It appears incomprehensible that with little greater than a month left within the season, Brisbane have only one extra win than South Sydney.
The Rabbitohs have endured the season from hell, suffered numerous accidents and sacked their coach however have solely a barely worse document than the Broncos.
Brisbane have needed to soldier on with out Adam Reynolds for a big chunk of the season however there aren’t any excuses for a workforce with as a lot expertise as this one to be sitting in 14th spot after one win from their previous 9 outings.
Brisbane lacking the finals this yr would be the greatest under-achievement by any workforce because the Broncos capitulated in 2020 below Anthony Seibold to gather the membership’s solely picket spoon.
And with Payne Haas and Ezra Mam now probably sidelined for at the least a month, maybe longer, their finals hopes are deader than disco.
The battle for eighth spot is entertaining even when it gained’t imply a lot to the ultimate equation when the playoffs rolls round.
As of now, St George Illawarra have a two-point edge over the Dolphins and Raiders with the Titans and Knights an extra win again. The Dragons even have momentum on their aspect after downing the Dolphins, Broncos and now the Storm of their previous 5 matches.
However that is additionally a aspect that has not gained greater than two in a row all yr and has a tricky schedule within the form of the Canines, Titans, Sharks, Eels and Raiders on the horizon.
The purple and white trustworthy can be out of the woodwork this Saturday at Kogarah once they face Canterbury and so they have the bonus of internet hosting 4 of their previous 5 clashes so the inconceivable dream of a finals berth is immediately wanting not so unrealistic.
Group by workforce, right here’s how the Energy Rankings stack up after Spherical 22.
Nathan Cleary scores the sport winner. (Photograph by Brett Hemmings/Getty Photos)
1 Panthers (final week 2): The premiers get their crown again from the Storm after Craig Bellamy’s boys slipped up in opposition to St George Illawarra.
They’ve been in third gear currently and so they missed James Fisher-Harris’ grunt up entrance and Dylan Edwards’ omnipresence of their 22-14 win over Newcastle. When these two are again, look out.
2 Storm (1): Complacency reared its ugly head at AAMI Park on Saturday and it will likely be crushed out of the gamers, in all probability not actually, by Bellamy at coaching this week.
Ryan Papenhuyzen is just not having a lot impression, whether or not it’s the harm inflicted by his run of accidents or one thing else – 69 run metres from 10 runs is nowhere close to the return you’ll count on from a fullback after 80 minutes.
3 Roosters (3): They’ll rating loads of factors however defence is a priority. They’ve conceded 30 factors however nonetheless gained in back-to-back matches.
Which may reduce it in opposition to Manly and the Dolphins late within the season however it is going to finish their yr if it occurs within the finals.
4 Bulldogs (4): Obtained the job executed at Belmore in opposition to a dedicated Canberra aspect.
Josh Addo-Carr celebrates. (Photograph by Jeremy Ng/Getty Photos)
Stephen Crichton provides a contact of sophistication in assault and loads of impression in defence however his centre associate Bronson Xerri can be getting again to his greatest after 4 years out of the sport along with his medication ban, racking up 201 working metres whereas making a line break and organising a attempt.
5 Cowboys (5): They may not have been much less spectacular in placing away the workforce coming final who had been and not using a participant for the ultimate half hour.
Rocks and diamonds week to week, half to half, typically set to set.
6 Sharks (6): Stay within the top-four hunt and simply must preserve their heads above water whereas Nicho Hynes and now doubtlessly their different first-choice playmaker in Braydon Trindall are out.
An important sport on the horizon this Friday on the Gold Coast in opposition to an in-form, kinda, Titans aspect who beat them at Shark Park a number of weeks again.
7 Sea Eagles (7): They get Haumole Olakau’atu again this week after his month-long vacation from a match he wasn’t even taking part in in.
8 Dragons (10): Their run house is a tricky one and so they have seemed like world beaters on many events this season solely to put an egg the next week.
However that win over the Storm in Melbourne confirmed the material of this membership is again to being sturdy after a number of seasons of being flimsy on and off the sector.
The Dragons have a good time profitable at AAMI Park. (Photograph by Josh Chadwick/Getty Photos)
9 Dolphins (8): They’ve now misplaced seven of their previous 9 matches with historical past repeating from final yr’s sturdy begin then fast drop down the ladder to overlook the finals.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was comparatively quiet within the 40-34 loss to the Roosters in Perth and it seems if you happen to shut down his effectiveness by kicking away from him and limiting his area, you chop the Dolphins off on the knees … not that they’ve knees.
