National League Week Eight Power Rankings

1. Chester Romans (3-0)
Another week and another no game for our leaders. That’ll change this week as they head to Merseyside to take on the Nighthawks. It’s going to be a tough game but it’s time to prove they belong at the top of our Power Rankings.


2. Bedfordshire Blue Raiders (4-0)
Again no game for the Blue Raiders. They get their shot at staying here on Sunday as they face off against their sternest challenge yet, the number 4 Colchester Gladiators.


3. Solent Thrashers (4-0)
Another week and the Thrashers may have moved up in our table with a 19-0 shut out of the former big boy Farnham Knights. It’s an impressive win for the rebranded Solent side  and with Farnham out of the way and a decent win over Oxford the Thrashers might start to look at an unbeaten regular season.
4. Colchester Gladiators (3-0)
Colchester went 3-0 at the weekend with a 34-17 win over the Watford Cheetahs. The opponents were no slouches but the Gladiators overcame them with relative ease as they prove why they’re in our top 5. They’re managing to hold off the impressive Nighthawks and stay at number 4.


5. Merseyside Nighthawks (3-0)
Merseyside are banging on the door of the teams above them in the Rankings, beating Crewe 46-16 this past weekend. They’ve yet to be really challenged in the National Division but that’ll change on Sunday as they host number 1 team Chester at Childwall. What a battle that’s going to be.


6. Gateshead Senators (3-0-1)
The upstart new boys of the North East, the DC Presidents, were knocked down a peg by the older Senators as Evander Harewood led a comeback for Gateshead. A normally low scoring offence is usually helped by a resilient defence but finding themselves down at the half the offence stepped up a gear and led the number 6 team to a 40-20 win.


7. Glasgow Tigers (2-0-1)
Still no game from Glasgow but that’ll change this weekend as they face off against the Edinburgh Wolves. Will they still be undefeated as I write Power Rankings next week?


8. Shropshire Revolution (3-1)
The Revs are still 3-1 with no game this weekend. They have to wait another week and a half before they face Crewe.


9. Bristol Apache (4-1)
The Apache overcame the Bournemouth Bobcats 14-2 this weekend past and will be enjoying the season so far. With two wins against the Bobcats, one against a new team, the Swindon Storm, and a manhandling (literally…or not…ahem…) of the Cornish Sharks all look good in the record book. However whilst meaning no disrespect to other teams they’ve not really faced a strong opponent apart from the Gloucester Centurions, who beat them, so it will be interesting to see them against Solent later in the year.


10. DC Presidents (2-1)
The Presidents move down a place after their 40-20 loss to their local rivals. Some will argue that the 3-1 Kent Exiles should be here after DC suffered such a defeat but we must remember that the Senators should by all rights be in the Premiership this year and DC managed to lead for an extended period of time against them before a late collapse. They have more than enough to bounce back from this and cause real waves in the division. Playoffs are a real possibility.