Premiership North Power Rankings - Week Five

1. East Kilbride Pirates (2-0)
At 27-0 in the first quarter, you can forgive our score updaters for getting a little ahead of themselves with suggestions of 100-plus scorelines, but what isn't in doubt is that the Pirates are sitting comfortably at the top of the table. They have a couple of weeks to prepare for the visit of Doncaster.

2. Tamworth Phoenix (2-0)
No game this weekend for Tamworth means it's tight between them and Doncaster for second spot, with Tamworth holding their position due to the fact two of Doncaster's wins came over #10 ranked Nottingham.

3. Doncaster Mustangs (4-0)
Harsh to keep the Mustangs at #3 really, especially given that Sunday's scoreline was emphatic. The Mustangs' "bend but don't break" policy on defence seems to be working wonders, with opposition offences regularly getting into the redzone but having to make do with field goals at best. They play #1 East Kilbride next.

4. Yorkshire Rams (1-2)
A 7-6 win for the Rams moves them back to #4 in the rankings, and furthers the growing stereotype that football in West Yorkshire is pretty attritional. Regardless of the low scores, you'd imagine that the Rams can make this #4 spot their own this season.

5. Birmingham Bulls (1-1)
Not a great day for the Bulls, who took the lead and threatened to score several times at the Keepmoat before capitulating to yet another Martyn Lee Show – just the five touchdowns for #11 this week . They *should* get back on track against Lancashire in a couple of weeks.


6. Coventry Jets (1-2)
Since beating up on the Caesars and prompting us to hail a new era of Air Raid Football in the West Midlands, Coventry have scored six points in two games. Whoops. It doesn't get any easier for the Jets either, with Tamworth next up.

7. Sheffield Predators (1-0)
No game for the Predators this week, but they welcome Yorkshire on May 19th in what should be a real show of whether Sheffield can compete with the better teams at this level

8. West Coast Trojans (0-3)
Fairly hammered by East Kilbride and missing talismanic players like Bud McFerren (hamstring) and Gary McNey (ribs), West Coast have a couple of weeks to rest and heal before they meet Tamworth in early June

9. Lancashire Wolverines (0-1)
Still no chance for the Wolverines to get back on track after their opening day loss. Next game isn't for another couple of weeks.

10. Nottingham Caesars (0-3)
Ditto Nottingham. Although their season will probably go from bad to worse with Tamworth next up in their schedule...