As I wrote yesterday, in sport, you’re only as good as your last five games. That’s why Crikey has devised its Hot Form Charts for the AFL and NRL by ordering teams according to their performances over the most recent quintet of rounds.

Tipsters can use the form lines for their selections and supporters can track just how their team’s recent form is shaping up against the rest of the competition.

Like the AFL, the standout performer on the NRL Hot Form Chart is also the runaway competition leader. Melbourne Storm’s mid-season form has been sensational, conceding just 26 points in the last five weeks and scoring 142 points despite playing only four times in that period.

However, the reigning premiers are also on the march. After a poor start to the season, Brisbane have strung five wins together to be the second best performed team in the competition over the last five weeks. The other standout performer is the New Zealand Warriors whose recent form has catapulted them into the NRL top eight and to 3rd on Crikey’s Hot Form Chart.

The dip in the Bulldogs’ form is evident in their slip from 3rd to 6th on the Form Chart. This week, they face the Gold Coast Titans, another team whose recent performances have seen them drop down both Crikey’s Hot Form Chart and the NRL ladder. Wests Tigers are the other noticeable drifter. They fell five spots on the Chart this week, from 6th to 11th.

Form over last 5 weeks

Team

Last week’s form rating

NRL Ladder position

Sequence

1

Melbourne

1

1

WWB*WW

2

Brisbane

2

5

WWWWW

3

Warriors

4

7

WWWLW

4

Parramatta

9

3

WWB*LW

5

Manly

5

2

WLLWW

6

Bulldogs

3

8

LWWWL

7

Cowboys

10

4

LWB*WL

8

Dragons

11

14

LLWWL

9

Rabbitohs

7

12

LWWLL

10

Newcastle

12

10

WLLWL

11

Tigers

6

6

LLWWL

12

Gold Coast

8

9

WWLLL

13

Roosters

14

15

WLLLW

14

Canberra

15

13

LLLLW

15

Cronulla

13

11

LLB*LL

16

Penrith

16

16

LLLLW

*Bye counted as win

Columns indicate: Comparative form over the last 5 weeks; Position on form as of last week; Position on AFL ladder; Win/Loss sequence; Points for over last 5 weeks; Points against over last 5 weeks; For/against cumulatively over last 5 weeks

 

Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Tips for round 19 are:

  • Manly
  • Bulldogs
  • Dragons
  • Newcastle
  • Melbourne
  • Warriors
  • Cowboys
  • Brisbane

Last week: 4