want a live game and prefer souths in finals over the whinging mob full of wankers from manly

s out: if the Broncos beat the Raiders, they’ll be alive. Similarly, if the Raiders beat the Broncos and the Bulldogs post an unlikely win over the Sea Eagles – they’ll be alive, though possibly needing to win this game by a minimum ten points to punt the Sea Eagles from the finals zone. (They need only seven more points to overtake last season’s 566 as their most points scored in a year.)

Whichever way the cards fall, the Dragons’ performance will likely affect who finishes in what positions at the foot of the top eight – and which team they will play next game in Week One of the finals.

Their close victory over the Knights last week was pleasing in that they showed skill and composure by racing to a 22-nil lead after 40 minutes in front of the Newcastle ‘Old Boys’ crowd.

Then, a shocking ref’s decision to award Adam MacDougall, followed by two quick speculator tries, saw them wobbling at just 22-18 up and with 30 minutes to play. From there they could have run up the white flag, but they didn’t. They held firm, repelled wave after wave of Knights attack and iced the win with a brilliant long-range try to Jamie Soward in the closing minutes.

Their roster is bolstered this week by the return of Beau Scott after a fortnight off with a hamstring twinge; his inclusion in the back row shifts Matt Prior to the bench. Coach Wayne Bennett has named an extended bench including back-up hookers Nathan Fien and Luke Priddis, Trent Merrin, Jarrod Saffy, Nick Emmett, Kyle Stanley and Jon Green.

Priddis announced his retirement during the week, so we predict he’ll probably get some game-time in what could be his last NRL appearance.

Also, some big cheers are expected for Mark Gasnier, who dons the red and white for the 150th time.

Meanwhile the Rabbitohs stayed alive last week after outlasting the Eels in what, it must be said, ranked as one of the worst games of the year. Nil-all at halftime… 17 errors between the sides after 40 minutes – enough said.

They lost lock Jason Clark last week, but get back Eddy Pettybourne, who slots into the back row with Michael Crocker shifting to lock. Dave Taylor is pencilled in to start the game, pushing Dave Tyrrell to the bench.

They had a scare mid-week when halfback Chris Sandow dislocated his finger in a training mishap, although reports are he’ll be fine to take his place.

Watch out Dragons: The impact of Issac Luke (1790 receives, fifth in comp) and Dave Taylor needs to be nullified.

Luke’s runs from dummy-half (185, second most in the NRL and the most by a hooker) are particularly effective and he will catch out any tiring Dragons defenders around the ruck. His offloads to supports can see the Bunnies make big metres on any given set, even from inside their half.

Taylor was a little rusty in the first 40 last week but then unleashed four stunning offloads to stamp his attacking prowess. He’ll be a threat on the left edge, where Mark Gasnier and Jason Nightingale will need to make good defence calls.

The Dragons also need to be wary of lapses that lead to momentum shifts. They leaked 32 second-half points against the Raiders and 18 against the Knights last week in what could become a worrying trend heading into next week if it’s allowed to continue here.

Watch out Rabbitohs: While it’s well documented the Dragons have a potent left-side attack, scoring exactly double the 21 tries they’ve notched on the right, expect Gasnier and Nightingale to see more action on the right edge.

Gasnier needs a confidence-boosting, banner game heading into the finals and he may just get it here – the Rabbitohs have leaked 60 of their 92 tries from the centre of the park to their left corner post. Consequently, watch the Gasnier show-and-go get a workout.

Where it will be won: In open play and the edges. Luke’s darts (eight dummy-half line-breaks, most in comp) and Chris Sandow’s back-up play guarantee this will be played at a frantic pace, which means there should be plenty of opportunities for the likes of Ben Creagh, Brett Morris (20 line-breaks, second in the NRL) and Dave Taylor on the edges.

The Rabbitohs also need to be careful of one of their own. There’s no doubting the aggression Sam Burgess brings to the side, especially in defence (team-high 51 dominant tackles), but the Englishman is prone to getting carried away and conceding silly penalties.

