This round sees three matches involving teams currently in the top eight, one of which, if the finals were to start now, would be the first qualifying final between the Manly Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers.
There is another match which will double as a virtual elimination final, with the loser of the Brisbane Broncos versus St George Illawarra Dragons match almost certain to miss the finals.
Each match this round and next will prove vital in shaping up the final ladder for season 2014, as well as the finals series.
Bulldogs versus Rabbitohs
Following a post-Origin form slump, which saw them lose four games in a row, the Bulldogs have won their last two to move back up to sixth on the ladder and keep their chances of a top-four finish alive.
All this coming without their suspended playmaker Josh Reynolds, for whom this Thursday night’s match against the Rabbitohs marks the last of a three-match sanction following his wild night out against the Broncos in Round 22.
Just when it seemed the Bunnies were being talked up as premiership contenders after their 42-16 victory over the Broncos in Round 23, Michael Maguire’s men hit a speed bump, being upset by the Cowboys at home, 22-10.
It denied them top spot on the ladder but the club isn’t worried about finishing first at the end of 26 rounds – they can only look ahead to the final two matches against the Bulldogs and Roosters, and use those matches as platforms to bounce back.
There has been some good news for the club, with Adam Reynolds cleared of a hamstring injury which forced him off last week. It was the same injury he suffered in their preliminary final loss to the Bulldogs in 2012.
With the Bulldogs in good form, and the Rabbitohs intent on protecting their double-chance privilege, this match must not be missed.
A loss for the Bulldogs will just about end their top-four hopes, while for the Bunnies the minor premiership could drift further out of reach.
Prediction: Bulldogs by 10 points.
Broncos versus Dragons
While the Broncos have had a mostly inconsistent season, they showed glimpses of their best form last week. Led by three-try star Ben Barba, the club put their future coach Wayne Bennett and his Knights to the sword 48-6.
This leaves them in ninth place on the ladder just one win behind eighth-placed Parramatta, who are on 28 premiership points but with a points differential of -60.
For the Dragons it’s also their final chance to stay in finals contention; their points differential of -21 means they face an uphill battle to break back into the eight.
They should have done more in their 34-6 victory over the Gold Coast Titans to boost their percentage, which took a battering as they fell down the ladder in the first half of the season, culminating in Steve Price’s sacking three months ago.
It’s all on the line in Brisbane. Who will remain alive in the race for the finals, and who will have to start preparing for season 2015?
Prediction: Broncos by 14 points.
Knights versus Eels
It has been a season from hell for the Newcastle Knights, with the Nathan Tinkler ownership drama, Alex McKinnon’s injury, the imminent departure of Wayne Bennett, and the uncertain future of Darius Boyd plaguing the club.
Their result against Brisbane leaves them 14th on the ladder, equal on points with the Gold Coast Titans but with a poorer points differential of -168.
This Saturday the club welcomes a Parramatta side desperate to keep their finals hopes alive, which they did with a come-from-behind 22-12 victory over the ladder-leading Sea Eagles at home.
It will be a different Parramatta side to the one which suffered a humiliating 54-6 loss in the corresponding match last year. The Eels have significantly improved under the coaching of Brad Arthur, winning 12 games this year.
Whether the Eels can stay in the eight at the end of 26 rounds remains to be seen, otherwise the club risks missing the finals for the fifth year in a row.
Prediction: Eels by 6 points.
Raiders versus Wests Tigers
It has been yet another disastrous season for the Canberra Raiders, with Saturday night’s clash with the under-siege Wests Tigers their best chance to win back-to-back matches for the first time this year.
This follows their away victory over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to end a five-match losing streak and all but avoid the wooden spoon, especially with their final round showdown against Parramatta also being at home.
These two final home games will also be the last chance Canberra fans get to see Anthony Milford in action before he packs his bags and heads off to the Brisbane Broncos next year.
Meanwhile, the Wests Tigers cannot wait for this season to end, with the club losing seven of their last eight games to officially crash out of finals contention.
Making matters worse, halfback Luke Brooks won’t be seen again this season after he injured his hamstring in the 30-10 loss to the Bulldogs last Thursday night.
Prediction: Raiders by 28 points.
Roosters versus Storm
Victories by both the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm last week have reignited interest in the premiership race, with the Chooks climbing to third place on the ladder and the Storm getting themselves to fifth.
Last Sunday against the Warriors in Auckland, the Roosters displayed the form which won them last year’s premiership, winning 42-16. They also won their most recent meeting against the Storm 32-12 in Melbourne in Round 13. However Craig Bellamy’s men were without Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater last time.
The stakes for both clubs will be high. The Roosters must win to keep their faint minor premiership hopes alive, while the Storm can leapfrog the Panthers, whom they defeated last week, into the top four with victory on Saturday night (with the Panthers to play the Sea Eagles on Sunday).
Prediction: Roosters by 10 points.
Warriors versus Titans
Last Sunday’s loss to the Roosters proved very costly for the Warriors, seeing them drop out of the top eight. The club now faces an uphill battle to break back in.
Meanwhile the Titans will be playing for pride in the final two rounds.
The Titans have disappointed on the field this season and will miss the finals for the fourth consecutive year. Their trip across the ditch, as well as next week’s home game against the Bulldogs, shape as Neil Henry’s last chance to prove himself as the Titans’ next coach.
Having lost their last five matches, the Titans will want to avoid a sixth straight loss for the second time, having lost three on either side of the bye between Rounds 9 and 15. However, I cannot see that happening especially with the Warriors desperate to atone for their poor performance against the Roosters in front of their fans last week.
Prediction: Warriors by 16 points.
Sea Eagles versus Panthers
If the finals were to be held now, this would be the first qualifying final.
Despite all the player dramas that have engulfed the Sea Eagles this year they remain in a strong position to clinch their first minor premiership since 1997.
They could have tightened their grip on top spot had they held on against Parramatta last weekend, but instead they slipped to a 22-12 defeat, putting a dent in their armour.
Depending on how the Rabbitohs and Roosters fare earlier this round, and with both teams facing potentially difficult opposition, this Sunday shapes as the perfect chance for Geoff Toovey’s men to lock up the J. J. Giltinan Shield with one round still to play.
Ivan Cleary’s men have belied their horror injury toll to produce a remarkably consistent 2014, and that has been attributed to an impressive recruitment rampage, which saw them land Jamie Soward and lure Peter Wallace home from the Brisbane Broncos.
Unfortunately, Wallace is no chance to return from injury in time for the club’s finals campaign, which will be only their third since they last lifted the premiership trophy in 2003.
In a good omen for the Panthers, they did win on their last trip to Brookvale in the corresponding match last year and in doing so relegated the Sea Eagles to a first-round finals showdown against the Sydney Roosters.
Prediction: Sea Eagles by 10 points.
Cowboys versus Sharks
The last thing the Cronulla Sharks need is to travel to Townsville to face an in-form Cowboys outfit currently in seventh place.
Their 22-12 loss to the Canberra Raiders at home last Sunday has all but sentenced the Shire club to its first wooden spoon since 1969. It has been an understandably disastrous season for the Sharks, with the ASADA scandal having an effect on and off the field.
The Cowboys pulled off an impressive 22-10 win over the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium last week. With captain Johnathan Thurston pulling the strings, the Cowboys kept the Rabbitohs on the back foot all match and a win over the hapless Sharks this Monday night will all but guarantee the Cowboys a place in the finals.
Prediction: Cowboys by 24 points.
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