Round 25 of the NRL is already with us, with a big weekend of footy ahead. The first match is between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Brisbane Broncos, kicking off on Friday night at 7.35pm. This is a great game to start the round, with the Broncos getting back to their best and Manly always hard to beat at Brookvale oval.
Canberra Raiders vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs also kicks off on Friday at 7.35pm. The Raiders will be keen to win this one to stay in the finals hunt, although the Dogs are never an easy team to keep down. While a Raiders win would definitely be a big upset, their hunger may be able to get them over the line.
The Penrith Panthers take on the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday at 3.30pm, with the Titans doing everything they can to keep their season ticking over. While the amount of speed on display should make this an entertaining clash, the Panthers look unlikely to stop the Gold Coast.
St George Illawarra Dragons vs NZ Warriors kicks off on Saturday at 5.30pm. This is not exactly a big game for either of these teams, although pride is always on the line at this time of the season. The Dragons will want to see both Dean Young and Ben Hornby off with a win however, with an ordinary Warriors side not likely to stop them.
North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights takes place on Saturday at 7.30pm. The Knights didn’t look good last weekend, with their defence an obvious issue. Given this game is at Dairy Farmers Stadium, the Cowboys will be hard to beat this weekend.
Sydney Roosters play Wests Tigers on Sunday at 2.00pm, in what should be a good match. The Tigers are still in touch with the eight, although star Robbie Farah is injured and not playing for this match. However, Wests should still have enough to keep the Roosters at bay, if only by a little bit.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Paramatta Eels kicks off on Sunday at 3.00pm. The Rabbitohs had won six in a row, but have now lost the last two games at the wrong time of the season. The Eels have been weak in defence of late however, and will have a hard time making an impact at ANZ Stadium this weekend.
The last game of the round is between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks on Monday night at 7.00pm. Lots of people will be looking forward to this game, which is likely to be a defensive struggle. With both teams heading for the finals, this game has the potential to be a nail biter and could very well be the match of the round.
