NRL watchability ratings: Ranking teams from 1 to 17 on star power, style and potential for drama

From the Dragons’ “train crash” to the “enjoyable” Eels, PAUL CRAWLEY ranks the magnetism of every NRL club - and he doesn’t miss!

There’s no doubt that Rugby League boasts some of the greatest heroes and villains in Australian sport, and while some teams have a penchant for drama and theatrics, some consistently put fans to sleep.

PAUL CRAWLEY has given every team a score out of 60, based on their star power, playing style, box office appeal, heroes and villains, their potential for drama and their jerseys, to determine which NRL teams are the most ‘watchable’.

NRL Watchability Rankings: Which teams deliver box office gold, and which clubs put you to sleep?

WARRIORS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

It’s hard to get excited about the Warriors because every year they promise the world and end up delivering the atlas.

You hope this year will be different, and they deserve a change in fortune as they prepare to play their first full season at home since 2019. But the fact of the matter is, they’ve lost Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Reece Walsh, back-to-back, and now they’ve brought home Shaun Johnson to fill the void. Good luck with that.

It’s just a shame flashy recruit Luke Metcalf is out with a serious hamstring injury because he really looked exciting playing beside Te Maire Martin in that first trial.

New coach Andrew Webster doesn’t come with a massive reputation, but the former Panthers assistant certainly has some coaching miles behind him and seems to have the players in a good mindset. After what they’ve been through in recent seasons, every rugby league fan will want to see the Warriors do well after arguably their worst ever season in 2022 — with their equal fewest wins (6) and conceding their most points a game (29.2).

KNIGHTS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

No question Kalyn Ponga is a superstar when he pulls on a Queensland jumper. But too often he just doesn’t show up with his best for Newcastle. Even new footy boss Peter Parr had a crack at him before the start of pre-season saying it was time for Ponga to stand up and own this team. Maybe Parry needs to get him to put down the strawberry thickshakes and make him wear his Maroons jumper under the Knights jersey.

It highlights the real issue when it comes to the Knights’ watchability ranking these days.

There was a time when not just the people of Newcastle but the entire game not only loved this team but had complete faith in them.

While their loyal fans keep turning up year after year, the players don’t.

Last year they won just six games to finish 14th, with 12 of the 18 losses by 18 points or more.

In 2023 so much will ride on Ponga’s switch to five-eighth, and how quickly he sparks up a combination with new halfback Jackson Hastings and young fullback Lachie Miller. They also need some luck with injuries, while big Jack Hetherington’s aggression could be a welcome inclusion if he can just tone it down enough so he stops getting suspended.

There’s no doubt if Adam O’Brien can get them firing the Knights have the talent to compete for a top-eight finish, but that last trial against the Eels didn’t fill anyone with any great confidence.

TITANS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Don’t really lack star power but the trouble for the Titans is outside their own fan base no one really gives two hoots if they win or lose, so long as they’re not playing against your team when they do happen to jag the occasional win.

It’s a shame David Fifita can’t come off contract every season, if his first-up effort against the Dolphins was any indication. Fifita should be counting his blessings that the old Rugby League Week magazine is defunct, so that he and his $1 million pay packet wouldn’t be subjected to the “most overrated player” poll.

But this year Justin Holbrook’s team could offer considerably more appeal now that Kieran Foran has taken over as the senior playmaker, and the classy Sam Verrills at dummy half.

You put them with AJ Brimson at fullback and Jayden Campbell coming off the bench, and a heavyweight forward pack led by big Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita, and the Titans could easily be the shock player in this year’s charge to the finals judging by the way they tore apart the Dolphins in their recent trial.

DOLPHINS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Forget the fact they haven’t landed a marquee player, they’ve got the NRL’s most enigmatic and entertaining coach in Wayne Bennett to generate the publicity. He even makes headlines when he doesn’t attend trials.

And on that front it was truly astonishing that in the first week of the Pre Season Challenge the Dolphins pulled in the biggest ratings on Fox League.

