It’s just been one of those weeks hasn’t it? Many massive wins, a few close games a few massive upsets, a draw and another spectacular performance from Greg Inglis, which is pretty much expected by this point.

Last week I released my first iteration of the power rankings and I copped a little bit of flak for a few of my rankings, namely the decision to place Parramatta at the bottom of the pile.

I also pointed out the NRL’s latest ‘big three’ and their performances this week were much more impressive than anything the Storm’s trio has dished up.

We do have a new leader this week but have the Eels been able to creep off the bottom?

Remember positions on the ladder do not have any direct impact on their position nor do specific results.
It is merely my opinion on which sides look stronger at this point of the season. I am a Roosters fan and naturally hate every other team so, unless you think I have the Roosters too high, it is definitely not due to favouritism.

I would also like to apologise in advance for the length of this article which is quite a lot beefier than last week’s. If you would prefer I returned to the shorter summaries let me know in the comments section.

1. South Sydney Rabbitohs (Ladder: first, 18 points) last week: second [+1]
The Rabbitohs continued their brilliant start to the season with an emphatic win over the Tigers, running away 54-10. Current player of the year in my books, Greg Inglis, bagged himself four tries.

After a 38-0 lead after 37 minutes the Rabbitohs slowed it down with the win at hand. They now also average the most points per game of any NRL team, with 26.5 points per game, 2.9 points clear of the rest of the NRL.

Though their win this week was only over the lowly Tigers the scary thing is the Tigers weren’t all that awful, especially in attack. They just lacked the necessary ability to break the spectacular South Sydney goal-line defence at any stage during the game.

The Rabbitohs are just playing out of this world right now and that is why they find themselves at the top of these rankings.

The Sharks next week should put up a better fight then the Tigers, especially with the return of Paul Gallen, but expect the Bunnies to win their fifth straight game.

Next week: Sharks

2. Sydney Roosters (Ladder: second, points) last week: third [+1]
After the Roosters took care of the Cowboys in a narrow 12-8 win (my heart stopped when what appeared to be a try was scored on the siren), I listened to the conversations of a few friends around me describing the Roosters’ performance.

Tough, gritty and defence where the three words I heard most in the conversation. This is what impresses me the most about the Roosters rise this season.

We aren’t watching the individual brilliance of Todd Carney like in 2010, we are watching a team playing brilliant football as a group.

We aren’t talking about our star recruits awesome attacking skills – even though Sonny Bill Williams, Michael Jennings and James Maloney have been spectacular – we are talking about how a team like the Roosters can defend well and not leak many, if any, points.

In fact over their last five games, all wins, the average result has been a 26-6 (26-5.6 if you want to be exact) win.

Aside from their second half collapse against the Raiders, and their season opener against the table topping Rabbitohs, the most any team has scored against them is 14. They have also held three teams to 0.

A big game looming against the out of form Storm side but you should definitely expect this team to hold their own no matter the Storm’s performance. On both ends of the field.

Next Week: v Storm

3. Melbourne Storm (Ladder: third, 15 points) last week: first [-2]
I initially called a draw for third rank for the two sides that drew on Monday Night Football. They both played poorly (I think the conditions affected them both) but putting them in a draw would be a complete cop-out, so I was left with a tough decision which team played better in the draw.

The Storm did a better job of putting themselves in a position to win the game but is this even more of a slight on them that they couldn’t pull out the W? In the end, the Storm held their spot above Manly because they were higher ranked last week.

However much more importantly to the Melbourne Storm, they fall another point further behind the Rabbitohs’ pace and with Origin period coming up, Storm could find themselves in a poor position when they come out of it.

They will need some wins to keep up. The Roosters aren’t going to be an easy week to get the win.

Next week: Roosters

4. Manly Sea Eagles (Ladder: fourth, 13 points) last week: fourth [even]
Just when you thought the tough phase was over for the Sea Eagles you look at their next game and it’s the Raiders, who are great when they are good and are not going to be easy beats.

This Manly side have now collected only three of the available eight points in their last four games, losing to the Roosters and Souths, as well as their draw this week against the Storm. They are a team fading on the ladder.

Surprisingly they lacked the intensity and passion you usually see this Manly side play with against the slumping Storm and this really did more to cost them their chances to beat Melbourne in Melbourne than any other factor.

This passion was not lacking against the Roosters or Souths so it was a real surprise to see it missing against such a big rival.

