We have something new for the 2025 NRL season. With last season's final table acting as a starting order, each week we will move teams up, down or nowhere at all, depending on their performances on the weekend.
This week, the Roosters redeemed themselves, the Panthers continued their race to the bottom of the board, while the Cowboys, Sharks and Raiders all found healthy ladders to head up the board. The Bulldogs retain top spot courtesy of the bye, but the Storm are well and truly knocking at the door with another big win.
The results won't match the 2025 NRL competition ladder, but will give an alternative indication of how well each team is traveling.
Last year's finishing order: 1. Storm, 2. Panthers, 3. Roosters, 4. Sharks, 5. Cowboys, 6. Bulldogs, 7. Sea Eagles, 8. Knight, 9. Raiders, 10. Dolphins, 11. Dragons, 12. Broncos, 13. Warriors, 14. Titans, 15. Eels, 16. Rabbitohs, 17. Tigers
1.
Bulldogs - bye - steady
2.
Storm - steady
The Storm has had the wood over the Warriors for some time and on a warm afternoon in Melbourne, they were quick to show that nothing had changed. The up-tempo pace of the Storm gameplay simply blew the Warriors away from the opening try to Xavier Coates after just two minutes. At 18-0 with 16 minutes remaining in the first half, Trent Loiero scored a try through a gap in the middle of the Warriors' defence that you could have driven a tram through -- sideways! It was an ugly first half for the visitors, with the Storm crossing for six tries. With the threat of a cricket score, the Storm instead coasted after the break, only adding one more try. Coach Craig Bellamy didn't look all that impressed with losing the second half.
3.
Raiders - ladder up 2
In steamy Darwin the Raiders took on the Eels and spent the first half wearing their opponents down. With a near perfect completion rate in the first half and with Hudson Young and Seb Kris leading the way on the left edge, the Green Machine chewed the Eels up and eventually ran up a half century. Coach Ricky Stuart revealed they had learned some important lessons from a loss to the Cowboys in similarly sticky conditions.
4.
Sharks - ladder up 4
Cronulla took on the Sea Eagles in Perth with both teams keen to nail down a more consistent performance. The first half was a real arm wrestle with scrambling defence shutting down any and all attacking raids. It wasn't until the 34th minute of the game that the deadlock was broken with Samuel Stonestreet bagging a double in the corner before the break for a 8-0 Sharks lead. Cronulla's defence responded well all afternoon to Manly's efforts to go around it, they numbered up and hit with purpose. In attack Braydon Trindall caused the Sea Eagles plenty of headaches and William Kennedy carved up the defence, particularly after the break.
5.
Broncos - snake down 2
Behind early to the Roosters and seemingly rattled by an enthusiastic defence, the Broncos bided their time before scoring back-to-back tries to take a first-half lead. The first was through a Selwyn Cobbo intercept, while the second came thanks to some slight of hand from Adam Reynolds, who continued his sparkling form. Down to 12 men they allowed the Roosters to regain the lead before dominating the second-half territory battle. But they just could not put the Roosters away, who were hungrier for the points and continually frustrated the Broncos' attack.
6.
Cowboys - ladder up 3
The Cowboys faced the Rabbitohs in Perth, looking to continue their improved form. After conceding the first try of the game, they took a 6-4 halftime lead thanks to a Murray Taulagi try five minutes before the break. After the Rabbitohs scored the first try of the second half, centre Jack Wighton was penalised and put on report for a hip drop tackle on Scott Drinkwater. The Cowboys crossed almost immediately through Sam McIntyre to level the scores at 10-10. Six minutes later Jaxon Purdue scored the first of his two tries as the Cowboys skipped away. The Cowboys defence stepped up to stifle the Rabbitohs.
7.
Tigers - ladder up 3
The Tigers travelled to Newcastle to take on the Knights with Jarome Luai returning from his one-game suspension. They managed to work the Knights over up the middle before spreading the ball wide, where their outside backs enjoyed some sloppy defence. Starford To'a crossed for the Tigers' second try in the 27th minute after brushing through Origin centre Bradman Best, with a hint of deception and flash of acceleration. Adam Doueihi had a tough day with the boot, but most pleasing for coach Benji Marshall would have been the Tigers' resolute defence, which failed to crack until the 79th minute of the game.
8.
Dragons - ladder up 3
In Wollongong and decked out in Steelers red, the Dragons were determined to erase the memory of their loss to the Eels a week earlier. They set about dismantling the Titans' defence and once they found the cracks on the edges, centre Valentine Holmes led the charge. The Dragons ran in four tries in an 11-minute period which straddled the halftime break to take the game away from the visitors.
9.