Burgess has conceded a team-high 10 penalties (out of the side’s total 136 – the most by any side). Most of these have involved working players over, or flops. He needs to be on his best behaviour.

The history: Played 15; Dragons 12, Rabbitohs 3. The Dragons have won six of the past eight games, although the Bunnies have won two of the past four, including a 41-6 spanking at ANZ Stadium in 2009.

The Dragons limped home 16-13 in Round 19 courtesy of a last-minute Gasnier try set up by Neville Costigan.

Conclusion: The Dragons need to watch their discipline – they have a shocking record under ref Ben Cummins, having won just three of 12 games (one game and one loss this year). Any lapses could gift the red-and-greens penalties, from which momentum flows.

Still, the Dragons should have too much focus and brilliance. They have their eyes on the prize and, judging by the way they overcame the rush of points and crowd support in Newcastle last week, they have the mettle to tough it out should that be required.

We’ll predict a 12+ margin to the home side.

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aren’t guaranteed a place in the finals.

The situation is this: if Manly loses to the Bulldogs, and the Rabbitohs can beat the Dragons, then the season could be over the northern beaches club. It would then depend on the winning margins in both games. You can bet there will be no-one more nervous than Des Hasler this weekend.

Considering the Bulldogs will be playing with nothing to lose, it sets up a dangerous scenario if you are a Manly fan.

Neither side comes into this game carrying much momentum, with both teams having won only two of their past five games.

For the Sea Eagles, their recent wins came against the Warriors and Storm – both of whom performed well below their best. In their other games, against the Knights, Dragons and Roosters, Manly seemed unable to put together 80 minutes of footy, controlling the game for patches then inexplicably letting the game go. Last week was the perfect example, with the side racing out to 14-0 after 38 minutes before conceding 30 unanswered points.

The Bulldogs may not have the same scoring ability as the Roosters did last week, but if the Sea Eagles put in another second-half display like last week, they will find themselves sweating on the Rabbitohs display and, even if results went their way, they would then face the Dragons or Tigers at home with no momentum – easy pickings.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs very nearly toppled the Panthers on Monday night after letting a lead go just like Manly’s. The Panthers are by no means at their peak in form, but the effort showed will give the team a huge lift as they prepare for their final game. In their other recent games, the side has beating the Cowboys and Knights, with their losses coming against the Knights and Raiders – both of whom were running hot at the time.

This will be the final match in the NRL for Luke Patten and Brett Kimmorley, while Ben Hannant will also be leaving the Bulldogs after the game.

Watch out Sea Eagles: It’s no fluke Brett Kimmorley has played 306 first grade games in the NRL, and he’ll be fired up to leave a lasting impression in the minds of everyone watching in game #307.

Despite the side struggling throughout the season, Kimmorley has proven that he’s still one of the best halfbacks in the competition – you only have to look at the number of clubs that chased his signature for 2011 to realise that. With 10 try assists, nine line-break assists, a combined eight line-breaks and tries of his own, and arguably the best kick-chase in the game, Kimmorley is still a player that can make or break this match.

Watch out Bulldogs: If this game is about the master Kimmorley, then so too is it about the apprentice Hodkinson. The young Manly halfback will be moving to Belmore next season, and this is his first chance to show his new club he’s worth the cash, and to show the Brookvale faithful what they’ll be missing.

Hodkinson has 10 try assists, a combined nine tries and line-breaks himself, and has proven his abilities with the boot, averaging 261 kick metres per game. But after stunning everyone with his early season form – resulting in representative selection for City Origin – his second half of the year hasn’t been quite as impressive. He’ll know better than anyone that he needs to step up and secure Manly its spot in the top eight, meaning he’ll have all the motivation to pull out a big one on Sunday.

Where it will be won: Good old-fashioned discipline. Without sounding like a broken record, last week showed that without a consistent performance over the entire 80 minutes, any team in the competition can make you pay, and discipline on and off the ball will be an important part of that.

