Last Friday night we saw two monumental clashes, with a golden point victory to the Raiders over the Panthers and thriller between the Storm and the Bulldogs. It was an early taste of finals football with all the intensity and ferocity that the top teams will bring to bear on the way to crowning the 2025 NRL premiers.
Speaking on the fifth episode of ESPN's Boom Rookies with Grub podcast, former Bulldogs and NSW State of Origin star Josh Reynolds said he believes the title will go to one those four clubs, dismissing the hopes of others like the Warriors, Broncos, Roosters, and Sharks.
"I would have said the Roosters before last week, but they are just a little too inconsistent. It's funny, I saw Teddy talking yesterday about the cliche of 'on our day', but you need more good days than bad days and if you turn up like that in a semifinal, like they did against Parramatta, you're gone," Reynolds said.
"I think those Friday night games showed that all the good teams, the reason they were close, is because they were close in all the small parts of the game. They were close in the kick pressures, all those little assets, the chase downs, the Harry Hayes chase down in the corner, Critter competing right till the end, Strange with the Raiders, never giving up.
"The Raiders for me at the moment, I look at them sometimes and I look at their try line attack and they don't really ever break a team open ... It's more just they look at whoever they are coming up against, their opposition, and they say 'I'm beating you, one-on-one I'll beat you' they are just tackle busters.
"At this time of the year, they are young, they are confident and they have Jamal Fogarty there who is a real calming influence on them. He has just been absolutely amazing for them, he is in the prime of his career and a great pick up for Manly next year. Momentum is such a big thing, momentum and good health.
"Look at the other side, Penrith, in control of a lot of that game and that's what I thought was going to happen in a big game, wear them away, set for set. I still think with Penrith, that after last year's grand final, there is just no game they don't think they can win ... They just know that when it gets to that pointy end, they are going to be there abouts.
"Melbourne, I just think for me, their attack at the moment, and I know they have some of their major players out, so I'm not writing them off or having a go at them, but it is just not the Melbourne flow I am used to, of silky, know exactly their identity and everything they are going to do, but I will give them a bit of slack because there are a few out. Wishart is playing halfback, Papenhuyzen has been in and out.
"Their defence saves them, in big games defensively you know what Melbourne are doing and they did it on the weekend, they are very aggressive on the edges, and they are very jammy. In big games they know where it is at and it is up to teams like the Bulldogs to learn from that.
"Everyone is going to say I have my little Bulldogs hat on here, but I will say I am still very confident. The one thing that I love that the Bulldogs were doing early in the season was attacking with their defence, they were going after it. They went after Melbourne, and I want them to keep doing that."
With the Panthers resting their entire team this weekend, it looks as though the Bulldogs should cement their position in the top 4, setting up a repeat of last Friday night's clash in Melbourne and Reynolds is more than happy enough with that.
"I am actually more confident of the Bulldogs going to Melbourne and beating Melbourne, than the Bulldogs versus a Broncos team or someone like that, that's a bit more erratic. The Bulldogs like to go set for set."
For the full video visit ESPN Australia's YouTube page.
Make sure to return every Tuesday as ESPN's Boom Rookies team up with former NRL star Josh "Grub" Reynolds to tackle all the latest rugby league issues and points of contention, in the lead-up to the 2025 NRL Grand Final.