1. New Zealand Warriors
Last week: 5th
Beat the best, be the best.
The Warriors may not have been as impressive as the Dragons this season, but hey, they’re both 6-1, and in their matchup last weekend, they won. That’s as good an argument as I can think of.
2. St George Illawarra Dragons
Last week: 1st
They missed a chance to be undisputed kings of the NRL last weekend with a win at the Warriors, but dropped the ball.
They may be able to regain that position, with a W over the Sydney Roosters this week, while the men from Auckland travel across the pond to take on the Melbourne Storm at home.
3. Wests Tigers
Last week: 2nd
Also missing a chance to stake a claim for the League’s top dog were the Wests Tigers, who watched it slip through their hands in the final two minutes of their game against the Newcastle Knights.
Most teams have a game each season we’re the beaten by a player like Jamie Buhrer. Let’s hope that was merely this season’s aberration for Wests, and they return to scheduled broadcasting this week.
4. Penrith Panthers
Last week: 3rd
The one other team to blow a big chance last week was the Penrith Panthers, who mounted a late charge against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, but could not play the comeback kings this time.
They get a chance on Friday against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, while some of the teams above them in these power rankings enjoy markedly tougher weeks.
5. Melbourne Storm
Last week: 4th
Melbourne seems to have finally gotten into the swing of things with their second win in a row away to the Brisbane Broncos.
They can finally prove they’re on the right track this week, with a home win against the top team in these rankings.
6. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Last week: 9th
Also enjoying a winning run are the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who since Week 3, have only lost to the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
Anthony Seibold looks to have hit a tune that Michael Maguire could not last season, and they can make some serious inroads in the League with a win this week at home over the Brisbane Broncos.
7. Sydney Roosters
Last week: 7th
It’s hard to know what to make of the Roosters. They poked their heads above water at 4-3 last week with a far from impressive 6-0 win against the Bulldogs, but they still seem to be showing little of a team with any capability to win the premiership.
Nevertheless, they’ve (somewhat) earned 7th placed in these power rankings, but they’re put to the test this week against the Dragons.
8. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Last week: 8th
A similar case to the Roosters is the Sharks, who scored a far more impressive win last week at home against Penrith, but at 3-4, cannot be taken too seriously just yet.
Matt Moylan look to have struck a better chord with his halves partner Chad Townsend, but let’s just hope that wasn’t a case of playing out a bitter game against the team he was captain of less than six months ago.
9. Newcastle Knights
Last week: 14th
Rightfully moving up after an impressive win over the Tigers, Newcastle Knights fans may as well enjoy it while it lasts, as Mitchell Pearce is now indefinitely sidelined with a pectoral injury.
With a suspected return four months away, it’s going to take a hell of an effort for Newcastle to be hanging around this position when their co-captain is expected back.
10. Brisbane Broncos
Last week: 6th
The Broncos cop an undignified fall out of the top half of the rankings thanks to a home loss against the Storm.
They have a chance to get back on track this week with a quality win at South Sydney, but at his age, Wayne Bennett is done worrying about the regular season, if you know what I mean.
11. North Queensland Cowboys
Last week: 11th
The North Queensland Cowboys begun to look like…well, the North Queensland Cowboys last weekend, getting back into the winner’s column at home.
It’s going to take more than a 12-point win over the Gold Coast Titans to really start moving the chains, though.
12. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Last week: 10th
If the Bulldogs ever aspire to be one of the better teams in the NRL, they need to be winning the 6-0 ground-and-pound affairs, not losing them.
This week, they have the Panthers, who they got the better of earlier in the season at home. However, it’s likely to be a different story at Panthers Stadium.
13. Gold Coast Titans
Last week: 12th
A game they would’ve liked to have won, and more than likely will win next season, Gold Coast were outclassed by the Cowboys at 1300SMILES Stadium, with Johnathan Thurston winning another over young Ash Taylor.
At this stage, it’s pointless speculating what we might see from this team against the Sharks at home this week.
14. Canberra Raiders
Last week: 13th
Just when they thought they were on the right track with two wins in a row, the Canberra Raiders ran into a team willing to provide a light touch of resistance, and were blown away like a leaf in the wind.
Off the evidence we’ve seen so far this season, they may have to be prepared to line up and be shot this week against at the Cowboys.
15. Parramatta Eels
Last week: 16th
Uh oh, we have a new trailer at the back of the League’s convoy! The Parramatta Eels travelled in time back to 2017 last week, smashing the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 44-10.
With the lack of quality at the fat end of the NRL, if they rack up a few more of these in the coming weeks, they can pretty swiftly move in the right direction.
16. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Last week: 15th
Payback’s a bitch ain’t it?
They may have won the season series on aggregate 64-44, but at this rate, that’s all the Sea Eagles will be winning in 2018.
Do you agree with our Week 7 Power Rankings? Let us know in the comments below.