Round Two of the NRL season saw the Dolphins get their Phins up once again and the Broncos continue the excellent start for the Brisbane-based teams.

The Edge of the Crowd NRL team put their heads together to rank where each team is positioned after Round Two. Power Rankings are based on what team is best positioned for the whole season rather than a week-to-week performance.

Last week's rankings are included in brackets.

1 - Brisbane Broncos (2)

It was a big win over the Cowboys to continue the Broncos' winning ways this season. A 28-16 over their rivals at Suncorp Stadium now has the Broncos well entrenched in the top four and flying early in the season.

Despite the Cowboys getting off to a quick start with a try in the first five minutes and a penalty goal in the 20th minute the Broncos came back strongly. Ezra Mam scored on both sides of the break while Reece Walsh capped off a great night with a late match try to secure the Broncos' win.

The Broncos will be keen to stick to their winning ways against the Dragons this week, in their second of five rounds in a row at Suncorp the Broncos could head into Easter 6-0 if they stay on the front foot.

2 - Penrith Panthers (4)

Sitting just outside the top four now the Panthers righted their wrongs from the first week with a good win over the Rabbitohs at home. It was a great start for the Panthers who must have been scared late with the Bunnies scoring twice in the last 15 minutes. They did hold on though winning by six points.

No doubt the Panthers have been the form team in the competition for several years but this season there does seem to be more competition at the top. Wins like this, against quality sides are important in showing that the Cleary juggernaut isn't slowing down.

The Panthers will be grateful for the week off with stars Nathan Cleary and Jerome Luai nursing ankle and foot issues respectively.

3 - South Sydney Rabbitohs (1)

The Bunnies couldn't have got off to a better start to the season but that dropped off this week. A 16-10 loss to the Panthers is certainly not where they want to be but the fight they showed to come back from on their knees is certainly to be admired.

At one point the Panthers were up 16-0 before record try scorer Alex Johnston got over the line in the 67th minute and then Isaiah Tass

did the same in the 79th minute. If the match was just a little bit longer maybe they could have done it. But there is no doubt the Bunnies have top-four potential this year.

The Bunnies are poised to write another chapter in the fabled Book of Feuds this week when they face the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium and with Tevita Tatola back the side is restored to full strength.

4 - Dolphins (8)

Phins UP! The Dolphins have become the first team since the Storm to go back-to-back in their inaugural season. Wayne Bennett really is building something special over at Redcliffe. The team plays with both the freedom and discipline of an experienced lineup.

While it's likely this all does fall away at some point in the season it's hard to argue many teams have had a better start this year. They even managed to come back after the Raiders put on two tries and a penalty goal before the Dolphins got going. The second half was all Dolphins though and it was plenty of fun to watch.

The Dolphins are on the road for the first time in 2023 and the trip down to Newcastle will be the Dolphins' next big test to see how Benett's men can prepare for a trip down south on a short turnaround.

5 - Manly Sea Eagles (5)

Manly had the bye this round and has remained at number 5.

Manly will go into its Round Three match against the Parramatta Eels as the favourite looking to set the tone for a challenging month ahead with upcoming games against the Rabbitohs, Storm and Panthers in the next five rounds.

6 - St George Illawarra Dragons (9)

Another comeback win fills the top 10 with St George getting past the Titans who got off to a great start before the Dragons started to breathe fire and record a big 32-18 win in Kogarah.

With five different try scorers, the Dragons put together a great all-round performance to start off their season after getting the early season bye. Ben Hunt and Tyrell Sloan were particularly impressive to watch and will be a combination that will score a lot of points for the Dragons this year.

Taking on the Broncos at home might be too big of an ask for the Dragons but with the side at full strength, they could sneak a major upset win early in the year and keep their start to the season on the right track.

7 - Cronulla Sharks (10)

Another high-scoring game has seen the Sharks boost their position both on the ladder and in the Power Rankings with a big 26-30 away win. Three first-half trys and importantly converting the tries were key in a match that was decided only on the fact Mitch Moses misses two of his kicks.

William Kennedy was a beast on the offensive end getting over for three tries and the first hat trick of the season for the Sharks. At 25 he's now coming into this prime and will be a massive player for the Sharks and will be required a lot if the Sharks are to go deep this season.

The Sharks will have to venture out of the Shire for a second week in a row to take on the Canberra Raiders and off the back of a nine-day break Sharks are the favourites to silence the Raiders' warhorn at home this weekend.

8 - North Queensland Cowboys (6)

The Cowboys drop down in the rankings this week thanks to a loss against the rival Broncos. Both Queensland sides look strong this year and with Redcliffe also doing well it's not impossible that we could see three Queensland teams in the finals.

Jeremiah Nanai was the clear standout for the Cowboys at just 20 years of age. He could be having another breakout season after scoring twice against the Broncos. The problem for the Cowboys was simply consistency, they played well at the start and the end but need to find some middle-match form.

