Once again St George are sitting on top of the NRL ladder but the question remains how they will play in September during the finals. Last year they were in the same position and bowed out in straight sets. Will this year be any different?
The salary cap scandal that engulfed the Storm means they are out of the running. Otherwise they would be in fourth position and a serious contender for the title. Currently in second spot you have Penrith, behind them you have the Tigers, Manly and Roosters.
Interestingly enough each of those teams won the title in the past decade so they know what it takes in order to win won. The Broncos are always up there but currently they are in ninth spot. They are on 22 points which is level with South Sydney.
This past round there were some interesting results. Gold Coast defeated St George by a point in extra time. Melbourne defeated Penrith and Souths took out the Warriors in a high scoring game. Manly defeated the West Tigers in a spiteful encounter while the Broncos and Roosters are still to play.
Round 21 is going to throw up some more interesting matches. Parramatta host the Roosters in what should be a fierce match. What will be a huge game is the one which sees the Broncos host the Dragons. Over the years, the two have played some intense matches. Obviously Wayne Bennett coaching the Dragons gives the game an extra dimension. He was very successful at the Broncos and for a long time symbolized the team. He is now at the Dragons trying to bring them their first title in over 30 years.
He is already a huge legend of the game but should Bennett be responsible for breaking the drought for the most famous club in the competition, he will be the greatest of all time. At the moment, there is a lot of betting action on the Dragons but on the other hand, people are wary of them collapsing in the finals.
Adding more to the Dragons and Broncos rivalry is the two grand finals they played in consecutive years in the early 1990s. The Dragons just weren’t able to get over the line and continued their years without anything to show for it. Also you have players who have played for both clubs such as Gorden Tallis and Wendell Sailor.
Darren Albert writes for this blog. He is also an expert on live bets.
