Roosters (5) v Eels (15)
Thursday, 8pm, Allianz Stadium
For the third week in a row the Eels play a team coming off the bye. The Roosters will start favourites after overpowering arch-rivals South Sydney in round three, but lose Joseph Manu (suspension). Parramatta’s cause hasn’t been helped by co-captain Junior Paulo starting a two-game ban for a high shot late in their stunning golden point win over the Panthers. Corey Allan has been named as a utility on the bench for the Roosters, who have been dealing with the fallout from Joseph Suaalii’s announcement he will defect to rugby union in 2025. Trent Robinson has won six of his past eight meetings against Brad Arthur’s Eels. Roosters by 8.
Adam Pengilly
Raiders (16) v Panthers (7)
Friday, 6pm, GIO Stadium
No Jack Wighton for the Raiders through suspension makes an already difficult assignment even tougher. They’ve dropped to second-last on the ladder, after another frustratingly slow start to the year, and face the ladder-leading Broncos next week. Alarm bells could be ringing by weekend’s end given Penrith were knocked off by Parramatta last week in golden point, but would have accounted for most teams with their effort and intensity. Canberra’s first stop has to be containing the Panthers’ back three. Dylan Edwards, Sunia Turuva and Brian To’o ran for a combined 872 metres last week. Big efforts needed from star front-rowers Joseph Tapine and Josh Papali’i, but can’t see Penrith losing this one. Panthers by 8.
Dan Walsh
Rabbitohs (8) v Storm (9)
Friday, 8pm, Accor Stadium
Souths will take plenty of confidence from getting past Manly on an emotional night, following the death of John Sattler, and with so many middle forwards missing. You can mark it down as the game that sparked Cody Walker back into form. The five-eighth bagged a double and was full of energy all night. The Storm are a different side with Cameron Munster, and that showed against Wests Tigers. They failed to register a try in the second half, but bad teams often drag you down to their level. Halfback Jonah Pezet did a handy job replacing the suspended Jahrome Hughes. Souths by 4.
Christian Nicolussi
Joseph Suaalii, Cody Walker, Nicho Hynes and Luke Brooks. Credit:MNRL
Sea Eagles (2) v Knights (12)
Saturday, 3pm, Glen Willow Oval
Newcastle displayed incredible grit to upset Canberra. To jag two wins with so many players out, including Kalyn Ponga, has been a fair achievement. However, they are about to run into a tough part of the draw, which pits them against a raft of contenders without respite until round 10. It begins with a Manly side close to full strength (Tolutau Koula is out due to a knee injury) and things could get ugly at picturesque Mudgee. The Sea Eagles were unlucky not to have beaten Souths last weekend and will get their campaign back on track with a big win. Sea Eagles by 16.
Adrian Proszenko
Dragons (14) v Dolphins (3)
Saturday, 5.30pm, WIN Stadium
The Dragons were woeful in the second half against Cronulla. You can only hope they bring more of their first-half form, or even the 65 minutes they dished up a week earlier against the Broncos. The Dolphins have won many admirers with their results and resilience. How gutsy were they against the Broncos? They welcome back Isaiya Katoa (rested) and Jeremy Marshall-King (suspension), but how much juice is left in the tank after the emotion of last weekend’s inaugural BrisVegas derby. Dragons by 6.
Christian Nicolussi
The battle of Brisbane was as emotional as it was energy-sapping. Credit:Getty Images
Broncos (1) v Wests Tigers (17)
Saturday, 7.35pm, Suncorp Stadium
First versus last. It is going to be very hard for the Tigers, based on what we have seen to date, to pull off a monumental upset. Coach Tim Sheens shot down speculation that Luke Brooks would be dropped for this one, but another loss and some serious questions need to be asked about the spine. Sheens has tinkered with his bench but kept the same starting 13. It’s time to repay the faith. Brisbane have been the surprise packet of the competition and should be 5-0 by the end of the weekend. Broncos by 19.
Adrian Proszenko
Sharks (6) v Warriors (4)
Sunday, 4.05pm, Pointsbet Stadium
The Warriors’ defence was resilient against the Bulldogs last week, and veteran playmaker Shaun Johnson was in spectacular form, securing the win for his team when the game was in a stalemate. The return of fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad last week was also a bonus for a side looking to bag a fourth win of the season. The Sharks were a force to be reckoned with against the Dragons. After missing the first three rounds, Nicho Hynes put on a masterclass. Jesse Ramien and Ronaldo Mulitalo will test the Warriors, and Cronulla will pull off the win in front of a home crowd. Sharks by 12.
Billie Eder
Bulldogs (10) v Cowboys (13)
Sunday, 6.15pm, Accor Stadium
Both clubs come into this with middling 2-2 records. It’s a fair reflection of their opening rounds, as they deal with bulging casualty wards. Jayden Okunbor is again on Canterbury’s bench as a middle forward alongside fan favourite Josh Reynolds, playing his first NRL game as a Bulldog since 2017. Middles Ryan Sutton and Max King have performed admirably without big names Tevita Pangai jnr and Luke Thompson alongside them, but have flagged late in games when the added workload takes a toll. Jeremiah Nanai’s suspension is a big blow for a Cowboys outfit struggling to recapture the attacking fluency of last season, while Murray Taulagi (knee) is a telling absence. Tipping a low-scoring one, North Queensland just squeaking home. Cowboys by 4.
Dan Walsh
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