More rivalries will highlight Round 3 of the 2017 NRL season, with matches between the Storm and Broncos, Panthers and Roosters, and Sharks versus Dragons, all well worth watching.

After two rounds, only four teams remain undefeated, with the Parramatta Eels leading the pack, while four other teams are yet to get off the mark, including last year’s preliminary finalists the Canberra Raiders.

Here is your guide to Round 3.

Storm versus Broncos
One of the biggest rivalries over the past decade continues when the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos collide at AAMI Park tomorrow night.

Instrumental to this rivalry is the fact that both clubs (along with the Cowboys) have provided the bulk of Queensland’s Origin players during the state’s dominant reign over New South Wales since 2006.

And it could get even bigger with Billy Slater set to play his first NRL game in over a year after shoulder surgery saw him sidelined from the game for most of the past 21 months.

In that period he only played in the Storm’s Round 1 win over the Dragons last year.

Still, without their veteran fullback, Craig Bellamy’s men managed to reach the grand final, as well as start the new season 2-0, with both of their wins coming on the road against the Bulldogs and Warriors.

The Broncos, on the other hand, are 1-1 after going down to the Cowboys in another golden point thriller at Suncorp Stadium last week, that coming eight nights after their season-opening 26-18 win over the Sharks on the road.

Last year, the Storm inflicted a huge defeat on the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium before Wayne Bennett’s men returned the favour with a 26-16 win in Melbourne just before the finals.

Generally, the Storm has dominated most of the rivalry, winning 22 of the last 28 meetings against the Broncos; as a matter of fact, the Storm are the team with the most wins against the Brisbane powerhouse with 26.

However, the Broncos have won in each of their last two visits to the Victorian capital, including last year’s aforementioned 26-16 win as well as a strong, defence-orientated 14-12 win in Round 15, 2015.

It should be a good match to watch and I have the Storm winning.

Prediction: Storm by eight points.

Bulldogs versus Warriors
Who knows exactly what to expect from the New Zealand Warriors in 2017?

That’s what everyone has been asking after the club suffered a 26-10 defeat to the Melbourne Storm at home last Friday night.

It has been a rather unconvincing start to the season for Stephen Kearney’s men, who only just got across the line against the Knights in their season opener.

The club will still be without controversial recruit Kieran Foran as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury which he suffered last May, despite being eligible to debut for his new club as of this weekend.

They have the chance in what is their second consecutive Friday night match to go up 2-1 when they face the winless Bulldogs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

The Dogs suffered their second defeat by six points or less from as many outings when a late comeback against the Roosters last week failed; this followed on from their 12-6 loss to the Storm at Belmore Oval in Round 1.

Already coach Des Hasler must be feeling the pressure but there is still 24 rounds left of the season, therefore, fans need not to panic just yet.

The match will create history as it will be the first rugby league match to be played under a fully-enclosed roof (Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium has a retractable roof).

With both clubs under the pump, which of them will prevail this Friday night?

Prediction: Warriors by six points.

Titans versus Eels
What could have been one of the grudge matches of the season has been robbed by the injury-enforced absence of Titans fullback Jarryd Hayne.

The former NSW Origin star injured his ankle in the club’s 34-26 loss to the Knights in Newcastle last week and is set to be sidelined for up to six weeks as a result.

It only added to the pain of the club’s winless start to the new season, Neil Henry’s men having also gone down to the Roosters 32-18 in the opening round.

By contrast, it appears as though the Parramatta Eels are playing with newfound freedom in 2017 after registering their first 2-0 start to a season since 1999.

Away wins over the Sea Eagles and Dragons has the side sitting on top of the ladder for the first time since Round 26, 2005, and there is no doubt that after the drama of the past few years, fans are certainly excited.

Brad Arthur’s men are on the road for the third consecutive week, this time hopping on a plane for a trip to the Gold Coast where they have won just twice from nine trips (and five from fifteen against the Titans overall).

Despite the poor record on the holiday strip, the blue and gold should continue on their merry run in 2017 and bank the points here.

Prediction: Eels by 10 points.

Knights versus Rabbitohs
Last Saturday night was a special moment for Knights fans to savour as a 19-match losing streak stretching back to last April was finally broken.

Buoyed by their courageous performance against the Warriors in New Zealand, the Knights played their hearts out to secure a 34-26 win over the injury-plagued Gold Coast Titans.

It was their first win in nearly eleven months and was reward for the fans who have stuck by their team through what has been a tough period in the club’s 30-year history.

Backing it up against the Rabbitohs will be a huge challenge for the success-starved team.

The Bunnies bounced back from their disappointing opening round loss to the Tigers by defeating the Sea Eagles 38-18 at Lottoland, the win marshaled by returning halfback Adam Reynolds and also perhaps a sneak peek of what to expect when Greg Inglis eventually leaves the club.