They have another hard game against Raiders but then can look forward to a breezy fortnight with a bye and a game against the woeful Warriors.

Next week: Raiders

5. Cronulla Sharks (Ladder seventh, 10 points) Last week sixth [+3]
Cronulla went out this weekend and won a game no one really expected them to win against a red hot side from Canberra.

Their defence was lackadaisical but their effective attack made up for this fact. Expect their defence to be shored up with the return of their captain Paul Gallen this weekend.

Gallen’s return won’t overshadow the true event this weekend against South Sydney, which is Todd Carney’s attempt to prove he belongs in the Origin arena for game one

He is going to have a hard time getting there inside Maloney but a win against Souths would definitely help his chances.

Next week: Rabbitohs

6. Canberra Raiders (Ladder ninth, 10 points) Last week fifth [-1]
In typical Raiders fashion, when this side got the chance to prove themselves as a real premiership contender they followed up their massive win over the Knights with a 30-20 loss to the Sharks.

Until this team shows it has a little consistency they will only ever be playing in the finals from the lower part of the eight – fortunately for them, they are pretty dangerous from there.

They have a tough game against Manly next week but if Manly play like they did against the Storm I daresay the Raiders will win this one. It should be a great game to watch this weekend.
Next week: Manly

7. Newcastle Knights (Ladder fifth, 12 points) Last week seventh [even]
The only thing threatening the Knights this weekend following their great win is the bounce-back factor.

If there is one upset this week the Warriors versus Knights game might be it, especially over there in New Zealand. Or the Warriors could be beaten by 56 again.

The Knights smashed a clearly overrated (by me) and overmatched Bulldogs side last week and so they move up the rankings. This is where they need to string a few together and try and move into that top four.

The Warriors are one of those games you have to win if you want to have a home game or two in the NRL finals.

Next week: Warriors

8. North Queensland Cowboys (Ladder 11th, 8 points) Last week ninth [+1]
Moving a team up after a loss, especially when they are already in a spot above their ladder position, may seem ridiculous but the fact of the matter is they did a very good job against a great Roosters side who were fortunate to run into the Cowboys on a raining night as opposed to a dry one.

You could see both teams struggled in attack but the Roosters better defence ended up winning them the game.

They won’t be getting a pass for a loss against the Tigers this week so expect a big game from Johnathan Thurston on the eve of Origin selection and a big and very much needed win for the Cowboys – even though you can’t help feel the Cowboys drew the Tigers at just the wrong time (bounce back factor anyone?).

On a side note, I am annoyed just when I thought I might get a non-Broncos game on Friday night I looked at the second listed Friday game and saw Bulldogs v Broncos.

Cheers Channel Nine. I love watching the Broncos every week. I hope they lose by 100.

Next week: Tigers

9. Penrith Panthers (Ladder: 10th, 8 points) Last Week 11th [+2]
62-6. 62-6. 62-6. I’m going to let that sink in just a little. This was a massive win for the Panthers as not only did it give them a crucial two points but it also put them back in the positives for points differential which is crucial for those mid table teams.
It is hard to gauge how good the Panthers were due to the Warriors poor performance but the fact remains that any 56 point win is impressive. The Dragons should put up a better fight than the Warriors this week especially with the return of Superstar Josh Dugan, but if the Panthers nab another big win you can expect the league to take notice.
Next week: Dragons

10. Brisbane Broncos (Ladder sixth, 10 points) Last week 12th [+2]
Broncos were a climber in the rankings following this week’s games, demolishing the Titans 32-6 (though four penalty goals made it look worse than it was).

I was never sold on the Titans being a particularly strong side but the Broncos showed me enough in attack to think perhaps they aren’t as woeful as I first believed. If they continue to build from here in attack and maintain their iron defence, they could possibly be a top eight team again this season.

The team is carrying a lot of dead weight and will struggle to get through Origin period in a good position. But if they manage to navigate Origin period and remain in touch with the other middling sides, they will be in good stead to make a late push for the top eight

Next week: Bulldogs

11. Canterbury Bulldogs (Ladder: 13th, 8 points) Last week sixth [-5]
Normally a single bad game wouldn’t cause a drop this massive but pretty much every team below these guys put in an impressive performance.

The added fact that these guys were probably ranked a little higher than their performances had merited last week definitely didn’t help their cause. They just don’t look like the same side as they did last season.

