The votes are in! We’ve completed our preview series, 9 Teams in 9 Days. If you missed it, check it out (respective links in the article below). Now, the MLR contributors have come together to determine the preseason power rankings.

The extended second season left little time for a preseason. And, with new teams and new signings across the board, much remains a mystery. But based on all available information, this is how we rank the teams entering Round 1.

#1 SEATTLE SEAWOLVES (TRS Preview)

All hail the reigning champs! True, it has been a quiet preseason. Same as last preseason. It didn’t stop them then. This year, they have the proven talent and the track record of success. They’ve also added the likes of Ben Cima and Stephan Coetzee to upgrade or restock key positions. They’ll have something else they didn’t have last year, however –a target on their back. The Round 1 championship rematch with Glendale will be telling.

#2 GLENDALE RAPTORS (TRS Preview)

They were oh so close last year to hoisting the Championship Shield that seemed destined to be theirs. Seattle circumvented that destiny. This year, Glendale has seen a lot of personnel changes. They’ve waived goodbye to some big contributors, though they’ve also brought in one of MLR 2018’s biggest names, Hanco Germishuys. They topped the regular season table in 2018 and they beat champion Seattle twice to do it. They fell short in the big one, though, something they will be looking to rectify with prejudice in 2019.

#3 RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK (TRS Preview)

RUNY enters the fray for MLR’s second season. Though they’ve yet to play a friendly that really marks their place in the MLR pantheon, they’ve made the most of their preparation time with big-name signings. They’ve yet to lose as a group. But in truth, they’ve essentially yet to really play as a group. They have big guns in the armory. But we’ve yet to see them on the range. They open with a string of games on the road that will test their mettle and we’ll get a better picture of exactly where RUNY stand.

#4 SAN DIEGO LEGION (TRS Preview)

The San Diego Eagles, I mean Legion, will have a lot of star power. Especially in the back line. And they’ve put in a lot of work in the offseason to improve their scrum. Though they may be particularly hurt with Americas Rugby Championship call-ups at the end of January, they still have some of the most dynamic players in the league. They were a playoff team last year and they were also the only team to rough up Glendale during the regular season. Expect them to be even better this year. They dropped a preseason friendly to Glendale when the Raptors scored a try at the death. But time may prove that the first 15 minutes of that fixture was the more informative preview, when all starters were still in and the Legion jumped out to a 12-0 lead.

#5 TORONTO ARROWS (TRS Preview)

We welcome our northern brethren into MLR 2019. Toronto features a solid chunk of Canadian internationals, making them formidable from the start. They’re an expansion team, but between their club backgrounds and Canadian experience, they should be quite comfortable playing with each other already. That will work to their advantage. They may very well move up these rankings quickly. But Canada has struggled of late on the international stage, requiring the Repechage to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2019. The inclusion in MLR may help the Canadians get trending back in the right direction, much as it has for the USA, but whether or not they’re ready for the top in their first season remains to be seen.

#6 NOLA GOLD (TRS Preview)

NOLA had its fair share of injury concerns last year, including a year-ender for Vince Jobo and a classic case of chemical meningitis for JP Eloff. That’s tough luck. But man, did they struggle. They’ve put in work during the offseason to address last year’s issues. Eagle #8, Cam Dolan, is a huge pickup. But what really plagued NOLA last year was a lack of defense. They’ve had a nice preseason run against club sides, allowing very few opposing points scored. We’ll need to see that translate into improved defense against MLR competition before NOLA starts climbing the rankings.

#7 AUSTIN ELITE RUGBY (TRS Preview)

The best thing going in Austin last year was Hanco Germishuys. He is Elite no more. But the team had their best moments mid-season, playing at home behind the efforts of Timothee Guillimin. Guillimin is back for a full season at fly half, along with a plethora of new signings from both France and South America. If he can find a way to get from the newcomers what he got from last year’s side, they will finish better than seventh.

#8 UTAH WARRIORS (TRS Preview)

The Warriors were a playoff team in 2018, though in large part due to a weak strength of schedule. With their two key contributors, Paul Lasike and Kurt Morath, gone for clearer skies, what can we expect from Utah? It’s hard to know, but in this case, no news feels like bad news. We’ve seen minimal new player additions to offset their key losses, and with the competition all racing to improve, it feels like the Warriors have taken a step back.

#9 HOUSTON SABERCATS (TRS Preview)

They finished last in 2018 and we’ve got them ranked last to begin 2019. But there is upside here. The missing ingredient seems to be that intangible winning chemistry. They just couldn’t put it all together in 2018. Same in their friendly loss to Austin this preseason. We’ve yet to see a reason to believe that will change this year. But if they do find that chemistry, they’ll be a dangerous matchup for anyone.