The Sea Eagles and Bulldogs are ranked 2nd and 7th respectively for lowest error rates, but it will also come down to which side can give away the fewest penalties. Serial offenders like Anthony Watmough (24), Michael Ennis (18), and Jason King (17) will need to be careful of not inviting the opposition into the game through ill-discipline.

The history: Played 110; Sea Eagles 58, Bulldogs 47, drawn 5. At Brookvale Oval Manly have won 32 of the 51 contests, but the Bulldogs won’t be scared of the venue by any means, having won four of the past seven games there, including a 56-24 mauling in 2003.

Luke Patten and Andrew Ryan will have particularly good memories of the venue; the pair have scored eight tries there.

Conclusion: Common sense would tell you that Manly should be far too good and should win easily, but you get the sense that the Sea Eagles are really struggling to reclaim their mojo.

Manly are clear favourites with the bookies, but if you have that gut feeling telling you there’ll be an upset, listen to it.

Footnote: To add to Dessie’s anxiety, Bill Harrigan is back in the video ref’s booth, just weeks after stiffing the Sea Eagles by awarding a controversial Mark Gasnier try… against the Sea Eagles!

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After a $1 ticket offer the match is sold out – and as such, it shapes as an ambush for the Knights.

Melbourne are thanking their loyal fans and also farewelling some of their players. Greg Inglis, Ryan Hoffman, Brett White, Aiden Tolman, Jeff Lima and Brett Finch will all play their last game for the purple brigade, making this an emotion-charged afternoon.

Inglis and Manu were late withdrawals last weekend in the loss to the Wests Tigers but they’ll return to the centres with Willie Isa and Gareth Widdop making way.

Brett Finch also missed last weekend but he’ll return for Luke Kelly, while Tolman returns at the expense of young Jesse Bromwich.

Newcastle are basically on a hiding to nothing. A win could see them finish as high as ninth while a loss might drop them as low as 12th… some would argue it’s all the same if you’re not in the finals… as long as you’re not last. That spot is obviously taken by Melbourne.

Jarrod Mullen will play his 100th NRL match as captain after Kurt Gidley was ruled out.

Other changes see Shannon McDonnell out and Wes Naiqama named at fullback, while Scott Dureau will take the halfback role. Dan Tolar and Joel Edwards have been named as new faces on a bench of five.

Watch out Storm: The Knights will probably try to feed their right-side attack as often as possible to help Adam MacDougall add to his club record of tries and to get Akuila Uate over the line as the competition’s leading try scorer.

Uate has 21 tries for the year and is just one ahead of Israel Folau, two ahead of Brett Morris and three ahead of Manu Vatuvei and Shaun Kenny-Dowall. While he will know if all but Morris have pulled level or ahead of him by game time, he will be well aware the Dragons flier scored a hat-trick in the final round last season to take the title.

The Knights have scored 40 tries on the right side of the field this season while Melbourne have conceded 32 tries on this side of the field compared to 24 on the other.

Watch out Knights: The Storm is ready to put on a points fest. With $3000 going to charity if they win plus $1500 for every try they score, $1000 for every goal they pot and $500 for every field goal they boot going to charity also, the side is ready to entertain a packed house.

Add to this the fact Billy Slater needs just one try to equal Matt Geyer’s record of 113 tries for Melbourne (where is the queue to get cash on him not only tying but beating it here?) and you have massive danger signs for the Knights.

Young winger Justin O’Neill has already scored six tries in five games at AAMI Park so keep an eye on him, while Kevin Proctor, Tolman and White all need a try to get off the dreaded ‘nudie run’, so you can expect to see them clamouring for the ball close to the line.

Those of you in Dream Team finals; be aware Cameron Smith might not take every shot at goal. Chances are White, Hoffman and co. might get offered the odd shot!

Where it will be won: Well, we already know both teams are going to throw the ball around so the game will be won and lost on errors, or the ability of making the speculator passes stick.

The Knights’ most attacking-minded and gifted player in Gidley missing and the Storm side are full of names like Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Smith and Slater. The combinations between this quartet have proven to be spectacular before; as such that could be the key to the win.