Rabbitohs - snake down 3
Souths journeyed to Perth in good form and ready to add the Cowboys to their list of victims. They scored the first try through Euan Aitken, but trailed 6-4 at the break thanks to a late Cowboys try. Fifteen minutes into the second half a controversial hip-drop tackle call against Jack Wighton rattled the Bunnies and the Cowboys took full advantage scoring a try immediately, as well as the next two after that. The Bunnies now have to prepare for the massive Good Friday clash with the ladder-leading Bulldogs.
10.
Warriors - snake down 6
The Warriors travelled to Melbourne where they have not enjoyed much success in recent years. They managed to regain possession from their opening kick-off, but it was the only win they had in a first half which was completely dominated by the Storm. Their defence had no answers to the fast-moving Storm attack which picked them apart on the edges and up the middle. It's not clear whether it was a halftime blast or a lack of interest from the Storm after the break, but the Warriors did win the second half 14-6. Little consolation, really, after the first-half disintegration.
11.
Dolphins - ladder up 2
From the opening tackle when the Dolphins spilled the ball and blew their captain's challenge, things looked ominous for the home team. But after successfully repelling the Panthers, they spread the ball on halfway, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow sending Herbie Farnworth through a gap before backing him up to race away for the opening try. Tabuai-Fidow scored another of the Dolphins' further two tries before the break. They started the second half with another try and repelled the Panthers' best fightback efforts, before Tabuai-Fidow put the icing on the cake with a late, defence-splitting run from deep inside their own half to bring up his hat trick.
12.
Sea Eagles - snake down 5
Manly took on the Sharks in only their second game away from Brookvale this year and you could not get any further away from Brookvale than Perth. Defence dominated the first half with neither team able to break through until Braydon Trindall set up two Sharks tries just before halftime. Manly looked to shift the ball wide all game, without really establishing any dominance up the middle. In defence they were unable to contain the Sharks outside backs. The goal kicking of Reuben Garrick kept the scores close, but the Sea Eagles were never really in the game.
13.
Knights - snake down 1
The Knights were their own worst enemy after a reasonably solid start, as some awful handling errors started to creep into their game. They handed the Tigers way too much ball deep in their own territory and the visitors were happy to take full advantage. Young Knights winger Kyle McCarthy was having a particularly tough afternoon with his hands, as the visitors ran in three first-half tries. They sharpened up a bit after the break, but still couldn't crack the Tigers' defence, until a bit of luck from a grubber kick resulted in their only try in back-to-back games. Despite having Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Dane Gagai among their attacking weapons, they have scored on average less than 10 points per game this year.
14.
Roosters - ladder up 3
The Roosters travelled to Brisbane and started the game with genuine determination. They jumped to an 8-0 lead on the back of some fired up defence. Then try-scorer Billy Smith was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Reece Walsh and his namesake Sandon Smith fired a pass to Selwyn Cobbo who raced away for a Broncos try. Another Brisbane try saw them down 12-8 before Jack Gosiewsk was sent to the sin bin for a high shot and Billy Smith somehow grounded a James Tedesco grubber kick. The Roosters managed to win the see-sawing thriller, which was seemingly at the mercy of the ongoing head contact crackdown.
15.
Panthers - snake down 1
Ladies and gentlemen the dynasty is officially over, the team that won the past four premierships has left the building. With Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards both back and Blaize Talagi finally securing the five-eighth jersey, the line-up for the Dolphins clash, with the exception of missing hooker Mitch Kenny, was just about as good as it is going to get for the Panthers. However, the impenetrable wall of defence that proved the backbone of their success, is no more. In its place is a confused, innumerate group of shirt grabbers on the edges of the ruck, incapable of stopping the slick fleet-footed outside backs of the Dolphins. And in attack, they are now a one-Cleary pony, if he doesn't create an opportunity, no one does.
16.
Eels - snake down 1
On the back of their first win of the season against the Dragons, the Eels faced the Raiders in Darwin. Although they matched the Raiders early, the conditions and the intensity of the game saw them drop off as wave after wave of lime green jerseys crashed against them. Dylan Brown cut through for an impressive individual try early on the game, but it was hard to find many positives from the rest of the clash. They clearly need to do a lot of work on their defence, particularly on the edges and when under physical duress.
17.
Titans - snake down 1
Fresh from being the first team in 2025 to lose to the Dolphins, the Titans made the often difficult journey to Wollongong to take on the Dragons. Matching them early in the trenches, the Titans looked ready for an arm wrestle. After falling behind 6-0 in the 10th minute they scored a try through Brian Kelly six minutes later to take the score to 6-4. They wouldn't get any closer as their defence on the edges fell apart, cracked first by Valentine Holmes in the 31st minute. Before the Titans could catch their breath, they were trailing 28-4, two minutes into the second half. Coach Des Hasler appeared animated during his halftime serve, and you can only imagine there will be some extras at training on the Gold Coast next week.