by the Souths 😂

That is a very handy side that the Phins have, and it should be a good game R1 against Souths, but as usual Trell won’t be playing, good test for Souths first up to see how all the new squad especially Dodd and Cody pair up and how Souths handle a side good side like the Phins first up.

I’m not biased at all, as that is what he has been doing, I’m just stating facts, as i really like Reyno he used to be my favorite Bunnie, but after his Bronx R9 2023 performance against Souths he put me right off with the absolute hate that he displayed, which was uncalled for. Anyway, he won’t be playing much with his injuries if the going gets tough, as the Bronx have Hunt to replace him 😂 should be interesting.

No, Reyno is a checky little stirrer and questions allot of decisions made by the referees, he is especially on the lip with refs when the Bronx play Souths, just watch him.

I agree with Flano, as these two are deserving as joint captains, Cook (I’m still dirty that Souths let him go 😡 !)has allot of experience and should be a good leader for the Dragons up front, while Gutho can lead from the back as he already has allot of experience in the captaincy role. Good choices 👍

That should be the Bronx with Reyno as captain v Dragons and Gutho as Reyno is worse on the lip than Cam Smith ever was 👍

Jimmmy there will be allot more completion in 2025 to make the 8 then there was in 2024, so Toddy better get his act together as he will be either getting the Cows in the 8 or missing out and if that should happen then he should be sacked, as the Cows under his coaching haven’t really set the world on fire since 2021 with a 15th, 3rd, 11th and last year at 5th and gotten nowhere just like the Sharks.

Yes, as far as Magde is concerned I rate him very low for walking away from the NSW Blues and I fully agree that “Time will tell if Madge made the right choice by walking away from a lucrative gig at Origin level” as if he fails he deserves it for being greedy. Bennett will be the coach of 2025 with the Bunnies forget the writeups about the rest 😂 👍

Bennett will be ok as I don’t think that he is worried what the Roar rates him on these ratings 😂 We are not expecting much from the big fella, but the Bunnies will be a top 8 side if not top 4 👍

I think that there will be a few surprises in our forwards in 2025, as they are not the lightweights that everyone makes them out to be. The backs are a talented and are well proven. I can’t understand how they are “unpredictable” as together with our middle forwards they a very lethal combination. Souths won’t be a side that will rely on the big one out barge runs like TomyB use to do, but we’ve still got Tatola, who needs to come up to the plate (as he’s had enough time off) as does Shaquai, as they are big enough but they have got to get that mongrel to have a real go, week in and week out and their fitness to last 😂 which they haven’t had. Should be interesting BigGordon, I’m looking forward to the 2025 season and I’ll get back to you at around R10 and tell you how this side is panning out and what chance they are of even making the 8, should be very interesting!

We are not expecting Bennett to wave a magic wand at all, the only reason that Souths miserably faded from halfway through the 2023 NRL season to 2024 is mainly because of injuries to our major players and of course the coaching problem that was imo a major part of Souths collapsing after Bennett’s years! As in 2023 we looked like a top 4 side and up to R9 we beat the two GF contestants, which not many side did.

But and due to the coaching in 2023, they failed and we had some major resignations in the coaching staff like SammyB who had enough and insinuated that certain players were running the show, and the coach was playing favorites and not picking players on their form. All that is hopefully behind us now, as in 2025 we virtually have the same side as in 2023 but with some very handy players in addition that I’m sure that Bennett will get the best out of to perform at their peak and hopefully maintain that for the full 2025 season, as that is what has been missing at Souths, as we’ve always had the talent! That is what all us Souths fans are hoping and want Souths to apply in 2025 and beyond, which we hope Bennett can bring to this side.

Souths if they are all fit throughout the season, even as they have the toughest draw, and will be as intense as they were in 2021 and 2023 mid way and even at some stages through the disastrous 2024 season, looked like a good side, especially with the addition of the 2025 roster and the coaching of Bennett.

The problem with Souths since Bennett left from 2022 is that their intensity was good to about mid-way through the NRL season but then fell off and virtually was non excitant since 2021 as their records are, 2022 at 7th, 2023 at 9th when they looked a GF side to R10 and 2024 at 16th when they failed miserably and should have gotten the spoon. Now that Bennett has come back Souths have a great chance in the next 3 years to build this roster to a GF winning side imo, you can see it in the preseason training how keen they all are “hopefully looks don’t deceive” 😂 . Yes Dodd hasn’t played NRL but from what I’ve seen of him in SL he has a great kicking game, can kick FGs for GP time, has a great sidestep and he is pretty quick off the mark also, all that is questionable is ‘will he be able to apply all that in the NRL?” as his form at Saint Helens hasn’t been that crash hot lately which will only come out when he starts in the 2025 season so we can see ho he pans out.

All in all Souths have the roster to build a great side, but Trell is the key, as he has to get more involved and has to really pull his finger out and have a real 100% and full season “REAL GO” and not get either suspended or injured as usual from about R15 and have no part in the squad for the rest of the season. Souths have some proven performers like Johnston, Graham, Walker, Wighton, Arrow, Tatola (if he is 100% fit) Koloamatangi, Aitken and Murray that Bennett can build a very useful side that is definitely an 8th ladder position side, but could be anything if they all fire and can sustain intensity throughout the 2025 season and compete with sides like the Storm, Panthers and Bronx which imo will be the benchmark for 2025. Go you Bunnies 👍

The way that the Bronx have gone in the last 10 years their last GF win was in 2006 (19 years ago) and they have been GF runner up twice, 2023 /2015, and out of the years they have made the top 4 the only time they won the GF was when they were 3rd and GF runners up were when they 2nd on the ladder on both occasions of the 7/10 in the top 4, which is a good record but the best is the storm that can’t be beaten except by the great Dragons side of 11 in a row from 1955 to 66.

