Welcome to the first installment of the TCT consensus power rankings! Each week myself, sixitesboy, miatch and Chris will compile our individual power rankings and then using a formula (that is admittedly very much a work in progress) that weights the four rankings we get a consensus result.
Please bear in mind that power rankings are highly subjective and represent how dangerous we feel a given team is coming into the approaching round rather than their standing on the ladder.
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Amid a wide array of concerns over how their massive pack would handle the reduction in interchanges in 2016, Des Hasler’s men came out and made a statement in Round 1 as they hammered the hugely hyped Sea Eagles at Brookvale. The 28-6 victory was a combination of the Dogs playing to their strengths and Manly bumbling about but it caught the attention of the wider NRL none the less. There might still be some longer-term concerns about the consistency of their halves but they emerge from Round 1 on top of the pack. |
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The reigning premiers came out on top over a resilient Cronulla outfit in what was probably the most competitive game of the round. The 20-14 victory was punctuated by an outstanding performance from workhorse backrower, Ethan Lowe, who scored the game winning try in the 74th min. The Cowboys are probably a bit unlucky to not be holding the #1 seed in our first iteration of power rankings but the weighted ranking across the four voting members of TCT saw them narrowly pipped by the Bulldogs. Along with the Broncos they should still be viewed as the benchmark in the NRL and will be a litmus test for the new look Eels on Saturday night. |
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After weathering a rather eventful pre-season that saw a number of talented players make way for returning powerhouse Sam Burgess, along with a highly publicised clash between owner Russell Crowe and five-eighth Luke Keary, the Rabbitohs put it all behind them to towel up arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters 42-10. New recruit Paul Carter was dynamic for the Bunnies while rookie play-maker Cody Walker showed no sign of nerves as the Tri-colours were put to the sword. Labeling it a Pyrrhic victory might be too strong but the loss of John Sutton (torn pec, season) and Adam Reynolds (broken jaw, 6 weeks) will undoubtedly set them back somewhat. |
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The Broncos were solid in the opening hit-out of the season. Circumstances gave them a further edge in a game they were already favoured for with the Eels losing Foran before kick-off and Norman midway through the game but they kept soundly to their game plan and proved too strong for Parramatta. It was a typically excellent showing in defence from a Bennett-coached side but the rudderless Eels did threaten them at times on the edges in the second half. Corey Oates was sensational from the wing while Anthony Milford suggested he won’t be resting on his laurels in 2016. The lacklustre showing from Ben Hunt will be of concern for the flagship Queensland franchise though. |
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The Storm overcame a plucky St George-Illawarra outfit at AAMI Park to run out 18-16 winners in a ticky-tack fixture. Marika Koroibete blitzed Josh Dugan twice in the first 25min of the game for an early brace of tries while Billy Slater was strong in his return from a lengthy stint of the sidelines. Hardly the most polished effort from the Storm when all is said and done but there was enough on display to suggest they will be in the mix again in 2016. |
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Much like the Rabbitohs, the Raiders endured an ‘at what cost?’ sort of victory on the weekend. They secured the two competition points after seeing off the Panthers 30-22 in testing 36-degree temperatures but Ricky Stuart was left to lament injuries to Blake Austion (medial ligament, 3-4 weeks) and Aidan Sezer (eye, 2-6 weeks). English import Elliot Whitehead hit the ground running in his first NRL match while Shaun Fensom sealed the match with an outstanding individual effort that belied his workhorse label. The pressure is now on Sam Williams to keep the Raiders ticking over until one of Austin or Sezer returns. |
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Tipped to be one the biggest improvers (in a relative sense, not absolute), the Sharks fell short of an upset victory up in Townsville in the prime time game on Saturday night. Ben Barba was the bright spot for Cronulla as he continues to edge closer to peak form after a disappointing couple of seasons. The Sharks were right in the mix up until the final minutes of the game and will be encouraged by the fact that they are on pace with the defending premiers in Round 1. An injury to Paul Gallen (knee, 6-8 weeks) does hurt them in ruck productivity but it will likely open up opportunities for James Maloney and Chad Townsend to take control of the team. |
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Gallant in defeat but words that will give the Dragons little solace. Victims of several contentious referee decisions that served to highlight that while ‘The Bunker’ may have improved video refereeing consistency, the men in the middle still have a ways to go. The Dragons competed well in general play with Tyson Frizell leading the way but there are serious questions lingering over both Kurt Mann and Josh Dugan. Mann was underwhelming in the custodian role while Dugan looked lost on the edges. It is still far too early to call the experiment a failure but first up signs were not great. Despite that the Dragons exhibited the grit displayed in 2015 and will likely be a surprisingly frustrating opponent in any given week. |