Believe it or not, over the first 25 rounds of this competition, the two sides have amassed the exact same amount of errors (300). This works out to just over 13 a game. If one can dominate possession over the other and make fewer mistakes, then perhaps the attacking gods will be on their side.

The history: Played 24; Storm 12, Knights 12. Melbourne took down the Knights earlier this year, before the salary cap scandal hit. This pushed the Storm’s record over the Knights to six wins from the past eight.

The sides are yet to play at AAMI Park… but the Knights haven’t won in Melbourne since Round 2, 2004.

Conclusion: Unfortunately for Knights fans this smells like a Melbourne Storm carve up. As soon as the curtain was drawn on the Knights’ season last week the chances of them winning this game became almost non-existent.

Of course, they do have the talent to win, but with a full house of Melbourne fans and the emotion of the afternoon it would take a Herculean effort. You’ll probably get huge odds for a Newcastle win… but it still won’t be worth the risk of your hard-earned!

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s the final home game of the regular season in what was supposed to be a celebration of what the mountain men have achieved this year.

On the flip side, Cronulla’s Paul Gallen (who’s favoured to take over the retiring Trent Barrett as skipper in 2011) has emerged as a leading contender for the Dally M medal. Yep, that’s right. Even in a team that’s been the butt of jokes all season, the player renowned for ‘pushing the envelope’ in the game is in line to take out the game’s most coveted prize.

It makes for an intriguing final round clash at CUA Stadium on Saturday night, and all eyes will be fixed on how the hosts respond without their inspirational skipper. City representative Tim Grant, who recently extended his stay at Penrith for another four years, returns from an ankle injury to replace him.

The Panthers will also be without Luke Walsh, who suffered an ankle injury in last Monday’s 24-18 victory. In another ironic twist, he’ll be replaced by the Shire-bound Wade Graham.

Despite the confidence they’ll take out of their last-second win over the Bulldogs last Monday, the jury is still out on whether Penrith are genuine premiership contenders. Nevertheless, the men in black are assured of a home semi-final next week, but a win over the Sharks could see them finish the regular season in second place.

On the other hand the Sharks were impressive in their 10-16 upset victory over the Titans last week. It was their second boil-over in three weeks, after handing the Roosters an 18-12 loss before going down in Melbourne the week after.
It’s true Gallen has been nothing short of outstanding this year, averaging over 177 metres and 34 tackles a game in 2010. Remarkably, he’s missed just four minutes this year.

The visitors have named an unchanged line-up to the one that beat Gold Coast last Saturday night.

Watch out Panthers: There’s no denying that the Sharks are playing some much better football since Shane Flanagan has taken over the reins in the Shire. In the past three weeks alone, Cronulla have completed almost 80 per cent of their total sets.

As usual, their strength is in the forward pack, where the representative trio of Luke Douglas, Kade Snowden and Paul Gallen combine to average more than 400 metres a game. In last week’s game alone, they recorded 512 metres between them.

Against a Penrith side without their biggest metre-eater in Civoniceva, the Penrith forwards will have their work cut out trying to limit Cronulla’s surge up the field.

Watch out Sharks: In Michael Gordon, Michael Jennings, Luke Lewis and Frank Pritchard, Penrith have match winners across the park – but it’s the man with the whistle who could loom as Cronulla’s biggest obstacle for their final match of the season.

The Sharks have the worst record of any NRL team under Robinson, winning just eight of 18 games played in games adjudicated by him. It gets worse away from home, where they’ve won just twice from their 11 matches.

Where it will be won: Discipline. Penrith and Cronulla rank second and third respectively in penalties conceded, making them two of the most ill-disciplined teams in the competition.

Of the 145 penalties the Panthers have given away this year, this week’s stand-in captain Luke Lewis has provided 21, while Kingston is the next worst with 14.

For the Sharks, former international Anthony Tupou and Snowden have each contributed 15 of Cronulla’s 144 penalties.

The history: Played 77; Sharks 39, Panthers 35, drawn 3. They’ve split the past eight games evenly, but the mountain men did enjoy a 34-14 victory in the Shire earlier this year.

