Soward: Roosters, Raiders run hot; Storm, Rabbitohs stumble

It looks like we might've lost a powerhouse over the weekend and maybe added another team to the contenders. The race for top eight spots is set to go right down to the wire.

1. Sydney Roosters (Last week: 2)

It's been a while since the Roosters were at No.1, but they're looking pretty scary at the moment and the way they're building doesn't surprise me. This team's not even in overdrive yet. They're playing in third gear and they score points when they want. If they get a home semi at the SCG look out, because they're averaging about 40 points a game there. They've got strike all over the field and always been the clear-cut favourites, and I haven't wavered from that all year.

2. Canberra Raiders (3)

Not far off making it to No.1. It would've hurt to lose at home to the Roosters last week and then they found themselves in an 18-0 hole on Melbourne's home turf. It was a fantastic effort to get out of a seemingly impossible situation and it was the kind of win that will really galvanise the group. They solidified their premiership credentials with an amazing comeback when it would've been easy to shut up shop and concentrate on finishing in the top four.

3. Melbourne Storm (1)

Maybe it's a bit harsh to drop them two spots but watching them blow an 18-point lead is something I've never seen from the Storm. It was very un-Storm-like and I wonder how much the year has taken out of them. They'll definitely get a home final but after losing two of their last three home games, have teams stopped fearing Melbourne as much as they have in the past?

4. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (4)

A good, professional bounce back after a disappointing loss to New Zealand, but they haven't been the same since that impressive win in Melbourne. Their starts have to get better because in a big game I don't know if they're going to be able to blow teams away in the second half - the game might be already gone.

5. Parramatta Eels (5)

Nice to see the Eels stringing wins together but I'm still waiting to see what they do against one of these big-name teams. They've got a couple of good tests coming up before the finals and I'm interested to see if they can continue this hot form.

6. Cronulla Sharks (8)

Probably more out of good fortune than a good performance, but the Sharks managed to scrape back into the eight. When you've lost so many tight games it'd be easy to go back to what you know and just fall into a pattern of losing. It wasn't pretty but they hung in there and got to see one go through the hoop, and maybe it'll kick-start something.

7. Brisbane Broncos (9)

Somehow they're still around. Really deserved their win against Penrith and this week's game against the Rabbitohs is huge. I don't believe they're real contenders but in terms of making the eight, winning on Friday will be a big step in the right direction.

8. South Sydney Rabbitohs (6)

I've been pretty kind to the Rabbitohs and given them a couple of chances to see where they're going to end up, but I can't see this team progressing deep into the finals after that performance we saw on the weekend. They clearly aren't playing as well as other teams in that top group and I don't see it suddenly changing.

9. Penrith Panthers (7)

Their attack didn't really work against the Broncos and they look like they're in a bit of a funk at the moment in terms of Maloney and Cleary needing to fire. They've got another big game this week and their season is on the line.

10. Canterbury Bulldogs (11)

It's great to see them playing good footy but how about we see this at the start of the year and not at the end when it's too late? We want to see it before teams are preparing for the finals and no-one expects the Doggies to win. They claimed another scalp, but the pressure and expectation on them is to continue this next year.

11. Newcastle Knights (13)

They've given themselves a shot to make the eight and they need some results to go their way. They need to just worry about what they can control, and keep playing with the energy and enthusiasm they showed against the Cowboys. All they could do was win against a poor opposition and they did that handsomely.

12. Wests Tigers (10)

Unfortunately for the Tigers, their season is done. They've had a wretched run with injuries and it'll be interesting to see how they line up this week. Michael Maguire will make sure they play the season out, but the Tigers have certainly been unlucky.

13. St George Illawarra Dragons (15)

Played a lot better in the local derby but there's no escaping what has been a very disappointing season. Had plenty of opportunities to take control of that game against the Sharks but they couldn't convert possession into points. The biggest underachievers in 2019.

14. New Zealand Warriors (12)

For a team that won last week and gave themselves an outside chance at playing finals footy, they got away to a solid start against the Roosters but it was soon apparent they were out of their depth. The Warriors are what I thought they were - a team that's underachieved yet again.

15. North Queensland Cowboys (14)

Been affected by lots of injuries. Their recruitment certainly needs to be looked at in the off-season in terms of getting some younger talent in there, and they need to address and improve the situation with their outside backs.

16. Gold Coast Titans (16)

The train wreck continues and 2019 can't end quickly enough. Justin Holbrook has a big job on his hands. They'd be looking forward to the off-season and starting afresh in 2020.

 

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of the NRL, ARLC, NRL clubs or state associations.