Is your team cooked? Finals predictions for bottom nine

Needs to lift: Tanah Boyd has been handed the number seven jumper this season by coach Justin Holbrook and needs to grab the team by the scruff of the neck and lead them around the park with more authority.

Current standing: 10th

Last year’s finish: 6th

Finals hopes: It was unthinkable a few months back, but the Roosters could easily miss the big end-of-season games unless they get their act together. Their defence has lacked its usual efficiency but attack is the biggest problem – they have scored less points than any team in the NRL – stunning considering their roster.

Best player: Luke Keary started 2023 with a giant question mark over him after a series of concussions but he has been the shining light in a disappointing team.

Needs to lift: Brandon Smith was regarded by many as the best signing of the season but has been a massive disappointment. Injuries haven’t helped his cause but he needs to settle on a position – lock or hooker – and find his Storm form of recent years.

Current standing: 11th

Last year’s finish: 11th

Finals hopes: When fit and firing, a threat to any team in the comp – but injuries and form slumps are hurting them. Have lost four of their last five games and need to get their confidence back soon before a finals berth slips away.

Best player: Hooker Lachlan Croker isn’t one of the Sea Eagles’ superstars but he turns up every week and does his work around the middle with a minimum of fuss.

Needs to lift: Josh Schuster is constantly referred to as the game’s next big thing and he has all the skills but needs to show them on a more consistent basis.

Current standing: 12th

Last year’s finish: 14th

Finals hopes: Started the season well, have spluttered a few times but still very much in the hunt if they can string a few wins together and keep superstar Kalyn Ponga fit and firing.

Best player: Bradman Best is among the most dangerous ball runners in the game, as he showed in the win over the Sea Eagles on Sunday. The Knights need to direct more play down his left edge and the tries will come.

Current standing: 13th

Last year’s finish: 4th

Finals hopes: The Eels over-achieved last season and then lost a heap of talent over the summer – a combination that has them in the ‘disappointing’ category at the halfway mark of 2023. But the talent is there and they could still make a late charge for a top four spot.

Best player: While Mitchell Moses gets most headlines, the Eels’ Mr Consistency is his halves partner Dylan Brown. A class act with the ball in hand – he leads the league in try assists – he is also a superb defender for a little bloke and after a slow start to the year, has hit top form in recent weeks.

Needs to lift: Josh Hodgson was brought to the Eels to replace busy hooker Reed Mahoney and while his experience is an asset, he needs to be more of a danger out of dummy half to get the Eels forwards going in the right direction.

Current standing: 14th

Last year’s finish: 12th

Finals hopes: Had high expectations a few months back, particularly after winning three of their first five games, but haven’t lived up to the hype despite key signings Reed Mahoney and Viliame Kikau. Have worried a lot of top teams without being able to finish them off and have too much ground to make up now.

Best player: Reed Mahoney has kicked more 40/20s than any player in the league and has given the Bulldogs plenty of direction with his dummy-half skills.

Needs to lift: Kikau has managed just four games due to a pec injury and has yet to score a try as a Bulldog. Won’t be back for another couple of months.

Current standing: 15th

Last year’s finish: Wooden-spooners

Finals hopes: Remarkably after losing their first seven games, the Tigers are just four points outside the top eight. Three wins in their last four games, including the stunning 66-18 massacre of the Cowboys last up, as well as two byes, have seen the Tigers climb off the bottom of the ladder. Still a long shot for the finals, but with a group of good young players who will only get better, the future suddenly looks rosy after the dreadful start to the year.

Best player: Man mountain Stefano Utoikamanu has been a tower of strength up front for the Tigers, playing every game and leading the forward charges. Still a baby by front-rower standards and looks to have a massive future.

Needs to lift: On his day, Brent Naden is a strike weapon but has managed just six games for a meagre return of two tries.

Current standing: 16th

Last year’s finish: 3rd

Finals hopes: The Cowboys were the game’s massive over-achievers in 2022, coming within a game of the grand final and unearthing a host of promising new faces. But the second year syndrome appears to have affected a number of the team’s up-and-comers and they have a lot of ground to make up to reach the finals.

Best player: Reece Robson has been one of the few Cowboys playing as well as last season – he’s now rated in the elite class of hookers in the game and even got a few mentions before the NSW Origin team was named.

Needs to lift: Big Jordan McLean was one of the stars of the Cowboys’ surprise surge to the finals last season. This year his minutes are up but all his other stats are down – the experienced prop needs to show more.

Current standing: 17th

Last year’s finish: 10th

Finals hopes: A rabble on and off the field, it’s been another season of pain for poor Dragons fans. Just three wins, some awful team performances and the sacking of coach Anthony Griffin – probably 12 months too late – have combined to see the Dragons in bottom place on the ladder with little hope of redemption in the short term.

Best player: Ben Hunt by the length of the straight – without him they probably would have ZERO wins.

Needs to lift: You could pick any one of a dozen players but Zac Lomax is a class centre who needs to make less errors and back himself. Being dropped recently didn’t help him and he is playing with little confidence.

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