The major question about the NRL grand final will be whether Easts victory is of the magnitude that Richmond recorded in the AFL last week.
They’re certainly capable. Canberra are no GWS, though.
It’s a very strange world where the only way to deny Easts a premiership is by supporting Ricky Stewart.

NRL (last round 2/2; season tally 127/200)
Easts

AFL (last round 1/1; season tally 129/207)

One AFL game and three NRL games to go.
To win the AFL grand final Richmond need to keep a winning streak going that stretches back to the last week of June.
That’s a long time in football. A very long time.
GWS should be pretty fearless, but backing up after last week’s effort will be a real test.
In the NRL Easts should give Cooper Cronk one more week, and even though I’ll tip Canberra, Souths are are more than capable of beating them.

NRL (last round 2/2; season tally 125/196)
Canberra
Easts

AFL (last round 1/2; season tally 128/205)
Richmond

IN AFL, things are still falling out for a Richmond-Collingwood Grand Final. Which I have no interest in.
As a last resort I’ve tipped them both.
In AFL Brisbane were so close last week, but I think that the result for their season is beyond where everyone would have pegged them this year. Now to back it up.
In the NRL Brisbane had a season that no one in Brisbane will excuse. But any side in the NRL that lacks a quality and cohesive unit of players in positions 1, 6, 7, and 9 will have ordinary results. Brisbane have spent money to bring quality players to their club, but not in the positions that matter. They should look at Easts for tips on how that is done.

NRL (last round 2/4; season tally 123/194)
Souths
Melbourne

AFL (last round 1/2; season tally 127/203)
Richmond
Collingwood.

Not a great weekend for tips in the first weekend of AFL finals. The trend is to overlook the form of the teams that lost the major finals and overestimate the form of the winners of the elimination finals. I’m resisting that and expect the teams that came first and second in the home and away season to win this weekend. I don’t have confidence about their ability to go further than that, but we’ll see.
I was disappointed that Cronulla and Wests didn’t tie and knock Brisbane out, but Paramatta will probably fix that this weekend.

NRL (last round 3/8; season tally 121/192)
Easts
Melbourne
Cronulla
Paramatta

AFL (last round 1/4; season tally 126/202)
Geelong
Brisbane

Finals begin this weekend in the AFL. I’m tipping Brisbane, without conviction. I do expect them to make one of the preliminary finals, though.
The NRL season finally grinds to a halt this weekend. Eighth spot is up for grabs. It’s a bit hard to know whether watching Paul Gallen or Robbie Farrah get a chance at one last final is more appealing. Both have been tremendous servants of their sport.

NRL (last round 7/8; season tally 118/184)
Easts
Manly
Melbourne
Canberra
Brisbane
Saint George
Wests
Penrith

AFL (last round 7/9; season tally 125/198)
Geelong
West Coast
Western Bulldogs
Brisbane

Well, last weekends thoughts about the final makeup of the AFL were only disturbed by West Coast losing and dropping from third to fifth. More on that next week.
In the NRL it’s sad that Matt Scott does not get a proper final game, a nice touch they have retired his number for tonight. Scott’s succumbing to a series of injuries has been a major factor in both the North Queensland and Queensland team’s decline in potency in recent years.
Brisbane should fall into the final eight with one more win.

NRL (last round 5/8; season tally 111/176)
North Queensland
Souths
Paramatta
Newcastle
Melbourne
Easts
Canberra
Wests

AFL (last round 7/9; season tally 125/198)

Another home and away season comes to its conclusion this week in the AFL. For the first time in a long time two positions in the top four (or five) are uncertain, and there are conceivable scenarios for one of four teams to finish eighth. I think Geelong will probably be first, then Brisbane, West Coast, Richmond, Collingwood, GWS, Essendon, and Western Bulldogs. I also think Brisbane are a good chance to beat Richmond. They played a day earlier, and Richmond’s game was played in wet weather and would have been very draining. If Brisbane can stay close they should finish stronger.
In the NRL anything below sixth is definitely making up numbers. Easts are just waiting for the games where it counts.

NRL (last round 6/8; season tally 106/168)
Paramatta
Penrith
Souths
Cronulla
Wests
Easts
Manly
Melbourne
Canberra

AFL (last round 5/9; season tally 118/189)
Collingwood
Sydney
North Melbourne
Geelong
Greater Western Sydney
West Coast
Western Bulldogs
Brisbane
Port Adelaide