Souths and Parramatta have soaked up plenty of headlines in 2024 but North Queensland and the Warriors are starting to rival them for the dubious distinction of being the NRL’s biggest under-achievers.
Despite being considered title contenders in the pre-season, South Sydney’s hopes are now dead in the water while the Eels have a glimmer of hope if they can get Mitchell Moses back on the field within the next month.
But the Cowboys have now lost four in a row after their defeat on home turf to the Dolphins on Saturday night while the Warriors have also not tasted victory for the past month with a lucky draw against Manly followed by lacklustre losses to the Dragons, Titans and Knights.
North Queensland’s underwhelming efforts could put coach Todd Payten’s future in the spotlight after an up-and-down first three seasons at the club while the Warriors seem to be suffering a collective second-year syndrome after blitzing their way into the top four in 2023.
Team by team, here’s how the Power Rankings stack up after Round 8.
1 Panthers (last week 1): Liam Martin hasn’t quite been at the peak career form he displayed in 2023 but he was a handful for the undermanned Rabbitohs last Thursday.
It is highly unlikely he will not make the NSW team but both the Blues and the Panthers need him to be at his best if they are going to get their hands on their respective trophy targets in 2024.
2 Sharks (4): There was a sense of inevitability about their local derby with the Dragons on Sunday.
Their underdog opponents were fired up but the Sharks had total confidence in their systems in attack and defence to rack up another polished victory to remain in top spot on the actual ladder.
Jesse Ramien is tackled. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
3 Storm (3): Winning ugly is a joy forever for Craig Bellamy and Gold Coast are the latest team to go down by a narrow margin to Melbourne.
They have won six of their seven victories this season by eight points or less but with Ryan Papenhuyzen out for a month or more and Jahrome Hughes set to miss a couple of games with a calf problem, they will be underdogs this Saturday night at home against Cronulla.
4 Roosters (6): There’s momentum building at the Tricolours with Sam Walker giving them guidance in attack for Joey Manu and James Tedesco to feed off.
It would be remarkable if they can mount a serious premiership assault this year with so many moving parts to their roster but stranger things have happened and Trent Robinson won’t allow the farewells and contract negotiations become a distraction.
5 Broncos (2): The only good news from Friday night’s thumping at the hands of the Roosters was that Adam Reynolds’ bicep tear is not a season-ending injury.
Brisbane are crossing their fingers and everything else they can get their hands on in the Queensland capital that Reynolds can return in the final month of the regular season. They will more than likely be in the playoff equation but are no longer certainties to be in the top four mix.
6 Sea Eagles (5): As great as Tom Trbojevic can be, his handling has let him down on more than a few occasions this year.
He had a shocker in Wollongong last month when Manly lost to the Dragons and again coughed up an uncharacteristically simple offering against Canberra in the Raiders’ comeback win.
Dolphins
v
Manly Sea Eagles
NRL : Head To Head
Thu, 9 May 2024, 19:50
Penrith Panthers
v
Canterbury Bulldogs
NRL : Head To Head
Fri, 10 May 2024, 18:00
Parramatta Eels
v
Brisbane Broncos
NRL : Head To Head
Fri, 10 May 2024, 20:00
Wests Tigers
v
Newcastle Knights
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 11 May 2024, 15:00
St. George Illawarra Dragons
v
South Sydney Rabbitohs
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 11 May 2024, 17:30
Melbourne Storm
v
Cronulla Sharks
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 11 May 2024, 19:35
Sydney Roosters
v
New Zealand Warriors
NRL : Head To Head
Sun, 12 May 2024, 14:00
Gold Coast Titans
v
North Queensland Cowboys
NRL : Head To Head
Sun, 12 May 2024, 16:05
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It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans but it’s a sign that after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, he’s still not quite back at Dally M Medal form.
7 Dolphins (8): They keep silencing their critics while unearthing handy back-up options like Trai Fuller and getting value out of veteran discards like Kodi Nikorima.
Sitting in fourth spot on the ladder with a 5-3 record, they are a typical Wayne Bennett team in that they are more interested in getting the job done than being flamboyant and it’s proving an effective formula yet again for the 74-year-old. And it looks like it will get him another big contract at one of his old haunts.
8 Bulldogs (11): They face a litmus test this Friday against the Panthers but they have won four of their past six outings to give themselves a sniff of the playoff scent which has eluded them since 2016.
They have traded in some big names in the pack for workers with Max King and Josh Curran forming an under-rated but effective front-row duo.
9 Warriors (7): That is now three straight losses to teams who – with all due respect, Ricky Bobby style, should have been easy scalps for the Auckland side – the Dragons, Titans and Knights.
The team that surged to the top four last season was built on overcoming adversity, this year’s outfit are playing like entitled brats who expect to win.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
10 Cowboys (9): There should be warning bells ringing in the tropics, not because it’s cyclone season but because their team has been one of the NRL’s big disappointments in 2024.
The roster is stacked and they haven’t had too many injuries, but the Cowboys have now lost four straight and the final two-point margin at home to the Dolphins flattered them. With the Titans, Rabbitohs and Tigers on the horizon, they can play themselves back into form but if the losses keep coming, serious questions need to be asked about the direction of the club.
11 Knights (12): They are still a long way from their best but at least they showed they have a capable back-up in David Armstrong to fill Ponga’s fullback boots while his foot heals.
Newcastle fans are a hardy bunch and they deserve to see the kind of effort that the team displayed on Sunday rather than the lack of commitment which has been all too evident in the previous seven rounds.
12 Raiders (13): The Green Machine looked to be ready for the scrapheap after going 20-0 down at Brookvale but with Elliott Whitehead the unlikely attacking spark, they clicked into gear big time to record their best win of the year.
Whether you like or loathe him, rate him as a coach or not, you cannot doubt Ricky Stuart’s ability to inspire his team when the odds are against them.
13 Dragons (10): The derby brought out some passion but their execution was awry.
Up 10-6 at the break, they didn’t have to go into their shells in the second half in the slippery conditions but they could have played a lot smarter.
14 Eels (14): They didn’t play last week but still lost their captain for five weeks after Clint Gutherson underwent surgery to fix his knee damage.
With Mitchell Moses unlikely to be back much sooner, the next few weeks could be decisive for Parra in staying in the playoff race.
15 Wests Tigers (15): They started strongly against Canterbury but a lack of discipline, both in their attention to detail and in avoiding silly penalties, was their undoing.
With Aiden Sezer set to be suspended for a month, they could be cannon fodder for Newcastle in Tamworth this round if Api Koroisau can’t make a comeback from his calf strain.
16 Titans (17): Until they get a top-flight playmaker, they can throw lucrative contracts at David Fifita, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and whoever else but it won’t matter.
They have displayed spirit in recent weeks to upset the Warriors and nearly steal victory from the Storm but there’s not much for the Gold Coast fans to get too excited about.
17 Rabbitohs (16): Ben Hornby was handed the coaching version of the hospital pass when he was parachuted into the interim role 48 hours before the depleted Bunnies had a date with Penrith.
There was definitely plenty of fight shown by his outclassed side for the first hour of the game before the premiers finished them off and now that Cameron Murray is out for six weeks, avoiding the wooden spoon is becoming the mission for a team rated in the pre-season among the title contenders.
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