Round 9 of the 2015 NRL season is completed and the updated Power Rankings are in! Who has been the most surprising and who has been the most disappointing so far?
A sixth straight victory makes the Cowboys the form team of the competition. They seemed to make hard work of their seven-point win over the Bulldogs, however never really looked in trouble. Their poor start to the season is now officially forgotten as they’re only a win against QLD rivals, the Broncos, away from joining them at the top of the table. This side is stacked all around the park, and is being driven by 2015’s form player in Thurston. They’ll lose some brilliant cattle over the Origin period, but have put themselves in a strong position.
Can feel unlucky not to be number one, but a recent loss to the Dragons means they stay second, despite topping the table. The Broncos are another side who are firing across the park. The outside backs looked like a possible weakness, but Kahu’s moving to the wing following the return of Darius Boyd strengthens them further. Friday Night’s game against the Panthers was less than brilliant in terms of attacking play, but they found a way to win. Ben Hunt may be amongst the best match-winners in the game.
The Dragons first loss since round two sees the club slip one game behind the table topping Broncos, but they are still in a far better position than anyone could have imagined at this stage. A close loss to the reigning premiers is hardly the end of the world, especially on the back of their amazing form as of late. They still looked great in defence, however struggled slightly in attack. Josh Dugan has certainly wrapped up the number one jumper for NSW.
The Storm are sending some ominous signals, despite being written off by many at the start of the season. They’re sitting with six wins from nine games, yet have not hit full stride. Billy Slater reminded everyone just how important he is to the side with a vintage performance. It will be a scary day should Cooper Cronk re-find his form and the Storm truly turn it on. Kevin Proctor shapes as an absolute monster out wide and it looks as though his minutes will rise.
The Rabbits returned to the winner’s circle with victory over the table-topping Dragons on Monday Night. Not so coincidently the return to form coincided with the return of Adam Reynolds. Unfortunately his broken thumb means he will be out for at least a month, although reports of the seriousness of his injury are being questioned following his miracle return from a 3 month injury. They’re going to need players to step up in their superstar halfback’s absence, but they have the ability.
The Raiders put on an absolute show in their thumping victory over the Titans. 56 points were scored as the side from Canberra move into the top 8. Blake Austin, on form, has to be close to an Origin spot. He continues to score tries, set them up, make important tackles, and create chances. If that’s not what NSW are after, then they need to look elsewhere. Jarrod Croker, much maligned for his terrible defence, is a completely different player this season. Up front, the Raiders look better than they have in many years. They’re flying high.
A huge loss to the Raiders brings the Titans back to Earth with a thud, however the good work of weeks gone by sees the Titans remain in the top eight, rankings wise. Every team has a week off, and Titans fans will hope that Saturday afternoon completed said week. Nothing went right against a red hot Raider side, although the Titans have a brilliant chance to bounce back against the Sharks. James Roberts is licking his lips at a possible matchup with Blake Ayshford.
The Panthers continue their on-again, off-again, form, after falling a minute or so short of a memorable victory in Brisbane. 8-5 seems like an incredible score-line, and the game was just that, incredible. Jamie Soward’s return means the Panthers are a more formidable side, and they should see some more of their top line players back this weekend. Worryingly the Panthers are 0-4 on the road, although have a chance to record a first win against the struggling Sea Eagles.
The Tigers maintain ninth spot purely due to results around them. They were absolutely played off the park by a resurgent Roosters side on Friday Night, a result which deserved a demotion. They now sit 10th on the NRL ladder, which is a perfect representation of how they have played in 2015 so far. We’ve heard, numerous times, that the Tigers are a young side, and they have to expect some inconsistency, but they really need to bounce back against the Knights.
The Warriors were just a minute or so away from falling to 15th place here, but following a Jeff Robson brain fade and some Shaun Johnson brilliance, they snatched a win from the jaws of defeat. The New Zealanders were by no means bad on Saturday evening, but they weren’t their usual attacking selves either. As strange as it sounds, that could be a good thing for this side. Capable of tearing anyone apart on their day, the Warriors were able to grind out a victory despite being at their best. Good signs.
The Roosters are back to winning ways with a huge victory over the Tigers. James Maloney threw his name back into the Origin conversation with another strong performance. Daniel Tupou’s hat-trick reminded fans what he is capable off. His reported 300k asking price doesn’t seem too bad if he can continue to score tries with the ease he showed on Friday night. A huge Friday Night clash will see them play the Bulldogs. Considering the cattle they will lose come Origin time, this shapes as a must win game.
The Knights have now lost five games on the run after four wins to open their season. Their main players just aren’t performing, and following their latest limp effort, changes need to be made. Kurt Gidley and Tyrone Roberts were spectators for the majority of Sunday’s game with the Sea Eagles. Sione Mata’utia is only half the threat he was last season, and Dane Gagai seems to have fallen away. The Knights really need to find some consistency in positions, and form, before their good start to the season is forgotten.
The Bulldogs get their influential captain back this Friday Night, and not a game too soon, considering the form they have been in recently. They were brave against the Cowboys, but were lacking the class needed to finish the game off. Incredibly the out of form Josh Reynolds returns to the side to partner Hodkinson in a game which is likely to see NSW’s incumbent halves play their likely successors. David Klemmer has been dropped, while Tony Williams has been retained. Dog’s fans are pulling their hair out.
Speaking of frustrated fans, long suffering Sharks fans are absolutely shocked to see Jeff Robson retained following his horror error against the Warriors. Blake Ayshford has also been named, keeping extremely popular Jacob Gagan in NSW Cup. On the upside, Andrew Fifita’s monstering run, showed that he may be back to somewhere near his best. Wade Graham was again solid, while Ben Barba looked dangerous at times. You get the feeling that Saturday’s game against the Titans shapes as a season defining game.
Manly have now put together two impressive wins in a row, and will be further strengthened by Steve Matai’s return this weekend. As silly as it sounds, they looked far more dangerous without Kieran Foran, who many fans have accused of already looking toward 2016 at his new club. Blake Leary was an absolute revelation and shapes as extremely important going forward. Brett Stewart put in a brilliant performance at fullback. Topped off by the signing of Nate Myles, it has been a good week for the Sea Eagles.
What is going on at the Eels? (I chose to avoid the “whats the matter, Parramatta?”) They’re playing like they’ve never met each other. Their big name recruit is far under par, while they’re 500k+ a season halfback is off the rails, almost literally. On a serious note though, despite season shaping victories over the Sea Eagles and Rabbits, the Eels look like nothing more than cannon fodder in 2015. Melbourne, in second gear, made easy work of the Eels at Pirtek. Worrying signs.