Premiership teams thrive when players achieve career-best form simultaneously; alignment crucial for success.
For decades, fans and pundits have searched for the secret ingredient in a premiership-winning team. Is it the superstar halfback? The dominant fullback? The coach?
After 40 years of watching rugby league, one truth stands out: the real common denominator is that premiership teams are made up of players all hitting career-best form at the same time.
The path to the grand final
The draw is set. The winner of Bulldogs vs Penrith will go on to play Brisbane in the preliminary final. The Broncos enjoy a week off and will be fresh. On the other side of the bracket, the Sharks face Canberra, with the winner to meet Melbourne.
Each of these six sides has an elite core. Each has players in career-best touch. The common denominator theory says the team that aligns most of these at the right time will win it all.