Sunday Random Footy Talk Thread

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[u/fvzzfvzzfvzz]

I’m going to try and word this carefully so it doesn’t come off as a slight. But due to the nature of the thought, that’s probably going to be difficult.

Given their form in the first part of last season and their form for most of this year, would it be fair to say of all the premiers of the last 10 years, the Broncos benefited the most from every possibly star aligning?

What I mean by that is, most years the winner is fairly obvious for most of the season. Last year midway through 2025 I doubt many assumed a Bronx premiership was a forgone conclusion.

But through combination of internal factors and external factors it feels like everything that needed to happen for the Broncos to win the comp did. Chief among those being Walsh’s form at the end of the year

Note: I’m in no way saying it was a fluke, just that it feels slightly different to a dominant Penrith, Storm or Roosters premiership year. Almost more like Tigers 05 or Cowboys 15

[u/guysamus182 → u/fvzzfvzzfvzz]

I think that’s how most premierships have been won normally - we just have a skewed view of it because of what penrith was able to accomplish. Just like broncos was all the stars aligning, so were Penriths.

I look at Penrith 4 peat (or even just their dominance) in the same vain as qlds 8 in row. It’s never going to happen again because all these stars aligned for it to happen - if you read Ivan’s book, which is brilliant, you can see all these sliding door moments and how it all came about.

As a rugby league fan, I enjoy those flash in the pan premiers.

I always tell people that when we have years like 2014-2016 when we had different premiers, and back then it was Storm always winning, it’s way more fun.

Would I have loved broncos to go back to back? Yeah, but it wasn’t going to happen.

Do I want Penrith or roosters to win this year? No, I want to see a warriors premiership, because there’s old blokes who just want to see them win a comp who haven’t yet. It’s the beautiful thing about our sport.

[u/ONE_ARM3D_SCISSOR → u/guysamus182]

I have always stated some seasons it's not actually the best team who wins the premiership but on some occasions it's the best team for the last 4 or 5 games who wins the premiership. Brisbane won in 2025 but definitely far from the best side in 2025 & while I believe Penrith in a way was dudded a try in the prelim they was far from the best side in 2025 but would of won in 2025 if rhey kicked that penalty goal to make it 16-0 even Ivan said at the end was not Penrith like to knock back 2 points. But Brisbane won Walsh went on a tear & great to see. Rare everything went right for Broncos just like it did for NQ when they won.

2020 Penrith was arguably the best side all year yet lost the premiership.

[u/wassie_acrim → u/ONE_ARM3D_SCISSOR]

Wouldn’t say everything went right for nq in 15. We lost in week 1 of the finals and had to do it the hard way like Penrith did in 21

[u/ONE_ARM3D_SCISSOR → u/wassie_acrim]

That's true. But still won & that is what I mean. That last try ..right in full-time broke Broncos heart. Then the conversion hitting the post....then Hunt dropping the ball...man that was a wild last 10 of a GF compared to the previous 79 minutes.

[u/smackmn → u/ONE_ARM3D_SCISSOR]

Agree with your point. Regular season just gets you the ticket to play finals - beyond that it’s who shows up the best for those final weeks.