It gives you an indication of the anticipation that greets the NRL newcomers. And while we really have no idea what sort of footy they are going to play, what’s going to be fascinating is seeing how many games they can win _ and if Bennett can avoid his first ever spoon (with the bookies ranking the Dolphins standout favourites for most losses). If you’re looking for a villain, former Storm bad boy Felise Kaufusi is the obvious choice along with the coach who seems to polarise most fans, while teenage playmaker Isaiya Katoa could easily emerge rookie of the year as he challenges Anthony Milford to start the season at five-eighth.

COWBOYS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

The comeback kings have been riding high on the success of the comeback kids – blokes who had been written off by many but love proving the doubters wrong. Whether it was Chad “Worst Contract in NRL History’’ Townsend reinvigorating his career and the club or Tom “Not Good Enough for the Broncos’’ Dearden turning into a Queensland hero, the Cowboys are filled with feel-good stories.

To think the team the majority of experts tipped to come last finished with the club’s best ever season in terms of points per game (26.3), and second best in average points conceded (16). It’s just a shame that outside of Queensland they don’t get the coverage they deserve. And unfortunately these days they could also do with a couple of bad boys to get a few more headlines.

But most rusted on league fans rate the Cowboys as the game’s most popular ‘second team’. And from a playing style perspective Todd Payten has come up with a game plan that has made them one of the NRL’s most watchable sides, even if they’re sitting too far down the bottom on our overall count.

DRAGONS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Anthony Griffin should petition the NRL to give the Dragons’ 6am kick-offs in the motel carpark this season, at least that way you know they’re going to come fired up and ready for a stink.

The Charity Shield was another typical Dragons train crash, during and after the match. First up they get belted by the Bunnies, then young Tyrell Sloan has a post-match meltdown. The poor kid looks totally overwhelmed and you find yourself feeling sorry for him and his team. That’s until you later learn two knuckleheads in Ravalawa and Musgrove have gone out and got sloshed, ending up in a stink outside the team hotel as the sun was coming up. Seriously, when will these boofheads wake up and realise their fans have had a gutful?

If they’d won in Mudgee it might have been a different story. But what did they have to celebrate? At least with such a vocal supporter base it always ensures any dramas are magnified. Which makes them must watch viewing, but most of the time for the wrong reasons.

SHARKS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

You don’t have to be a big head to make it big in the game.

And Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes is proof nice guys can finish first – and be entertaining to watch.

A club that has completely transformed its public perception since the arrival of Craig Fitzgibbon and Hynes.

The way Fitzy has galvanised his team and especially their defence, conceding 16.7 points a game last year _ which was the club’s best since their premiership winning 2016 season _ is a statement about his coaching ability.

He’s also reinvented a player like Matt Moylan, who looked down for the count previously, while he hasn’t tamed the natural aggression of wildcards like Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jesse Ramien. What it leaves is a bit of everything, but one thing they’re not is boring.

RAIDERS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

More fun than a day at Disneyland. From the pre-match Viking clap to the moment you walk away from Ricky’s post match presser often thinking to yourself, ‘What the f*** just happened there?’

Maybe the NRL needs to stop fining Ricky and start paying him bonuses for making coach media conferences must-watch TV.

And what their roster lacks in star power they more than make up for with their thrill-a-second brand of footy. One moment you’re cheering like you’ve just won the Lotto, the next you’re screaming at the TV and vowing never to watch the lousy bastards again. To put that in perspective Fox Sports Stats show Canberra has lost 11 games when leading at halftime since 2020, but has also won the most games when trailing in the same period (10). It’s a shame Xavier Savage busted his jaw in the trials.

SEA EAGLES

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Will we get the coach who took Souths to a preliminary final, or the bloke who oversaw the most disastrous period in Broncos’ history?

That’s the million-dollar question for fans ahead of Anthony Seibold’s much-anticipated NRL return.

There was a time when rival fans hated Manly with a passion. But that was before the Trbojevic brothers arrived and changed the whole dynamic of how this club is viewed by the majority outside Sydney’s northern beaches.

