With one third of the regular season banked, we’ve got more of a feel for where each club sits in the 2025 NRL premiership landscape.
We’ve seen enough footy to know what the good teams are doing and what the lesser teams aren’t. Securing wins & competition points is obviously important, but how teams perform in wins or losses during these early rounds can often hint at where they’ll end up come September.
With that in mind, here’s where I’ve got each team sitting in Part 1 of my Tri-Annual Club Rankings (we’ll be back in Rounds 18 & 27 for Parts 2 & 3):
1. Melbourne Storm
Melbourne’s ability to identify and expose a weakness in the defensive line is second to none. Finally enjoying some continuity on the field, the best spine in the NRL plays with wonderful balance in attack to consistently capitalise on opportunities across the park.
Happy to beat you in a grind or pile on a cricket score, the Melbourne Storm’s early season premiership favouritism has been affirmed with a 5-and-2 start to the year.
2. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Forget the sin-bin chaos of NRL Round 8; the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are a genuine finals contender.
It’s easy to rank the Bulldogs so high because the best parts of their game are repeatable. Cohesive, connected and aggressive with their defence, Canterbury flirt with the line and get it right most of the time – barring a tense and slippery night in Brisbane last week.
Playing behind the best defence in the NRL, there is still upside to the Dogs attack through Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau & Bronson Xerri on their left edge.
3. Brisbane Broncos
Individual errors have cost the Broncos a few games to start the season but don’t let that concern you. Michael Maguire has this Brisbane outfit focussing on the little things right now (kick chase, line speed, ruck control) before inevitably adding layers to their attack later in the year.
That being said, Brisbane’s 240 points currently ranks first in the NRL. When you consider how many looks have been missed through Reece Walsh (15 errors) and Ben Hunt (8) alone to begin the year, it’s frightening to think where the Broncos attack could end up.
A stacked forward rotation and excellent depth in the outside backs has Brisbane well placed for a deep run into the finals.
4. New Zealand Warriors
The Wahs have quietly bounced back from a 30 point drubbing in Las Vegas to sit fourth on the NRL ladder heading into Round 9. Importantly, their defence ranks equal third in the competition despite two heavy losses to Canberra and Melbourne on the record.
New Zealand have navigated James Fisher-Harris’ injury wonderfully to win the ruck most weeks. A productive backline and a hard working pack is earning enough chances for a young halves pairing who’s upside has them ranked so high for me.
Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita aren’t nailing all their looks in good-ball right now, but they don’t need to given what the Warriors are getting right around them. When it clicks though… Up the Wahs!
5. Canberra Raiders
Canberra have banked six impressive wins to start the season on the back of their attack. Averaging an NRL second-best 29.8 points per game, the Raiders repeatedly find ways to score unrepeatable tries.
It’s not a coincidence, either. While Jamal Fogarty makes enough smart decisions across 80-minutes to steady the ship, Ricky’s Raiders – personified best right now by Hudson Young – thrive in the chaos of second-phase play.
There will always be concerns around sustainability of this attacking style. How Canberra’s defence (fifth worst in the NRL) holds up under the pressure that style creates is another thing to consider.
6. Sydney Roosters
Plenty appear to be death riding the Roosters this year but Trent Robinson’s record alone is enough to suggest they’ll be there or thereabouts come September.
Injuries in key positions have hit Easts hard and they’re learning some tough lessons on the run right now. To collect the big scalps of Brisbane and Penrith (at the time) along the way is testament to the quality of this club.
Continue to pick up enough of the games they should though, and Easts will be a very different prospect in the back end of the year.
7. Cronulla Sharks
I’m going to wipe NRL Round 8 from my memory and so should the Cronulla Sharks.
They appeared to be finding a nice balance between the middle and edges to begin the year but it all fell apart against Wests.
At their best though, Blayke Brailey and Cameron McInnes stress and compress the defence around the ruck before Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes and Will Kennedy carve up the edges.
An NRL third-best defence is protecting an otherwise inconsistent attack right now; not the worst problem to have at this stage in the season.
8. The Dolphins
If 2025 is the year The Dolphins make their NRL finals debut, we can be fairly confident it will be thanks to Isaiya Katoa.
This is familiar ground for listeners of the Neds NRL Unpopular Opinions Podcast, but the little nuances and subtleties of Katoa’s game suggest he is a generational halfback talent. Redcliffe have assembled a deep squad with great utility value around their star playmaker and should win enough games on that alone throughout the regular season.
How far Redcliffe’s pack can carry them into September (if they get there) will then become the question.
9. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Sitting evens after eight games played, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have been one of the most resilient and impressive sides in the competition to start the season.
Wayne Bennett has immediately improved all the problems areas in Redfern from last year; best displayed in an ugly Round 5 win over Easts where Souths lost both starting halves and a winger mid-game. This Rabbitohs side doesn’t know when they’re beat and while their defensive systems are a work in progress, Souths scramble as well as anyone in the NRL right now.
Providing the Bunnies unprecedented bad luck with injury improves (and they can bag enough wins along the way) the groundwork has been laid for Souths to make a run in the back end of the season.
10. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Inconsistency has crippled one of the best attacking teams in the NRL to start the regular season. The variety between Daly Cherry-Evans, Haumole Olakau’atu and Tom Trbojevic down that right edge is unstoppable on its day but with Turbo injured and DCE out of form, Manly continue to drop games they shouldn’t.
Lachlan Croker is an underrated member of the Sea Eagles first-choice spine and his return from injury will also allow Jazz Tevaga to play more minutes in the middle (where he – and subsequently Manly as a whole – looked better in NRL Round 8.)
It remains to be seen how the DCE fallout affects what I still believe is a premiership possibility season for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
11. North Queensland Cowboys
Four weeks is a long time in rugby league and we’ve quickly forgotten that North Queensland lost their opening three games.
The Cowboys have now won four straight thanks to an attack that is playing to its strengths through Tom Dearden, Scott Drinkwater and Jaxson Purdue on the left edge. Introducing Sam McIntyre’s ballplaying through the middle third has also added another layer to the Cowboys attack while helping tidy up what is still a questionable middle defence.
With a tough draw during the representative period approaching, the Cowboys credentials and defensive systems are about to be tested.
12. St George-Illawarra Dragons
Shane Flanagan was adamant over the pre-season that this Dragons team would be an improvement on his 2024 side. While their 3-and-5 record mightn’t agree with him, there have been plenty of promising signs in St George to begin the year.
Playing to their strengths with great variety down a lethal left edge, the Dragons have a range of repeatable avenues to the try line this season. Things don’t look so good for the Red V when their Plan A doesn’t produce points though.
Hard work and high percentage footy under Flanno has seen St George climb off the bottom of the NRL ladder. I’m curious to see what’s next (g’day, Lyhkan King-Togia) as the Dragons look to continue that climb.
13. Penrith Panthers
Dead last and with a packed Suncorp Stadium awaiting them in NRL Round 9, this week could be make or break for the Penrith Panthers.
Their formulaic, patient approach to attack has quickly crumbled behind a defence that is conceding points within the first 10 minutes every single week. Scoreboard pressure and inexperience are compounding things from there, so much so that even Nathan Cleary, Isaiah Yeo and Dylan Edwards are struggling to consistently generate positive looks in attack.
Penrith have been their own worst enemy to start the year and the challenge for Ivan Cleary now is to find the right course, moving forward.
Does this squad have what it takes to implement his preferred style or does Ivan and the Panthers need to adapt with the times (and cattle)?
14. Wests Tigers
For the first time in years, there is evidence of genuine improvement at the Wests Tigers.
Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau point the gun while Lachie Galvin and Jahream Bula pull the trigger, targeting specific spots and executing scripted pieces to good effect.
While some of their high-risk options in yardage and on fifth tackle will be punished by better teams, this Tigers attack profiles well to improve and evolve throughout the year.
Off the ball, Wests defensive systems are also a work in progress but unlike previous years the effort and connection is there; best and most recently displayed in NRL Round 8 v Cronulla.
On current form, the dreaded Wooden Spoon feels a safe distance away from Tiger Town.
15. Gold Coast Titans
Eight rounds in and the Gold Coast Titans greatest opposition in 2025 has been themselves.
Few clubs exhibit such a gap between their best and worst, either through questionable team selections (Beau Fermor being martyred at centre in NRL Round 6) or complete capitulations on the field (Round 5 v Dolphins, Round 8 v Cowboys).
An inexperienced and injury-disrupted spine are both fair excuses for the Titans, to a point.
Kieran Foran immediately improves a lot of the problem areas in this Gold Coast side but he can’t do it all. Same goes for Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in the middle of the field.
The Titans ability to score quick points has papered over a few otherwise-heavy losses this season. We need to see some more defensive resilience from the Gold Coast if their unorthodox attack is to profile well against the top teams.
16. Parramatta Eels
What a difference one player can make. Mitchell Moses made enough smart decisions in NRL Round 7 to put Wests away and unlock the best version of this Eels attack.
Their pack and backline are both horribly skinny and just an injury or two away from collapse, but Moses’ kicking game both alleviates their poor yardage form and good-ball attack. Once Zac Lomax returns, the ‘Momax’ shippers should enjoy weekly content.
A poor start and a lack of depth remains an issue though, and if Moses plays Origin it’ll be a tough stretch for the Eels to navigate. The Wooden Spoon is beckoning…
17. Newcastle Knights
It’s bizarre to be ranking the second best defensive team in the NRL down here, but that’s the sad reality for Newcastle to begin season 2025.
Despite employing one of the best attacking weapons in the competition at fullback, the Knights attack is managing a measly 10.3 points per game this year as their instability in the spine is finally exposed. It’s quite literally all or nothing for Kalyn Ponga in Newcastle and unfortunately for the Knights, it’s mostly been nothing to start the year.
The fault is not Ponga’s. Adam O’Brien has failed to put the right pieces in place for his star fullback to flourish, and the pressure is now on the Head Coach to find the right mix – before someone else does.
Where do you rank your club heading into NRL Round 9 and where do you see them finishing come September? Let us know in the comments.