Looking at their squad for 2025 they have some very useful players, and they should make the top 4 and a big chance for the GF, but that is what we said in 2024 and look where they ended up 11th and with a sacked coach. In 2025 there are going to be a few more competitive sides so imo it will be harder to make the 8 and especially the top 4. As the Storm and Panthers will be there, but the Sharks 4th spot was lucky as usual in 2024 and went nowhere, as were the Cooks for 3rd, so 2025 the Bronx have a chance to be 3rd and the rest of the probable sides from their form of 20124 are the Cows, Manly, Dogs and if Souths go real good also, but all in all its looking like a mighty competitive 2025 season especially for the Bunnies, can’t wait for it to start 👍

😂 hey Jimmmy, Lomax aint no Reg Gasnier thats for sure, lets see has he got all these attributes “as he possessed speed, a beautiful running style, good hands, superb change of pace, great anticipation and movement along with being a sound defender” as that is what Reg Gasnier was known for! Saw him play many times and it was just magic to watch when he was at his best. 👍

There is no pain mate we at Souths take the good with the bad but are very critical of the bad, which we were all last year and hallway through 2023, as we expected much more. All Souths fans expect is that they have a real go and that the side is recruited to the best of what our salary cap is and money can buy. Which and btw, Trell being on top dollars, is on his last legs imo if doesn’t come up to the plate in 2025 and continues like he has since he joined Souths!

I tipped them to be in the top 4 in 2023, not winning the GF but right up there, which they looked good and great until R9 but then failed miserably, but things were looking good in the early rounds when we beat the Panthers in R8 by 20-18 at the death there, when Tass was setup for that magnificent winning try by Cody, and then beat the Bronx in R9 when Reyno was throwing tantrums ‘left right and centre’ and trying to get Klein to give the Bronx every decision, and eventually we smashed them 32-6 that night, and the Bunnies were looking really good for a top 4 and even a GF at that stage, but then and after all that, it was like a button was turned OFF and they switched OFF and failed miserably for the next 16 rounds and ended up 9th. Then in 2024 I knew that we had allot of major injuries and we didn’t have the potential to improve on the failures and/or be as good as 2023, but I still thought that we were a chance for the 8, which also failed miserably,

All in all 2023 and especially 2024 was a real shock how the Bunnies went from bad to really one of the two worst side in the NRL and only looked like a wooden spoon side like the Tigers did as they were the same and should have both gotten the wooden spon. I know that we had the coaching problem, which ruined the first half of 2024, then to topple all that off, Trell got injured when we looked a bit better for the first time in 2024 and then it all collapsed with more injuries prevailing and 2024 turned out to be a real rabble which reminded me of Souths in the early 2000 era.

But now and with the master Bennett at the helm, all us diehard fans, expect “BIG THINGS FROM WAYNE” and this new squad, no more excuses 😂 imo we are looking good in 2025 and I’m really looking forward to seeing them play, it will be very important how Dodd and Cody pan out as we have the back to take care of the try scoring aspects of the games, forwards are a bit light but we still have some great talent that could surprise, so lets see how everything pans out in the first part of the season, as SOO time will get us up in the ladder as we will not have many SOO reps. But all in all, I expect them if Bennett gets them really firing, at best a 4th position but realistically they will be in the 6th if not and at worse at 9th and just missing out on the 8 which will be a BIG failure imo. All I can wish the Bunnies like I do every year is Go You Bunnies 👍

😂 👍

Yes mate, I wish Damien Cook all the success and glory that he can achieve at the Dragons, as he was really loyal and a great players for us, he represented NSW for 6 years in SOO at #9 and 1 year at center at the Blues 😂 2 years as #9 with the Kangaroos, great achievements. I was absolutely devastated that Souths let him go, as for me, Souths haven’t replaced him with anybody, as Peter Mamouzelos doesn’t rate at all and doesn’t even come close to Damien Cook, just like I didn’t rate Lachlan Ilias, but if Bennett would have gotten Marshal King it would have been close to Cook, but we have no quality player like Cook at #9? Should be interesting how it pans out at #9 as that is where Souths don’t have anybody as attacking as Cook was and he will be great for the Dragons especially getting the Jaydn Su’A going who is another player that Souths shouldn’t have let go for 2022 when he went to the Dragons.

Bunnies are top 4 for sure 😂 better be after putting up with the painful 2023 and abysmal 2024 seasons 😂 anyway, we’re at $15 7th to win the GF

These are the odds:
Storm $3.85
Panthers $4.50
Sharks $10
Broncos $12
Bulldogs $15
Sea Eagles $15
Rabbitohs $15
Roosters $17
Cowboys $19
Eels $26
Dolphins $34
Warriors $34
Knights $41
Tigers $41
Raiders $51
Titans $51
Dragons $81

The Dragons won’t beat the Dogs, I”ll give the Dragons 10 start and they still won’t win 😂

Yes, I’m really dirty that Souths let Damien Cook go, he is a big loss for us at #9 and with his experience and skills and speed off the mark, lets see what the geniuses at Souths have got to replace him? The Dragons have gained a beauty there with Cookie! 👍