Here's our Power Rankings after Round 4 of the 2015 NRL season. Who has been the most surprising and who has been the most disappointing so far?
1. Knights (Last week: 2)
Newcastle are amazingly the only side to not drop a single game thus far in 2015 after disposing of the Panthers on Saturday afternoon. I know fans are waiting for the bubble to burst, but the Knights have been brilliant across all areas so far. Chris Houstonโs herculean effort to make over 50 tackles sums up the Knights attitude this season. They will do anything to get the win. They host the Dragons this weekend and will be confident of going 5-0.
2. Rabbitohsย (1)
The Bunnies dropped their first competitive game in seemingly forever, losing to a determined Eels side. There wonโt be too many alarm bells at Redfern, however their outside backs are starting to look a little worrisome with Reddy especially being targeted. Although theyโll be disappointed to lose a game, the Bunnies will be looking forward to a Grand Final replay this Friday afternoon.
3. Roosters (3)
Since dropping a game to the Bunnies, the Roosters have looked every bit a side who is favoured to win the title this season. Although Blake Ferguson is injured, they have plenty of options out wide with young Macdonald coming onto the wing. James Maloney keeps adding value to his upcoming contract negotiations. The Roosters forward pack are back to their usual, dominant selves. They face a danger game this weekend when they play the desperate Sharks, but should put a score on the Shire side if their mind is on the job.
4. Bulldogs (5)
The Dogs suffered a huge scare against the Tigers on Friday Night, having to fight back to take the Tigers to golden point. Moses Mbyeโs field goal was enough to take the Dogs to 3-1, which is probably right where they saw themselves pre-season. Josh Reynolds returns to the side this weekend, which as an Origin half is no doubt a positive, however Mbyeโs form has been such that Dogs fans are questioning the decision. Face a HUGE game this Good Friday.
5. Broncos (9)
The Broncos have now put three wins together after their opening round pasting, and look better each and every week. They outplayed a fired up Warriors side in New Zealand although they did lose Justin Hodges in the process. Bennetโs decision to stand by Milford in the halves looks like it may pay off. Their unheralded outside backs in Oates and Maranta are getting the job done. Itโs up front where the Broncos are doing most of their damage, with the likes of Parker and Thaiday approaching their best. Josh McGuire is a sure thing for rep duties.
6. Panthers (4)
Suffered a second straight loss, however considering the cattle they were missing for their trip to the Hunter, itโs understandable. As well as Matt Moylan is playing, they miss their creative spark in Soward. Segeyaro should be back this weekend, which is a big plus. Tyrone Peachy was at his attacking best, while young Cartwright played well out of position. The Panthers need a win to settle themselves, and have a good shot at home on Monday against the Cowboys.
7. Tigers (6)
The Tigers came within a ball to the back of the head of recording a second upset on Friday Night. For the majority of the game it looked as though they had the Bulldogs beaten, but a late fade out saw the Grand Finals come back and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Luke Brooks showed once again why he is regarded as the future in the halves, while Mitch Moses was solid. Tigerโs fans may have to endure games like this until their side matures, but the future looks bright.
8. Storm (8)
If not for a brilliant Thurston-led fightback by the Cowboys, the Storm would be sitting pretty at 3-1. They played well enough to win their Monday Night encounter however fell asleep at a vital time and conceded late. Cooper Cronk looks to be carrying an injury as he did not once threaten the Cowboys defensive line with the ball. Theyโre back at home this Sunday against the on-again-off-again Warriors. Blake Green continues to play well beyond expectation.
9. Eels (10)
The Eels recorded a fantastic win, ending the Bunnies winning streak in the process. If not for a disappointing effort last year they would have climbed further in this list. Chris Sandow looks to be playing with great freedom and it is doing wonders for his game. John Folau is an absolute monster out wide, beating Greg Inglis twice to score. There is a lot to like about this Eels side, but itโs all about consistency. They have a brilliant opportunity to put back-to-back wins on the board when they host the Tigers this weekend. Pirtek is becoming a fortress.
10. Warriors (8)
Another week, another indifferent performance by the Warriors. This Sunday afternoonโs game perfectly summed up this side. They were close to horrible for the opening 40 minutes, yet looked like a different side in the second half. Unfortunately for their fans, they were just a step or two behind the Broncos. Theyโre just as likely to come out and put 40 on the Storm this week as they are of coming away from Melbourne having been played off the park. Chad Townsend has been solid, but Johnson would be disappointed with his output thus far.
11. Dragons (13)
The Dragons put together back-to-back wins, this time recording a brilliant victory over Manly. The game itself certainly wonโt win any of end year awards, but the Dragons were well worth their two competition points. Trent Merrin, after finally starting, racked up almost 200 metres, showing why the Dragons offered him substantial money to stay. Euan Atiken had a second straight brilliant performance backing up everything we had heard. Some encouraging signs for the Red V.
12. Raiders (12)
Those fans who opted to watch their Raiders play over the cricket world cup probably wish they hadnโt bothered after they offered very little against the red hot Roosters. Soliola, Fensom and Kennedy were all solid and racked up plenty of tackles, but made very little impact in terms of metres. Canberra have plenty of ability out wide but the ball just isnโt getting there enough to create space. Paul Vaughan will brilliant off the bench.
13. Sea Eagles (11)
Manly now sit just one win from four games and are suffering on the injury front. Not the ideal start to the season. Geoff Toovey may have a brilliant halves pairing and some superstar outside backs, but Manly need to get their big men going forward. They play the Raiders, who despite recent results, have players capable of making plenty of metres, but on paper itโs a game theyโre capable of winning. Steve Matai returns. Looking at their results, youโd be tempted to say Manly are in trouble โฆ if they hadnโt won a title after losing their opening five games not that long ago.
14. Cowboys (16)
The Cowboys launched their 2015 season with a brilliant golden point victory over the Storm, thanks mainly to some Thurston brilliance. Although they were far from their fluent best, Cowboys fans were minded of what their side can do. Matt Scott was back to his metre eating best, while Coote had a very encouraging game. Encouragingly Jason Taumalolo had by far his best game of the season. Their Monday Night clash with the Panthers shapes as an absolute ripper.
15. Titans (15)
The Titans needed a win and that is exactly what they got when they beat the Sharks. It wasnโt much more than a win, and the performance was nothing exceptional but itโs amazing what a win can do for confidence. They return home to face the Broncos on Friday Night in what should be a heated contest. Young Kane Elgey was up to the task despite being targeted heavily in defence. Luke Douglas and Nate Myles played big minutes and put in workhorse like shifts.
16. Sharks (14)
Although it may look like a game the Sharks would have won if not for a shocking decision by fill in half Wade Graham, in reality this game the Sharks problems go much deeper. Taking penalty goals at every opportunity, turning the ball inside despite over laps. Simply put the Sharks are playing without confidence and direction. It doesnโt get any easier as they face the red hot Roosters this Sunday afternoon. The only winless side in the competition, Sharks fans are unhappy and have made no secret about it.
