Canterbury Bulldogs vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Friday afternoon – ANZ Stadium

This game can sneak up on you a little bit. You descend into that semi-comatose state on Good Friday and before you know it you've missed the kick-off. Try not to miss it this year, because this could be quite a game of football. I can't imagine the Bunnies will lose two in a row very often this season, and the Bulldogs will be primed to test themselves against the NRL benchmark. I happily backed the Eels to beat the handicapper last weekend but I didn't expect them to beat the Bunnies as well. They may have shared the blueprint for Bunny-beating in the process. The Rabbits system holds together seamlessly against structured attacks but the Eels ad-hoc approach found a way through. It brought a smile to my face and I'm hoping it gave some NRL coaches something to ponder. I'm sure Des Hasler will watch the tape but I'm not convinced the Bulldogs are the right team to replicate the Eels approach. A bumper game and (hopefully) a bumper crowd, and a tremendous way to start four days of stupidly good sport.

Verdict – Rabbitohs by 2

Result - Rabbitohs 18 defeated Bulldogs 17

Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos – Friday night – CBus Super Stadium

The Titans picked up their first victory last week when the Sharks handed them an opportunity and then held the door open for them while they took it. A win is a win but I can't imagine the Broncos will be so generous. Hodges, Blair and Ofahengaue are out for the Broncos, and with those changes they look light on for size in the forwards and light on for experience in the backs. The Titans halfback and dummy-half lack big-game experience but they have quite a few wise old heads around them. At $2.50 or thereabouts the Titans look backable to me and I'm expecting a big game from Josh Hoffman against his old club.  James Roberts is a likely try-scorer in what looks like a low-scoring affair.

Verdict – Titans by 2

Result - Broncos 26 defeated Titans 16

Manly Sea Eagles vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday afternoon – Brookvale Beach

I really wanted to tip the Raiders this weekend but I need to start thinking about my health. The Sea Eagles are missing some key big men (and they need every big man they can get), and without Jamie Lyon they lose some all-important composure and experience. Matt Ballin and Jamie Buhrer will need to do a ton of work in the middle to help their props, but hard work has never been a problem for them previously. The venue seals it for me - I assume the Raiders don't have a lot of experience in the sand. This could end up being a surprisingly good (and close) game. Watch for the Raiders to stuff things up in the last ten minutes as Ricky Stuart grimaces his way to full-time.

Verdict – Sea Eagles by 2

Result - Raiders 29 defeated Sea Eagles 16

Newcastle Knights vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Saturday night – Hunter Stadium

These sides will be competing for the inaugural Alex McKinnon Cup which is a fantastic initiative. The Knights played poorly in the Alex McKinnon round last season so it will be interesting to see how they respond this time around. So far in 2015 they just keep jumping the hurdles in front of them, and with James McManus and Tariq Sims returning to a team going well they simply look too good. That said I'm tipping a tight, low-scoring game. The Dragons might by 11th on the ladder but only the Roosters have conceded less points than the Red V (and the Knights have conceded just two more than the Dragons). Back the unders...confidently.

Verdict – Knights by 4

Result - Dragons 13 defeated Knights 0

Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks – Sunday afternoon – Allianz Stadium

The Sharks are going through playmakers like Spinal Tap go through drummers. Owen Four gets his chance this weekend, only to be replaced by Owen Five at the conclusion of this game. And looking at the draw for the Sharks in the weeks ahead Owen Eight has some chance of making an appearance. Even Paul Gallen must be struggling to find someone else to blame for these disappointing performances. The Roosters should give them a good guide as to just how poorly they are travelling on Sunday afternoon. Roosters 40ish - Sharks 6 or less. Bloodbath.

Verdict – Roosters by 38

Result - Sharks 20 defeated Roosters 12

Parramatta Eels vs Wests Tigers – Monday afternoon – ANZ Stadium

It's a big call but this could be the most entertaining game of the round. The Eels did what few thought possible by beating the Bunnies and beating them convincingly, while the Tigers went down by the narrowest of margins to the Bulldogs. The Tigers will be better again this weekend, as they welcome back Aaron Woods, Dene Halatau and Pat Richards to the fold. I'm taking a punt on the Tigers - Woods has been tremendous this season and his return gives them a slight edge up front. Hopefully Farah and Brooks can capitalise on that and big Pat Richards can slot a field goal from just about anywhere to get them over the line.

Verdict – Tigers by 1

Result - Tigers 22 defeated Eels 6

Melbourne Storm vs New Zealand Warriors – Monday twilight – AAMI Park

The Melbourne Storm rarely let a winning lead get away from them, but they did just that last Monday night. If Craig Bellamy has his way we won't be seeing such a thing again this season, and we rarely see the Storm back up from a loss with another loss - particularly when that follow-up game is played at home. As the AFL kicks off in the southern capital the purple machine will want to remind the locals they are a team worth sticking with. I expect them to bounce off that loss and give us close to their best. Unless absolutely everything clicks for the Warriors they can't match that.

Verdict – Storm by 10

Result - Storm 30 defeated Warriors 14

Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys – Monday night – Pepper Stadium

I don't need to talk about Jonathan Thurston - you all saw what he did and you all know how I feel about the guy...it's just a shame I tipped the Storm. I also tipped the Panthers who delivered a truly baffling performance last weekend. They found their feet a little in the second half but by then the game was well and truly over. It's been pointed out that the Panthers performances backing up from Monday night have been woeful (0 from 10), so it might be worth remembering that for the next round. James Segeyaro found a good surgeon who put his face back together in time for Monday night - I am sure his absence last week contributed to the Panthers poor performance. I expect him to go well against his old club, and every time I see him play I wonder why the Cowboys let him go. I bet Phil Gould and Ivan Cleary were high-fiving each other in the car park that day. Barring another extraordinary performance from JT you'd have to think the Panthers will prevail at home.

Verdict – Panthers by 4

Result - Cowboys 30 defeated Panthers 10

Wally Lewis - round five selections (in bold)

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

• BULLDOGS vs Rabbitohs
• TITANS vs Broncos
• SEA EAGLES vs Raiders
• KNIGHTS vs Dragons
• ROOSTERS vs Sharks
• EELS vs Tigers
• STORM vs Warriors
• PANTHERS vs Cowboys