Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Thursday night – Pepper Stadium

There are 12 premiership points available in what is left of the regular NRL season and, in my humble opinion, the Bulldogs need all 12 to make the finals this year. While they aren't playing any of the absolute top tier teams in their last six games, four of their matches (including this one) are against teams fighting it out for slots in September. The Bulldogs 2017 campaign is effectively over, and they are too far in front of the Knights to be worried about a wooden spoon. That leaves them stuck in neverland for the next six weeks, with little to play for. Meanwhile the Panthers have won 7 of their last 9 – their only hiccup in recent months was their baffling loss to the Rabbitohs. They don't look like potential premiers, but they remain the most lkely team outside the top 8 to force their way in. These sides met in round 10, when the Bulldogs actually had a reason to try, and the Panthers won 38-0 at ANZ. The NRL can always throw up a surprise result, but if the Bulldogs win this game I will fall off my chair and I doubt I will ever get up again.

Verdict – Panthers by 16

Result – Panthers by 8

New Zealand Warriors vs Cronulla Sharks – Friday night – Mt Smart Stadium

What I said about the Bulldogs is just as true for the Warriors, although they do have an easier run home. This is their most difficult challenge in what is left of their season, and while they are often a better team at home they'll need to be much better here. The last time they played at home they were bidding farewell to Manu Vatuvai. They couldn't get out of second gear for that game so why would anyone expect them to make an effort here? Cronulla need to keep firing to hold on to a top four spot so expect an effort from them. Note that they are without James Maloney until round 24, but he's been quite the tool in recent weeks. The Sharks will win without him, and be slightly less annoying in the process.

Verdict – Sharks by 10

Result – Sharks by 14

Parramatta Eels vs Brisbane Broncos – Friday night – ANZ Stadium

May I be the first to congratulate Baggy Gee, because his beloved Eels will be playing finals football in 2017. Given I had them pegged as a top three team at the start of the year it's the least they could do. They have one difficult team to face in what is left of the regular season, but they do have to face them twice. Friday night is the first of those meetings. Only a week ago I was chatting with myself about rugby league (yep...weird) and I was asking myself which players have surprised me this season. The first name I thought of was Clinton Gutherson, who really has come of age in the number one jersey this season. Sadly his season is now over, so I'm going to try not to think about any other footballers in case I'm cursed. While the Eels lose their fullback, the Broncos get theirs back. Darius Boyd polarises football fans like few others do, but I've seen how much he does for the Broncos when he's in the number one jersey. He reads the game, in attack and defence, at a level that few others match, and his return makes a world of difference as the Broncos prepare for yet another finals campaign. There's a few cracking games of football this weekend, and this is definitely one of them.

Verdict – Broncos by 4

Result – Eels by 14

Newcastle Knights vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Saturday afternoon – McDonald Jones Stadium

The Knights, like The Thinker last week when he had a long drinky night at Noosa, have fallen down and I don't think they can get back up. At the very least they need two wins from their last six games to avoid the spoon (more accurately, they need two more wins than the Tigers). Given what's left in front of them, I can't see where they can get two wins. The Dragons were fantastic for about 80% of their contest with the Sea Eagles last weekend. That should be good enough here, and they add Dugan and Thompson to their starting thirteen. If the Red V keep winning they make the eight. The winning shouldn't end this Saturday.

Verdict – Dragons by 16

Result – Knights by 7

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

The Raiders find themselves on the cusp of the top eight but they really need a team or two above them to start falling over. By the time the Raiders take to the field their two nearest rivals on the ladder (Panthers and Dragons) have probably skipped further in front. Perhaps that will deflate them a little, and perhaps footballers don't even pay attention to such things. I expect Raiders coach Ricky 'shut up and take my money' Stuart will keep the message simple – start winning...and keep winning. They'll need to win without Sia (the forward not the singer) and Jordan (the winger not the country) but what's left of the green meanies looks good enough to prevail here. I announced the Bunnies season as over last week. It still is.

Verdict – Raiders by 8

Result – Raiders by 14

Sydney Roosters vs North Queensland Cowboys – Saturday night – Allianz Stadium

It seems a little silly to be critical of a team in outright second, but I feel like the Chooks aren't going as well as some people may believe. In their last seven games they have had two convincing wins, but they came at the expense of the 15th placed Tigers and the 16th placed Knights. They got over the 14th placed Bunnies by just two points. Their other wins were during the Origin period against teams managing the Origin period – where they beat the Broncos by 2 and the Storm by 1. They're winning, but they haven't won me over just yet. Their other two games were losses to the Raiders and an absolute flogging by the Sharks. As I said, they haven't won me over. Meanwhile the only two teams to beat the Cowboys since Thurston has been unavailable are the two grand finalists from 2016. Are the Roosters that good? That's for you to decide, but I've a hunch they aren't quite at that level, particularly with Cordnor, Friend and Gordon sitting in the bleachers. The Chooks are the favourites, but it's the Cowboys in a minor upset.

Verdict – Cowboys by 1

Result – Roosters by 6

Melbourne Storm vs Manly Sea Eagles – Sunday afternoon – AAMI Park

In round 20, when the Sea Eagles had thirteen men on the field they conceded 52 points and scored 4. While they had 12 men on the field they conceded 0 points and scored 18. This is a peculair phenomenon, which shall henceforth be known as 'the curse of Lussick'. Trent Barrett surely has to pull his key men into a small room and ask them, off the record, what is it about the presence of Darcy Lussick on the field that makes you all drop your heads? Instead, Barrett was so discombobulated by what happened that he's dropped the wrong Lussick, with younger brother Joey getting punted this weekend even though he scored a try while his older brother was fuming in the sin bin. Perhaps he hopes Lussick will be sin binned again, during which time the Sea Eagles can score enough points against the Storm to prevail. It's an unusual strategy. A unusual, losing strategy. The Storm to win at home, even without Slater and (possibly) Smith.

Verdict – Storm by 8

Result – Storm by 34

Gold Coast Titans vs Wests Tigers – Sunday afternoon – Cbus Super Stadium

Some may look to the Tigers narrow loss to the Eels last weekend and think they're some chance of an upset victory here. I'm inclined to think the complete opposite. I fear they'll look at last week and think 'you know what, even when we put in and have a dig we still lose'. This is a danger game for the Tigers...for their PR department. They have nothing to play for, and they've got a team of young men with high disposable incomes on the Gold Coast for a weekend. I'd be flying a dozen minders up with them...and locking their hotel rooms until kick-off. Technically the Titans season isn't over yet, and it won't be over this weekend either.

Verdict – Titans by 14

Result – Tigers by 22

Wally Lewis - round twenty one selections (in bold)

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

• PANTHERS vs Bulldogs
• Warriors vs SHARKS
• Eels vs BRONCOS
• Knights vs DRAGONS
• Rabbitohs vs RAIDERS
• ROOSTERS vs Cowboys
• STORM vs Sea Eagles
• TITANS vs Tigers