In the favour of Michael Maguire’s men is the fact they have won eleven of their last 17 matches against the Knights, including the last seven in succession dating back to 2012.

As much as the Knights would love to make it back-to-back victories for the first time since late 2015, the Rabbitohs should prevail on the road.

Prediction: Rabbitohs by 12 points.

Panthers versus Roosters
Following their humiliating 42-10 loss to the Dragons in Round 1, the Panthers needed to bounce back against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown last week – and bounce back they did in the hardest possible fashion.

Anthony Griffin’s men kept the Tigers tryless en route to a convincing 36-2 victory, showing why they are one of the title contenders in 2017 after a rather belated start to their quest to win a third premiership.

However, they face the toughest test of their credentials when they welcome the Sydney Roosters to Pepper Stadium for their first home game of the season this Saturday night.

After what many hope was a one-off season at the foot of the standings in 2016, the Roosters registered wins over the Titans and Bulldogs to be one of just four teams so far undefeated entering Round 3.

Instrumental to their first 2-0 start to a season since 2010 has been the impact new five-eighth Luke Keary has had on the team since crossing over from the Rabbitohs during the off-season.

He scored the maximum three Dally M Medal votes in both of the Chooks’ victories this season to currently be leading in this respect on the leaderboard.

Trent Robinson’s men now make the trans-Sydney trip west looking to make it 3-0 – can they do so, or will the Panthers make it 2-1?

Prediction: Roosters by 14 points.

Cowboys versus Sea Eagles
Two golden point matches to start the season and two wins as the Cowboys to kick off their bid for a second premiership in three years.

Again it was Johnathan Thurston who was the architect – in Round 1 against the Raiders, while it was his field goal attempt that hit the crossbar, it set up Michael Morgan to score the most miraculous of tries to win it.

Then, last week, the 33-year-old repeated the dose on the Brisbane Broncos when he potted over a field goal in the same manner he did it to win his beloved club their maiden title in the 2015 grand final.

This Saturday night they return home looking to extend their undefeated start to the season to 3-0, while the Sea Eagles will be desperate to get off the mark after a pair of home defeats to start their campaign.

Into his second year as coach, Trent Barrett is already feeling the pressure after overseeing as many 0-2 starts to the season.

After a brave effort against the Eels, the Sea Eagles were no match for the Rabbitohs as they went down by 18-38, and a poor overall record in Townsville will do no wonders for the club as they look to break their duck.

In the end, the Cowboys will do as expected and be too strong for the Silvertails.

Prediction: Cowboys by 18 points.

Raiders versus Wests Tigers
After suffering golden point heartbreak against the Cowboys in Townsville, the Raiders’ first home outing for the new year will go down as one they would love to forget, and for very good reason.

Without their captain Jarrod Croker, who is a good chance of returning for their home assignment against the Tigers this Sunday afternoon, the Raiders went down 42-16 to defending premiers the Sharks last week.

This leaves the Raiders as one of four teams yet to break their duck in 2017, and its poor percentage means they occupy last place on the ladder after two rounds.

On the other hand, the Tigers were anything but abysmal in their loss to the Panthers, in which they could only manage a lone penalty goal while conceding 36 points.

It was a far cry from their impressive season opening win over the Rabbitohs, and has many of their fans scratching their heads as to why they cannot play consistently on a regular basis.

They must now make the difficult trip to the nation’s capital where they were humiliated 60-6 in the corresponding match last year; moreover, the Tigers have also lost four of their last five against the Raiders, and that record does not look like improving anytime soon.

Prediction: Raiders by 16 points.

Sharks versus Dragons
If anything, the Dragons’ opening-round blitz over the Panthers seemed like a false dawn.

A week after one of their most impressive performances since winning the 2010 premiership, the Dragons reverted to their bad old ways when they were defeated by the Parramatta Eels in Wollongong.

This has left many of their fans questioning their consistency and the coaching ability of Paul McGregor, tipped by many to be the first coach sacked in 2017.

Things will not get any easier this Sunday night when they make the short trip to Cronulla, where the red-hot Sharks await.

After opening their season with a 26-18 loss to the Broncos at home, the Sharks returned to the form that saw them raise the premiership trophy last year, thrashing the Canberra Raiders on the road by 42-16.

Premiership pair Gerard Beale and Valentine Holmes are both a chance to return after injury-interrupted starts to 2017, both have been named on the bench.

While the Sharks won the corresponding match by 30-2 last year, the Dragons did win their previous encounter at Kogarah Oval, 32-18. But that will mean nothing by the time kick-off arrives on Sunday evening.

On a side note, there will be a women’s series match between the same two clubs played as a curtain-raiser to the main match.

Prediction: Sharks by 16 points.