IT is a wide open race for the premiership this season, but I reckon Souths and the Roosters are in the mix just as much as the top-four sides.
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Having recently played the two Sydney teams, they are who I feel could go on a winning run right through to the grand final.
It will be a cracking game between them next week at the new Allianz Stadium.
As much as I hate to say it, Souths are looking pretty good at the moment.
The players they've got are really starting to find some rhythm and combination.
They were struggling a bit earlier this year but when Latrell Mitchell came back from injury and his trip to America, he brought a lot of energy to their side.
He has pretty much saved their season.
He's playing with a lot of confidence and they're just feeding off that.
It might work in their favour that they battled on earlier in the year and now they've got a second wind at the right time of the year.
If they keep going the way they have been and remain injury-free, they'll be very hard to beat in the finals.
They're tough, skilful and score from pretty much any point on the field.
The Roosters are quite similar. They've had injuries and suspensions and they've just survived around the bottom of that top eight all year.
Now, they're really hitting form when some of the other teams are dipping.
They kept the foot on the gas against the Tigers at the weekend, and while they would have celebrated that night - I reckon they would have been straight back into at training the day after.
Trent Robinson is a quality man manager and knows how to get his players up at the right time.
The Roosters have also played a lot of finals football and know what it's all about.
You can see they're brimming with confidence, all around the ball and pushing through the line.
Luke Keary and James Tedesco are orchestrating it and you've got guys out wide like Joey Manu and Joseph Suaalii who are outstanding.
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As for the sides further up the ladder, Penrith and Melbourne will be hard to beat.
The Panthers have got that core group of players - Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, James Fisher-Harris, Dylan Edwards - who know exactly how to handle the finals now.
Melbourne have a lot of big-game experience as well. Cameron Munster has been on song this year and he will go close to winning the Dally M Medal. Big Nelson Asofa-Solomona has also been damaging on the edge.
So I can see those two sides, along with Souths and the Roosters, playing in the grand final qualifiers.
I don't know if North Queensland, Cronulla and Parramatta can get that far.
But there is no clear title-favourite in my eyes. As I've said it's wide open, which is good for rugby league and good for the fans.
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