Before we jump into this week’s rankings, there seemed to be some confusion about how these work last week.
The undisputed form side of the competition, the Rabbits have again registered a win, although this week they did not play to their fullest potential. It is a sign of a good side when they can play badly yet still find a way to win. After an absolute blockbuster clash against the Roosters, it was always likely there would be a ‘come down’ period but the Rabbits simply know how to win. Adam Reynolds and Greg Inglis are in supreme form, while Walker scored two tries despite nursing an injury. I don’t buy into the ‘going through the season undefeated’ talk just yet, but geese they are going to be hard to beat.
I fully admit that I had the Knights maybe registering one win at this stage of the competition, but definitely not three. They were a tad lucky this week against a desperate Titans side, however a win is a win. Their start to the season has been nothing short of excellent. Kade Snowden is in irresistible form in both attack and defence. Kurt Gidley looks like a different player this season, almost as though he is enjoying his footy again. Since the Tinkler/Bennett pressure has been removed, the Knights have thrived. Enjoyable side to watch.
Following a loss to the Bunnies, the Roosters bounced back in a big way, defeating the very brave Panthers. They now have two wins and a tight loss from three extremely tough fixtures, and you’d have to say they’d take that. There simply is no weakness in this side. Perhaps you could question their discipline, but their defence has been so strong that even though they are conceding penalties, they are not paying a huge price. Blake Ferguson announced his return to the NRL with two tries. RTS is looking right at home at fullback.
Another team who will be extremely happy with where they stand, considering their fixtures to date. A loss to the Roosters will not dampen too many spirits at the foot of the mountains given that the Panthers did not play overly well, and still were in the game for 70 minutes. They will miss Soward for the next few weeks, however Moylan is playing almost as a second five-eighth. Their outside backs are chock full of speed, footwork and try scoring ability, and their forward pack is big and brutal. They’ll look to end the Knights undefeated streak this weekend.
The Dogs have now put together two impressive wins on the trot, and look good to make it three this weekend. Brett Morris had a quiet game after two brilliant efforts, but his outside men stood up to be counted. Mbye has shown some serious potential but he’s unlikely to stop Reynolds coming straight back into the side when fit. Up front, the Dogs won’t lose too many battles this season. They outworked and outplayed Manly at Brookie, not something that is all that regular.
A disappointing loss to the Bunnies won’t seem like to big of a deal for Tigers fans after their side matched the premiers for at least 40 minutes on the weekend. Yes they were outplayed in the second half, but there were some good signs. Aaron Woods is having a brilliant start to the season and looks a certainty to represent his state come Origin time. They looked a little brittle out wide and were taken apart from an injured Walker, however they’ll like regroup and be stronger for it.
A win over the Sharks won’t advance the Storm, but to be honest they’re probably where they thought they would be. They beat the two sides they were expected to beat, and if not for a tough decision from the officials, could be three from three. Blake Green looks like one of the finds of the season after outplaying Cooper Cronk thus far. Tohu Harris has been an absolute star and dominated the Sharks on Saturday evening. Marika Koroibete has shown lightning speed and insane strength so far this season and is becoming a dangerous proposition.
After stuttering in their opening game, the Warriors have put together back to back wins. A Sam Tomkins injury aside, Saturday was a great day for the home side as they pummelled the Eels. The Warriors big men are showing their strength early in the season, and are allowing plenty of space for the likes of Kata out wide. Chad Townsend has played extremely well over the past two weeks, while Johnson is primed for a big game. This weekend’s fixture with the Broncos will show the Warriors where they are really at.
Unlucky not to be further up the list after a huge win over the Cowboys, the Broncos look a far different side to the rabble that was bossed around the park in round one. Corey Parker turned back the clock and was at his stat winning best. Although the Cowboys were a shell of their 2014 selves, the Broncos did their part in putting on a huge score. If they hadn’t taken their foot off the pedal late in the second half it may have even been 50. Their ranking suffers due to the flogging they copped in round one, but they’ve improved week on week. Good signs.
The Eels look like they’re going to be one of those sides that trade wins and losses this year. They were brave but outplayed across the Tasman and need to hit back this weekend. Their assignment? The red hot Rabbitohs! Don’t get me wrong, although tough, the result of this Friday Night’s clash is by no means a formality for South Sydney. The Eels showed in their opener that they can tear premiership heavyweights apart. Hopoate, Watmough and Sandow are three players that can dictate a game, but all three will have to be on their game on Friday Night. One win from three, considering their draw, is a fair return.
On the surface it looks as though the Eagles have been thrashed, lucky to win, and outplayed at home by a rival. In reality, well that sums it up perfectly. It was always going to be a more difficult season at Brookie than years gone by, however they still have the talent to beat anybody on their day. This week they were simply second best to the Dogs. They welcome back Kieran Foran and will be confident of getting their season back on track. A loss to the Dogs is by no means an embarrassment, but it’s a game Manly fans never enjoy losing.
The signs from their game against the Dragons are mainly negative. At 18-0 up over a horribly out of form Dragons side, it’s fair to say that beating them 30-0 is more likely than losing the game. However the Raiders found a way to lose. Two tough losses at home take the shine off their round one win over Cronulla, and they need to find a win this weekend. They face a tough trip to face the Roosters which will tell them a lot about their season. If they can beat the Roosters at Allianz, it’ll totally define their season.
The Dragons were given very little hope of beating the Raiders. At 18-0 down they should have had no hope, but the fight is still there in the Red V. Joel Thompson’s late winner provided a welcome relief for the Dragons fans, and board, as they face very serious pressure from very serious fans. By no means were the Dragons brilliant, but they were resilient and earned their win. They host Manly this weekend, with a chance to send a message to their fans that everything will be ok. Tough ask.
Another week, another disappointing performance for the Sharks. They never looked in the game against a determined Storm. Tohu Harris had a field day out wide as Sharks defenders were left clutching at air. The Sharks managed to make the game look closer than it really was with a late try. They face what is already a must win game this Saturday evening against the Titans. Ben Barba will sit out the next two games, Wade Graham slots in to five-eighth, while Jack Bird debuts. Sharks fans will be hoping he hits the grounds running.
The Titans were brave, and unlucky against the Knights. A horrible video refereeing decision went against them, however they were second best to Newcastle for much of the game. It looked as though they’d record a very important victory, but momentum changed on the back of a late hit by Greg Bird. The Knights, who were flat, fired up and scored late to deny the Titans. A huge game against the Sharks awaits. A loss to the lowly Cronulla side could end their season, just four rounds in. 2016 looks far more promising already, however 2015 looks as though it will be a long season.
Anyone who had the Cowboys at 0 from 3 at this stage is either an expert tipster, or a liar. They were woeful against the Broncos, and thoroughly deserve their 16th place ranking. This side has far too much strike power to write off, but a loss to the Storm this Monday Night will really shake up their confidence. I’m not sure what is wrong in Townsville but they just can’t find any fluidity, and are not themselves in defence. I honestly expected the Cowboys to be flying high right now, not rooted to the bottom of the table.