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The Raiders are using excessive because the NRL’s not likely benchmark following their astonishing victory over Melbourne for probably the most magical of Magic Round victories.
Canberra on the peak of the Power Rankings? Why now not?
To be the king you need to beat the kings and they’ve endured defying their season-long development of now not best proving they don’t seem to be easybeats however a group that has surged into top-four calculations.
Like the Warriors of a few years in the past, there’s an air of future about Ricky Stuart’s ragtag bunch of old-stagers and younger weapons who stay capturing down giant names left, proper and centre.
Canberra’ scalps for 2025 now come with the Warriors in Las Vegas, the Broncos, Sharks and Storm as a part of their 7-2 begin to the season which has them simply two issues adrift of first-placed Canterbury.
Here’s how the groups stack up after Round 9.
1. Raiders (Last week 3): Well, we couldn’t have them beneath the Storm now may just we when they beat them in Magic Round.
No, it gained’t final however Canberra at this time are the little group that would, chugging their means up the ladder to the purpose now the place in the event that they have been up in opposition to the Storm, Dogs, Warriors or another group you’d care to call, they’d be greater than an excellent likelihood of thrashing them.
By the best way, they host Canterbury within the top-of-the-table Round 10 conflict that no person predicted, in particular the NRL agenda makers who buried it within the 3pm Saturday slot.
Everyone who concept they’d be completing a few of the also-rans this season can sign up for me in a darkened nook the place there might be various humble pie to move round.
Morgan Smithies, Jamal Fogarty and Tom Starling rejoice successful. (Photo via Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
2. Bulldogs (2): Without Matt Burton, Sitili Tupouniua and Josh Curran, they have been nowhere close to their highest on Sunday.
But if you will be neatly down on type any given weekend, you wish to have to be enjoying in opposition to the Titans, and the Dogs have been nonetheless in a position to rack up a comfy 38-18 victory.
Max King most probably gained’t destroy into the Blues squad for State of Origin recreation one however he’s the type of workaholic ahead that each and every Origin group wishes. A more youthful model of captain Jake Trbojevic, who could also be surplus to Laurie Daley’s wishes.
3. Storm (1): They will have to have overwhelmed the Raiders apart from for a few their forwards giving freely the dumbest of consequences, in ownership, proper in entrance of the posts to merciless match-winning box function alternatives.
And then a type of two carelessly gave away a excessive take on penalty up the opposite finish to lose the tournament.
Pray for the window cleaners who’ve to wash the spittle that flew from Craig Bellamy’s mouth within the trainer’s field at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night time as his aspect threw two pageant issues away.
4. Warriors (4): They just about blew it in opposition to the Cowboys on Saturday night time after conserving an 18-point lead after which letting their combatants ranking 3 immediately tries to get inside 4 issues.
The Warriors proved they’re a group that assists in keeping turning up with a few sensible items of scrambling defence past due within the tournament, which snuffed out the North Queensland comeback.
5. Sharks (7): Even despite the fact that they have been enjoying in opposition to a group close to the ground of the ladder in Parramatta on Friday night time, their win used to be an enormous step in the fitting course for Craig Fitzgibbon’s group.
The Eels got here in a position to play at the again of Mitchell Moses’s brilliance however Will Kennedy and Nicho Hynes have been instrumental within the 28-18 victory, which provides them a bump again as much as 5th within the scores.
6. Broncos (5): Michael Maguire’s group is every other one with a 5-4 document and various query marks over whether or not they’re authentic contenders.
They couldn’t were extra spectacular in flogging the Bulldogs in Round 8, however their Magic Round show lacked resilience and the typical theme of now not sufficient fortify for Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan reared its unpleasant head once more.
(Photo via Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
7. Tigers (9): In many ways they have been a little bit bit fortunate to overcome the Dragons 34-28 for the reason that they have been talented a 12-point turnaround at the stroke of half-time after Jaydn Su’A made his forgettable try-line blunder and Jahream Bula raced 100 metres the opposite direction.
Even despite the fact that they’ve had a tumultuous season to this point and there are nonetheless various tough edges for Benji Marshall to easy over, the Tigers are within the logjam of 7 or 8 groups in the course of the pack who’ve shaped a transparent 2d tier forward of the ground 5 or 6 groups in those scores who appear to be the finals might be past them.
