The 2008 NRL season is over for the Canberra Raiders and the St. George/Illawara Dragons, after both sides lost in the first round of the finals. Both teams will be extremely pleased with the way their season went, though - especially the Raiders, who were expected to win the wooden spoon.

As promised, here's a review of their season:

St. George/Illlawara Dragons (8th): The Dragons got off to a terrible start, and it looked like it was going to be another long season. However, after it was announced that Wayne Bennnett was going to be coaching the Dragons in 2009, things started to turn around - and the wins began to stack up. The high profile signing of Wendell Sailor was a massive boost for the club, as was the return to form of Jason Ryles, who had been struggling for the past couple of seasons.

They are losing some quality players like Gasnier and Ryles, but they have also recruited well, and should be able to build on their 2008 season. The loss of Mark Gasnier is massive, but things are certainly looking up for the Dragons in 2009.

2009 Gains: Michael Weyman (Raiders), Jeremy Smith (Storm), Luke Priddis (Panthers), Neville Costigan (Raiders), Darius Boyd (Broncos), Matt Head (Tigers)
2009 Losses: Mark Gasnier (French Rugby), Jason Ryles (Les Catalans), Simon Woolford (midseason, retirement), Josh Morris (Bulldogs), Lagi Setu (Broncos), Rangi Chase (Castleford), Ben Rodgers (Knights), Kirk Reynoldson (retirement)


Canberra Raiders (7th): What a season for the boys from the capital. Everyone was picking the Raiders to take the wooden spoon, but they have shown that they are a team on the rise. They have unearthed some good young talent, and will only get better over the next few years. While they are losing their coach, Neil Henry, they are gaining former Raider David Furner, who will be looking to return the Raiders to the glory days of the 1990's.

The season wasn't without it's controversy, with Todd Carney getting sacked for numerous alcohol related problems - but they maintained their composure to cruise into the playoffs. They'll need to work on their defence in 2009, and if they can, they'll be poised to go even further.

It's just great to see the green machine getting back to the top.

2009 Gains: Stuart Flanagan (Tigers), David Shillington (Roosters)
2009 Losses: William Zillman (Titans), Michael Dobson (midseason, Hull), Michael Weyman (Dragons), Ryan Hinchcliffe (Storm), Colin Best (Rabbitohs), Marshall Chalk (Celtic Crusaders - new Super League team), Todd Carney (midseason, sacked/Wigan), Neville Costigan (Dragons), Lincoln Withers (Celtic Crusaders)

Stay tuned for more team reviews, as the remaining teams drop out of the last six.

The Warriors have always been their own worst enemy, and on Sunday they showed us why.

The Dragons are never easy to beat, and the Warrior's history at Wollongong is terrible at best, but with wins over the Storm, Broncos and Sharks in recent weeks, they should have been able to slay the Dragons.

Instead, the Warriors got handed a 34-6 thrashing, which has seen them drop out of the Top eight - although they sit on 26 points, which is the same amount as the Knights, who are in eighth spot.

They will need to beat both the Panthers (home) and the Eels (away) if they want to play finals footy - they can't afford to drop either game, especially with the Eels, Knights, Tigers and Panthers all still in the hunt for the eighth spot.

The Warriors have what it takes to make the eight, but still struggle to win away from home - which could count against them this year.

It's a very serious problem for the club, and unless they can find a way to win in Australia, they'll always struggle to compete for the Premiership.

There's no reason why they can't win on the road - about half of our players are from Australia, and have played a lot of footy for Australian clubs. There really shouldn't be any excuses.

This week we face the wounded Panthers, who we should beat - although the Panthers have been our bogey side for the past few seasons. They're also coming off some heavy defeats, and will be looking to stop the rot and get their season back on track.

The fact that we're at home this week, though, gives us a lot more confidence.

But with only two games to go, the stakes are incredibly high for the Warriors. Win, and move on to the finals. Lose, and it's all over.

No pressure, boys.