North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos @1300SMILES Stadium 

Thursday, 7:50pm 

Stat Fact: The last six clashes played between these sides have been decided by six points or less. 

Big Talking Point: It was only two seasons ago that these sides were competing at ANZ Stadium for the NRL Premiership. Fast forward two years and it is again do or die for North Queensland except this time a win only guarantees them a finals berth, not a trophy. But if North Queensland do lose to arguably their biggest rivals then they are up to the mercy of Penrith, Manly and St George to decide whether they’ll be featuring in the finals or not. Un-like last time, there’s no Johnathan Thurston to help get them over the line in North Queensland’s biggest game of the season. 

What Will Happen: If the history between these two sides isn’t enough to convince you that this will be a close encounter then maybe the next statistic will. This season alone North Queensland and Brisbane have played in a combined separate 16 games decided by six points or less. Given that Brisbane would also like to finish the season in second behind only the rampant Melbourne, it’s pretty much a guarantee that this game will go down to the wire and produce a thriller such as that of games past. 

What Won’t Happen: Last week Brisbane conceded 52 points in their damaging loss to Parramatta. Their previous season high for points conceded was roughly half of that. Given the importance of this game for Brisbane expect their defence to be as tough as ever. 

Our Tip: North Queensland by four. 

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs @ANZ Stadium 

Friday, 7:50pm 

Stat Fact: South Sydney’s 64-6 loss to Melbourne last weekend was the fourth biggest loss in their history. In the process Cameron Smith scored 22 points for the Melbournians. 

Big Talking Point: Nathan Brown has claimed Parramatta’s Player of the Year Award in his first season at the club. The no-frills forward has become a big reason for Parramatta’s stingy defence this year and is one of the reasons they will be playing in the finals for the first time since 2009 and are on track to secure a top four finish. Since his professional debut in 2013 to when he moved to Parramatta he had only played a total of 29 games for his career. He has really made him-self known to the NRL community this year and his award is thoroughly deserved. 

What Will Happen: Last week Semi Radradra bagged four tries in his sides 18 point beating of Brisbane. For the season he has 17 and is ahead of the likes of James Roberts and Tom Trbojevic, something that is no easy feat. A win for Parramatta would officially secure them two lives in the finals, expect Semi to be on point and have two or three this game on the way to a Blue & Gold win. 

What Won’t Happen: South Sydney putting up a pathetic excuse for a performance for the second week running. Make no mistake, Parramatta will win this game with relative ease. But it won’t be a Melbourne Storm like victory where they put up close to 70 points on their opponents. Expect South Sydney to come out with a little bit of fight in their final game for the 2017 season. 

Our Tip: Parramatta by 16. 

Sydney Roosters vs Gold Coast Titans @Allianz Stadium 

Saturday, 3:00pm 

Stat Fact: Michael Gordon has scored only six tries this season despite appearing in 19 games. 

Big Talking Point: Tyrone Roberts has reportedly expressed his desire to continue playing on with the Gold Coast Titans next season. The multi-position player has been one of the only reasons the Gold Coast have been even close to watchable this season and is one of the few players who week in, week out, wears their jersey with pride. The Indigenous All-Star is a very under-rated player who when playing in the halves this season has been at his best. But if the Gold Coast could somehow get out from underneath Jarryd Hayne’s horrible contract then he could be a decent, viable solution at fullback for the Gold Coast. If the board is listening to what he is saying, then they need to re-sign him asap as he is one of the only players with some heart at the glitter strip club. 

What Will Happen: Only a few weeks ago the Gold Coast suffered a humiliating loss to Brisbane going down 54-0. They are playing at Allianz where Sydney are eight of nine this season. Combine these two and it’s a recipe for disaster for the Gold Coast especially considering the utter disarray the club is in at the moment. Things could and will get very ugly for the Gold Coast. 

What Won’t Happen: A soft game. Despite the expected score-line it should still be a hard hitting game given who’s featuring for both sides. For Sydney the likes of Friend and Napa will be their while for the Gold Coast Agnatius Paasi and Kevin Proctor will be featuring. There should be a few big hits in this game despite what the eventual result will be. 

Our Tip: Sydney by 40. 

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs Penrith Panthers @Lottoland 

Saturday, 5:30pm 

Stat Fact: A win for Manly would guarantee them a finals berth, this despite being a million dollars down in players due to the unavailability of contracted duo Brett Stewart and Steve Matai. 

Big Talking Point: The equation for Manly is simple. Win and they are in the finals, lose and they are up to the mercy of other clubs. This season has been tough for Manly due to the NRL refusing to clear Stewart and Matai’s contracts of the books meaning compared to the other 15 clubs in the League, Manly have been one million dollars’ worth of talent worse than their opponents. But still somehow Trent Barrett has found bargains in the likes of Akuila Uate (14 tries) and Curtis Sironen (359 tackles) to help lead Manly back to where they belong. Playing at home, everything is set up for Manly to be back playing September Footy, they just need to capitalise on the opportunity in front of them. 

What Will Happen: Dale-Cherry Evans being the winning-man for Manly once again. Last week in Manly’s one point victory over the Warriors he kicked a field-goal to send the game into extra-time and then another field-goal to win the game for the Maroon & White. No matter whether the score is close or big, expect him to be the main reason Manly get the chocolates. 

