Who would be a tipster?
2018 has been an absolute nightmare for those of us silly enough to commit, at least early on, to a tipping competition. The Tigers' early season form had tipsters tearing out their hair, while the Dogs and Raiders are driving us crazy right now.
All jokes aside the 2018 competition looks to be the closest premiership race in recent history.
The gap between eighth and ninth is the same as the gap between first and eighth. At this time of the season that is downright insanity.
The Storm look to have the minor premiership sewn up with one round to play yet if they were to slip up to the Panthers could fall to second.
Despite the purple haze looking to add a third straight minor premiership, they are hardly running away with the competition. Strangely, they still don't have a stand out first choice halfback. Craig Bellamy has pretty much accepted as much.
That said, the likes of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster mean the Storm are well worth their premiership favourite status despite a recent slump in form.
Speaking of form slumps, both the Roosters (2nd) and Bunnies (3rd) have really struggled to record wins as of late.
The Bunnies have seemingly forgotten how to win after their nine-game winning streak came to an end. Injuries to the majority of their back line and severely disrupted their flow and has seen them fall out of minor premiership contention.
If results go their way they could finish as high as second, although they could slip to fourth.
The Roosters, premiership favourites just two weeks ago, have dropped back to back games to the Raiders and Broncos. Even prior to the rough fortnight they were hardly setting the competition alight.
They're now entering the finals sans their pack enforcer after Dylan Napa was ruled out for three weeks due to suspension.
The Sharks are arguably the form team of the competition right now after three straight wins. They scored plenty of points on Sunday but it was against a well under strength Knights side.
Despite their win streak the Sharks are yet to find top form. Their completion rate and discipline suggests they probably can't win the title, although they do play a brand of footy that looks a lot like that of a team playing in mid to late September.
Valentine Holmes is probably the form player of the competition right now while the Sharks pack seems to be motoring. That said, Matt Moylan and Chad Townsend are hardly tearing sides apart.
For the first time in a long time the premiers may come from outside the top four.
I'm not a huge fan of writing teams off but right now I can't see either the Panthers or Dragons worrying the better sides. Again to contradict myself, at one point in the competition the Dragons were the form side.
Gareth Widdop and Ben Hunt had the Dragons back line scoring from everywhere on the back of a dominant pack. Although they're a long way from that same side, the Red V have it in them.
The Panthers are in awful form and are playing well below their fifth placed ranking. They'll drop to seventh with the Dragons eighth is results go as expected this weekend. Again though, this is a side who can beat anyone on their day.
The Warriors currently sit in eighth but are shaping as the competition's dark horse.
They're a side that play a brand of football that is hard to contain when it comes off. Yes it is risky but if Shaun Johnson, RTS and co fire in September, they could put together the four game win streak required to lift their first title.
The Broncos are shaping as a real left of centre option. Their form hasn't been too good recently but they did just wipe the Roosters off the park. A message was sent and received. The Broncos have the coach to lead them to the title.
I could make an argument as to why each team could win the title. Next week I will. That said, there is a strong argument as to why each team cannot win the title.
Right now if you put the pressure on, I'm going with the Storm to go back to back with a win over either the Roosters or Sharks, but honestly, Dragons and Panthers aside, nothing would surprise me.
Who is winning the 2018 title? One thing is for sure, they'll have to earn it.