Factor in since 2019 the Sea Eagles have won 70 per cent of games when Turbo plays, but just over a third when he is missing, and it makes his return from another pre-season hamstring injury all the more intriguing.

I can’t wait to see how this outstanding crop of youngsters develop under the new coach, with Haumole Olakau’atu and Tolu Koula leading the charge, while it’s a setback with a calf injury ruling Josh Schuster out of round one. It opens a spot for Cooper Johns, with the electric Kaeo Weeks to be their No.14. Dynamite dummy half Gordon Chan Kum Tong is the other youngster who starred in the trials who looks more than ready for a crack at NRL.

BULLDOGS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

If you aren’t at least a bit excited about Phil Gould’s Canterbury rebuild you’re living on a different planet to any league fan I speak to.

But the arrival of new coach Cameron Ciraldo along with Reed Mahoney and big Viliame Kikau has taken the anticipation this year up several notches, along with the return of local hero Josh Reynolds, and the potential of watching a young gun like Paul Alamoti blast on the scene.

And while it wasn’t great news hearing a calf injury will rule Tevita Pangai Jr out for the start of the season, it’s too early to get caught up in the negatives that came with their disappointing trial loss to the Sharks.

Of course, the added incentive watching the Dogs this year will be seeing if Gus succeeds or fails, depending on how you feel about the most polarising individual in the game’s history.

STORM

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Here’s a club that every time we write them off, they find a way to shove it down our throats. This makes me want to watch it to see what they produce when they feel insulted

But it’s the style of footy the Storm play these days that’s really winning over a lot of outside fans in the wake of Peter V’landys’ crackdown on the wrestle.

While people love to blow up about the six-again rule pulling apart the fabric of the game, from a Storm perspective it has completely shifted the focus to their attack, and that’s a bloody great thing for rugby league.

Having Ryan Papenhuyzen sidelined for an extended period as he overcomes his knee dramas will take away some appeal watching them in the early stages of this season.

But there’s still plenty of appeal: This could be the final season we get to watch Craig Bellamy go berko in the coach’s box, or big Nelson Asofa-Solomona running wild with rugby union circling. They still have Grant, Munster and Hughes pulling the strings. But I really hope we get to see young star fullback Sua Fa’alogo, who reminds you of a young Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, get a crack sooner rather than later.

Towering winger Will Warbrick will be another one to keep an eye out for. He’s the same height as Xavier Coates and won an Olympic medal playing Rugby Sevens for New Zealand.

EELS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

I’ll concede I’m not a fan of that creepy little dance of Gutho’s every time he scores (which I think only motivates the opposition), but other than that Parra are an enjoyable team to watch.

Because what this squad lacks in recognised representative stars it more than makes up for by working brilliantly as a team. Whether it’s Gutherson’s non-stop effort-on-effort, or Moses’ moments of pure brilliance, big Junior Paulo and Reg powering through the middle, or the anticipation of Maika Sivo dishing up road kill down the touchline.

The downside from a footy perspective this year is that they’ve lost some crucial forwards in Isaiah Papali’I and Marata Niukore as well as Ray Stone, whose big hits for the Dolphins are already being felt.

Shaun Lane’s broken jaw, on the back of Ryan Matterson’s decision to cop a three-match suspension instead of paying a fine, has really left them looking vulnerable to start the season. It’s no wonder former Panther J’maine Hopgood is their most popular SuperCoach choice after what we saw from him in the trials, but Matterson better hope the Eels get off to a good start or he will be public enemy number one.

TIGERS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

This has the potential to be 2023’s most watchable comeback story. When Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall were first appointed as the tag-team coaching combination to take over from Michael Maguire, more than a few of us thought it was just a feel-good con job by Tigers management to give themselves breathing space after the debacle of the past decade.

But instead Sheens and Marshall have hit the ground running, delivering instant hope with some outstanding recruitment backed up by a performance in their final hitout against Canberra that really generated tremendous excitement.

