With 18 rounds now completed the make-up of the NRL’s top eight remains the same this week.
The only changes have come in the order with the Manly Sea Eagles claiming top spot by dint of their 40-8 win over Wests Tigers, so pushing the Penrith Panthers – 35-34 winners against Brisbane last night – into second place on points for and against.
The Vodafone Warriors have improved a spot from seventh to sixth on 22 points after beating Parramatta 48-0 on Saturday night; the Broncos stay on 20 points in sixth spot after last night’s loss and now prepare to host the Vodafone Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday (7.30pm kick-off).
The Vodafone Warriors’ third biggest win in the club’s history has boosted their points for and against differential to plus 70 points, the sixth best behind South Sydney, Manly, the Sydney Roosters, Penrith and Brisbane.
Saturday night’s performance marked the third time the Vodafone Warriors have scored 40 or more points this season after earlier wins against Wests Tigers (42-18) and Canberra (54-12). They also went close to the 40-point mark with their 38-18 victory over Newcastle.
The net effect of the eight-try victory over the Eels is that the Vodafone Warriors are now the leading points-scorer in the competition with 385 points ahead of the Sydney Roosters (375), Manly (370), Brisbane (362) and Penrith (360).
While sixth on points for and against, the Vodafone Warriors' points total of 22 is the same as the fourth-placed South Sydney. The Sydney Roosters are also on 22 points with a two-point gap to five teams on 20 points.
Here’s how the 16 teams line up after 18 rounds this season and a look at their run-ins to the finals:
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1 SEA EAGLES (26, +111)
Last start | Tigers (h) W 40-8
Last eight rounds | Dragons (a), Vodafone Warriors (a), Broncos (h), Rabbitohs (a – SCG), Titans (a), Eels (a), Panthers (h), Cowboys (a)
2 PANTHERS (26, +82)
Last start | Broncos (h) W 35-34
Last eight rounds | Roosters (a), Sharks (h), Bulldogs (a), Dragons (a), Cowboys (h), Storm (h), Sea Eagles (a), Vodafone Warriors (h)
3 BULLDOGS (26, +66)
Last start | Storm (a) W 6-4
Last eight rounds | Tigers (a – ANZ Stadium), Cowboys (h), Panthers (h), Broncos (a), Eels (a – ANZ Stadium), Tigers (h), Rabbitohs (h), Titans (a)
4 RABBITOHS (22, +112)
Last start | Bye
Last eight rounds | Eels (a), Raiders (a), Knights (h – Barlow Park, Cairns), Sea Eagles (h - SCG), Broncos (h), Cowboys (h), Bulldogs (a), Roosters (a)
5 ROOSTERS (22, +104)
Last start | Bye
Last eight rounds | Panthers (h), Knights (a), Dragons (h), Titans (h), Tigers (a), Vodafone Warriors (a), Storm (h), Rabbitohs (h)
6 VODAFONE WARRIORS (22, +70)
Last start | Eels (h) W 48-0
Last eight rounds | Broncos (a), Sea Eagles (h), Raiders (a), Sharks (h), Knights (a), Roosters (h), Titans (h), Panthers (a)
7 BRONCOS (20, +76)
Last start | Panthers (a) L 34-35
Last eight rounds | Vodafone Warriors (h), Storm (h), Sea Eagles (a), Bulldogs (h), Rabbitohs (a), Knights (h), Dragons (h), Storm (a)
8 STORM (20, -34)
Last start | Bulldogs (h) L 4-6
Last eight rounds | Raiders (h), Broncos (a), Tigers (a), Knights (a), Sharks (h), Panthers (a), Roosters (a), Broncos (h)
9 DRAGONS (20, -54)
Last start | Bye
Last eight rounds | Sea Eagles (h), Tigers (a – ANZ Stadium), Roosters (a), Panthers (h), Raiders (a), Titans (h), Broncos (a), Knights (a)
10 WESTS TIGERS (20, -80)
Last start | Sea Eagles (a) L 8-40
Bulldogs (h – ANZ Stadium), Dragons (h – ANZ Stadium), Storm (h), Cowboys (a), Roosters (h), Bulldogs (a), Raiders (a), Sharks (h)
11 EELS (20, -82)
Last start | Vodafone Warriors (a) L 0-48
Last eight rounds | Rabbitohs (h), Titans (a), Sharks (a), Raiders (h – TIO Stadium, Darwin), Bulldogs (h – ANZ Stadium), Sea Eagles (h), Knights (a), Raiders (a)
12 COWBOYS (18, +60)
Last start | Bye
Last eight rounds | Sharks (a), Bulldogs (a), Titans (h), Tigers (h), Panthers (a), Rabbitohs (a), Sharks (h), Sea Eagles (h)
13 TITANS (18, -74)
Last start | Raiders (h) L 20-36
Last eight rounds | Knights (a), Eels (h), Cowboys (a), Roosters (a), Sea Eagles (h), Dragons (a), Vodafone Warriors (a), Bulldogs (h)
14 KNIGHTS (14, -84)
Last start | Sharks (a) W 31-18
Last eight rounds | Titans (h), Roosters (h), Rabbitohs (a – Barlow Park, Cairns), Storm (h), Vodafone Warriors (h), Broncos (a), Eels (h), Dragons (h)
15 RAIDERS (14, -103)
Last start | Titans (a) W 36-20
Last eight rounds | Storm (a), Rabbitohs (h), Vodafone Warriors (h), Eels (a – TIO Stadium, Darwin), Dragons (h), Sharks (a), Tigers (h), Eels (h)
16 SHARKS (12, -170)
Last start | Knights (h) L 18-31
Last eight rounds | Cowboys (h), Panthers (a), Eels (h), Vodafone Warriors (a), Storm (a), Raiders (h), Cowboys (a), Tigers (a)
