So I ran through a bunch of teams that I thought could make a bold/sneaky claim for the premiership. As is the case with this season's action so far, who really knows who are the top dawgs and who are the phoneys because it changes every damn week! There are obviously going to be eight teams who miss out, and in that lot there are going to be teams who have been destined for failure. I'm not here to name every single team just identify some that I think won't be in the picture come the latter stages of 2014.

I'm gonna kick it off right at the top with the Gold Coast Titans. Somehow these lads are sitting pretty in first place. Well, that's a bit harsh they are the only team who has showed any real consistency and have shown a desire to grind out wins. The reason I'm giving them the pretender tag is that they simply don't have the roster to go continue to win/go deep in to the finals. They have very limited depth and have a forward pack of veterans which will hurt them because the 2014 version of the NRL is quick and brutal. Injury and fatigue will come at some point and after what the Tigers did to the Titans on that freakin' hot day on the GC serves as a warning.

I understand that they have a halves pairing that will cause many teams a shit load of problems. Aidan Sezer and Albert Kelly have to rank as two of the best young halves going around and they rank so highly because they are just picking up from where the left off last season. But 2014 isn't their year. These two will be rewarded at some stage and I have no doubt that Origin will beckon for them whenever the Blues need them but without some potent attacking forces in key supporting roles it's going to be tough for them. This mainly refers to hooker and fullback. They have some fine players in these positions and the emergence of Paul Carter off the bench has been awesome, but there aren't any guys who will chime in like many of the contenders have.

The Raiders are next. I'm not sure if they are genuine pretenders because they aren't really sitting top of the table like the Titans but you shouldn't let the thought of putting any money on the Raiders enter your genius brain. Yes, they have a certified game breaker in Anthony Milford. Yes, Terry Campese is back at his best (he really is) but unfortunately for Raiders fans, there just isn't the genuine winning attitude with the Green Machine. Ricky Stuart will see this as a long term project (like the Eels ... zzzzz) and I agree. Their future is bright with some of the talent they have - Matt Allwood and Shannon Boyd are two names to keep an eye on, and there are too many teams playing at such a high level for the Raiders to consistently stack dem W's.

The Broncos. They've started the season with a hiss and a roar and rightly so. Ben Barba is finding his feet and love for footy, while Sam Thaiday is relishing the chance to play without the captaincy burden. I like what they're doing but the look a few pieces short of top dawg status. When you look at Andrew McCullough, Ben Hunt and Josh Hoffman you admire their skillsets, toughness and all round play but for me they all have a limit on their effectiveness. McCullough and Hunt have had the benefit of cheap experience, coming in when Darren Lockyer was running the show and then battling through the Lockyer hangover. No doubt they would have learnt a lot and will definitely be better off for all that experience but they must now face the challenge of teams watching a whole lot of tape and doing research on them. Not other players, but them. I think once other teams start to figure out the Broncos and how they're are playing, I'm not sure if they'll have the tools in their tool belts to be able to provide a threat week in week out. They're a bit light in muscle up front and I have a hunch that they will end up relying on Ben Barba a bit too much once he's back at his best.

To be honest the last two are just gut feelings. I've tried to offer a rationale behind my decision with the Broncs but with them and the Melbourne Storm it is simply just a roll with ya gut decision. This isn't based on the big 3 being over the hill or anything, I just think that the game has changed a lot in recent years and the Storm are having to adjust. What made them so awesome over the last 10 years has come and gone and they are now adapting. We must remember that for a long time Craig Bellamy has had the services of some key veterans who have slotted in and provided the steady hand and platform for their stars to work their magic. Now we're seeing the Storm amp up their development and bring the new wave through ... not the new wave of guys who will do a job but the new wave of guys who will eventually replace Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater. The Storm are the type of club where their lows won't be as low as ... the Warriors, so while they might even not make the eight, expect them to reap the rewards of their struggles this season in the years to come.