Even without Api Koroisau, John Bateman and Luke Brooks who all missed that game, they made the Raiders look second rate. And what was most evident at Belmore was that this is a footy team that finally looks to have broken free of the shackles and now have a licence to just go out and have some fun. Hallelujah for that.

There’s talk the Tigers plan to play like it’s 2005. The only issue is it’s 2023. Will it work? It’ll be worth watching to find out.

PANTHERS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Let’s start with the Panthers’ post-try celebrations. You either love them, or like me, hate them. There’s absolutely no fence sitting here.

But regardless of where you stand, it goes to the heart of why they are so polarising, and the perfect 10 when it comes to rating our heroes and villains.

Especially when you factor in serial pest Jarome Luai, who gave his many critics more fodder with his disgusting best man speech at Brian To’o’s recent wedding.

What no one can dispute is that the Panthers also have some really likeable individuals who are also tremendous footy players headed by co-captains Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary, and so score extremely high on our rankings for star power, style of play and box office appeal.

In 2023 there’s the added draw card to see if they can become the first team since Jack Gibson’s mighty Parramatta Eels back in the early 1980s to win three straight premierships, but without Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau this time. The fact they finally look vulnerable probably only adds to their appeal.

BRONCOS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Having Wayne Bennett up the road at the Dolphins will only add to Kevin Walters’ paranoia. Although what he should be most concerned about is keeping players like Selwyn Cobbo away from podcast appearances.

The collapse from fourth on the ladder in round 19 to missing the finals last season has really turned up the heat on everyone, but no one more than the coach. This was always going to be Kevvie’s crunch year coming into his third season in charge.

It won’t help that the Broncos have probably the toughest draw of any team, with 14 games against top-eight sides from last year, and just five against the bottom four.

However, when they’re playing well, they’re as good to watch as any team in the competition. They just need Adam Reynolds to stay fit and for the rest of them not to lose their nerve.

It was funny hearing Reece Walsh come out before the season has even kicked off and conceded being back in the Broncos’ bubble had been “challenging”. God help him the week they play the Dolphins.

ROOSTERS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

You’d love the bloke who is looking after the Roosters’ salary cap to come and do your tax return.

But while everyone blows up about their star-studded roster, what I admire even more from a watchability perspective on a week-to-week basis is the humility Trent Robinson has drilled into this squad. Just compare how superstars James Tedesco, Joey Manu, Joseph Suaali’i and Daniel Tupou celebrate tries up against some of the other hotshots running around in the game today. None of this diving over the top of each other crap and trying to humiliate the opposition. It’s just good old-fashioned humbleness and respect.

The flip side is the fire and brimstone that comes with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Victor Radley, which is an absolute inspiration for their teammates until the moment it is not and they get themselves marched or in strife.

This year you can throw the wildcard that is Brandon Smith into that ticking time bomb equation. If ‘Cheese’ comes with his mind on the job the Roosters could tear this competition to shreds. But let’s hope he didn’t just come to Sydney to party.

RABBITOHS

CRAWLEY’S VERDICT:

Souths often play like the world is against them.

While it makes for a hell of a show, it’s not always in the Rabbitohs’ best interests.

The trouble is it can too easily go pear-shaped when Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker let their emotions take over.

Just think back to Mitchell’s recent trip to Canberra to celebrate his great mate Jack Wighton’s 30th birthday, and how easily that could have ended up a lot worse.

In Mitchell you have the biggest, boldest, most spectacular yet volatile athlete/personality in the game today. You can’t not watch him because he can just as easily tear apart the opposition in the blink of an eye, as have a brain explosion.

Throw in his sidekick, Walker, and it makes arguably the NRL’s most watchable love/hate relationship (Penrith’s Jarome Luai might have something to say about that).

Nevertheless, these two are also the driving force behind the game’s most dangerous left-edge attack.

Factor in Souths win 75 per cent of games when Mitchell is playing, as opposed to less than 60 per cent when he is missing. And since 2020 Walker and Alex Johnston have combined for 32 tries, 14 more than the next best.

Originally published as NRL watchability ratings: Ranking teams from 1 to 17 on star power, style and potential for drama