Seven down, plenty to go. The NRL rollercoaster evened out a little this week, with just the one Golden Point game instead of the five per round that we had become accustomed to in 2023.
We’re starting to see real form lines, too. Souths and Eels look like they’ve got over tough starts, the Warriors renaissance is continuing and the Panthers are even more ominous when they win despite playing terribly. If you’ve seen the North Queensland Cowboys, do let us know.
Just spare a thought for the Tigers, who took a trip to the Southern Highlands for an honesty session on their week off, and for the Bulldogs, who look like extras from All Quiet on the Western Front, such is their injury toll.
1. Panthers (-)
The secret to winning championships is picking up results when you aren’t playing well. It’s hard to imagine the Panthers playing much worse than they did against the Knights, but they still took home the two points.
2. Broncos (+1)
Brisbane bounced back in style with a win over the Titans, but let’s be honest: this was another game where they looked good against a team that aren’t very good.
The jury remains out on whether this is fools gold or not but they can only beat what is in front of them and fair play for doing so. Next week in Darwin versus Parramatta will tell us plenty more.
3. Souths (+3)
This was a big weekend for Souths. When they’re at their best, they stick to their style and attempt to make Plan A work better. They were really tested on Thursday night in the first half and doubled down on their expansive footy, which eventually paid big dividends. Their clash with Penrith this week should be a belter.
4. Sharks (+1)
It’s not a one man team, but one man is a lot better than his teammates. Nicho Hynes should be straight into the Blues 6 jumper if Brad Fittler is even remotely serious about winning this year. Nicho had all the best bits of a somewhat stodgy clash with the Roosters and as long as he’s in this form, they’re a chance.
Like Penrith, there was a feeling that Cronulla won without being close to their best and that’s a very good sign. The defence wasn’t as tested as it might have been, however, and that remains the big worry for Craig Fitzgibbon.
Nat Butcher. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
5. Storm (-3)
Melbourne struggled at Manly and were a clear second best. There’s always the inkling that, as long as they’re in the game, Cam Munster or Harry Grant will do something amazing and nick the result for the Storm against the odds.
The sight of Grant missing Munster with a simple pass, then Jahrome Hughes losing it seconds later, told you everything about their attack on Friday night. That won’t last though. A rare off night.
6. Roosters (-3)
Last week’s Power Rankings pointed out the Roosters’ discipline issues, and they were compounded yet further by a record number of penalties in the Six Again era.
The Chooks are a good team, and they’ve often given away penalties somewhat strategically, but it’s becoming a huge problem for Trent Robinson, and the sort that will come back to bite them on the backside in bigger games.
As mentioned above, there was probably plenty of hay to be made by attacking the Sharks in a consistent, measured way, and the Roosters never really managed to hold the footy long enough to do so. Lucky for them they get the Dragons next week, who will give them plenty of chances to attack.
7. Warriors (-)
The Warriors’ resurgence keeps going. They’ve now beaten the Cowboys twice and were incredibly good value both times. It’s all good vibes in Auckland right now and no group of players deserves that more.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
8. Eels (+2)
Another strange game for the Eels in which they settled the result before half time, but didn’t really play that well over the course of 80 minutes.
Having played well and lost on several occasions this year, they’ll take playing badly and winning for now. Reagan Campbell-Gillard is head and shoulders above at the moment and no amount of squad happiness juju should keep him out of Origin.
9. Knights (-1)
The Newcastle renaissance continues and they pick up our Good Defeat points for this week. They’ll never get a better chance to defeat the Panthers and will be annoyed not to have, which tells you a lot about how far the Knights have come. No second prizes in this game, though.
10. Manly (+2)
Manly are very frustrating. The gap between their best and worst, especially in defence, is astounding. Anthony Seibold appears to be aware of the issue and is dealing with it, and even better that they’ll get to play the Tigers next.
Even though they just beat Melbourne, it would not be one bit surprising if the bad Sea Eagles turn up next week in Campbelltown and lose. That’s the sort of footy team they are at the moment.
On the plus side, Daly Cherry-Evans remains a genius and is now playing with the proverbial first yard in his head even more than he did before. He’ll be in the running for an Oscar, too, but that’s all japes at this point.
Tom Trbojevic. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
11. Dolphins (-2)
How can a side be so set-and-forget after just seven games of existence? We all already know what we’re getting from Redcliffe, a minor miracle in itself.
They ultimately didn’t have enough to stick with Souths this week, but there’s no shame in that. They could lose every week from here out and be a success, but given that the Dolphins have the Titans at the weekend, that probably won’t be an issue.
12. Raiders (+2)
Anyone who paid to watch the first half of the Dragons’ loss to the Raiders should get their cash back. Listless, slow footy for the most part, though you feel like Canberra played about as badly as they could do and still won, so there’s that. They’ll get better. They have to.
13. Titans (-2)
The Titans were back to their defensive nonsense this week, conceding 43 to the Broncos. It’s the problem that seems impossible to shake for the Gold Coast, and if they turn that in against the Dolphins this coming Saturday, they’ll lose again.
14. Bulldogs (-)
Another week, another major injury, another defeat. There’s no points for bravery in the NRL, unfortunately, but if there were, Canterbury would be getting them right now.
Jason Taumalolo. (Photo by Andy Jackson/Getty Images)
15. Cowboys (-)
Where are the Cowboys? This team was all resilience and effort last year, with a lot of organisation thrown in, but the 2023 edition is miles off it. Todd Payten needs to sort it out pronto.
It’s hard to put your finger on where they’re going wrong. Maybe it’s not possible to keep up the standards they set themselves in 2022 over a longer period, or maybe last year was a bit of a fluke and we should look to it as the exception rather than the rule.
Lots of their players had breakout seasons at the same time, earning themselves reputations and rep honours, which has either tired them out or gone to their heads. But really – answers on a postcard please because it’s baffling.
16. Dragons (-)
Everything that was said about the Raiders is also true of the Dragons. Despite playing like busteds, St George Illawarra still nearly won and it’s a credit to their effort and commitment that they did.
But make no mistake, this is an awful football team to watch. They’ll lose a lot more than they win playing like this, which is a shame because they are far from the 16th worst roster in the comp.
17. Tigers (-)
Finally points on the board as the Tigers defeat Bye in a close one.
Mike Meehall Woodhttps://https://ift.tt/WFiQUk5 Power Rankings: Are Souths good, are the Sharks a one-man team and has anyone seen the Cowboys?
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