Round 23 of the NRL season kicks-off this weekend, with a number of enticing clashes taking place in the lead-up to the finals.
Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans is the first game of the round, taking place on Friday night at 7.35pm. The Storm are looking good with the home ground advantage, and will be keen to show everyone just how serious they are about this year’s premiership. However, the Titans are playing for everything in 9th position and should offer the Storm more than enough resistance for a good match.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs play the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night at 7.35pm, with the Rabbitohs looking very hard to beat after their recent wins. While the Sea Eagles are also sitting pretty in 4th spot, they will have to recover from lots of recent travelling and a few tough games over the last few weeks.
Parramatta Eels vs Sydney Roosters kicks-off on Saturday at 5.30pm, with the fate of Nathan Hindermarsh likely to play a big role in this clash. If it is Nathan’s last game at Parramatta Stadium, the Eels might be able to overcome the Roosters, even though the Eels have failed to impress over the last couple of weeks.
The North Queensland Cowboys take on the Warriors on Saturday at 7.30pm. The Warriors are struggling after a dismal performance last weekend against the Sharks, and to top things off, they are also suffering some injuries in the squad. The Cowboys will be favourites to take this one out, giving them a good chance to increase their points and for/against going into the finals.
The other game on Saturday evening at 7.30pm is Wests Tigers vs St George Illawarra Dragons. The Tigers looked good on Monday night, and will be keen to back-up their impressive attacking play. They are 8th spot on the ladder at the moment, so a little bit of confidence could go a long way. In contrast, the Dragons are back in 12th and don’t have as much to play for as Wests.
Penrith Panthers vs Canberra Raiders is the first of the Sunday games, taking place at 2.00pm. Canberra are not exactly the most consistent team going around this year, although they do have pretty good form away from home. The Panthers had a tough time last week, and at second bottom on the ladder, don’t have as much to play for as Canberra.
Canterbury Bankstown kick-off against the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday at 3.00pm, with the Bulldogs having one of their best seasons for a long time. If he gets on the field, the Hodges vs Morris battle should be interesting, but with 10 Bulldog wins on the trot, and Brisbane failing to score points, they are going to have a hard time of it.
The last match this round is the Newcastle Knights vs the Cronulla Sharks, taking place this Monday at 7.00pm. The Sharks are looking good with Paul Gallen and Todd Carney back in the team, and the Knights are probably still licking their wounds against the Bulldogs last weekend. This game will be one to watch however, closing out an interesting round 23.
