The Form Guide
Only two rounds remain in the NRL, and while the top 8 has all but distanced itself from the chasing pack, the jostling for final positions is still very much on in earnest. The Storm, Roosters and Rabbits all sit on 32 competition points, but each of these teams had very different experiences last weekend. The Rabbitohs met a Brisbane team whose season was on the line, and a Thursday night at Suncorp against a committed Broncos is one of the toughest assignments in the competition. The Rabbits were seriously undermanned in the backline, and did manage to fight back from a startling early deficit, but ultimately the Broncos had too much to play for. The Roosters were also shock losers to the unpredictable Raiders, and while Trent Robinson will be understandably disappointed with the result, he will know they can bounce back quickly. The Storm were the only winners of the big three, but appear to have suffered the most setbacks on the injury and suspension front. Will Chambers will be sitting on the sideline healthy, while Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Suliasi Vunivaluare injured, and Skipper Cameron Smith has been named but must be in doubt with a back injury. Without Smith, the Storm simply cannot win the premiership, so there must be a temptation to give the hooker as much time as possible to recover before the finals.
Sitting behind them on 30 points are the Dragons, Panthers and Sharks, who also had missed weekends. The Dragons will just be relieved to have banked the 2 points, despite Ben Hunt again struggling for form. The loss of prop Paul Vaughan is terminal for their season though. They will make the finals, but it is difficult to see them progressing too far. The Sharks are quietly lurking below the surface, and it would not surprise at all to see this experienced team win a couple of finals games in a row and push for a grand final spot. The Panthers are simply a mess, and were outplayed comprehensively by the Knights on Saturday. They are obviously struggling off the field, and they aren’t settled on the field without James Maloney either. They might find themselves boking an early finals exit as well.
The Broncos and the Warriors round out the top 8, and while Brisbane will be ecstatic that they managed to get past the Rabbitohs on Thursday, New Zealand will know that they let one slip in going down to the Bulldogs by a point. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this game was the emergence of Lachlan Lewis as a match winner, and Queenslanders everywhere will be excited by the prospect of the King’s nephew making a name for himself. There is now a 4 point gap to the Tigers, who may have left their run too late, but both Brisbane and New Zealand have some serious ground to make up if they want to challenge the top teams in September.
The Big Games
Friday night sees the monster clash between the Warriors and the Panthers, and this one is vitally important for both teams. The Panthers have shifted Tyrone Peachey back to the halves to reignite his game, and hopefully get some more involvement at fullback for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. The Warriors have lost Blake Green in a huge blow, while Tohu Harris returns via the bench. Nathan Cleary is still struggling to regain his pre-Origin form, and he’s playing behind a big name pack that just isn’t producing at the moment. The battle between the two sets of forwards will be crucial here, and it’s hard to imagine the Panthers being as disappointing as they were last week. If the forwards can gain an ascendency, look for Cleary and Peachey to rediscover their mojo, which will be dangerous for the Kiwis. With both teams being last start losers, though, there is plenty of motivation to bounce back. A Panthers win would ensure they keep in touch with the top 4, while a win for the Warriors would keep the pressure on Brisbane at the bottom of the 8.
The Broncos have their own crunch clash to worry about on Saturday night, though, as they travel to Sydney to meet the Roosters. Current premiership favourites, the Chooks would not have been anticipating a loss to the Raiders, and you can expect a significantly more focussed performance this weekend. The Brisbane line-up in unchanged from their last start win over Souths, while the Roosters welcome back Luke Keary in what will be a boost for the team heading into the finals. So much of the Roosters' fate sits with their forward pack, such is the quality of their star studded backline. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been named on an extended bench, and while he is doubtful for this week, his imminent return will be another boost for this young pack. Given the tight race at the top of the ladder, expect a much better Chooks performance than what we saw last week.
It would be remiss not to mention the final home game for Jonathan Thurston in Townsville on Friday night. The Eels are coming to town for that occasion, and it's difficult to know what to expect from them at the moment. No jne predicted that these two teams would be anchored to the bottom of the table, but both have shown glimpses of their potential at all too rare moments through the season. The Cowboys will be happy to welcome Matt Scott and Jason Taumalolo back for this one, and there can be no question about the team's motivation for this one. Thurston will undoubtedly join the Immortals at some stage after his retirement, and he deserves nothing less than leaving the ground a winner on Friday night.
Predictions
The Tigers host the Sea Eagles on Thursday night, and Manly are an absolute rabble at the moment. Given there is still the slightest hope they could sneak into the finals, back them to win this one. The Panthers are in just as much trouble as Manly, so a trip to New Zealand to face the Warriors will be too much for them. The Cowboys will send JT off in style in Townsville by beating the Eels, and Souths will roll the Raiders in Canberra. The Storm are vulnerable against the Titans, but they will still get the job done, while the Roosters will get back on track with a win over the Broncos. The Sharks will beat a plucky Knights, and the Dogs will upset a Dragons team that still hasn’t rediscovered its mojo.
Best Bet
There are some tricky games to pick this weekend, with a number of underdogs genuinely capable of an upset. The Rabbits will be bitterly disappointed in going down to the Broncos, so with the return of Greg Inglis and Alex Johnston, expect a bounce back against the Raiders, who might have a hangover after their big win over the Roosters. Souths minus the handicap at $1.90 is out best bet of the week
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