Parramatta Eels vs Sydney Roosters – Friday night – Parramatta Stadium

Clear skies over Sydney leave me convinced of one thing about this encounter – many a point will be scored. In recent weeks the Roosters have notched up wins over the Panthers, Bulldogs and the Sharks and in those games 60 or more points were racked up. The prospect of a high-scoring game should have Parramatta fans concerned. Their team is averaging less than 16 points per game this year, and in the last six weeks they are down to 14 points. By comparison the Roosters have averaged more than 21 points per game during the same period. It’s a considerable difference, and what makes it more impressive is the quality of their opponents (Manly, St George, Wests and Souths...and all of them away from home). Parramatta will start a clear favourite in this game but I can’t select a team that has just one win from their last 12 outings. Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Verdict – Roosters

Result - Roosters 13 defeated Eels 12

Manly Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm – Friday night – Brookvale Oval

Manly have been very good this season but the football gods have been kind. Limited injuries and limited representative duties have given them a cohesive and healthy squad all season. They have also had a pretty good draw up until this point of the year. In the first 24 weeks of the season they have played just seven games against the “very good sides”. Of those seven they lost four. The three that they won were all played at Brookvale and they were all against teams that had to travel from outside New South Wales (Warriors, Broncos and Cowboys - and those wins over the Broncos and Cowboys were in the middle of the Origin series). They get to test themselves on Friday night against one of those “very good sides”, but once again the game is at Brookvale and their opponent has to travel from outside New South Wales. It’s been a charmed run for the boys from Brookvale, but if Manly do win on Friday night they won’t win easily. It’s been three and a half months since Melbourne lost to anyone and they’ve lost just one away game all year (way back in round three). But if you were the Melbourne coach how much would you be willing to throw into this game? Would you show your hand in the lead-up to the finals against a team you might be playing in the final? Clearly Craig Bellamy doesn’t like to lose, but I don’t believe a narrow low-scoring loss on Friday night will upset him…too much. Manly 14 – Melbourne 12.

Verdict – Sea Eagles

Result - Sea Eagles 18 defeated Storm 4

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights – Saturday night – ANZ Stadium

I can understand why so many people are tipping the Bulldogs in this game. The Knights are backing up from Monday night and they did lose a few troops in that game. Jarrod Mullen may not make it to this game either, but for now I’m assuming he’ll play. The Knights have won six of their last ten, and those four losses were against significantly better sides (i.e. Broncos, Warriors, Sea Eagles and Cowboys) than the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were gallant last weekend but their season is over. I can’t picture them matching the Knights for enthusiasm.

Verdict – Knights

Result - Bulldogs 32 defeated Knights 22

North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks – Saturday night – Dairy Farmers Stadium

I was trying to come up with a reason why the Sharks might turn up on Saturday night. Let me know if you can think of anything. The Cowboys need to work on their points differential or they run some risk of finishing as low as seventh. This is the game they need, and they’ll win by 50.

Verdict – Cowboys

Result - Cowboys 28 defeated Sharks 20

Canberra Raiders vs Penrith Panthers – Saturday night – Canberra Stadium

I was trying to come up with a reason why either team might turn up on Saturday night. It is the last game for the Raiders at home, and captain Alan Tongue deserves to walk off the ground a winner. That seems reasonable enough for me.

Verdict – Raiders

Result - Panthers 19 defeated Raiders 18

St George Illawarra Dragons vs New Zealand Warriors – Sunday afternoon – WIN Stadium

The Dragons are red-hot favourites to win on Sunday, so I have to assume that the entire football-loving community lapsed into a coma about six weeks ago. I know the Dragons aren’t losing by a lot, but they do keep losing. Last week they scored just one try (off a forward pass) and didn’t look like a team that were going to break into a winning trot anytime soon. The Warriors have won six of their last seven, and that one loss was in extra-time to the Broncos. Granted the Dragons have a fantastic overall record against the Warriors (the last time the Warriors won a game in Wollongong it was against the Illawarra Steelers), but the recent form of both sides speaks for itself.

Verdict – Warriors

Result - Dragons 26 defeated Warriors 22

Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Sunday afternoon – Suncorp Stadium

There is, quite rightfully, plenty of interest in the Storm/Sea Eagles game this weekend, but this is the game of the round as far as I’m concerned. There is a sense of timing about the Bunnies. I can’t see them winning the premiership but they are the team poised to make a fairytale run deep into September. The Broncos are on something of a winning streak themselves (both sides have won four in a row) and they deserve to be favoured on Sunday. The Rabbits did beat the Broncos in a game of water polo in Perth earlier this year and I think they can win on grass as well. Dave Taylor played out of his skin in that game and I expect more of the same on Sunday. Greg Inglis should be keen to join him.

Verdict – Rabbitohs

Result - Broncos 22 defeated Rabbitohs 10

Wests Tigers vs Gold Coast Titans – Monday night – Campbelltown Sports Stadium

The Titans did win last weekend, but that game against the Raiders will be short-listed to win the award for “Worst Game this Season”. The Titans might be up for several nominations in that category. Their overall record against the Tigers is pretty good, but it would take a stunning reversal of form from both sides to see an upset on Monday night. Benji wants to play some rugby league. I’m pleased to hear it.

Verdict – Tigers

Result - Tigers 39 defeated Titans 10

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

Note: tips from Wally will be published on Thursday night or early Friday morning.

• Eels vs ROOSTERS
• SEA EAGLES vs Storm
• BULLDOGS vs Knights
• COWBOYS vs Sharks
• RAIDERS vs Panthers
• DRAGONS vs Warriors
• BRONCOS vs Rabbitohs
• TIGERS vs Titans