Bulldogs
Strengths: Lachlan Lewis becoming the chief playmaker while Kieran Foran was battling injury will bolster the Dogs’ credentials for next season, his calm demeanour and taking the right options in attack will be complemented with a proper pre-season alongside the rest of the Canterbury’s spine. Reimis Smith and Raymond Faitala-Mariner will also strengthen the side, coming off impressive seasons with other quality outside backs.
Flaws: Cohesion in their playmakers will define their season; they need to all be in unison otherwise the Bulldogs will not be competitive and their game plans will once again come undone.
Dragons
Strengths:ย A high-quality playing group with one of the best forward packs in the competition will only go to another level with another season. Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop resume as halves partners which were cut short late last season but with the right pre-season to gel again the Dragons side will only grow in stature.
Flaws: The well-documented late season fading will need to be fixed with the management of players in the Dragons side – especially with representatives – is definitely a problem. They need to address their style of play as their games became predictable with sides breaking down for it later in the season.
Knights
Strengths: A strong recruitment drive in 2019 has continued, with many additions in the backline including Jesse Ramien and Edrick Lee – which will give the Knights their best side in nearly a decade. Having Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga now in the halves will benefit the side tremendously with two of the elite players being able to steer an exciting squad from the start of 2019.
Flaws: The second worst defensive outfit in the NRL, Nathan Brown will need to zero in on fixing this if they are a chance to return to the finals next year. The Knights have many players, however they are still tweaking their positions which were not ideal in 2018 and will need to be addressed in pre-season to get the most out of the training time.
Rabbitohs
Strengths: One of the most complete sides throughout the season will once again threaten for the title, with much of the side settled the attack will become more polished while their defence will tighten with another full year of the spine working together alongside their backs.
Flaws: Their stocks in the forwards are depleting with John Sutton at the twilight of his career while Blues second rower Angus Crichton moves on to Roosters. The Rabbitohs will need to find replacements quickly for the back row to keep their dominant size and punch on the edges.
