Some close matches are in store for the second half of Round 7.

The ladder-leading Broncos will meet the Newcastle Knights who got their first win of 2016 after defeating the Wests Tigers on Sunday afternoon.

Canberra will host the Sharks after a tough meeting with the Parramatta Eels last week while the injury-ravaged Melbourne Storm will play in front of a Leichhardt Oval crowd against the Wests Tigers.

Meanwhile, the Sydney Roosters will be hoping to get another win on Monday night as they prepare to host the Penrith Panthers at Moore Park.

Brisbane Broncos versus Newcastle Knights
Saturday, April 16, 7:30pm (AEST) at Suncorp Stadium

The Newcastle Knights have finally won a game but it will be hard for them to go back-to-back when they face 2015 runners-up and current ladder leaders the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

The Broncos have been brilliant in 2016. They will hope to lift the Provan-Summons trophy on grand final day this year after going so close in 2015. They experienced heartbreak in their 17-16 loss to the Cowboys following Johnathan Thurston’s field goal in extra time.

Brisbane are unchanged following their 26-0 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons. With Matt Gillett and Josh McGuire both in brilliant form as the Anzac Test fast approaches, Darius Boyd has been strong at the back.

The halves combination of Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt is getting stronger by the week.

The Newcastle Knights may not be the most formidable opposition but they will be looking to rise from the bottom as they begin to rebuild under new coach Nathan Brown.

The Novocastrians got their first win since Round 24 last year on Sunday afternoon with an 18-16 win over the Wests Tigers in front of over 20,000 fans in Newcastle.

Trent Hodkinson and Jarrod Mullen helped to guide the way while Tariq Sims made his return from suspension.

Nathan Brown’s side will be boosted by the return of Sione Mata’utia who takes the place of Jaelen Feeney in the centres. However, they are at least two months from welcoming back Robbie Rochow, while Kade Snowden also remains on the sidelines.

In 32 meetings since 1998, the Broncos have won 20 matches to the Knights’ eleven while one clash between the two was drawn.

The Broncos won both of their encounters in 2015 with a 31-18 in Round 11 at Newcastle before hosting the Knights five weeks later at Suncorp Stadium in Round 16 to double the Novocastrians’ score in a 44-22 victory.

Prediction
Brisbane will continue their outstanding form in a huge win in front of their home fans.

Broncos by 18.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 7:30pm (AEST)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Last meeting: Broncos defeated Knights 44-22 (Round 16, 2015)
Head-to-head: 32 played – Broncos 20, Knights 11
Broncos last three games: 26-0 versus Dragons, 24-16 versus Titans, 21-20 versus Cowboys
Knights last three games:, 18-16 versus Wests Tigers, 14-18 versus Storm, 18-40 versus Warriors

Brisbane Broncos
1. Darius Boyd, 2. Corey Oates, 3. Jack Reed, 4. James Roberts, 5. Jordan Kahu, 6. Anthony Milford, 7. Ben Hunt, 8. Josh McGuire, 9. Andrew McCullough, 10. Adam Blair, 11. Alex Glenn, 12. Matt Gillett, 13. Corey Parker (c)
Interchange: 14. Jarrod Wallace, 15. Sam Thaiday, 16. Joe Ofahengaue, 17. Kodi Nikorima

Newcastle Knights
1. Dane Gagai, 2. Nathan Ross, 3. Sione Mata’utia, 4. Pat Mata’utia, 5. Akuila Uate, 6. Jarrod Mullen, 7. Trent Hodkinson (c), 8. Sam Mataora, 9. Tyler Randell, 10. Jack Stockwell, 11. Tariq Sims (c), 12. Korbin Sims, 13. Jeremy Smith (c)
Interchange: 14. Will Pearsall, 15. Daniel Saifiti, 16. Jacob Saifiti, 17. Pauli Pauli

Canberra Raiders versus Cronulla Sharks
Sunday, April 17, 2pm (AEST) at GIO Stadium

Round 6 didn’t exactly go to plan for the Canberra Raiders. The green machine are coming off a 36-6 flogging at the hands of the Parramatta Eels and will be looking to redeem themselves with a win over the Sharks.

It won’t come easy for the Raiders with Cronulla playing consistent football which has seen them launch into fourth position. They sit behind last year’s grand finalists the Broncos and Cowboys and the NRL’s most improved team in the Eels.

Canberra however sit just one point behind Shane Flanagan’s side however that gap could be stretched with Dally M leader Josh Hodgson in doubt for their clash with the black, white and blue.

Hodgson, an England international, suffered both thumb and knee injuries with Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart wanting to ensure Josh Hodgson is 100 per cent for the fixture with the hooker playing a pivotal role in Canberra’s revival.

