Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Friday night – AAMI Park

If the Bunnies want to play in the grand final this season (and we all know they do) then they want to avoid facing the Storm at the end of the year. Since 2006 the Bunnies have beaten the Storm once, by two points, at Perth or Adelaide or Manus Island, during the Origin period of the season, when the Storm were penalised for salary cap infringements and weren't playing for points. If they have ever won a game in Melbourne I can't recall it, and in the four times they've met in recent years the most points they have scored is ten. John Sutton is unavailable and Greg Inglis is unlikely. This looks tough. The Storm found their football boots last week as many of us thought they might, and when the Storm are in form they don't lose at home...to anybody. The Bunnies will be back to their best in time for the finals, but they'll have to cop another loss this weekend.

Verdict – Storm

Result -Storm 26 defeated Rabbitohs 8

Parramatta Eels vs Wests Tigers – Friday night – Parramatta Stadium

What a game this promises to be. Fifteenth takes on sixteenth in a race to the bottom. Somewhat sadly, Ms Thinker and the Mini-Thinkers will be away on Friday night, so it looks like I'll stay up and watch this. I urge you all to find something else to do with the latter hours of your Friday night. Clean the filters in the air-conditioner. Count the coins in your piggy bank. Set up a Dewey Decimal System for your book collection and pretend your house is a boutique library. Anything but fifteenth vs sixteenth. As for determining a winner, well it's a case of deciding which team is the least bad. If the Tigers were a meal they would be a tin of cat food served in a second hand Ugg Boot. The Eels are much the same, but it's home brand cat food served in an Ugg Boot knock-off. And somehow, the Eels are favourites for this game. I know Jarryd Hayne is back but sheesh! Do not eat or watch this game. If you must you should probably come over to Thinker central where we can work through the pain and gastro-entiritis together. Bring your own Ugg Boots.

Verdict – Tigers

Result - Eels 26 defeated Tigers 22

Sydney Roosters vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday night – Allianz Stadium

I may have gotten a little carried away when I announced the Roosters as 2013 premiers last week, but one week later it's still looking like a pretty sensible crow. In their last five games the Roosters have conceded a total of five tries, and for every try they concede they are scoring at least five of their own. That's a winning formula no matter how you slice and dice it, and I'm not sure if the Roosters juggernaut can be stopped by anyone. They are missing two of their most important cogs this weekend in Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams, but I expect the cogs they have named will maintain the good work. That said, the Raiders are one team that go pretty well against the chickens, and teams that get flogged one weekend do have an uncanny ability to turn it all around one week later. The handicapper will give you a pretty good head start if you want to back the Raiders at the line...and I'd be tempted to join you. Roosters by 1-12.

Verdict – Roosters

Result - Roosters 28 defeated Raiders 22

Cronulla Sharks vs Newcastle Knights – Saturday night – Remondis Stadium

Customs officers seized the phone of Cronulla captain Paul Gallen on his return from New Zealand last weekend. They gave it back upon discovering he only uses it to play Angry Birds and Candy Crush on long haul flights. Let's hope the footage makes it to an episode of Border Security sometime soon. The Sharks are firm favourites with the bookies but I quite like the Knights here. The return of Kade Snowden is timely. He faces his former team-mates and if you want to beat the Sharks you want your forwards firing. I'm hoping Snowden and Jeremy Smith can lead from the front and help their side to an upset win. Lets hope that extra ten minutes of footy last weekend hasn't taken the wind out of their sails.

Verdict – Knights by 4 (unless Craig Gower is the goal kicker)

Result - Knights 18 defeated Sharks 14

Manly Sea Eagles vs New Zealand Warriors – Sunday afternoon – Bluetongue Stadium

The Sea Eagles have notched up five big wins in a row but those results need to be assessed in context. The teams they beat were (in order) the Eels, Cowboys, Titans, Tigers and Eels. This weekend they face a heavyweight opponent and it won't be so easy. I'll stick with the home side (although it should be noted this game is at Gosford) who are essentially full-strength. The Warriors can't be discounted but they are one team that make a habit of backing up a loss with another loss. Eagles by 1-6.

Verdict – Sea Eagles

Result - Sea Eagles 27 defeated Warriors 12

Brisbane Broncos vs St George Illawarrra Dragons – Sunday afternoon – Suncorp Stadium

A rare Sunday afternoon fixture at Suncorp for the Broncos and one would expect a sizeable crowd despite the disappointing seasons both sides have had thus far. Technically, at least, the Broncos can still make the finals, and you can't say that about the Dragons anymore. For that reason alone the Broncos should get over the line. Add to that the Broncos recent record over the Dragons (the last five on the trot), a vastly superior forward pack and an improving backline - it just might be a good day to be at Lang Park. I might stroll down the road myself.

Verdict – Broncos by 20

Result - Broncos 26 defeated Dragons 24

Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys – Sunday night – Centrebet Stadium

The Panthers have conceded 112 points in their last three games, and when they played the Cowboys earlier this season they lost 30-0. Last week I tipped the Cowboys to knock off the table-topping Bunnies and despite all of that I am tremendously reluctant to tip them here. I've done so in the end, but this is just the sort of game the Cowboys are likely to lose. They don't like travelling to Sydney and if they don't like travelling to Sydney they certainly won't like travelling to Penrith and putting on the short shorts on a cold Sunday night in August. What gives them a hope is the faintest of beliefs that a finals campaign for the Cowboys is still a possibility (if you don't believe me check out their draw for the rest of the season). A win here gives them two points and takes two (potential) points away from a team above them. They need this, and although I have barely a shred of faith in the mob from Townsville I'll tip them again.

Verdict – Cowboys

Result - Cowboys 36 defeated Panthers 4

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Gold Coast Titans – Monday night – ANZ Stadium

The Bulldogs are at toxic odds to win this game ($1.17...seriously?) but it's pretty hard not to tip them all the same. They look like one of the few sides outside the top four that could play deep into the finals series. Both sides were impressive last weekend but I'll leap to the conclusion that a convincing away win over a gallant Dragons is better form than a convincing home win over a woeful Tigers. Home ground advantage for the Doggies seals the deal.

Verdict – Bulldogs

Result - Titans 26 defeated Bulldogs 16

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

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

• STORM vs Rabbitohs
• EELS vs Tigers
• ROOSTERS vs Raiders
• SHARKS vs Knights
• SEA EAGLES vs Warriors
• BRONCOS vs Dragons
• Panthers vs COWBOYS
• BULLDOGS vs Titans