The Panthers hold the advantage in matches played at CUA Stadium, winning 21 of the 35 games played.

Conclusion: It’s a shame this game isn’t being played at Toyota Stadium, where the Sharkies have recorded consecutive victories. Instead, it’s out at CUA Stadium, where the home ground advantage and the anticipation of a home final the week after, should give the hosts the leg up they need.

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f sixth (a position in the McIntyre System which has had some success in the past 11 years, beating third on six occasions) the Roosters can get into the top four if the Titans lose and they win against the Cowboys by more than the Warriors win over the Eels (or the Warriors lose).

They could even catch Penrith in the unlikely events of Penrith losing by 40 to the Sharks and the Roosters winning by 40 against the Cowboys (much more likely).

The result of this could be a top-four berth (where all premiers since McIntyre System was implemented have come from) and a home final.

The consequences of a loss could be dire. Both Manly and Canberra could then jump ahead of the side and they would be forced into sudden-death football from seventh or eighth and we already know the eighth-placed team will face the minor premier Dragons.

Anthony Minichiello is due back from injury at fullback, seeing Jonathan Ford miss out. Jake Friend is due to start at hooker, pushing Nick Kouparitsas to the bench, Nate Myles is moving up to prop from the second row, meaning Mose Masoe joins the reserves list. Frank Paul Nuuausala is the new man in the second row. Daniel Conn has been suspended, with Martin Kennedy and Lopini Paea coming onto an extended bench as cover.

For the Cowboys, the end of the year couldn’t come quick enough. But they will still be playing for pride in front of some loyal fans who have only seen four wins in Townsville this year.

They are certain to finish 15th and would be the wooden spooners if not for Melbourne’s indiscretions with the salary cap.

Fullback Matthew Bowen celebrates his 200th game, becoming only the second player to do so for the Cowboys. He goes back to his favoured position after playing halfback last week, which means Shannon Gallant is out. Aaron Payne moves from hooker to half and Clint Amos comes on at hooker from the bench, with Anthony Watts rejoining the team on the bench.

Watch out Cowboys: Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall is in blistering form and thanks to a hat-trick last week against Manly he is within striking distance of the top tryscorers’ mantle. With 18 tries for the year Kenny-Dowall is three behind Akuila Uate, two behind Israel Folau and one behind Brett Morris. If he can manufacture another hat-trick against the Cowboys he can draw level and while it’s not common to score four tries in a match, Reece Robinson did just that against the Cowboys last weekend.

Kenny-Dowall, or ‘SKD’ as his fans call him, also has 17 line-breaks, which is equal sixth in the competition and he averages 128 metres gained. His 2954 metres this season is seventh in the competition.

Adding more danger is his 144 tackle-breaks, second most in the NRL.

Watch out Roosters: The Cowboys have not been a thorn in anyone’s side for quite some time but perhaps the fact he celebrates game 200 might bring out some old Matt Bowen magic. Bowen can excite the masses better than most when he gets on a roll and if the Roosters give him some space perhaps he can give the Cowboys’ faithful some fond feelings to take into the off-season.

He has contributed to the team’s playmaking with eight try assists and seven line-break assists but what we’d really like to see is him take on the line like the old days. Two recovering knees aside… when Bowen backs his instincts and takes on the defence he can be more elusive than Inglis, Marshall and Uate combined!

Where it will be won: This game is the Roosters’ to lose, basically. And the only way they are likely to lose it is if they get away from the game plan. With this in mind the game will be won if the Roosters stick to the plan coach Smith lays out for them, and he’ll have a meticulous one like always. He won’t shackle them, but he will ask they set up attacking options with disciplined play.

With the Cowboys having weaknesses everywhere there will be temptation to attack with reckless abandonment but the forwards still need to lay the platform for the backs to shine.

They also should be using this game to fine-tune their defence. The Cowboys will try to throw some trick shots at them and the temptation could be there to back off their intensity in tackling to save petrol for the finals. But this just breeds laziness into the defensive psyche and the Roosters cannot afford this in the big games.

