NRL PREVIEWS RD 21- Read on for more..
Canterbury v Souths
Canterbury could win all six of their remaining games and still not be guaranteed a place in the finals.
The Bulldogs can finish on a maximum of 28 competition points if they win every game but the way the top eight is shaping, it may take 30 to make the cut-off.
But the Bulldogs will figure that while ever there is life there is hope and they will be aiming to regain some of the momentum lost in last Friday night's stunning defeat by Parramatta when they take on the Rabbitohs at the same ground seven nights later.
The Bulldogs were easily accounted for by the Rabbitohs when these teams met at ANZ Stadium in round 4 but they have not been beaten twice in the same season by Souths since 1992.
The Rabbitohs bounced back from successive losses to the Roosters and the Dragons with a plucky 38-28 defeat of the Warriors last Sunday after losing Queensland State of Origin second-rower Dave Taylor with a broken collarbone.
Souths were already missing veteran front-rower Luke Stuart and hooker Issac Luke.
Look to a Rabbitohs try as First Scoring Play and a Souths win by 1-12 points.
First Tryscoring options include Josh Morris and Bryson Goodwin for the Bulldogs or Beau Champion, Nathan Merritt or Fetuli Talanoa for the Rabbitohs.
Penrith v North Queensland
The alarm bells are ringing at Penrith after three successive losses and although there are no signs of panic, another defeat could jeopardise much of their season's progress.
The Panthers should maintain their place in the top four regardless of Friday night's result against the Cowboys but another loss will place the team under intense pressure.
They blew an opportunity to challenge the Dragons for the minor premiership with a disappointing effort against Melbourne last weekend, failing to control possession and rarely asking questions of the Storm's defence.
The absence of halfback Luke Walsh exposed how limited the Panthers are for attacking options outside of Walsh's trusty right boot. They have one of the poorest records in the competition for scoring tries across the ground and only one of their two tries against the Storm came from a genuine line break.
The Cowboys enjoyed a rare success with their golden point win over Newcastle last Saturday night but their hopes of playing finals football in 2010 disappeared several weeks ago.
Stick with a Penrith try as First Scoring Play and a Panthers victory by 13+ points.
Best chances for First Tryscorer include Lachlan Coote, Michael Gordon and Michael Jennings for the Panthers or Willie Tonga or Matt Bowen for the Cowboys.
Parramatta v Sydney Roosters
The Eels' confidence soared to 2009 levels following their commanding 32-16 defeat of the Bulldogs last Friday night but there is still plenty of work ahead of them to confirm their place in the finals.
Parramatta face a challenging draw over the final six weeks, starting with the Roosters this Saturday and followed by the Titans, the Broncos, the Tigers, the Rabbitohs and the Warriors.
Every one of their opponents are scrambling desperately to improve their standing in the competition and the Eels will barely have time to take a breath.
But with Jarryd Hayne in the devastating touch that he was in against the Bulldogs, anything is possible. His form commanded the attention of Canterbury's defenders to the extent that his team-mates found more room to move than they had all season.
Under-pressure halves Jeff Robson and Daniel Mortimer roamed the field with rare freedom and contributed significantly to the victory.
And it may be a sign of things to come with every opposing team from here to the finals certain to place a heavy focus on Hayne.
Consider an Eels try as First Scoring Play and a Parramatta win by 13+ points.
Best hopes for First Tryscorer are Jarryd Hayne, Joel Reddy and Krisnan Inu for the Eels or Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Sam Perrett or Phil Graham for the Roosters.
Wests Tigers v Cronulla
Recent history shows that the Wests Tigers have plenty to worry about from Cronulla this week.
Although the Sharks have been one of the poorest performed teams in the competition this season, the change of coach from Ricky Stuart to Shane Flanagan could have its biggest influence this Saturday night.
The record books show that a change of coach only occasionally results in a winning performance first-up but it is the second game under the new coach that often leads to victory. Teams with new coaches have won six from 15 first-up (including Flanagan) but 11 from 14 in their second game with a new man at the helm.
The Sharks have had precious little success against the Tigers over recent seasons, but they were big winners in their last visit to Leichhardt Oval, triumphing 32-6 in 2008.
The Tigers were rocked by a 38-20 loss to Manly at Bluetongue Stadium last Sunday and their defensive credentials were called into serious question. The Sea Eagles ran in six tries, many of them through paper-thin defence. The return of hard-tacking Englishman Gareth Ellis cannot come quickly enough.
Stick with a Tigers try as First Scoring Play and a Tigers victory by 13+ points.
Players to include in First Tryscorer calculations include Chris Lawrence, Blake Ayshford and Lote Tuqiri for the Tigers or Ben Pomeroy or Nathan Gardner for Cronulla.
