The penultimate round of rugby league is upon us and the action just keeps getting better.
A couple of sides remain in serious danger of losing their grip on finals action while a pair of battles for crucial top four spots highlight the round.
Brisbane Broncos v Parramatta Eels
Suncorp Stadium, Thursday Night
The round kicks off in bumper fashion as the Broncos look to all but lock in second spot with a win over an Eels side who beat them just four weeks ago.
Parramatta's loss of Bevan French will hurt however Will Smith at the back is an adequate replacement for a side looking to jump into the top four at the right time of the season. The Eels' halves pairing of Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses have been in sublime form over the past six weeks and will be looking to prove themselves against one of the competitions benchmarks.
The Eels were a +242 for metres in their last match up with the Broncos and have a fresh Frank Pritchard on the bench just waiting to get at the Brisbane front line.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have their eyes on two home finals in the finals series and will look to improve on their 9-2 home record to sew that up. Anthony Milford is a man on a mission at the moment and will take some stopping, leading a side who averaging over 36 points per game since their defeat to theย Eels.
The Broncos are clear favourites for this game and deserve to be as the Eels have been less convincing over the last two weeks and while a strong 7-4 away record will give them a chance, but we don't think it'll be enough.
Broncos by 8.
