BRONCOS V EELS, Friday, 7:50pm at Suncorp Stadium
- Broncos on the slide. They may have got the two points against the Dragons in Wollongong last week but they were very unconvincing in doing so despite having three of their senior rep players returning to the fold. They’re a team low on confidence and Bennett will need to weave some magic and quickly if they’re to give this year’s premiership a shake.
- Gallant Eels. Week after week and set back after set back, this team continues to produce efforts that must their supporters so proud however the emotional drain must be taking its toll on the squad. They’re as tough as teak but they have to run out of puff the closer we get to the finish line.
- Big Semi is back! The Fijian flyer hasn’t been sighted since he was injured in the round 19 clash against the Roosters. It will be great to see how the excitement machine shapes up after a few weeks off to refresh his body and mind.
TIGERS V TITANS, Saturday, 3:00pm at Campbelltown Stadium
- The Hayne Show. He didn’t get the fairy tale ending he had hoped for last week but he showed plenty to show he’s still got all the class in the world. One on one try savers, deft grubbers, bullet-like cut out passes, he was an ultra-impressive for a man first up after an 18 month hiatus. Let’s hope he can gel with the young Titan halves and take them to the next level.
- Mitchell Moses cutting them up. He was labelled turnstile, overrated, liability, inconsistent earlier in the year but in the last month the five-eighth has shown enormous maturity and ability. Tigers have won 4 of their last 5 and it’s no surprise that it has coincided with Moses’ strong form.
- James Tedesco is a freak. Tackle breaking ability, raw speed, strength, ball playing ability – the kid has it all. The final try against the Cowboys where he broke the tackles half the Cowboys line-up epitomises what he brings to the team and the position he put himself in to make things happen – albeit a questionable grounding call from the video ref.
WARRIORS V RABBITOHS, Saturday, 5:30pm at Mt Smart Stadium
- Warriors – are they the real deal. It seems to be that we get to this part of the season every year where the Warriors are on the fringe of the 8 and NRL fans start to think ‘they’re going to make their run here’ and it seems just about every year they fall short. Last year they were cruelled by the season ending injury to Shaun Johnson which all but snuffed out any hope they had. They’ve got a relatively healthy roster this season so now is their time to make their mark.
- 9 on the trot. The Bunnies will be looking to break an unwanted 9 game losing streak this week. They put in one of their best performances of the year last week when going down to the Storm in golden point. The return of Inglis clearly made a difference but the question will be whether or not they can get themselves ‘up’ for their second week on the road with no hope of playing finals footy this season.
DRAGONS V SHARKS, Saturday, 7:30pm at UOW Jubilee Stadium
- Somethings got to give. Benji, Mary, Widdop, the whole Dragons squad. It’s been a vastly underwhelming year for the Red V. They sit 12th on the ladder and just 4 points out of the top 8 but Dragons fans and indeed NRL fans in general are left uninspired about their style of play. The pressure is mounting and the cracks are appearing with plenty at the club needing some good results to secure their futures.
- Sharkies to get back on track. The Shire boys fell to the Green Machine at home last week who are surging at the right time of the season. In hindsight the writing was on the wall following their 18-all draw to the Titans on Monday night footy in round 21. They looked tied last week with their record breaking 15 game winning streak clearly taking it’s toll. They need to get back into the winners circle this week and start to re-build for a tilt at their maiden premiership.
KNIGHTS V PANTHERS, Sunday, 2:00pm at Hunter Stadium
- Mullen the white Knight. He is such a classy player when he is fit. Sadly for him and the Knights his troublesome hammy has had the better him for most of the year. When he is on the field, he can product moments of brilliance with the ball in hand, get the team out of gaol with his long kicking game and get those much needed repeat sets with his deft kicking game which makes life that much easier for this inexperience outfit.
- Cleary a future star. He has been thrown in the deep end this season but keeps rising to the task for the Panthers. The vision and execution for Tyrone Peachey’s second try on Monday was sensational. The footspeed to find himself space and the pin-point kick would be an effort Cronk or Thurston would be proud of.
ROOSTERS V COWBOYS, Sunday, 4:00pm at Allianz Stadium
- Cowboys need to find form. The Cows were ambushed at Leichhardt last week as they lifted in front of a vocal home ground. It was the perfect recipe for an ambush as the shell shocked Cowboys struggled to find their groove despite Thurston being a late inclusion. Their timing was just a touch off and no doubt they will have had some big sessions this week to iron out the kinks. They sit 5th on the ladder and are desperate for a win to get back into the top 4.
- Roosters limping to the finish line. It’s be a season to forget for the Roosters and on Monday night it was clear that they’re a club ready for the season to end. The late withdrawal of Mitch Pearce didn’t help but they were out-muscled, out-enthused, out-thought and generally out-played. With nothing left to play for this season, round 26 can’t come soon enough for the Chookies.
RAIDERS V STORM, Monday, 7:00pm at GIO Stadium
- Are they a genuine threat? The Raiders have been ultra-impressive in patches throughout the season. They’re a team who can put points on in the blink of an eye but the biggest criticism of them is that they drift in and out of games. This wasn’t the case last week when they put the Sharks to the sword at Shark Park. They face an even tough task again this week when the host the Storm at home. What better yard stick than Bellamy’s men?
- Chip, chip, chip away. They’re clearly the most professional outfit in the competition. Each week, they quietly go about their stuff. They chip away and chip away. They might not always play their best but they’re never disgraced. While Smith and Cronk are fit, they have to be deserved favourites to take out the comp especially with two giants in Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jarrod McLean to come back in the coming weeks.