It is only relatively early on in the season but this Bulldogs side’s early struggles have put them under the pump to get results and fast if they want to make a run to go one better than they did last year.

Broncos are a good chance for the Bulldogs to win a game next week and if they plan on making the eight the move has to start now.

Next week: Broncos

12. Gold Coast Titans (Ladder eighth, 10 points) Last Week 10th [-2]
I am still trying to figure out how a team not only loses to the Brisbane Broncos but also lets them score 32 points.

This is the same Broncos side that heading into the game had scored only 17.3 points per game this season, nine points shy of the mark currently set by the competition leading Rabbitohs.

It is also the second time this year they have been crushed by the Brisbane side. I initially felt this was the worst performance I had seen this year.

Then I watched the Souths versus Wests game. Then the Parra versus Dragons game. Then the Warriors versus Penrith game.

It is time for everyone to reassess where the Titans fit in the NRL following their red hot start to the season, because it sure as hell isn’t a spot in the eight.

Since their win in round four they have lost four of six games, their only wins coming over the Eels and the Dragons, with both wins coming by very narrow margins.

If they lose to the Eels this week (who have already threatened them once this season) their free fall towards the bottom of these rankings will continue.

Next week: Eels

13. St George Illawarra Dragons (Ladder 12th, 8 points) Last Week 13th [+2]
Josh Dugan played a starring role in St George’s latest victory and even though it was against the lowly Eels, it has given the Dragons fans the kick they needed to find their support.

I want to put them higher because after watching the team play with Dugan I think their attack is much improved and their defence is still at that elite level they showed in 2010 but I need to see more before I can justify it.

Another big performance from Dugan will not only persuade me to move the Dragons further up the list but, more importantly, will also help them bag a win against the streaking Penrith side.

Next week: Panthers

14. Wests Tigers (Ladder 16th, 4 points) Last Week 14th [even]
The Tigers find themselves in the same place as they were last week. Their loss against South Sydney really just showed how little these guys offer on a week-to-week basis.

They just lost by 44 points on the weekend. Do I really have to talk about them anymore?

Their attack is atrocious; they have scored the least amount of points in the NRL this year. Their defence is just as bad; they have conceded the most points in the NRL this year.

They can probably take solace in the fact their embarrassing loss this week wasn’t as bad as two other teams, but they belong where they are on the ladder at this point – they only get ranked higher because their team has superior talent to the Eels and got beaten by less than the Warriors.

They will probably lose to the Cowboys next week though so it doesn’t look like they will be able to slip away from the bottom of these rankings.

Their team has Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall but talent like that will only get you so far on these rankings once we reach this stage of the season. It’s time they won a few games to prove they aren’t the worst team in the competition.

Don’t get your hopes up Tigers fans. If any team is capable of surpassing the Warriors on this list it is you guys.

Next week: Cowboys

15. Parramatta Eels (Ladder 14th, 6 points) Last Week 16th [+1]
The Eels find themselves one spot higher this week then last. At 15th this isn’t a good thing and following their drubbing at the hands of the Dragons it isn’t on their own merits.

They ended up in the middle of the NRL’s newest big three (a trio of teams so poor that they would contest for the spoon every season even against the early 2000s Rabbitohs) and all three of these teams got punished viciously on the weekend.

So the decision became who lost the worst.

It is undeniable the Warriors lost the worst out of the three, by far, but I also thought the Dragons are definitely no South Sydney.

So for all you people up me for not putting Tigers last you are going to have to wait at least another week to see them fall below Parramatta.

The Eels haven’t been the worst team I have watched this year but they have a long way to go before they can even consider winning football games not against other bottom feeders.

A chance against the Titans is a good opportunity for them to put another needed tally in their win column.

Next week: Titans

16. New Zealand Warriors (Ladder 15th, 4 points) Last Week 13th [-3]
They lost 62-6 and it really should have been 62-0. They say piss poor preparation leads to piss poor performance, which leaves me wondering whether the Warriors trained at all this week.

Were they out at a club the night before their game? Did they miss their flight and have to swim to Australia during the week? These are all questions I was left trying to answer when the siren sounded on Saturday night.

Warriors, what you’ve just shown us is one of the most insanely pathetic things I have ever seen. At no point in your rambling, incoherent performance were you even close to anything that could be considered NRL level play. Everyone in this room is now dissatisfied with the NRL for having witnessed to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

I will say no more.

Next week: Knights

Agree? Disagree? Let me know and post your own rankings in the comments section.