The history: Played 25; Cowboys 6, Roosters 19. Despite the one-sided head-to-head results the Cowboys upset the Roosters in Sydney earlier this season to notch up one of just five wins this year. The 32-14 result also gave the Cowboys three in a row over the Roosters.

Home ground advantage is basically non-existent though, with the Roosters leading the ledger 9-3 at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Expect plenty of points… the average total match points over the past eight games tallies more than 54.

Conclusion: Back the Roosters. It can’t get much clearer than that. The side has plenty to play for, it needs momentum going forward and the Cowboys are, quite frankly, a rabble on the pitch at the moment.

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and for each other. But with three wins from their past four games the Warriors are poised to make a late charge for a top-four position, depending on other results, having already guaranteed themselves a spot in the finals.

A win here, if the Titans lose to the Tigers, will see the Warriors in a tight battle with the Roosters for fourth spot and a prized home final. A loss, however, could see them finish in the dreaded elimination zone at the bottom of the eight, facing a tough, must-win away game against a top-two team.

While the Eels no longer have a chance of featuring it would be foolish to suggest they have nothing to play for.

To a man, the Eels will be desperate to send inspirational captain Nathan Cayless out a winner. The hard-working prop will play his last NRL game in front of his home crowd, going out as the club’s third most-capped player and with 220 games as captain, making him the longest-serving captain in NRL history.

Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu play their last games for the club before both join the Warriors in 2011, and will be keen to impress their future clubmates. Kris Keating also plays his last game for the club before he joins the Bulldogs next year.

Club veteran Luke Burt needs another seven points to reach 1500 career points in the NRL, but he will likely have to wait until next year for the three tries he needs to match Brett Kenny's club record of 110.

The Eels welcome back Jeff Robson from a knee injury for this game. He pushes Kris Keating to five-eighth, meaning Daniel Mortimer is relegated to the bench and Anthony Mitchell goes back to the NSW Cup. Feleti Mateo escaped suspension for striking Rabbitoh Chris Sandow with an early guilty plea.

The Warriors will go in with the same 17 that ran roughshod over the Broncos last week, although Joel Moon joins a five-man bench.

Watch out Eels: Ivan Cleary has really galvanised the defence of a club more renowned for adventurously throwing the ball around. Over the past month the Warriors have actually conceded the fewest points (43) of any team in the competition. They gave Brisbane absolutely nothing last week, keeping the Broncos scoreless until the 77th minute but it was a Round 18 defensive masterclass against Penrith that really showed the newfound steel in the Warriors’ line.

All this spells trouble for a misfiring Parramatta attack that has scored fewer tries (68) this year than any team other than the Sharks. Combine this with an unsettled halves combination and the Eels will really have their work cut out trying to figure out a way through the Warriors. The visitors have always had points in them but since they're not conceding tries they pose a huge danger to a team that has struggled to get over the line in 2010.

Watch out Warriors: We saw the power an emotional farewell can have last week as Trent Barrett and Luke Covell received a fitting send off at Shark Park, and the Bulldogs also found an extra gear for the final home game of Luke Patten and Brett Kimmorley. If the Eels don't fire up for their skipper's swansong, they never will. Look for Cayless to lead by example as he attempts to carry his team along with him in his final game.

When the Eels are playing well it's generally their second-phase play which creates havoc for opposition defensive structures. Even though they've struggled to turn it into results on the scoreboard this year, Parramatta are still ranked second in the comp for tries resulting from offloads (nine). Mateo is the competition frontrunner for offloads with 67 in 2010 and Cayless is fourth with 51. Nathan Hindmarsh (37) Krisnan Inu (36) and Joel Reddy (34) also feature prominently. With the finals now out of reach they could be tempted to chance their arm even more – if those offloads stick the Warriors’ defence will have to scramble to hold the Eels out.

Where it will be won: Field position is always crucial but here it will be decisive. The Eels concede the most running metres of any team in the competition, giving up an average of 1410 metres across the ground in every game. The Warriors are at the other end of the scale, conceding just 1246 running metres to be second best in the NRL.

