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Berkeley_Eagle

Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
NRL Power Rankings: Round 6
April 15, 2013 - 4:28PM
Paul Suttor

The NRL is split into three sections - the start, the rep season and the run into the finals. The start is over. There's a break in club football this weekend as the first representative matches kick off. Melbourne have reaffirmed their status as the No.1 team in the NRL with their win over South Sydney, leading to the question, is an undefeated season a possibility. Dare we say it, the perfect Storm.

1. Melbourne (last week 2): A couple of AFL teams have flirted with unbeaten seasons in the past decade so why can't the Storm do it? Two words: rep footy. Their players will be absent or backing up from gruelling midweek fixtures several times until July and it would take a brave person to bet on them getting through it unscathed, although there's a fair chance one of the 326 sports betting agencies have a market on that already.

2. Manly (3): Apart from a narrow loss to the Titans, they have been flawless. They will not be as affected by the rep season as other leading teams. Jamie Lyon would be the first NSW centre picked and perhaps Greg Inglis' national centre partner if he was available but he prefers the comforts of home.

3. South Sydney (1): They looked the goods coming into the Storm encounter and they didn't lose too many admirers in the seven-point loss but the fact of the matter is they're still not a complete package like Melbourne.

4. Roosters (4): Forget the hype about Sonny Bill Williams' stellar return for a minute, this team is flying because of an overall lift across the board. New five-eighth James Maloney has been a revelation, the outside backs are all great finishers and the forwards have that mix of finesse and mongrel which was the hallmark of the club's grand final sides of the early 2000s.

5. Daylight. The temptation is to say only the top four can win the premiership but that would be premature but it's hard to see the premiers coming from the other 12 teams.

Actual 5th place. Knights (6): NSW selectors should steer clear of Akuila Uate again - he was booted after two games last year due to his scattered defensive reads and not much has changed. Try-scoring wingers are only useful if they score more than they let in.

6. Cowboys (5): Has the steam stopped coming out of supercoach Henry's ears after last Friday's controversial loss in Brisbane? Rep season is traditionally tough for North Queensland and their hot-and-cold start means they may be a few wins behind the top four when the NRL turns for home.

7. Dragons (7): Eyebrows were raised, opinions divided and tweets delivered with passionate prose when St George Illawarra were elevated to the seventh ranking last week but they proved they're finals (not title) contenders again with their gritty win over Wests Tigers. Whether you love or hate Jamie Soward (no prizes for guessing Robbie Farah's opinion), playing for a contract is bringing out the best in the feisty five-eighth.

8. Broncos (9): Notching a big-name scalp in the Cowboys will do wonders for the team but the pressure is never off Brisbane. Expectations are always high and they need to knock over a few more heavyweights to be considered anything better than a 50-50 finals prospect.

9. Titans (8):
They won so how can they drop a ranking? Simple - they were lucky to get the W against Parra. A run of penalties leading to a four-try blitz doesn't mask the fact that for most of Sunday's match, the Titans commemorated Heritage Round by playing like Giants/Seagulls/Chargers.

10. Raiders (11): Irrespective of how Canberra's season turns out, let's hope now Terry Campese's back, he has an extended period of good luck after a wretched run with injuries. The spine of Reece Robinson, Campese, Sam Williams and Josh McCrone at hooker gives the Green Machine a powerful mix of speed and creativity.

11. Sharks (12): They've gone up a rank but didn't they lose? Why yes they did but they displayed enough team spirit to indicate a run of wins is just around the corner. At 16-0 down against Manly at Brookvale, it could have ended in a massacre but they refused to surrender and could have snatched victory if a few 50-50 calls went their way.

12. Bulldogs (10): It could be time for the team to lock themselves in a room, bond over a few beers (are pineapple cruisers the drink of choice of the Gen-Y player of today or is that only for rooftop tweets?) and forget about their 1-5 start to the season. Their draw gets better in the middle part of the season but do they have the belief to turn their season around?

13. Tigers (13): Benji Marshall was brutally honest in his Sun-Herald column when he wrote the Tigers wouldn't miss him too much the way he was playing. It was a mix of modesty and the truth but he won't be able to find his feet while one of them is in a moon boot.

14. Eels (14):
Long-suffering fans have been told to lower their expectations by supercoach Stuart, especially after the Roosters debacle a fortnight ago. However, Parramatta have shown over the past two weeks they've got the wherewithal to have many more close contests than 50-0 floggings.

15. Warriors (15): Talent? Tick. Size? Tick. Consistency? Not week to week. Consistency throughout an 80-minute match? Not likely. Supercoach Elliott has a lot of work to do to make this team live up to its potential.

16. Panthers (16):
Another gritty effort at Newcastle but alas, no competition points to show for it. If Penrith can sign some top talent in the off-season, the experience gained by their players this year will be invaluable. If they don't sign some stars, next year will feel like Groundhog Day and the players' confidence will eventually erode.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-power-rankings-round-6-20130415-2hvow.html#ixzz2QYh0Vt8r
 
If Cronulla had a few 50-50 calls go their way? Obviously didn't watch the 2nd half.
 
Agree the Sharks had plenty of chances to get into the match thanks to Maxwell
 
Fair rankings, love the " 5 Daylight"

I'd agree whilst anything can happen I can't see the rest being in the hunt at years end.

The Dogs have the most potential but I'd say all we are hearing mut be true and they will (as a reuslt) have a dreadful season).

Can anyone beat the Storm....yep we can, and we have the Trophy and a big scoreline to prove it.
 
Notice Rothfield blew up about the referring on Twitter (hard enough to beat Manly at Brookie wothout the refs giving them a leg up in the play the ball or words to that effect). How can you get a run of 8 penalities to 2 from about the 25 minutes mark and complain?
 
The Wheel said:
Notice Rothfield blew up about the referring on Twitter (hard enough to beat Manly at Brookie wothout the refs giving them a leg up in the play the ball or words to that effect). How can you get a run of 8 penalities to 2 from about the 25 minutes mark and complain?

Easy, you just have to be a f***wit like Rothtool.
 
mickqld said:
The Wheel said:
Notice Rothfield blew up about the referring on Twitter (hard enough to beat Manly at Brookie wothout the refs giving them a leg up in the play the ball or words to that effect). How can you get a run of 8 penalities to 2 from about the 25 minutes mark and complain?

Easy, you just have to be a f***wit like Rothtool.

Well said Mick.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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