The NRL ladder could see a major reorganization come Friday
morning, as fans gear up for what could be a preview of this year's grand
final.
Thursday night’s confrontation will see two of the
competition's heavyweights, Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers, face off in
Sydney's west. Currently sitting atop the table, the Storm lead by a single
game, but a victory for the Panthers could not only level the points but likely
see Penrith leapfrog Melbourne if they win by more than five points.
Despite these two teams dominating the season, NRL expert
Phil Gould believes that neither the Storm nor the Panthers are as invincible
as they once were. Speaking on the *Six Tackles with Gus* podcast, Gould said,
"Fully fit and at their best, the Panthers and Melbourne are still
probably better than other teams right now… but they are not what they
were."
Gould pointed out that minor injuries, unavailable players,
or just a lucky bounce could bring other teams back into contention.
"Those behind them are thinking that if they can make it to the finals and
have everything fall into place, these two aren't invincible."
Thursday night’s game is being viewed as more than just a
regular-season clash—it’s a crucial litmus test for both teams as the finals proceed
towards. "This will be a blockbuster," Gould said, noting that both
sides will be using it as a rehearsal for the finals to assess where they
stand. "By the end of the game, we’ll be saying, 'that was a different
class of game to anything we've seen so far.'"
With three consecutive premiership titles, Penrith looks
poised for another grand final, but Gould named teams like the Sharks, Sea
Eagles, and Roosters as potential challengers who could knock either the
Panthers or the Storm out of the running.
Scroll down for Round 24 tips from Nine’s expert tipsters
and the current NRL leaderboard!
