SEN's NRL Power Rankings after Round 20

Each week, the SEN League team rank each team from 1 to 17 based on their most recent performance, strength of their opponent, injuries and form.

A team's position on the NRL ladder has no bearing on the power rankings.

SEN League Rankings after Round 20:

1. Storm (1st previous week)
2. Panthers (2)
3. Roosters (3)
4. Bulldogs (4)
5. Cowboys (5)
6. Sea Eagles (7)
7. Dolphins (6)
8. Sharks (8)
9. Dragons (9)
10. Broncos (10)
11. Rabbitohs (13)
12. Knights (11)
13. Raiders (14)
14. Warriors (12)
15. Titans (15)
16. Eels (16)
17. Tigers (17)

1. Melbourne Storm

Last Week: 1

The Melbourne Storm continue to prove that a good system outranks star power by methodically dismantling the Sydney Roosters at home. The Storm didn't play to their absolute best and one could argue they haven't at any point this season. However, they are two games clear at the top of the NRL ladder and are well on their way to another minor premiership.

2. Penrith Panthers

Last Week: 2

It was looking very dicey against the Dolphins but cometh the moment, cometh the man as Nathan Cleary produced another dazzling highlight. Similar to the Storm, they are just banking wins and nicely building their Premiership defence. Four in a row is looking more and more like a possibility.

3. Sydney Roosters

Last Week: 3

A big fail in terms of their premiership credentials but without any other standout teams, the Roosters remain third on our power rankings. The Roosters have a slight excuse given their Origin stars must have been cooked following the epic Game III decider but they won't have that luxury in Round 21. Saturday night against Manly will prove where this team is really at.

4. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Last Week: 4

The Bulldogs remain fourth on our power rankings because no other sides are taking it from them. The Dogs argaubly should've won the match against the Cowboys but inexperience cost them dearly. The new and improved Dogs have the chance to snap a 12-game losing streak at Suncorp Stadium when they meet the Broncos on Saturday afternoon. The biggest test for Cameron Ciraldo's team yet.

5. North Queensland Cowboys

Last Week: 5

Some Tom Dearden brilliance saw the Cowboys get out of jail but it was far from their best performance of the season. The Cows remain at home when they host the Cronulla Sharks who are incredibly vulnerable without their starting halfback and fullback. A win in Round 21 and the top four beckons. The only issue with the Cowboys is that they appear to be tracking nicely and then blow a winnable game which crashes them back to the pack.

6. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Last Week: 7

The Gold Coast Titans did well to hold out the Sea Eagles for 30 minutes but once Luke Brooks crossed over for Manly's first four-pointer, you knew the floodgates were about to open. A fully fit Tom Trbojevic is a scary prospect for rival teams and Manly look like a dark horse in this competition. However, you must look at who they have defeated in the past fortnight. A mentally checked out Newcastle team and a Titans outfit that rolled over after the third and fourth Manly tries.

You can only beat who is in front of you and a win against the Roosters would silence a lot of critics.

7. The Dolphins

Last Week: 6

Their is no shame in losing to a moment of Nathan Cleary brilliance and the Dolphins just need to ask their cross-town rivals in the Broncos to understand. Similar to the Bulldogs, they had their chances to ice that game but inexperience cost them and rest assured, they will be out to prove a point against Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon. It will be an important step in their bid for a maiden finals appearance.

8. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

Last Week: 8

The Sharks are the most infuriating team to get a read on. They are not bad but they aren't great either. The bye in Round 20 means they escape judgement in the power rankings. The Sharks can make a significant jump up the ladder if they are to defeat the Cowboys in Tonwsville but a loss could see them tumble down. A massive month for the Sharks looms.

9. St George Illawarra Dragons

Last Week: 9

Shane Flanagan deserves a medal for what he has been able to accomplish this season with the Dragons. Many (including this writer) firmly predicted the Dragons to finish with the wooden spoon. The Dragons only sit out of the top eight on points differential and they are a big chance to knock off the reigning premiers in Wollongong on Sunday afternoon. Dare to dream Dragons fans!

10. Brisbane Broncos

Last Week: 10

Finally, the Broncos claim their first win since their one-point victory against Manly in Magic Round. It's been a massive nose dive for the 2023 Grand Finalists as injuries and State of Origin have put major dents in their premiership aspirations. The return of Adam Reynolds is crucial and their path to the finals becomes a bit easier. Next up, a Saturday afternoon game against a Bulldogs team who haven't won at Lang Park since 2015.

11. South Sydney Rabbitohs

Last Week: 13

It may have been the worst defensive game of all time but the Rabbitohs banked another win and are showing their fans that they should feel optimistic about the 2025 season. Finals are still a possibility but a long shot. The rest of the season is just about performing well and what better chance than Round 21; a Jack Wighton revenge game in the nation's capital against the Canberra Raiders.

12. Newcastle Knights

Last Week: 11

What has happened to this team? In 2023, they were ranked fourth for points scored and were only 19 points behind the first placed Panthers. This year, the Knights couldn't buy a point and they rank last for points scored with 318. Even the last placed Wests Tigers (321) have scored more than Newcastle. This tied in with the salary cap issues the club reportedly has and it's been a stunning fall from grace from the highs of last year.

13. Canberra Raiders

Last Week: 14

The Raiders got lucky against the Warriors but you often make your own luck and Canberra were just good enough in the crucial moments to come away with the two points. Ricky Stuart would've circled Round 21 the moment the 2024 draw was released and it's time to show Jack Wighton what he's been missing.

14. The Warriors

Last Week: 12

If there was ever a game to sum up the 2024 season for the Warriors, that was it. More tries than their opposition and yet they still lose. The Warriors' demise is one of the most upsetting stories of the 2024 season. They host the Tigers this week in Auckland and they are no certainty to win that game.

15. Gold Coast Titans

Last Week: 15

Three wins in a row was nice but the Titans crashed back down to Earth with an abysmal display against Manly. The most alarming aspect to the match was Tom Trbojevic's try. Tommy Talau intercepted a wayward Kieran Foran pass and looked certain to score a length of the field try before second rower Beau Fermor chased him down. It was an incredible act of desperation but the same couldn't be said of his teammates. The very next play, Turbo ran under the posts untouched whilst a score of Titans players lightly jogged back in defence. Sums up where Gold Coast are at as a club.

16. Parramatta Eels

Last Week: 16

The Parramatta Eels post-Brad Arthur's sacking is the closest thing we have seen to tanking in the NRL. Mitch Moses is out for the year, a few players have been sent for season ending surgery, interim coach Trent Barrett has already been told he won't be there next year and there is really nothing to play for outside of avoiding the wooden spoon. All the focus has turned to Jason Ryles' takeover in 2025.

17. Wests Tigers

Last Week: 17

The Tigers were better but they still conceded over 40 points for the fourth consecutive week. It's a positive seeing so many youngsters thrive for the club and they have largely led the way all season. However, the Tigers are still in a massive hole with their salary and the drawn out Stefano Utoikamanu contract saga has got out of hand. A third straight wooden spoon now feels inevitable.