Warriors v Gold Coast
Beating the competition leaders at their home ground will do wonders for the confidence of the Titans, whose campaign appeared to be losing traction after a lean month.
Their golden point win was a triumph considering that they were missing two current State of Origin players in five-eighth Greg Bird and lock Ashley Harrison.
Victory at Kogarah was the perfect prelude to a trip across the Tasman this week as the Titans will be aiming to hold their place in the eight when they confront the Warriors.
Ivan Cleary's Warriors found it hard to sustain a winning performance level for a sixth consecutive week and even though they kept pace with the Rabbitohs for almost 70 minutes, their defence was prised open repeatedly.
Sunday's game shapes as a crucial encounter for both teams who sit on 24 competition points. The winner will take a step closer to a place in the finals while the loser could be ejected from the top eight by the end of the round.
Take a Warriors try as First Scoring Play and consider a Warriors/Titans or Titans/Warriors outcome in the Half/Full Double.
First Tryscoring options include Manu Vatuvei, Jerome Ropati and Kevin Locke for the Warriors or Kevin Gordon or William Zillman for the Titans.
Melbourne v Canberra
News that three senior Storm players had made the decision to leave the club at the end of the season appeared to renew their team-mates' passion last weekend.
The move by Ryan Hoffman, Brett Finch and Jeff Lima to join the English Super League has brought the reality of the team's break-up into sharp focus and their team-mates appear to have decided that they will be putting everything into the next six weeks as a significant era in the club's history comes to a close.
It spells danger for the Raiders, who continue to entertain thoughts of a top eight finish after they claimed a third successive victory last Saturday night.
They were less than impressive in their dispatch of the Sharks but it was an important victory for David Furner's men, who are just managing to hang on.
The Raiders have a dismal record in Melbourne with no victories in the southern capital since 2000.
Look to a Storm try as First Scoring Play and a Melbourne win by 1-12 points.
For First Tryscorer look to Matt Duffie, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis for Melbourne or Joel Monaghan, Daniel Vidot or Josh Dugan for the Raiders.
Brisbane v St George Illawarra
Sunday's clash at Suncorp Stadium shapes as one of the blockbusters of the season and a capacity crowd of more than 50,000 has been tipped.
It will be finals football six weeks early for two teams who have plenty to prove to their fans and to themselves. The Broncos, who were written off early in the season after a dismal start to their campaign, will be out to prove they have what it takes to make a serious assault on the title while the Dragons will be desperate to show that last Friday night's loss to the Titans was not a sign of things to come.
It was at the same time last season that the wheels came off the Dragons and another loss here could prompt another fall from grace.
The Dragons remain four points clear at the top of the ladder and appear poised for a second successive minor premiership title but they still have a number of tough matches to come, especially over the next month. They start with the Broncos on Sunday and follow with the Roosters, the Sea Eagles, the Raiders (in Canberra), the Knights and the Rabbitohs.
The Broncos will be backing up from their Monday night encounter with the Roosters but they are expected to provide the Dragons with a fierce test of their credentials.
Go with a Broncos try as First Scoring Play and a Broncos/Dragons or Dragons/Broncos outcome in the Half/Full Double.
For First Tryscorer consider Jharal Yow Yeh, Israel Folau or Josh Hoffman for Brisbane or Jason Nightingale, Brett Morris or Matt Cooper for the Dragons.
Newcastle v Manly
Manly decided to get serious last Sunday and in 80 minutes they left plenty of their fans confident of September success after a 38-20 pasting of the Wests Tigers.
The Sea Eagles have been their own worst enemies for much of the 2010 season, failing to deliver on their potential on all but a few occasions.
They hammered the Dragons at Brookvale Oval and were comprehensive winners over the third-placed Tigers but too often they have been guilty of producing lacklustre efforts against lower-rated teams.
That all changed last Sunday as the Sea Eagles' forwards rolled up their sleeves and their backs cut loose against a back-pedalling Wests Tigers defensive line.
On their day, the Sea Eagles have the ability to challenge the best in the competition and that will make them a dangerous proposition come finals time. But first they have to get past a number of teams that they are expected to beat but could cause them a problem if their minds are not on the job.
The Knights will be aching after their golden point loss to the Cowboys last Saturday night they should be up for a clash against their old rivals.
Take a Manly try as First Scoring Play and look to a Sea Eagles victory by 13+ points.
Best chances for First Tryscorer include Akuila Uate, Junior Sa'u or Kurt Gidley for the Knights or Michael Robertson, Jamie Lyon or Tony Williams for Manly.
