Brisbane Broncos vs Melbourne Storm – Thursday night – Suncorp Stadium

It's the grand final replay, and the circumstances are unusual with both sides out of finals contention. The Broncos get a chance to notch up a win in their last game at home - their fans deserve as much after 8 losses at home in a row in what can only be described as a horror season. No on-field swansong for Reynolds who retires from the game after an extraordinary contribution to the sport. All hail the little guys that stand tall among the big guys. The Storm won't hand them victory on a plate, with Hughes returning to a side with more than enough talent to win this. Their overall record at Suncorp is better than anyone, but recent efforts against the Broncos have been less successful. It's a minor upset, but I'm with the Broncos to get the win and repeat their 2025 grand final heroics. Note that the rules will be tweaked a little for this game as a trial. Ah rugby league...the game that never stands still.

Verdict - Broncos by 4

Result - Storm 46 defeated Broncos 20

Manly Sea Eagles vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Friday night – 4 Pines Park

A lot of things need to fall into place, but Manly can still make the finals if they win their last two games of the season. To do so, two of the three teams above them need to fall in a hole, an unlikely but not impossible possibility. Because Manly are playing this round before the three teams above them that dream is still alive, so something to play for. It's also their last game of the season at 4 Pines Park, and they'll lift for that. For the Dragons, the wooden spoon isn't in the delivery van but it's been marked for despatch. They'll need to win their last two games, hope the Titans lose their last two games, and overcome a 130+ points differential deficit. I'd be sending the delivery driver now to avoid the worst of the Sydney traffic.

Verdict - Sea Eagles by 14

Result - Sea Eagles 44 defeated Dragons 10

Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Friday night – CommBank Stadium

The Phil Gould mind games are well underway. I suspect Bulldogs players and staff have had the sniffles and that some players are playing with injuries, but Gould made sure to utilise the media and make sure we all knew about it. Are they hoping the Panthers will take them lightly? Have they already started making excuses for falling short? I'm not even sure Phil Gould knows, so we're all just guessing. Whatever the distractions may be, the formula for the Bulldogs remains the same. They need to find a way to replace one of the teams above them on the ladder. It's not must-win, but it may as well be. Standing in front of them is the premiership favourite, who won't be taking this lightly because they are locked in a three-way battle (maybe even four-way) for the minor premiership. They'll be wanting a home game in week one of the finals, especially when the potential alternatives include the Warriors in Auckland or the Dolphins in Brisbane. The Panthers aren't exactly humming at the minute, but with so much on the line I think they get it done.

Verdict - Panthers by 7

Result - Panthers 24 defeated Bulldogs 10

Gold Coast Titans vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Saturday afternoon – Cbus Super Stadium

I mentioned the rule tweaking for the Thursday game, and we've had some tweaking here too...for a good cause. Jai Arrow will co-captain the Rabbitohs in their last two games. Not only does he lead out the Bunnies, he will actually (briefly) participate before being replaced with an additional interchange. Doing so allows Arrow to rack up 100 games with the red and green, and only the most cynical of us would disapprove. Congratulations Jai. If you're receiving from the kick-off I would urge you not to take the first hit-up. It appears that Mitchell will be back for this game too, and it will be interesting to see what role (if any) he plays off the bench. The Rabbitohs aren't quite locked in for a finals berth, but a win here should do exactly that.

Verdict - Rabbitohs by 8

Result - Rabbitohs 42 defeated Titans 22

Sydney Roosters vs Redcliffe Dolphins – Saturday night – Allianz Stadium

When these sides met in round 15, the Dolphins won comfortably (48-10), although both sides were without their Origin players. Tedesco has been named to return but the Chooks said that last week so who knows. Radley is definitely out following the late head knock in the surprise loss to the Tigers. There's some chance the Dolphins can sneak up to third with a win here and, while unlikely, they could even end up winning the minor premiership. If you can ignore the 66-0 loss to the Sharks (hard I know) the Dolphins have been ridiculously consistent for a very long time. Since round 6 they've lost just four games, a 1 point loss to the Panthers away, a 2 point loss to the Warriors away, a 1 point loss to he Knights away, and the Sharks blowout. That's fairly reliable. As for the Chooks, not so long ago they racked up 82 points in Townsville, and last week they lost to the Tigers at home. That's fairly unreliable. If the Roosters are on, they win and might win well. If not, the Phins can get the points. We'll likely know which way it's gonna go after about 15 minutes.

Verdict - Dolphins by 4

Result - Dolphins 26 defeated Roosters 12

North Queensland Cowboys vs Wests Tigers – Saturday night – Queensland Country Bank Stadium

The bye couldn't have at a much better time for the Cowboys - a chance to recharge and a few games at home to warm into a finals campaign...if they get there. They probably will, but a win on Saturday night should seal it, particularly if the Bulldogs can't beat the Panthers the night before. Two massive inclusions for the Cowboys, with Deardon and Nanai back on deck. They're a much better side with those two on the paddock. The Tigers knocked off a premiership heavyweight last round, but they'll need to repeat the effort on the road. It's a big ask, particularly for a side that hasn't won two games in a row since round six.

Verdict - Cowboys by 14

Result - Cowboys 24 defeated Tigers 10

New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights – Sunday afternoon – Go Media Stadium

A late field goal by the Warriors last round didn't seem too important at the time, but it's the reason the Warrior are on top of the ladder right now. It would be terrific to see the Warriors win the minor premiership, and with a top two berth on the line they have everything to play for. Watene-Zelezniak is out with a collar bone injury, but Martin is back in the halves. This is the Knights last game of the season but it's a pretty horrific away game. To add to the challenge, Frizell, Crossland and Young are out, but Gagai returns in the centres. I suspect the Knights will just want to get through this game and head home to prepare for September.

Verdict - Warriors by 8

Result - Warriors 46 defeated Knights 32

Parramatta Eels vs Cronulla Sharks – Sunday afternoon – CommBank Stadium

The Eels haven't had much to play for in a while but, to their credit, they've been competitive week in week out. I'm expecting another similar effort here, but the Sharks still have a potential top-four spot in the offering and should get the job done. Mulitalo plays game 150 and will be keen to celebrate with a try or three.

Verdict - Sharks by 10

Result - Eels 38 defeated Sharks 18

Wally Lewis - round twenty-six selections (in bold)

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

• Broncos vs STORM
• SEA EAGLES vs Dragons
• PANTHERS vs Bulldogs
• Titans vs RABBITOHS
• ROOSTERS vs Dolphins
• COWBOYS vs Tigers
• WARRIORS vs Knights
• Eels vs SHARKS