Paul Vaughan might also sit on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury however both have been named in Stuart’s side.

The Raiders will be missing some size up front with Jeff Lima and Iosia Soliola both in the casualty ward. Their returns are expected in round 10 and 12 respectively.

Cronulla will have an absence of their own to deal with after Luke Lewis received a suspension which rules him out of the game.

The State of Origin representative and 2003 premiership winner is replaced by Jayson Bukuya in the back row.

The Sharks struggled against the Titans after key playmaker James Maloney was concussed and missed over three quarters of the game however, they managed to hold on despite a late Gold Coast charge to take a 25-20 win.

Andrew Fifita, Michael Ennis and Paul Gallen all starred with the boys from the shire fielding a forward pack which boasts a wealth of experience.

The game will be won or lost up front as the Sharks will need to dominate the middle against a tough Raiders side which features internationals Elliott Whitehead and Josh Papalii as well as the highly-rated Shaun Fensom.

In 32 meetings, Cronulla have taken 18 wins while the Raiders have won the remaining 14 fixtures.

Last time they met the Sharks got a 21-20 win in Canberra during Round 19. The two sides also clashed in the opening round of the 2015 season with the Raiders prevailing 24-20 at Shark Park.

Prediction
The home ground advantage will serve Canberra well and see them just get over the line against the Sharkies.

Raiders by 4.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 2pm (AEST)
Venue: GIO Stadium
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Last meeting: Sharks defeated Raiders 21-20 (Round 19, 2015)
Head-to-head: 32 played – Raiders 14, Sharks 18
Raiders last three games: 20-24 versus Titans, 22-8 versus Bulldogs, 6-36 versus Eels
Sharks last three games: 14-6 versus Storm, 34-26 versus Wests Tigers, 25-20 versus Titans

Canberra Raiders
1. Jack Wighton, 2. Edrick Lee, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Shannon Boyd, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. Frank-Paul Nuuausala, 11. Josh Papalii, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Shaun Fensom
Interchange: 14. Kurt Baptiste, 15. Luke Bateman, 16. Paul Vaughan, 17. Joseph Tapine

Cronulla Sharks
1. Ben Barba, 2. Sosaia Feki, 3. Jack Bird, 4. Ricky Leutele, 5. Valentine Holmes, 6. James Maloney, 7. Chad Townsend, 8. Andrew Fifita, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. Sam Tagataese, 11. Jayson Bukuya, 12. Wade Graham, 13. Paul Gallen (c)
Interchange: 14. Gerard Beale, 15. Chris Heighington, 16. Matt Prior, 17. Joseph Paulo

Wests Tigers versus Melbourne Storm
Sunday, April 17, 4pm (AEST) at Leichhardt Oval

Both the Wests Tigers and Melbourne Storm experienced close losses in Round 6 coming down to the final moments and will be looking to improve.

The Wests Tigers had their fourth straight loss after going down to the Newcastle Knights 18-16 in the Hunter.

James Tedesco had a stellar performance against the Novocastrians and was a shining light in a losing outfit. Halves pairing Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks are beginning to show signs of maturity.

They will have the home ground advantage over the Storm with NRL footy to return once again to Leichhardt Oval expected to receive a big crowd for Sunday afternoon football in the suburbs.

Coach Jason Taylor has been forced to make a change to his side with Aaron Woods sidelined with an ankle injury which will see him return between Round 11 and 13.

The loss of their skipper sees Ava Seumanufagai move into the starting side while Jack Buchanan, Joel Edwards and Michael Chee-Kam make their way onto an extended six-man bench.

The Melbourne Storm have injury troubles of their own with the club being dealt a massive blow as Will Chambers faces a three-month stint on the sidelines with a foot injury.

Chambers joins Billy Slater and Curtis Scott in the casualty ward as well as Matt White with Melbourne feeling the strain as their depth in the backline has been severely stretched.

After some poor performances in recent weeks following an undefeated start to the season, Craig Bellamy’s outfit will need to lift their game and deal with the loss of Chambers as they look to get a head start leading into the State of Origin period.

The Wests Tigers and Storm have played each other a total 26 times since 1998 with Melbourne winning the majority of meetings with 16 wins to the Wests Tigers’ ten.

The two clubs met just once in 2015 with the Wests Tigers getting up over the Storm 34-16 in Round 21.

Prediction
The Storm will just manage to get a win as they will stretch the Wests Tigers’ winless streak.