10 Raiders (9): They’ve tenacity by the bucketload and when a number of of their younger attacking abilities like Xavier Savage, Kaeo Weekes and Ethan Unusual have a number of seasons below their belt, the Inexperienced Machine can be buzzing alongside properly.
Everybody within the nationwide capital must descend on Bruce, the suburb not some random fella, on Saturday for the showdown with the Sea Eagles with Canberra’s plucky over-achievers simply two factors off eighth spot.
11 Titans (13): They’ve now crushed the Broncos three straight instances and have gained eight of their previous 12 clashes with their huge brothers up the freeway.
JoJo Fifita crossed for 3 tries nevertheless it was David Fifita who was standing over the Broncos, skittling them left, proper and centre in making 172 invaluable metres from 19 impactful runs.
12 Broncos (11): They’re now the worst of the 4 Queensland groups. Brisbane, the membership that has rep stars throughout the park and each benefit below the Sunshine State’s solar.
Besides in relation to teaching. Kevin Walters is very unlikely to get the punt on the finish of this season however he’ll enter 2025 because the coach most certainly to get the chop and he can ask Brad Arthur and Jason Demetriou how that often pans out.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
v
Melbourne Storm
NRL : Head To Head
Thu, 8 Aug 2024, 19:50
Gold Coast Titans
v
Cronulla Sharks
NRL : Head To Head
Fri, 9 Aug 2024, 18:00
Parramatta Eels
v
Penrith Panthers
NRL : Head To Head
Fri, 9 Aug 2024, 20:00
Canberra Raiders
v
Manly Sea Eagles
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 10 Aug 2024, 15:00
North Queensland Cowboys
v
Brisbane Broncos
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 10 Aug 2024, 17:30
St. George Illawarra Dragons
v
Canterbury Bulldogs
NRL : Head To Head
Sat, 10 Aug 2024, 19:35
Dolphins
v
New Zealand Warriors
NRL : Head To Head
Solar, 11 Aug 2024, 14:00
Newcastle Knights
v
Wests Tigers
NRL : Head To Head
Solar, 11 Aug 2024, 16:05
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13 Warriors (12): Twice this season they went on three-game win streaks to revive hopes of repeating final yr’s magical run to the highest 4.
However they’ve gained simply two of their previous seven matches to stay on the decrease fringes of top-eight rivalry and now that they’re 5 factors out of the equation and dropping to strugglers like Parramatta, the purple line can formally undergo their possibilities for 2024.
14 Knights (14): Their hopes of upsetting Penrith had been severely hampered when Jacob Saifiti was dominated out within the warm-up and regardless of placing up an honest contest, there was a way of inevitability that the Panthers would shut out the consequence.
Phoenix Crossland is the fifth possibility they’ve tried as a playmaker this season and he’s presumably probably the most able to the bunch. His defence and passing are each sound and he could possibly be their modern-day model of Sean Rudder because the complementary possibility alongside a star halfback … if solely they’d somebody wherever close to the calibre of Andrew Johns to be his associate.
15 Rabbitohs (15): Took a by no means say die perspective into their contest in opposition to Cronulla however the lack of Cody Walker on high of Alex Johnston’s season-ending Achilles tear just about sealed their destiny earlier than kick-off.
Clint Gutherson scores a attempt. (Photograph by Dave Rowland/Getty Photos)
16 Eels (16): Indicators of life. Their win over the Warriors was pretty much as good as a four-pointer on the ladder as a result of it not solely opens up a two-game lead on the Tigers within the race to keep away from the picket spoon, the Eels have an 86-point higher differential so now will probably have the “luxurious” of with the ability to lose to Wests within the remaining spherical and never come final.
Thank heavens for small mercies.
17 Wests (17): Justin Olam wants re-programming along with his deal with approach.
Regardless of wanting surprised when he was despatched off, it was clear to see that as a a lot shorter participant, the upward trajectory of his deal with on imposing Cowboys ahead was solely ever going to get him excessive.
It’s nice to run in and peel off an enormous hit however the strike zone must be on the ribcage as a result of something close to the shoulders is an enormous threat if the defender is off by a fraction.