The Cowboys return to Townsville this week to take on the New Zealand Warriors, looking to build momentum off of a disappointing loss this past weekend.

9 - Melbourne Storm (3)

A massive drop is warranted for the Storm this week who lost 12-26 to the Bulldogs at the home of all places. The Storm are certainly contenders but with them putting up this kind of performance is it time to re-evaluate our calls?

While Craig Bellamy can point out the injury toll that is affecting the Storm they still need to be winning, at least against the bottom sides to stay in contention. Plenty for them to learn going into a big game next week and through the rest of the season.

Storm travel to the Gold Coast this week to take on the Titans in what is a must-win match ahead of a big month travelling every other week.

10 - Sydney Roosters (14)

After an upset loss in Round One, the Roosters' second-round win over the Warriors was much needed as the typically slow starters find their groove early in the season.

Jaxson Paulo has slotted into the Roosters' backline with ease scoring two tries in the second round while James Tedesco has proven yet again why he's considered to be one of the top fullbacks for the past five years.

The Roosters will have to wait one more week to pick up free points from the bye, and their third-round match against the Rabbitohs on Friday night is their most important match of the season so far looking to go into the bye with a winning record.

11 - Parramatta Eels (7)

The Parramatta Eels have one of the more difficult starts to the season facing four top-eight teams in the first five rounds and they have not made matters easy for themselves losing their first two matches in tight contests.

It's not that the Eels haven't looked convincing to start the season, in patches they've looked as good as the top sides but their worst is down there with some of the clubs that are fighting to put a few tries on the board each match let alone win.

The Eels now face the genuine possibility of starting the season 0-5 and their match-up against the Sea Eagles on Thursday is their best opportunity to shut that down, however, it will be a tall order off a six-day break while the Sea Eagles are coming off a 12-day break.

12 - Gold Coast Titans (11)

It's not always easy coming up against a side that has had an extra week off and the troubles compounded for the Titans in their second week on the road in a row against the Dragons.

The Titans' discipline issues proved to be a problem in the second round against the Dragons, conceding eight penalties and making 13 errors for the match. It's a stat they'll need to get under control as they come up against winnable opponents in the coming weeks.

If the Titans can take down Melbourne Storm it would be a huge scalp for the Gold Coast side, but it will be a big ask with several of Storm's stars returning this week.

13 - Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (17)

In a twist that no one saw coming after an abysmal first-round performance, the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs managed to knock off the Melbourne Storm 26-12, jumping out of the gates early thanks to a touch of brilliance from Jacob Kiraz.

For a brief window, the Bulldogs' defence did break down however their ability to stop the bleeding as momentum swung Storm's way proved the season might be more promising than it initially looked.

The Bulldogs are riding on a major high right now after taking down the Storm but fronting up against the Tigers will be a different kind of test on Sunday afternoon to see how the Bulldogs can set the tone for the rest of the season.

14 - Newcastle Knights (16)

The Knights have points on the board and it was thanks to great performances from Dane Gagai and Dominic Young, with the pair combining to put the Knights in front of the Tigers this weekend.

Newcastle's first win of 2023 didn't come without a heavy price, Kalyn Ponga could be out for a long stint following his fourth concussion inside of 10 months, meanwhile, Jacob Safiti will spend five weeks on the sidelines following a suspension for a grade three dangerous tackle that saw the 26-year-old sent from the field in the 64th minute.

The Knights now face Bennett's Dolphins who are in incredible form, however, they'll have the hometown advantage playing at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.

15 - New Zealand Warriors (12)

In their first game outside of New Zealand, the Warriors didn't look too shabby taking the Roosters to the line but failed to convert try-scoring opportunities on three occasions in the final 15 minutes of the match.

They'll need to get their basic ball-handling skills under control as their 10 errors proved costly denying them what could have been a massive scalp against the Roosters.

The Warriors will be looking for a win from their second week on the road, however, a Saturday afternoon match in Townsville could be a hot one with temperatures expected to be in the 30s at kick-off.

16 - Canberra Raiders (13)

The Raiders can't be happy with their initial start to the season, losing 20-14 to the Dolphins on Saturday. While there were moments of great playmaking from the Raiders they struggled to capitalise after the first 30 minutes, yet to prove they can compete for the full 80 minutes.

The horn will be playing loud and proud at a sunny GIO stadium this weekend in the Raiders' first match at home for the year and the only thing that will upset the party is if the Raiders are unable to take down the Sharks.

17 - Wests Tigers (15)

Robbie Farah may have compared the Wests Tigers to the Jamaican bobsled team ahead of the 2023 season, however, he seemed to forget one crucial detail, the underdogs lost, by a considerable margin.

The Tigers only looked good in the second round when they were a player up putting their only two tries for the match on the board following a sin bin in the first half and a send-off in the second half.

The Tigers are desperate for a win and when they take on the Bulldogs this week it will be with some major outs, with fullback Daine Laurie out with an MCL injury, Charlie Staines will step into the role with Junior Tupou coming into his regular spot on the wing.

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