Ladder Predictions: Where will YOUR team finish?

"When you look at that ladder there is nothing between second and 11th or 12th. It’s a deadly business.” – Brian Smith.<br><br>With that one comment, Roosters coach Brian Smith summed up what all NRL fans and players already knew; it is one of the closest Premiership races in recent memory.<br><br>Just two weeks out from the Telstra Premiership Finals, we are no closer to knowing who will be there in September, let alone who will win the Grand Final.<br><br>When players and coaches start talking mathematics, it is normally a sign they are no longer a realistic chance of making the finals – but with just four points separating 5th from 12th, there is a real possibility that a team could come from the clouds to secure a finals berth.<br><br>NRL.com has crunched the numbers and has tried to simplify the finals scenarios for you – from one extreme to the other!<br><br>But don’t take our word for it, get on to our <b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Bailey Ladder Predictor</a></b> and see where YOU think teams will finish the 2010 season!<br><br><b>St George Illawarra Dragons</b><br>Games: Knights (a), Rabbitohs (h)<br>Best case: Two wins, 38 points, Minor Premiers.<br>Worst Case:&nbsp; Two big losses – mathematical possibility of finishing 4th.<br>Likely: One win from the next two games should see the Dragons collect their second J.J. Giltinan Shield in successive seasons…&nbsp; They’ll fancy their chances against both the Knights and Rabbitohs.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><b><br>Gold Coast Titans</b><br>Games: Sharks (a), Wests Tigers (h)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 36 points, Minor Premiers.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, 32 points, finish 6th.<br>Likely: One win against either Sharks or Wests Tigers will see a top four finish and a home final.&nbsp; <br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Wests Tigers </b><br>Games: Storm (h), Titans (a)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 36 points, Minor Premiers.<br>Worst Case: Losses to Storm and Titans, 32 points, Finish 5th.<br>Likely: Tough two games to finish, but the Tigers would be confident of beating either the Storm at Leichhardt Oval or Titans to secure a top four finish.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Penrith Panthers</b><br>Games: Bulldogs (a), Sharks (h)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 34 points, Minor Premiers.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, 30 points, finish 6th.<br>Likely: The Panthers have the easiest run home on paper of any of the top eight teams. They would want to send a message to the others and win both games against Bulldogs and Sharks.&nbsp; They will probably finish on 34 points, 3rd and have a home Final at CUA Stadium.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Manly Sea Eagles</b><br>Games: Roosters (a), Bulldogs (h)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 32 points, finish 3rd. <br>Worst Case: Two losses, 28 points, miss the top 8eight.<br>Likely: The Sea Eagles look like finishing 5th, with a win over either the Roosters this Sunday, or the Bulldogs in the final Round.&nbsp; They look most likely to finish on 30 points and in 5th position.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><b><br>Sydney Roosters</b><br>Games: Sea Eagles (h), Cowboys (a).<br>Best Case: Two wins, 32 points, finish 3rd.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, 28 points, miss the top eight.<br>Likely: While the Roosters have lost three games on the trot, they are still in good shape. It is a coin toss against Manly this Sunday, but they should win against the Cowboys and finish on 30 points and 6th.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>New Zealand Warriors</b><br>Games: Broncos (h), Eels (a).<br>Best Case: Two wins, 32 points, finish 3rd.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, 28 points, miss the top eight.<br>Likely: The Warriors would secure a finals spot with a victory in one of their last two games, and on current form they are every chance of winning both. Most likely to finish on 30 points and 7th.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><b><br>Brisbane Broncos</b><br>Games: Warriors (a), Raiders (h).<br>Best Case: Two wins, 30 points, 4th.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, 26 points, miss the top eight.<br>Likely: With a tough road trip to New Zealand this week, in all probability it will come down to a showdown against Canberra at Suncorp Stadium to see who finishes in 8th place.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Canberra Raiders</b><br>Games: Cowboys (h), Broncos (a)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 30 points, 6th<br>Worst Case: Two losses, Miss the top eight.<br>Likely: The Raiders have made an incredible late surge towards a finals berth, they should beat the Cowboys and then face a likely sudden-death match away to the Broncos with both team’s seasons on the line.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><b><br>South Sydney Rabbitohs</b><br>Games: Eels (h), Dragons (a)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 28 points, 6th.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, miss the top eight.<br>Likely: Depends how the South Sydney boys bounce back from their embarrassing capitulation to the Panthers.&nbsp; They need to win both games and hope the Broncos and Raiders slip up, but will most likely be booking an early holiday.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Newcastle Knights</b><br>Games: Dragons (h), Storm (a)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 28 points, 7th.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, miss the top eight.<br>Likely: It is a hard ask for the Knights – they need to win both games against the Dragons and Storm and then hope the Raiders and Broncos lose games. Impossible – no, but it looks like the Knights have left it a little late this year.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b><br><br><b>Parramatta Eels</b><br>Games: Rabbitohs (a), Warriors (h)<br>Best Case: Two wins, 28 points, 8th.<br>Worst Case: Two losses, miss the eight.<br>Likely: The loss to the Wests Tigers all but finished their season, they need to beat both the Rabbitohs and Warriors and hope the Broncos and Raiders lose. Their -56 point difference could be a big factor, but in reality, season 2010 looks like being a big disappointment for last year’s Grand Finalists.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.nrl.com/telstrapremiership/ladderpredictor/tabid/10868/default.aspx">Make YOUR predictions on our Bailey Ladder Predictor.</a></b>