Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys – Friday night – Remondis Stadium

Paul Gallen is unavailable for this game after tearing his bicep while lifting the Origin trophy - he should have asked Cameron Smith for some advice with regard to technique. Gallen is delaying surgery at this stage, but I expect him to check-in to get his body rebuilt if and when ASADA ping him with a 6 month ban. Andrew Fifita was impressive enough on his return last weekend and will get better with every round. If the Cowboys want to play finals football they need to win games away from home, and so far this season they haven't achieved that even once. They won't get many better chances than this. Jonathan Thurston dons the number 16 jersey for #RiseforAlex round - it may only be a little thing, but it's one of many little things he does that make him a great ambassador for the game. His performances on the field are no different, and it's those little things he does (that others don't) that can get the Cowboys a very rare win on Sydney.

Verdict – Cowboys by 4

Result - Cowboys 36 defeated Sharks 18

Parramatta Eels vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Friday night – Pirtek Stadium

This game becomes a whole lot more interesting with both Inglis and Hayne lining up in the number one jerseys. I expect both will relish the opportunity to outpoint their opponent on Friday night. More than a few will be tipping the Eels this weekend - their record at home this season is very good (and the Bunnies record at Parramatta is terrible). That said, I'll take recent form over historical records generally, and that 48-0 loss by the Eels to the Warriors was a concern (tipsters take note however, of the number of teams that find a way to bounce back after a shellacking). The last time the Eels beat the Bunnies was way back in 2010. They have a good enough team to win, but they can win it without my support.

Verdict – Rabbitohs by 1

Result - Rabbitohs 32 defeated Eels 12

Sydney Roosters vs Penrith Panthers – Saturday afternoon – Allianz Stadium

I'm not sure what the Panthers need to do to get noticed, but winning this game would help. $4.00 is readily available for the Panthers this weekend, and I'm very tempted. The only thing holding me back is the quick turnaround for the Panthers from a tough Monday night game, while the Chooks have had plenty of time to think about things after that extraordinary loss to the Sharks a few weeks ago. Expect Jamie Soward to target the Chooks wingmen in the air. The Panthers, for mine, have the best interchange bench going around at the moment, but the shuffling around of playmakers (thank you injuries) makes it tough against an opponent whose 1,6,7 and 9 have remained intact all season. I think they'll go really close, but I'll take the Roosters by a narrow margin (and probably back the Panthers with a handicap start). Note the Saturday afternoon timeslot folks. The game of the round.

Verdict – Roosters by 2

Result - Roosters 32 defeated Panthers 12

Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday night - AAMI Park

It's uncanny how often the Raiders win in Melbourne (and at enormous odds every single time), but this weekend I think they'll rack up their second ever loss at AAMI Park. The Storm didn't win last week but they did restrict the Bulldogs to six points and the quality of that game was exceptional. The Raiders were quite impressive themselves, with Anthony Milford virtually winning the game on his own (Broncos fans will be licking their lips in anticipation of things to come). Can the Raiders back up from an away win on the Gold Coast and score another away win in Melbourne. It's a big ask for anyone, let alone a team struggling near the foot of the ladder. Like the Chooks/Panthers clash I would recommend backing the outsider with the handicap start. Storm....just

Verdict – Storm by 4

Result - Storm 28 defeated Raiders 14

Brisbane Broncos vs New Zealand Warriors – Saturday night – Suncorp Stadium

Do the Broncos want their coach? I think we find out on Saturday night. Here they back up from a gut-wrenching loss on a Monday night and face a confident (and big) opponent on the Saturday. The Broncos need this, and if they want Anthony Griffin they win. Tipping the Warriors away from home is always daunting but here's a funny little thing I've realised - they've played games this season in Townsville, Melbourne and the Gold Coast...for three wins. Their only losses in Australia have been in Sydney and Perth. This looks like one of those games where each team will rack up four or five tries. If that is the case, I'll punt on Shaun Johnson kicking more conversions than Corey Parker. I'm not sure who wins, but I'm expecting a belter of a game.

Verdict – Warriors by 4

Result - Broncos 28 defeated Warriors 22

Newcastle Knights vs Gold Coast Titans – Sunday afternoon – Hunter Stadium

#RiseforAlex = #KnightsbyTwenty. Get in the queue.

Verdict – Knights by 20

Result - Titans 22 defeated Knights 8

Wests Tigers vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Sunday afternoon – ANZ Stadium

Not many upset results in the NRL surprise me, but if the Tigers win on Sunday afternoon I would certainly be surprised. They've already done better than most expected, but as the season wears on it's starting to look like their run has ended. If the Storm can't score more than 4 points against the Dogs in Melbourne I fail to see where the Tigers can score enough to win this weekend. A competitive clash, but the Dogs should do enough. A Tigers home game, but note the venue.

Verdict – Bulldogs by 8

Result - Tigers 46 defeated Bulldogs 18

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Manly Sea Eagles – Monday night – WIN Jubilee Oval

Another potential upset, with the Dragons and their halves combination finding their feet in recent weeks. Even though the Dragons are better than they were, I suspect they'll always struggle to match it with the very best teams in the NRL. Manly are one of those, and their line-up is near enough to full-strength. The Sea Eagles have their eyes set on a minor premiership/top two finish and I expect they'll be too professional to let this one get away from them.

Verdict – Sea Eagles by 8

Result - Sea Eagles 21 defeated Dragons 12

Wally Lewis - round nineteen selections (in bold)

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

• Sharks vs COWBOYS
• Eels vs RABBITOHS
• ROOSTERS vs Panthers
• STORM vs Raiders
• BRONCOS vs Warriors
• KNIGHTS vs Titans
• Tigers vs BULLDOGS
• Dragons vs SEA EAGLES