The sides are remarkably similar in other positional stats, meaning whichever team muscles up in the middle of the park, clamps down on opposition offloads and slows down the play-the-ball, will earn the advantage.

The Warriors are ranked fourth for tries scored from inside the opposition 20-metre line (62), and their 27 tries scored from kicks is second behind only the Panthers – meaning the Eels need to keep big Manu Vatuvei and last week’s two-try heroes Lewis Brown and Lance Hohaia away from their line at all costs.

The history: Played 27, Parramatta 16, Warriors 11. The Warriors have been all over the Eels lately, winning four of the past five, including that 35-6 demolition job at Mt Smart Stadium back in Round 17.
They've had an awful time of it on the road however – the Warriors have claimed the points on just two occasions at Parramatta, where the Eels hold a 9-2 advantage.

Conclusion: There are plenty of distractions for both sides going into this one so whichever side can shut out the noise and focus on the task at hand will have the edge. The Warriors have been far more impressive and consistent in recent weeks but if the Eels can lift themselves up one final time for their inspirational captain then they could still give the Warriors a few headaches.

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ref="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q46hINip3hE&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q46hINip3hE&feature=related

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No horse has come close since ... the perfect thoroughbred! No one will ever forget big red ... 3 track records in triple crown ... the belmont was a tour de force ... when other horses weakened he got stronger in the toughest race of triple crown.

But back on point ... Wallace will be out quickly - no reason to risk it for no reason ... but the Raiders do not need to win - they just need to lose by less than 15 to keep their place in the 8 over the Broncos but they need to win to make sure the Rabbitohs do not bunny hop over them so I will rely on them to push like the Super Horse.

ow until about an hour before kick-off whether they have anything to play for against the Dragons, with Souths needing either Canberra or Manly to lose to be any chance of making the finals. The Dragons on the other hand are guaranteed minor premiers, so if the Bunnies do have something to play for, there is every chance they could catch their opponents off guard with the Dragons already thinking about the finals. Coach Wayne Bennett has resisted the temptation to rest anyone ahead of the finals, with the red and whites sure to be in a celebratory mood as they parade the JJ Giltinan Shield.
Key: Mentality - will the Bunnies have anything to play for against a side that is already thinking about next week?
Tip: Dragons

weeks ago they were eying a top-four finish. Injuries and suspension have ravaged their pack, but they do get prop Josh Perry back from a knee injury on Sunday. The Sea Eagles can still make the top eight even with a loss, but do they really want the anguish of relying on Souths losing to the Dragons? The Bulldogs have spent the week mired in a betting scandal which is now in the hands of the police, but they'll be out for a big one in the final game of Brett Kimmorley's distinguished career.
Key: Master versus Pupil. Manly rookie Trent Hodkinson will replace Brett Kimmorley as Bulldogs No.7 next year, but as his future assistant coach, can Kimmorley hand out his first lesson?
Tip: Sea Eagles

their NRL season from hell. Well it all comes to an end on Sunday, at what will be an packed an emotional AAMI Park. A bunch of Storm favourites such as Greg Inglis, Ryan Hoffman, Jeff Lima and Brett Finch will play for the club for last time in yet another reminder of the cost of their salary cap cheating. Newcastle's finals hopes evaporated last week, and like many teams there will only be pride on the line this weekend.
Key: A full house and plenty of emotion, but will the mood be one of celebration or commiseration for the Storm faithful on Sunday?
Tip: Storm

s game is all about the NRL's heroes and villains. The Roosters can finish anywhere from fourth to eighth depending on other results, and will know before the game just how high they can aim. Another performance like the one Todd Carney produced in last week's win over Manly may clinch him a Dally M medal to cap an extraordinary return to the NRL. The winds of change have already started going through Townsville with roster and management restructures, but they'll be keen to end their season with a big one for their fans.
Key: With no Johnathan Thurston, do the Cowboys have the firepower to keep pace with the Roosters' high octane offence powered by the likes of Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce?
Tip: Roosters