Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla Sharks – Thursday night – GIO Stadium

An unusual coincidence - both these sides have won four of their last five games in Canberra. That's probably a little more impressive for the Sharks, given they would have been playing the Raiders at the time. They were flat and poor against the Bulldogs last week, but a loss to the only undefeated team in the NRL might be better than it looks. Still, they were flat...and poor. They'll be without Iro and Talakai on Thursday, replaced by Hiroti in the centres and Hazelton on the bench. The Raiders struggled in the conditions up in Townsville last week which wasn't a big surprise, but they didn't give up and it was two tries apiece in the second half. They'll feel more comfortable at home, and Smithies returns to bolster a forward pack that can dominate here. Should that be the case, the Sharks playmakers can be well contained. A rare free to air broadcast for the Green Machine and I'll back them at home.

Verdict – Raiders by 7

Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys – Friday night – CommBank Stadium

13th plays 14th and its been many a year since the Panthers were anywhere near this section of the NRL ladder. They're yet to win a game in Australia this season, but there's a few reasons to tip them with confidence here. Nathan Cleary returns, and we know what he does to this side, and he returns for the 250th game for Isaah Yeo. Every one of those games has been for Penrith, and he's up there with the best ball-playing locks of all time. The Cowboys picked up a much-needed win last week but these road trips are often a struggle. In fact, they haven't won a game at CommBank Stadium yet.

Verdict – Panthers by 8

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters – Friday night – Accor Stadium

Both sides will be up for the oldest rivalry in the NRL, but the Rabbitohs might have more 'up' than the Chooks. Latrell Mitchell returns for the first time this season and the scriptwriters made sure he was returning to play his old club. He's been training in the centres and has been named there, which tells you how well Jye Gray is going at fullback (current Dally M points leader). I've long said Mitchell is a better centre anyway, and I'm not alone. The Chooks have lost Radley to injury, with Watson a timely return. They're a better side with Watson on the paddock and they'll give their all, but this does look like a win for the Bunnies.

Verdict – Rabbitohs by 10

Parramatta Eels vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Saturday afternoon – CommBank Stadium

The good news for Eels fans is that their team are definitely improving. The bad news is they are coming off a very low base, and their opponent on Saturday is improving too. There is a real risk that the Eels first points this season will arrive in round 8 (their first bye). No doubt Eels fans will hope I'm wrong (and I probably am). The Eels are averaging just 11 points per game this season - simply not enough. Their two tries last week were both scored by forwards, and it's high time the Eels backline found its mojo. The Dragons have won just the one game this year. On face value that doesn't look much better than the Eels, but they've had narrow losses to the Bulldogs and the Rabbitohs and a win over the Storm last week. That form looks pretty good, particularly when you recall what the Storm did to the Eels earlier this year. I'm hoping this is a contest, but I expect the Dragons to prevail.

Verdict – Dragons by 8

Gold Coast Titans vs Redcliffe Dolphins – Saturday afternoon – CBus Super Stadium

I don't think the winless Dolphins are playing badly, but it does seem like they are lacking that killer blow that takes them from competitive to winning. If they find that they'll start winning games, but we haven't seen it yet. The Titans only loss this season was to the undefeated Bulldogs, and they look terrific. A win here could see them in the top four, and deservedly so. Can Des Hasler turn the Titans into a top eight side? I say yes.

Verdict – Titans by 8

Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers – Saturday night – Suncorp Stadium

The weather is likely to clear in time for this, and if it does we'll see a fair crowd turn up on Saturday night. The big news in Broncsbane this week is that Payne Haas is considering a switch to Samoa at representative level. While some might say this is bad news for Australian rugby league, I take the rather quirky view that the best thing the Kangaroos can have is decent international competition. I welcome the move, and it won't surprise me if Fa'asuamaleaui joins him. As for Saturday night, the Broncos lose Riki and the Tigers lose Luai, both to suspensions. With Luai unavailable, a whole lot of additional pressure lands on the shoulders of Lachlan Galvin. He's a prodigous talent, but it's a big ask against a quality opponent away from home.

Verdict – Broncos by 10

Manly Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm – Sunday afternoon – 4 Pines Park

The Storm haven't had a win at Brookvale for quite some time, but a few things are in their favour on Sunday. First and foremost, the absence of Tom Trbojevic makes Manly an easier side to contain. Almost as importantly, the home side are down on props at the minute, with Aloiai and Paseka both unavailable. That means Brown and Taukeiaho may have to play more minutes, and I can see the Storm rotating their big boppers and making the Manly props hurt. If that goes to plan, a spine of Grant, Wishart, Munster and Papenhuyzen should get the job done. Looks a fair game of rugby league though, this one.

Verdict – Storm by 4

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights – Sunday night – Accor Stadium

A disappointing timeslot for the Bulldogs - we might have seen a seriously decent crowd if this was a Sunday afternoon fixture. They could get a decent crowd regardless. The Bulldogs fans will be up and about after a near perfect start to the season, and there are plenty of Bulldogs fans. Tupouniua is a significant out for the Dogs (just another former Roosters forward playing well somewhere else), with Kurtis Morrin brought into the seventeen. For the Knights, Leo Thompson is a key return in the engine room. For the second week in a row, I think the last game of the round is the best game of the round, and I'm taking a punt on the Knights in an upset. They've had an extra week to prepare for this and there's no chance they will take this opponent lightly.

Verdict – Knights by 4

Wally Lewis - round five selections (in bold)

Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or Thursday morning

• Raiders vs SHARKS
• PANTHERS vs Cowboys
• Rabbitohs vs ROOSTERS
• EELS vs Dragons
• Titans vs DOLPHINS
• BRONCOS vs Tigers
• Sea Eagles vs STORM
• BULLDOGS vs Knights