Rugby League Immortal Andrew Johns and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster have made their top four predictions for the 2021 NRL season.
Johns believes the Melbourne Storm will once again be the team to beat with Craig Bellamy’s side looking to achieve back-to-back premierships for the first time in club history.
The Newcastle Knights and New South Wales icon predicts last year’s runner-up Penrith to be a threat along with Parramatta. Johns is also bullish on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“Melbourne, Penrith, Parramatta and Souths. I think Souths are in for a really big year,” he told 1170 SEN’s The Matty John’s Show.
Webster thinks the rule changes for the upcoming season will help the Rabbitohs.
“I’ve got Souths, Melbourne, Penrith and I’ll throw Canberra in as fourth,” Webster said.
“I’ve got Souths as minor premiers. I reckon the new rules will suit them.”
NRL powerhouse the Sydney Roosters were a notable omission from Johns and Webster’s top four predictions.
“It is really bizarre leaving the Roosters out of the four. They won’t get Boyd (Cordner) until the second half of the season,” Webster said.
Johns added: “We don’t know who their recognised halfback is.”
Andrew Johns' top four:
Melbourne
Penrith
Parramatta
South Sydney
Andrew Webster's top four:
South Sydney
Melbourne
Penrith
Canberra
The 2021 NRL season gets underway on March 11 when the Storm host South Sydney at AAMI Park.