8. Sea Eagles (8): They had the bye in Magic Round and go back to the comforts of Brookvale subsequent Sunday in opposition to the Sharks taking a look to turn that their final return-to-form victory over Penrith used to be now not simply every other Tom Trbojevic-inspired flash within the pan.
Morgan Smithies, Jamal Fogarty and Tom Starling rejoice successful. (Photo via Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
9. Panthers (10): Even despite the fact that they became again the clock to their earlier 4 seasons of premiership glory in smashing the Broncos 32-8 on Sunday it’s nonetheless untimely to offer Penrith a nudge again up into the highest 8.
Nathan Cleary endured his addiction of tormenting the Broncos with a five-star show and Ivan Cleary’s line-up is beginning to get some brotherly love about it after a couple of high-profile comings and goings over the low season.
10. Roosters (11): Yet every other group this is unattainable to expect.
When they’re excellent, they’re excellent. A couple of weeks in the past they appeared like they have been headed for his or her first season out of the playoffs since 2016 once they have been thrashed at house via Penrith however they’ve since strung in combination dominant victories over the Dragons and Dolphins to re-enter the playoff dialog.
They’ve were given the bye this week and will have to get a few troops again the next week for a real litmus take a look at in opposition to the Bulldogs.
11. Cowboys (7): It’s most probably somewhat tough to knock them again 4 spots within the scores at the again of a slim defeat to the Warriors however that simply highlights the narrow distinction between the groups at the outer edge of the highest 4 and those sitting above the also-rans.
Although they got here house with a rainy sail and the Cowboys have been unfortunate to lose when a possible match-winning attempt used to be denied via a foot at the sideline from Murray Taulagi, they will have to be extra all in favour of one of the vital defensive lapses previous which ended in the Warriors racing in 5 first-half tries.
12. Dolphins (12): best keep in 12th spot as a result of lots of the groups immediately beneath them didn’t publish a lot of a combat both. Kristian Woolf’s group has dropped to a 3-6 document after their defeat to the Roosters on Friday night time.
The 36-26 scoreline flattered the Dolphins with the Roosters working in seven tries to 4. The absence of Max Plath for the following month because of damage is usually a large frame blow for the Dolphins of their bid to stay within the playoff hunt.
13. Dragons (13): They are every other aspect teetering between the threshold of playoff rivalry and sinking to the ground of the ladder with their 3-5 document.
They have been polished a couple of weeks in the past in thrashing the Titans and frightening Manly however since then they’ve had 46 and 34 placed on them via the Roosters and Tigers – now not the hallmarks of a group sure for the finals.
14. Knights (16): After being in freefall they get a bump up the scores via a few spots at the again in their 30-4 annihilation of the Rabbitohs on Saturday.
Fletcher Sharpe has the tempo and acceleration to be a recreation breaker at five-eighth however Newcastle shouldn’t child themselves into pondering they’ve all of sudden solved their attacking woes as Souths fielded a closely depleted line-up.
15. Eels (15): They stay at 15th spot even if they misplaced to the Sharks as a result of Parra are actually appearing they are going to now not be pushovers.
Their younger forwards are inexperienced however they don’t care about reputations and so they took the combat to Cronulla’s skilled giant boppers.
But the younger Eels tend to shoot themselves within the foot at inopportune instances which is a part of the rising pains beneath Jason Ryles which is able to end result within the peculiar loss within the quick time period however might be really useful down the observe.
16. Rabbitohs (14): They get Latrell Mitchell again from suspension this week however with Peter Mamouzelos dislocating his shoulder and Jye Gray selecting up a hamstring drawback, Wayne Bennett’s damage woes are actually even worse.
It’s onerous to look the Rabbitohs regrouping within the close to long run after dropping 4 immediately fits.
17. Titans (17): There’s now not a lot more to mention in regards to the Gold Coast’s ongoing struggles.
They have misplaced 5 in a row exceeding 30 issues or extra on each and every instance.
In reality, in their 8 fits this season they’ve best held a group beneath 30 two times – all over their two wins long ago in rounds 3 and 4.
The Titans have best accrued the picket spoon two times regardless of lacking the finals in 14 in their 18 seasons however a 3rd last-placed end is taking a look most likely as Des Hasler’s 2d season threatens to be a lot worse than his first one.
