Power Rankings - Round 8

1. St. George Illawarra Dragons (up 3)
Wow. I wouldn't like to be trying to attack the Dragons at the moment. Performing like a tight, cohesive unit, the Dragons have conceded an average of 5.33 points per game since snapping their losing streak against the Raiders in Round 3. Josh Dugan will miss the game after injuring his leg in the Roos' loss last weekend, but the Dragons won't lose much with the inclusion of Eto Nabuli to the side instead. Will the Dragons get their seventh win in a row?

2. North Queensland Cowboys (equal)
The Cowboys did just enough to defeat the Knights last start, however the win was a costly one, with strike forward Jason Taumalolo ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury. Thurston will come back from his Kangaroos' loss full of frustration and looking for someone to take it out on. The Cowboys have picked up some impressive scalps in their last 5 weeks of footy, but their next couple of weeks will be tough with games against the Broncos and Tigers.

3. Brisbane Broncos (equal)
Top of the table, the Broncos have been one of the surprise packets of the competition so far. After being ripped on all off season for their backline full of fullbacks, aging coach and retirement village forward pack, the Broncos have won six of their last seven. An argument could be made that the boys have Brisbane haven't played any real contenders yet, but let's be honest. They can only beat the team in front of them. Anthony Milford looks to be finding his feet at five-eighth, and Justin Hodges will be better for the couple of weeks off.

4. Melbourne Storm (down 3)
The quiet achievers of this season, the Storm are at the right end of the table, but their attack against the Sea Eagles last week is a bit of a concern. The previously hopeless Sea Eagles looked like a different side in round 8, and that was partly due to the Storm being flat. It was just one game, but they'll need to lift this weekend against the Eels if they're to be taken seriously.

5. Sydney Roosters (equal)
The best side in the competition at not winning. You've heard of teams just needing to "click" - well, the Roosters are the classic example. With stars all over the park, the Roosters really should be winning more games. What's more odd is that no-one in the team is performing badly, they're just... not doing enough. Perhaps James Maloney will be able to spark something after lifting Country to a win last weekend.

6. Gold Coast Titans (up 5)
Yeah ok, I'll admit it. After two rounds I didn't think the Titans would feature anywhere near this high on the Power Rankings this season. Three wins on the trot, and the Titans are looking good. James Roberts would probably feature number 6 on this list on his lonesome, but the whole outfit has been performing well. The Titans' attack has great, with every member of the backline contributing. Greg Bird is out for 8 weeks though, and that is going to hurt badly.

7. Canberra Raiders (up 6)
Despite being unable to win at home, the Raiders haven't been terrible this season. The boys from Canberra defeated the Rabbitohs a fortnight ago, and will be lifted by some awesome performances by their representative stars. Blake Austin in particular tore shreds off the opposition in the Country v City clash, and will be key if the Raiders are to score their first home win of the season.

8. South Sydney Rabbitohs (down 2)
Can the Rabbitohs win without Adam Reynolds? No. Slumping to three straight losses, the task doesn't get any easier for the Rabbitohs against a white-hot Dragons outfit. The Dragons have become known this season for their rock solid defence, while the Bunnies attack has taken a massive nose dive in recent weeks. The Rabbitohs averaged 30 points per game in the first three rounds, but have averaged less than 18 in the past 4 weeks.

9. Wests Tigers (up 3)
I give up. Seriously. I cannot pick which Tigers outfit will turn up. They've lost more games than they've won over the past six weeks, but due to the tightness of the competition, the Tigers sit in fifth spot. Kevin Naiqama is exciting to watch, and the Tigers are definitely one of the more exciting teams in the competition, but a bit of consistency would serve them well.

10. Penrith Panthers (up 5)
The Panthers have done amazingly well to keep touch with the top eight despite their massive injury toll. Moylan has taken on a lot of work with most of his playmakers missing, but the rumoured return of a few troops this weekend should boost the side. They face a tough assignment against the Broncos, but they'll relish the challenge.

11. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (down 3)
Bulldogs - James Graham = Yuck. The big man can't get back quick enough for the Bulldogs, as they continue to drag themselves through games without him. Josh Reynolds is on the sidelines, again, for a grub move, again - and his teammates have come out this week and expressed their frustration. David Klemmer returns this week, so at least one of the Bulldogs' problems will be solved.

12. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (down 3)
A shock loss to the Panthers last start has hurt the Sharks, but not as much as the loss of Paul Gallen will. The Sharks rely on Gallen's go forward and aggression to set the platform for their side. Wade Graham's form, along with the ever impressive Andrew Fifita, will ease the blow - but it's still a big loss. Ben Barba will start at fullback for the Sharks, and that could prove the catalyst for a boost to the Sharks' attack.

13. Warriors (down 3)
Back to back losses will be a worry for the Warriors - who again are struggling with a lack of consistency. They almost stole a win against the Titans in round 8, but couldn't quite do enough. Perhaps their returning representative stars will bring back some new found confidence after demolishing the Kangaroos last weekend.

14. Newcastle Knights (down 7)
After a strong start to the season, the Knights have quite frankly been terrible. Sliding to four consecutive losses, the Knights look tired and without solutions. Coach Rick Stone has named an unchanged side for the 8th week in a row, despite promises to wield the axe. Perhaps Kurt Gidley will come out and inspire a win this weekend on the back of his recent announcement of signing over seas. Or perhaps he'll come out and balls everything up for the Knights in attack like he did a few weeks ago.

15. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (up 1)
You'd be forgiven for thinking the Sea Eagles' last game against the Storm a fortnight ago was a grand final - not because of the scale of it, nor the crowd, but because of the reaction of the players after they won. Despite what the Manly camp has said all season, it's obvious the continued poor performances were taking an emotional toll on the team. Was a weight lifted after the win, or was it just a fluke performance? We'll know by Sunday evening.

16. Parramatta Eels (down 2)
Classic Eels. Play brilliantly for 60 minutes, but shoot themselves in the foot for 20 minutes of the game. Problem is, that 20 minutes is more than enough for teams to steal the game away. They may have beat the Knights in Newcastle, and the Rabbitohs at home, but apart from that the Eels season so far has been one of empty promises.