Sydney Roosters vs. Canberra Raiders
SCG, 7:50pm, Friday October 9
Team News: Jake Friend returns at hooker in place of Freddy Lussick, while Sonny Bill Williams takes Nat Butcher's spot on the bench. Canberra are unchanged.
Prediction: A Grand Final rematch in the second week of the finals? Yes please! The back-to-back premiers enter this game on shaky form, leaking 89 points across their last two games, though at the same time they took a team sitting on a 15 game win streak within a point of a loss. Friend and SBW will make a massive difference for the tricolours, their inclusion certain to boost the confidence of team mates.
The Raiders will be up for a fight, with Jack Wighton seemingly playing better and better in the bigger games he plays. But despite some heavy resistance from the Green Machine, the Roosters will have too much class, and set up a Storm-Roosters finals clash for the third consecutive year. Roosters by 8.
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Parramatta Eels vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Bankwest Stadium, 7:50pm, Saturday October 10
Team News: George Jennings takes his place on the left wing for the injured Maika Sivo, while Blake Ferguson has been named despite being rated a '50/50 chance' of playing. Jaydn Su'A returns to the starting side with Liam Knight dropping to the bench.
Prediction: Despite finishing in 6th, South Sydney are raging favourites for this game, and deservedly so. They've scored 106 points in two games, and Cody Walker is beginning to be compared to the Jarryd Hayne run of '09, and Ben Barba's scintillating form of 2012. While he's not there yet, another dominant display changes that.
The Eels played their best game in months against Melbourne, but the Storm are way too classy. Sivo is a huge loss not just in terms of the tries he scores, but the metres he makes on kick returns and out of dummy half are integral.
If Fergo plays, he won't be 100%. And marking the red-hot Alex Johnston and outside the defensively-challenged Waqa Blake, Parramatta's right edge have to link up perfectly in defence to stop South Sydney tearing it to shreds.
Parramatta's forward pack has been sensational this year but the Bunnies pack has been underrated all year. This will be a fast contest but the Rabbitohs' main attacking weapons in Reynolds, Walker and Cook are all on song, and should send the Eels out in straight sets. Rabbitohs by 10.
