Round 9: Previews and Predictions

Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers Thursday Night, Suncorp Stadium Another piece of Milford magic saved the Broncos' blushes last week as they snuck over the line against South Sydney, while Penrith slumped to a 2-6 record as their late push wasn't enough to knock off Parramatta. While a win is a win for the Broncos, Robbie Farah was able to expose a number of holes in the Brisbane defence as they conceded three tries in a 10-minute span that'll leave Wayne Bennett slightly concerned despite having now won four matches in a row. The Panthers, meanwhile, are desperate for a win, with their offense looking a shadow of it's 2016 self as they failed time after time to crack the Eels' defence last week. Eventually they did, however it was through some largely uninspired play combined with tiring defence that saw the Panthers score with the game all but over. The Broncos welcome back winger Jordan Kahu this week to add some more fire power out wide, however look for the home side to tighten the screws defensively in what has been their trademark for a big part of their early season form. Broncos by 10. South Sydney Rabbitohs v Manly Sea Eagles Friday Night, Allianz Stadium While they weren't able to come away with the two competition points, Souths would've taken a lot out of their performance last week against Brisbane. After a sluggish first half, Robbie Farah was inserted into the line up with immediate results as the Rabbitohs peeled off three tries in 10 minutes to take the lead in a sign that they can compete with the heavyweights of the competition. They will be without George Burgess this week, however Adam Reynolds will be a welcome inclusion as he slots right back into the starting side. On the flip side of the tightly contested coin, Manly rode Dylan Walker's 39-metre penalty goal all the way home as they snuck past the Raiders in Canberra in an enthralling contest. A strong second half performance from the Sea Eagles led them to an impressive away win which could prove crucial come the business end of the season. They'll likely go into the clash with an unchanged line up as the Trbojevic brothers were superb once again with Martin Taupau storming up field in his return from injury. Who wins? While Souths will be buoyed by the return of their star halfback, it's tough to go past a Manly side looking to cement their spot in the top eight. Manly by 4. North Queensland Cowboys v Parramatta Eels Friday Night, 1300SMILES Stadium The Cowboys rallied on the back of a strong second half last week to register a win over Newcastle and could welcome back Johnathan Thurston this week to help them find some top four form. Parramatta head north following a strong win over Penrith with the 18-12 score line flattering the Panthers somewhat. Parra held a 18-0 lead in the second half and while they will welcome back David Gower this week, they will be without Brad Takairangi who suffered a knee injury in the win. The Cowboys' home performances have been sub-par so far this season with two losses from five games, and will be keen to improve that with a strong showing this week. Young gun Kalyn Ponga was impressive with a man of the match display last week and look for him to get more involved whether or not Thurston returns. Cowboys by 6. Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights Saturday Afternoon, Cbus Super Stadium The injury-ravaged Titans traveled south to the reigning premiers' home turf and came away with a morale-boosting win and while their casualty ward welcomed a few more names, there's no doubt there's something different about the Titans this season. They welcome back Tyronne Roberts-Davis and Kane Elgey against a Knights side who went down to the Cowboys last week. Kangaroos absentee Dane Gagai will look to prove selectors wrong as he comes up against Dan Sarginson, who is also out to atone for a disappointing performance last weekend. Jarryd Hayne will also look to build on a strong showing last week as his destination for next season remains up in the air as the Titans seek to show the footballing world that they're better than their 2-6 record shows. The Knights are yet to win on the road this season and we can see that trend continuing as the Titans have the potential to run up a big score on the hapless Knights defence. Titans by 12. Canterbury Bulldogs v Canberra Raiders Saturday Night, ANZ Stadium Both teams locked on eight points. Both teams come into this game on the back of heart-breaking losses. Both teams will be up for a fight in what proves to be arguably the game of the round. The Bulldogs went down in the final minutes against the Tigers last week and following news that five-eighth Josh Reynolds will be leaving the club at the end of the season, there's sure to be some added motivation this week for Des Hasler's men. The Raiders lost to Manly in golden point last week and come in with an extra two days of rest which could prove to be decisive in the final 20 minutes of this game. This game will be decided in the halves, as both combinations have been relatively inconsistent so far this season. While Canberra have had little trouble finding the try line, they'll come up against the typically sturdy Des Hasler defence in what will be a big test for the green machine. We expect the Raiders to face that test head on and come out on top. Raiders by 8. Wests Tigers v Cronulla Sharks Saturday Night, Leichhardt Oval Wests Tigers strolled into ANZ Stadium last week and snapped the Bulldogs' three-game winning streak in dramatic fashion with a 77th-minute Kevin Naiqama try proving to be the difference. It was their second win under new coach Ivan Cleary and now come up against the reigning premiers who were upset by Gold Coast last week at home. Gerard Beale comes back in on the wing for the Sharks who will look to return to their gritty ways against a rejuvenated Tigers side. Luke Lewis also comes back in and will be sure to give Cronulla some extra metres up the field as they look to remain unbeaten away from home this season. James Tedesco coming up against Valentine Holmes proves to be a mouth-watering match up however as is often the case against the Sharks, the battle of the forward packs will go a long way in deciding the winner of this match. While the Tigers were good last week, it's hard to keep the reigning premiers down. Sharks by 6. New Zealand Warriors v Sydney Roosters Sunday Afternoon, Mt Smart Stadium New Zealand's steadied improvement has been on show for the better part of a month and while they didn't get the result they were after on Anzac Day, they are still many positives for Warriors fans. Sydney got out of jail in their Anzac Day clash, as their poor defensive effort late in the game was bailed out by Mitchell Pearce's golden point field goal. The tri-colours sit third on the ladder and can climb up to top spot with a win however it won't come easy, as the Warriors have a 3-1 home record, with their lone loss coming against the top of the table Storm. The continuity in the Warriors side is helping them gel as a team and Shaun Johnson and co will have their eyes firmly set on peppering the Roosters' defensive line which showed it can be indecisive at times. While it's tough to pick a winner, we'll jump on the home team to continue their solid form at Mt Smart Stadium. Warriors by 3. St George Illawarra Dragons v Melbourne Storm Sunday afternoon, WIN Stadium Top of the table clash to round out the weekend. The Storm travel north of the border to face the Dragons who will be without their star half Gareth Widdop. Widdop limped from the field on Anzac Day with a knee injury, leaving Josh Dugan with the kicking duties. The Englishman's absence will put more pressure on the Dragon forwards to ensure they have the best field territory possible in a bid to pressure and crack the league's best defence. The Storm were back to their gritty best on Anzac Day and despite looking sloppy at times, they jumped on the back of a brilliant Will Chambers run to steer them home. Billy Slater's absence from the Kangaroos squad will only motivate him further in a battle of two of the best fullbacks in the game as the Storm look to create a buffer at the top of the ladder as the Origin period fast approaches. Storm by 8.

		P	W	L	PTS	+/-
1	CBR	24	19	5	44	148
2	MEL	24	17	7	40	212
3	CAN	24	16	8	38	120
4	BRI	24	15	9	36	172
5	CRO	24	15	9	36	109
6	NZW	24	14	10	34	21
7	PEN	24	13	10	33	107
8	SYD	24	13	11	32	132

Round 9: Previews and Predictions

North Queensland Cowboys v Parramatta Eels

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