MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Sydney Roosters won’t play NRL finals, Melbourne Storm will win it, Tigers will succeed

I’m a bloke who likes to hit you straight between the eyes, not a sit-on-the-fence type afraid of upsetting some precious soul.

So, I’m going to shoot from the hip and make three bold predictions as the start of the NRL season approaches.

Penrith won’t win a fifth straight premiership, the Roosters will fail to make the eight for the first time in almost a decade and Wests Tigers will end three years of pain and misery and offload the dreaded wooden spoon.

There you go – bookmark that and come back at me in seven months’ time.

While I expect the Panthers to be right up there again – and possibly even make a sixth straight grand final – I just think Melbourne will have that little big bit more hunger and motivation to right the wrongs of last year.

The Storm will hate the fact they were suffocated out of last year’s decider and were unable to deliver significant body blows on the flawless Panthers when it mattered most.

The scoreline might have read 14-6 but Melbourne were dictated to for much of the 80 minutes and that would have stung over summer.

Their line-up has only been bolstered by the arrival of Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu and I hear the big man is impressing the right people with his attitude and work ethic during pre-season.

He could be close to the buy of the year.

So, I have Storm to win it against either Penrith or Cronulla.

One team I don’t think will have any say come September is Trent Robinson’s Roosters.

Just look at the calibre of player they’ve lost: Joey Manu, Luke Keary, Terrell May, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sitili Tupouniua.

Wow, that’s a few million bucks’ worth of prime rugby league talent right there.

Throw in the absence of injured halfback Sam Walker for the first half of the season, star rugby recruit Mark Nawaqanitawase going down in their 48-10 trial match thrashing at the hands of the Knights on Sunday and Spencer Leniu due to face a two-week ban for a high hit from that game and I just can’t see the Chooks making an impression.

I wrote this before their trial against Newcastle but that putrid performance only solidified my view.

It will be a shock to the Bondi faithful but they can book their September holidays as this will be first time since 2016 Sydney won’t play finals.

Tigers fans, I have some good news for you.

You won’t need to clear space in that congested kitchen draw at Concord for yet another wooden spoon.

Yes, for the first time since 2021 that dubious “honour” will go to another club.

It’s hard to pick who that will be but I do have concerns over the Dolphins and Dragons.

NSW will win the Origin series 2-1 (what else would you expect an old Blue to say?) and I’m hoping a front-rower will break through and win the Dally M.

I know that’s near impossible because the judges always favour the glamour boys in the halves, but James Fisher-Harris and Addin Fonua-Blake are set for enormous years at their new clubs.

Anyway, how good is it to have the footy back!

Rip and tear, fellas.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED

I’m not normally the jealous type.

But when I look at Josh Schuster, I must admit there’s a fair bit of envy.

Here’s a bloke who the late, great Bob Fulton once described as the closest thing to Wally Lewis he’d seen.

Bozo reckoned Josh could do things on a footy field only the truly gifted could pull off.

No one would have been more disappointed than Boze when things went belly up at Manly.

Bob saw Schuster as the man to lead the Sea Eagles for the next 10 years.

It wasn’t to be.

The playmaker took time away from the game to work out if he really had the hunger to play at the elite level.

There was also a lot of stuff going on in the background that is too sensitive to touch on here.

Let’s just say Josh is carrying some heavy emotional baggage and quite rightly wanted to make sure his head was in the right space before making a return to the NRL.

He decided he did want back in and this is where my jealously really kicks in.

Schuster arrived at Souths at the same time the messiah Wayne Bennett was walking through the door for his second coming.

What an opportunity for a young fella.

I’ve previously documented my regret at turning down the opportunity to play under Bennett early in my career and have spent the last 30 years hearing just how good he is.

Players who played under him just won’t shut up about the impact he had on them as both footballers and men.

Bennett would seem a perfect fit for Schuster and vice-versa, yet there are growing reports Josh is again at the crossroads and mulling over whether he wants the life of an NRL player enough.

The Rabbitohs say there is nothing to see here.

But in the world of rugby league, where there is smoke there is always fire.

If Bennett can’t get the best out of this young bloke, then no one can.

I really hope Schuster gets his sh*t together and turns it on this season.

There is nothing sadder than seeing a great talent wasted.