This was published 6 years ago
NRL Power Rankings: Rabbitohs get breathing room at the top
By Matt Bungard
1. South Sydney Rabbitohs (Last Week: 1): They weren't at their best on Saturday but cruised to an easy win against the Bulldogs, their ninth in a row.
2. Melbourne Storm (2): Just barely did enough to see off the Sea Eagles, but you can usually throw the form book out the window when those two teams play.
Power move: South Sydney top our NRL movers.Credit: NRL Photos
3. Penrith Panthers (3): A tough loss to the Sharks, but they're a different side when Nathan Cleary is in the No.7 jersey.
4. Cronulla Sharks (7): Impressive win and they are well and truly in the hunt for a top four finish now.
5. Sydney Roosters (5): A bit fortuitous to see off the Titans, but were down plenty of troops and will lift in the next few weeks.
6. St George Illawarra Dragons (4): Two worrying losses in a row as the murmurs of what happened in 2016 and 2017 start to get louder.
7. New Zealand Warriors (8): A very impressive and much needed win in Brisbane to create some space between them and the bottom eight.
8. Brisbane Broncos (6): Still relatively safe, but now the most likely team to drop out of the finals, if there are any. (There probably aren't).
9. Canberra Raiders (9): A crushing win over the Cowboys and their fans will be starting to dream about an unlikely finals push.
10. Wests Tigers (10): Gutsy victory over the high-flying Dragons to keep their finals hopes alive, just.
11. Manly Sea Eagles (11): Probably should have beaten the Storm but can take heart from the performances of a fair few players.
12. Newcastle Knights (14): Mitchell Pearce back in the side and a far more organised performance to bounce back with a win.
13. Gold Coast Titans (12): An unlucky loss against the Roosters but some promising signs for the future.
14. Canterbury Bankstown-Bulldogs (13): Outclassed by Souths but have a great chance to bounce back this week against rivals Parramatta.
15. North Queensland Cowboys (15): A heavy defeat in Canberra as the season from hell continues - most people's pick for the top four are now battling to avoid the spoon.
16. Parramatta Eels (16): Another week, another disappointing loss - a Spoon Bowl with the Bulldogs beckons this week.