This was published 9 years ago
NRL Power Rankings: Round 13
Stuart Honeysett
1. Sydney Roosters (last time 1)
The Sydney Roosters hang on to the coveted number one position after an impressive performance against Brisbane. NSW halfback Mitchell Pearce wasn’t able to back up from State of Origin after copping a nasty head knock but it didn’t matter because Boyd Cordner did. The Roosters co-captain grabbed two tries to beat the Broncos almost single-handedly. They are a serious footy side.
3. Cronulla Sharks (last time 4)
How could the Sharks move up a place after having the bye last round you ask? Well they deserve to after their gritty win over Canterbury in the heavily bye-affected round 12. They were missing a host of Origin players but got home on the back of a powerhouse performance from skipper Paul Gallen. They just know how to win.
4. St George Illawarra Dragons (last time 7)
The Dragons are back, but to be fair they were never really gone. The fact they managed to keep punching away while Gareth Widdop and Josh Dugan were out injured is a testament to their fighting spirit. Both players returned against Wests Tigers and Widdop in particular picked up from where he left off. Surely the knockers can stop doubting them now.
5. Brisbane Broncos (last time 3)
It might sound harsh to drop the Broncos down two spots given they showed plenty of fight against the Sydney Roosters but it’s the time of the season that has us worried. The Broncos sit in fifth spot on the ladder and traditionally struggle during the Origin period. Wayne Bennett-coached sides are always hard to beat, but that will need to be the case if they’re to stay in touch with the pack over the next month.
8. North Queensland Cowboys (last time 9)
Ok, the Cowboys might not have been at their best in the scratchy win over the Gold Coast but the fact is they won. The Cowboys might be without captain Johnathan Thurston but five-eighth Michael Morgan continues to grow in the role of steering the team around the park while Coen Hess is a beast who deserves a shot at Origin. They will be even better when JT returns.
11. South Sydney Rabbitohs (last time 13)
Ok, so maybe you can cop one team moving up after a bye but two? It’s got nothing to do with the way the Rabbitohs stormed home in their last outing against the Eels that impressed us. Nor do we think there’s bright times ahead with halfback Adam Reynolds battling a knee injury. It’s more that the teams all below them don’t deserve to be any higher.
12. Gold Coast Titans (last time 10)
Their win over the Storm was impressive but that seems such a long time ago now. They had everything to play for against an understrength Cowboys team but couldn’t get the job done and collapsed under a glut of penalties. Even more concerning was that star centre Jarryd Hayne turned in a quiet performance after his heroics for NSW and signing a new deal at the Titans. They need to be better.
13. Warriors (last time 14)
The most surprising thing about the Warriors is that punters still expect them to be a force whenever they cross the Tasman. Forget them in Australia. They can’t do it. Yes, they’ll show you patches of brilliance that make you believe they can win as they did against Parramatta. But they’ll just as quickly undo any hard work with a bonehead play.
14. Wests Tigers (last time 16)
In no way do we think the Tigers have turned the corner but their performance against the Dragons gave fans some hope at least for the future. Fullback James Tedesco seemed to have benefitted from his time with the NSW Origin team and nearly single-handedly stole them a rare victory. We’re happy to say they are getting closer to a win. We’re just not happy to say when we think that will be.
15. Newcastle Knights (last time 15)
There have been a few more highlights for Newcastle Knights this season but their most recent performance against Melbourne wasn’t one of them. All the bad habits they have worked so hard to get out of their game were back with a vengeance. They are into the grind of the NRL season and coach Nathan Brown has his work cut out for him to make sure they don’t go backwards again.