Storm by 10.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 4pm (AEST)
Venue: Leichhardt Oval
TV: Live, Nine Network and Fox Sports
Last meeting: Wests Tigers defeated Storm 34-16 (Round 21, 2015)
Head-to-head: 26 played – Wests Tigers 10, Storm 16
Wests Tigers last three games: 16-18 versus Knights, 26-34 versus Sharks, 0-8 versus Eels
Storm last three games: 12-18 versus Bulldogs, 18-14 versus Knights, 6-14 versus Sharks

Wests Tigers
1. James Tedesco, 2. David Nofoaluma, 3. Nathan Milone, 4. Kevin Naiqama, 5. Jordan Rankin, 6. Mitchell Moses, 7. Luke Brooks, 8. Ava Seumanufagai, 9. Robbie Farah, 10. Tim Grant, 11. Dene Halatau, 12. Chris Lawrence (c), 13. Sauaso Sue
Interchange: 14. Josh Aloiai, 15. Curtis Sironen, 16. Kyle Lovett, 17. Joel Edwards, 18. Jack Buchanan, 19. Michael Chee-Kam

Melbourne Storm
1. Cameron Munster, 2. Young Tonumaipea, 3. Will Chambers, 4. Ben Hampton, 5. Marika Koroibete, 6. Blake Green, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jesse Bromwich, 9. Cameron Smith (c), 10. Jordan McLean, 11. Kevin Proctor, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Dale Finucane
Interchange: 14. Kenneath Bromwich, 15. Tim Glasby, 16. Felise Kaufusi, 17. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Sydney Roosters versus Penrith Panthers
Monday, April 18, 7pm (AEST) at Allianz Stadium

The Sydney Roosters are fresh off a win over bitter rivals the South Sydney Rabbitohs – their first win of the year. They will head home to Moore Park where they will host the Penrith Panthers in the final game of Round 7.

Dylan Napa had an outstanding game in a man-of-the-match performance while Latrell Mitchell, Jackson Hastings and Jake Friend also played well in their 17-10 victory over Souths.

Easts’ meeting with the Panthers will certainly be a challenge with Penrith having shown some clinical footy in recent weeks. They had a win over the Eels on the siren 20-18 and also a good performance against the Cowboys in which they fell at the final sword going down 23-18.

Matt Moylan returned for the mountain men against North Queensland and will be looking to have a huge impact against the Roosters. The Panthers junior will be hoping to secure a State of Origin jumper.

He will need to prove himself against a host of talented candidates including the Cowboys’ Lachlan Coote, St George Illawarra’s Josh Dugan and James Tedesco of the Wests Tigers.

Elijah Taylor and Tyrone Peachey may also return for Penrith with the pair being named on an extended six-man bench while Mitchell Frei replaces Sio Siua Taukeiaho in the only change for Easts.

The Bondi club have met with the Panthers on 32 occasions, most notably the 2003 NRL grand final when Penrith won their second and most recent premiership.

Sydney have won 17 meetings to the Panthers’ 15 with the Roosters winning the most recent encounter 24-4 in Round 18 of 2015. They also knocked over Penrith 20-12 in Round 3 last year.

Prediction
Penrith will be rewarded for their strong brand of footy and earn a win that could see them move into the top eight.

Panthers by 10.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 7pm (AEST)
Venue: Allianz Stadium
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Last meeting: Roosters defeated Panthers 24-4 (Round 18, 2015)
Head-to-head: 32 meetings – Roosters 17, Panthers 15
Roosters last three games: 17-10 versus Rabbitohs, 28-32 versus Warriors, 20-22 versus Sea Eagles
Panthers last three games: 18-23 versus Cowboys, 20-18 versus Eels, 12-14 versus Dragons

Sydney Roosters
1. Latrell Mitchell, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Brendan Elliot, 4. Blake Ferguson, 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6. Jayden Nikorima, 7. Jackson Hastings, 8. Sam Moa, 9. Jake Friend (c), 10. Dylan Napa, 11. Mitchell Aubusson, 12. Aidan Guerra, 13. Isaac Liu
Interchange: 14. Kane Evans, 15. Mitchell Frei, 16. Eloni Vunakece, 17. Abraham Papalii

Penrith Panthers
1. Matt Moylan (c), 2. Josh Mansour, 3. Waqa Blake, 4. Peta Hiku, 5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 6. Te Maire Martin, 7. Jamie Soward, 8. Sam McKendry, 9. Peter Wallace, 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11. Bryce Cartwright, 12. Isaah Yeo, 13. Trent Merrin
Interchange: 14. Leilani Latu, 15. Jeremy Latimore, 16. Suaia Matagi, 17. James Fisher-Harris, 19. Tyrone Peachey, 20. Elijah Taylor

Roarers, which game you most looking forward to in Round 7? How is your team tracking so far?

In case you missed it, you can read part one of my Round 7 preview here.