Winning an NRL or AFL premiership isn’t about having the best squad in March.

It’s who you have left for August and September that counts and that’s why the Brisbane Broncos have no chance of defending their premiership, the North Queensland Cowboys have some hope and the Brisbane Lions have a great chance of an unexpected trip to the finals.

Shaun Berrigan’s demise yesterday has just about robbed the Broncos of any attacking weapons for the final four weeks of the season.

Darren Lockyer and Brent Tate are gone for the season and Karmichael Hunt may not be back until the final round, which leaves Justin Hodges, who had a massive 228 metres gained against Manly, as the defending premiers’ main threat with the ball.

Darius Boyd and Steve Michaels are two potential game winners in the future, but would you back any side with Shane Perry at halfback and Tonie Carroll at five-eighth to come up with enough points to win rugby league matches at the most important part of the year?

The Broncos will be outsiders against Melbourne, the Bulldogs and Parramatta and even Canberra, at Suncorp Stadium in round 24, will be difficult to overcome.

Brisbane probably needs to win two of those four to make the top eight. I can’t see that happening.

North Queensland is a different story. Watching Matty Bowen’s tremendous night in attack and defence, scoring tries and denying tries, and Johnathan Thurston’s composure to get his side a win after trailing for most of the night, showed that it’s not time for Cowboys supporters to give up on a return to the grand final.

Without either of these two, North Queensland would be in big trouble. However, unlike the Broncos, the Cowboys have managed, or been lucky enough, to keep most of their first choice 17 available in the finals lead-up.

They are Queensland’s best chance of winning the premiership, as much as I’d like to think the Gold Coast, now that Scott Prince has returned, could produce a finals miracle.

Over in the AFL, Jonathan Brown’s sensational run of form has propelled the Lions to a five-game winning streak and a place in the top eight.

As long as Brown stays fit, and kicking as many goals as he has during the winning streak, the Lions could be the surprise team of September.

On the Coast sporting scene, congratulations to Buderim Wanderers on their Two Coast Cup football victory and the Maroochydore Clippers women, who have made the best-of-three QABL grand final series.