Manly Sea Eagles vs North Queensland Cowboys – Friday night – Allianz Stadium

Cowboys fans will have to travel more than 2000km to watch their boys, but Manly fans have to travel all the way across that bridge so the crowd support could be split 50-50 on Friday night. Manly played the minor premiers last weekend and the Cowboys played the team that finished eighth, but there is no doubt in my mind that the quality of football in the Cowboys/Broncos game was superior. I'm not sure if it was the pressure of the occasion or the short ten metres but Manly struggled last week (and the Bulldogs weren't much better). Losing Jamie Lyon early was critical, and with their co-captain Jason King also on the bench for the last 15 minutes they lacked composure and wise heads when they needed them. Lyon has been named and his injury leaves coach Geoff Toovey with quite a quandary. Does he run with two fit but inexperienced centres (note that Matai is suspended) or does he throw Lyon in and hope his calf holds out for 80 minutes? The centre pairing for Manly is crucial, because they face two in-form and under-rated Cowboys centres in Brent Tate and Kane Linnett. When you have those guys running great lines, and Thurston and Bowen chiming in as playmakers and ball-runners, the potential for the Sea Eagles to be exposed in the centres is high. Couple that situation with the tremendous platform that Matt Scott and James Tamou lay down for their side (they made 400 metres of the tough stuff against the Broncos last week) and I think the Cowboys are put-in take-out specials on Friday night. The Cowboys don't have a wonderful record in Sydney, and their record against Manly in Sydney is worse, but they aren't playing at Brookvale and the Cowboys are playing their best football all season at the right time of the year.

Verdict – Cowboys by 13

Result - Sea Eagles 22 defeated Cowboys 12

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Canberra Raiders - Saturday night – ANZ Stadium

Who takes the conversions for the Raiders on Saturday night? In a close contest you want someone picking up the two-pointers with (around) an 80% completion rate. The points are vital, and the team-mates get a lift every time the goal-kicker turns a four-pointer into a six-pointer. It's doubly-important this weekend, because the goal-kicker for the bunnies is close to the best in the business. There are other reasons to pick the Bunnies on Saturday night. A big home crowd, a convincing win over the Raiders earlier this year, and Greg Inglis (who ran for more than 200 metres last weekend in a well-beaten side). Those are all big ticks for the bunnies, but it's that question mark over the goal-kicking duties that seals the deal for me.

Verdict – Rabbitohs by 8

Result - Rabbitohs 38 defeated Raiders 16

Wally Lewis - finals week two selections (in bold)

Note: tips from Wally will be published as soon as possible (usually on Thursday night or early Friday morning).

• Sea Eagles vs COWBOYS
• RABBITOHS vs Raiders