What Won’t Happen: Either sides having anything left in them by the time the full-time siren sounds. Manly lose and it’s highly likely they’re out of the finals while this same story also applies to Penrith. Both sides have everything to play for meaning come full-time they’ll be fully drained and have nothing left in them. 

Our Tip: Manly by two. 

Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders @AAMI Park 

Saturday, 7:30pm 

Stat Fact: Billy Slater, Will Chambers and Felise Kaufusi have a combined 21 tries this season, one less than Suliasi Vunivalu who has 22. 

Big Talking Point: Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr have both put pen to paper with the Melbourne Storm. For Vunivalu he’ll remain with Melbourne till at least the end of 2020 while Addo-Carr 2021. These players are both absolute freaks and this season have a combined 41 tries to go along with six try assists. They are both important parts to Melbourne’s current Premiership chase as well as their future. These announcements will come as music to the ears of every Melbourne fan. They are both scarily talented and have had the rest of the NRL on notice this entire season. 

What Will Happen: Melbourne have been fairly dominant against Canberra recently winning five of their past seven. One of these back in 2013 was a 64-6 (a high score) win to Melbourne, similar to their score-line for last weekend. Given Melbourne’s previously mentioned attacking threats combined with what Canberra have to offer through their own attacking prowess, this game will be high-scoring. Expect 60 or more points to be scored in this game in what should also end up being a tight affair. 

What Won’t Happen: Either side bowing down to the other. Melbourne despite finishing first no matter the results of the other games will still want to go into the finals with a win against a side like Canberra with them. While for Canberra they despite missing out on the finals are a talented side and would like to end their year on a high. Expect both teams to be up for it. 

Our Tip: Melbourne by six. 

Newcastle Knights vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks @McDonald Jones Stadium 

Sunday, 2:00pm 

Stat Fact: The last time these two sides met a James Maloney field-goal was the only difference between the two sides. In the two games before that it was two Cronulla wins for a combined 98-4 score-line. 

Big Talking Point: Cronulla are close to reaching an agreement with ex-player Todd Carney over an unfair dismissal claim. Carney was sacked from the club in 2014 after photos emerged of him doing something fairly disturbing. Carney is now playing with Salford in the English Super League but is reportedly seeking around 2.5million dollars in damages from Cronulla. His legal team have claimed they did not follow the proper process in his sacking but Cronulla said he breached the NRL’s code of conduct and that there were reportedly other things that he did wrong during his time at the club. At the very least it is a positive for both parties that unlike his sacking and ‘bubbler’ incident, this isn’t really playing out in the public eye.  

What Will Happen: Newcastle’s Wooden Spoon season compounded with a final loss. It won’t matter that it’s in Newcastle, or all the improvement that the Knights have shown this season, the sun has a better chance of not rising tomorrow than Newcastle do of winning this game. Newcastle should show enough fight to keep the game reasonably respectable, but not enough to avoid the L. 

What Wont’ Happen: Luke Lewis going scoreless. For a second-rower he has been fairly impressive this season as he has six tries to his name. Expect him to bag one more to cap of an awesome regular season for the seasoned veteran. 

Our Tip: Cronulla by 14. 

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs @ANZ Stadium 

Sunday, 4:00pm 

Stat Fact: Gareth Widdop has a combined 28 tries and try assists this season. 

Big Talking Point: A win for St George (provided the Manly vs Penrith game isn’t a draw) and they are into the finals for the second time in three seasons under Paul McGregor’s tutelage. Because of their 89 points difference a win by any margin will do it for the Red V. This is without a doubt their biggest game of the season and will have to show the form they displayed last week against Penrith if they are to be playing into September. Against a Bulldogs side with two convincing wins on the trot that is easier said then done. They will need all their star players on board though meaning Josh Dugan can’t miss the bus. 

What Will Happen: A game similar to St George’s one last round where the lead changes several times in a frantic and entertaining affair. Theirs only a three win difference between the two sides this season so there’s not a whole lot in this game. This game will be thoroughly entertaining to watch and will define St George’s season. 

What Won’t Happen: St George missing the finals. Despite their inconsistent form this season, the Dragons on their day have looked capable of beating anyone. The fact that if they win will ensure them a finals berth means that they won’t flop this game. Expect St George to win out in the end. 

Our Tip: St George by four. 

Wests Tigers vs New Zealand Warriors @Leichardt Oval 

Sunday, 6:30pm 

Stat Fact: The last two games between these two sides have been 60 points each game for a total of 120 combined. 

Big Talking Point: Elijah Taylor, the vice-captain of the Tigers has signed a new deal with the club that will keep him their until the end of the 2020 season. “I’m really happy that it’s done now”. He cares passionately about the club and has been one of their shining lights this year in a pretty dismal season for the club. He is a big part of their future and a player who doesn’t always get the kudos he deserves. This is a very good signing and helps form a strong Tigers outfit for next season also featuring the likes of Luke Brooks, Josh Reynolds and Russell Packer. 

What Will Happen: Like the past two games between these sides have indicated, a high scoring-affair. It’s not so much that these clubs have the attacking threats to make it a high scoring game, it’s that their defences are so poor that it makes their attacks look legitimately good. This season alone the two clubs have conceded 20 or more points a game on 33 occasions. 

What Won’t Happen: As mentioned before defence will not be on display in this game. Both clubs have had these areas as notoriously poor ones this season and that will no doubt continue into this encounter. 

Our Tip: Wests by eight.