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We witnessed the sort of game that continues to breath life into the old sports adage ‘a tale of two halves’ on Saturday at Campbelltown. On the back of a career performance by Mitch Moses, the Tigers raced out to 28-4 lead at half-time and were scoring at will with regularity. Senior players Aaron Woods and James Tedesco were also excellent throughout the entertaining affair but coach Jason Taylor will be worried by their second half capitulation that saw the Warriors very nearly run them down before they closed out the game 34-26. |
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We have covered the 17-4 loss to the Broncos in some depth over the past week on TCT and every Eels fan I have spoken to has a rather colourful opinion on the performance of Luke Kelly. Still, when all is said and done, it was probably our best Round 1 performance in some time. In previous years we have thrashed perennial underachievers, the New Zealand Warriors and in 2015 we torched Manly in what later prove to be a down year for the Sea-Eagles. Those wins served to paper over some glaring issues within the various rosters we fielded. By comparison, our loss to Brisbane – in extremely adverse conditions with the losses of Foran and Norman – showed the growth of the team and perhaps evidence that we are on the way to purging the fade-away culture on gameday. There is still plenty for the Eels to work on though with our right-edge sitting on the top of the list and little time to iron the kinks out as we face down the reigning premiers on Saturday night. |
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The Titans played host to the Newcastle Knights in a match-up that pitted two of the bottom ranked teams in 2015 together. Neither team has received much love from pundits coming into 2016 either but the Titans put together a pretty compelling effort that steers them well clear of the bottom of the power rankings. Greg Bird pulled strings expertly in the 30-12 win while young-gun outside backs John Olive and ex-Eel Nathan Davis performed capably for the NRL’s youngest franchise. |
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Another season, more injuries. Such is the life of a Penrith fan. James Segeyaro (broken arm, 6 weeks) was the pivotal loss for the mountain men and with only Zach Dockar-Clay and an injured Sione Katoa underneath him, it has left them reeling for depth. In spite of the injury to Segeyaro the Panthers still put together a fair effort against the Raiders but on the back of an underwhelming 2015 and 2016 pre-season they slide into 12th place in our initial seeding. New recruit Trent Merrin made an encouraging club debut but they have plenty to work on as a roster. |
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One of three clubs to plunder free agency in 2015, along with the Eels and Warriors, Manly were by far the most hyped club of the three coming into Round 1. It didn’t take long for that bubble to burst as the Bulldogs hammered them in the ruck and dominated all facets game. There were few, if any, bright spots for the Sea-Eagles and indeed their general play was abysmal with simple drops and poor efforts in defence plaguing them. Still plenty of time for new coach Trent Barrett to turn it all around but it was an ignominious start to his career. |
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The loss against the Tigers encapsulated the Warriors perfectly. Completely underwhelming for the first 40min, tantalizingly brilliant in the second stanza but ultimately not good enough to bring the two points home. Andrew McFadden was already under a mountain of pressure coming into the season and that first-up effort after their amazing haul from free agency last year will not help his cause at all. |
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The Roosters enter our power rankings one step off the bottom after getting pummeled by the Rabbitohs. They should improve over the next few weeks but an ugly pre-season headlined by the antics of Mitchell Pearce on Australia Day have pundits asking serious questions about the fabled playing culture at the Bondai franchise. Their pack might still be highly competitive but there are gaping holes in the halves and backline that will need to be filled very quickly by some very inexperienced players. |
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The reigning wooden spooners got off to a miserable start in 2016 after getting thrashed by fellow 2015 cellar dwellers, the Gold Coast Titans. The only way is up for the Knights, but that might take them some time as Nathan Brown tries to overcome an awful locker room culture. Their forward pack did show some glimpses of improvement but given how many rookies they fielded they are looking at a number of up and down efforts as their young tyros get a crash course in the grind of the NRL. |
I think the Tits and Warriors should be ahead of the eels but each to their own.
I agree regarding the Titans mate, but the Warriors were diabolical.
I agree, the Titans were pretty good although playing the worst team in week 1. They still won convincingly.
Could be right there 60s, ive prob made the wrong call only seeing parts of the game, i heard Grahan Lowe get into the warriors and accuse the ‘bro co’ as a big part of the reason for their soft underbelly, id have to agree, weve had similar cultures at Parra where a core group of players are too cool for school, it erodes the professionalism in the team imo