| This Week |
Last Week |
Change |
Team |
| #1 |
1 |
- |
Penrith Panthers
A spirited display on the road against the Cowboys, losing 27-23 in Golden point. It highlighted their depth and solidified their standing at the top of the rankings. They will be even better once their stars return.
|
| #2 |
2 |
- |
Brisbane Broncos
Their first Bye came in Round 15, but their toughest challenge will come in the weeks ahead with players returning from Origin duty. It was beneficial to them that Reynolds missed out on selection. A derby fixture against the Titans awaits in Round 17.
|
| #3 |
3 |
- |
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Also had their first Bye of the season this week and it was needed. They were tired and down on personnel. After a poor recent run of results, they will want to bounce back to winning form. The Cowboys come at ideal time, but they can ill afford to lose any more players to injury.
|
| #4 |
4 |
- |
Parramatta Eels
Powered their way into the Top 8 with a commanding win over the Sea Eagles. The Eels are finally enjoying a positive run of form. They have a great opportunity to extend this streak against the Dolphins. They are performing far better than their standing on the competition ladder suggests.
|
| #5 |
6 |
+1 |
Melbourne Storm
An expected and dominant win over the Tigers on the road. The Storm are clearly better than most teams in the competition, they just struggle to perform against the leading sides in the competition. They head home to face the Sea Eagles, in a game which always ensures tensions are running high.
|
| #6 |
5 |
-1 |
New Zealand Warriors
A week off and they head to face the struggling Dragons. A win there would extend their winning streak to 3 matches; the way they executed their win over the Raiders in Round 15 was to be admired. If that is their normal effort every week, they will be difficult for any team to face.
|
| #7 |
7 |
- |
Cronulla Sharks
Bounced back from a horror display against the Storm with a win against a struggling Bulldogs team at home. Their ability to defeat teams in the Top 8 will continued to be questioned until it happens. They have a Bye next week before facing their rivals, the Dragons.
|
| #8 |
8 |
- |
The Dolphins
Their season hangs in the balance. They had the Bye in Round 16, following two ordinary performances against the Warriors and Sea Eagles. Injuries is testing the depth of their squad and a game against the Eels in Round 17 will not make things any easier.
|
| #9 |
9 |
- |
Canberra Raiders
A week off with the Bye to lament their loss to the Warriors. The underwhelming performance in a milestone match only questions how capable this team is when the pressure is on. They must wait longer too, traveling to face the Roosters this coming Sunday. Let’s hope they are made of more ‘fight’ this weekend.
|
| #10 |
11 |
+1 |
North Queensland Cowboys
Overcoming an understrength Panthers team in Golden Point is hardly a confidence building victory. Considering they too were down on players, it is a timely victory. Another tough test awaits in the Rabbitohs, and they need a victory to lift above 13th on the competition ladder.
|
| #11 |
10 |
-1 |
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Will be hoping that their stars get through Origin without injury. Poor against the Eels. Regardless of the players who were absent, there overall effort was abysmal. They are 12th on the competition ladder and need to find form quickly. They are now challenged further by heading down to Melbourne to face the Storm.
|
| #12 |
12 |
- |
Newcastle Knights
Despite numerous attacking opportunities, the Knights could not prevail against the Roosters. Their attacking movements were positive, but they could not turn them into points. Ponga appears to be hitting some form, although that will be meaningless unless others can contribute with him.
|
| #13 |
15 |
+2 |
Sydney Roosters
A win but hardly one to be excited about. They appear slower than most other sides and will now be without Keary for an extended period. They are 11th on the ladder and face the Raiders in Round 17. It could be a little early to say this given the quality they possess but this a season defining match.
|
| #14 |
13 |
-1 |
St George-Illawarra Dragons
News that Hunt has requested a release from his contract can only act as a negative. The squad would’ve been feeling good too after a win against the Rabbitohs in Round 15. They now face the Warriors and if they’re not careful, they will quickly land at the bottom of the competition ladder.
|
| #15 |
14 |
-1 |
Wests Tigers
Spirited in many ways without so many key players. Nevertheless, their loss to the Storm drops them back to last on the ladder. They have a Bye ahead before some tricky matches. They are building into next season and need to maintain their effort on the field over 80 minutes.
|
| #16 |
17 |
- |
Gold Coast Titans
Enjoyed the Bye following a confidence building win over the Tigers. They have snuck their way into 9th on the ladder but that is overstating their performances to date. They need to be consistent in matches if they want to creep their way into the Top 8.
|
| #17 |
16 |
- |
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Quality is absent in this team but so too is their effort. They started strongly enough against the Sharks but failed to capitalise. Then, once they were behind, they appeared to hand the result to their opponents. This squad needs to understand that they are laying the foundations for future years at this club.
|
