The first game in Round 26 of the NRL is between the Newcastle Knights and the South Sydney Roosters. Kicking off on Friday night at 7.35pm, the Rabbitohs will be keen to keep their momentum going and secure a place in the four. It looks tough for Newcastle this weekend, although you would have to be brave to rule them out.
Brisbane Broncos vs Penrith Panthers also kicks off on Friday night at 7.35pm, in what is one of the most crucial matches of the round. There is a lot of incentive for the Broncos to make the finals, with a win in this game giving them eighth spot on the table. If they have a loss however, the Wests Tigers are in with some hope.
Manly play the Gold Coast on Saturday at 5.30pm, with the Sea Eagles big favourites to take this one out. With great form on their side, Manly are the team to beat at the moment, in stark contrast to the Titans who have nothing to play for except the end of a disappointing season.
Wests Tigers vs Melbourne Storm kicks off on Saturday at 7.30pm. The Tigers could manage to scrape their way into the finals if Penrith win against the Broncos, although the Storm will be hard to beat. The result of the Friday night clash will have a huge effect on this match, with the possibility of a hungry Tigers team promise for a great encounter.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs take on the Sydney Roosters on Saturday at 7.30pm. The Bulldogs didn’t have a good Friday night last week against the Raiders, but they are likely to swing back in action for this encounter. While the Roosters did look good last week, you would have to be very brave to pick them this weekend.
New Zealand Warriors vs Canberra Raiders kicks off on Sunday at 2.00pm, in what is an important game for the Raiders. The Warriors are always hard to beat at home however, so make no mistake, this is a danger game for Canberra. The Warriors have had a bad few weeks however, and the Raiders certainly wont want to give up their position inside the eight.
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys kicks off on Sunday at 3.00pm. While the Sharks had a good game last week, they still lost and have a short turnaround time since Monday night. The Cowboys also have momentum on their side at the moment, and will be keen to keep building in the lead up to the finals.
The final game of Round 26 is between the Parramatta Eels and the St George Illawarra Dragons. Kicking off on Sunday at 6.30pm, these two teams are both out of contention this season. Both teams will be playing for pride however, with the Eels saying farewell to Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt and the Dragons saying goodbye to Ben Hornby and Dean Young.