Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks – Friday night – Accor Stadium

These sides met in round 2 where the Sharks were comfortable victors 25-6. The line-ups on that occasion are much the same as they are here (note that Crichton is on the reserves list and may be a late inclusion if he comes through Origin without a hitch). The key differences since round 2 are the change of venue and the continued improvement from the Bulldogs. I was bold or silly enough to suggest the Dogs would play finals football this season, but that looks more and more likely each week. Having said that, the Sharks are in the top four for a reason. They should also be nice and fresh after a week off and they are one of the few squads not interrupted by State of Origin. The Bulldogs also had a pretty torrid game last week in pretty torrid conditions. With that in mind, the Sharks might be too strong in the concluding stages.

Verdict – Sharks by 4

Result – Bulldogs 15 defeated Sharks 14

New Zealand Warriors vs Brisbane Broncos – Saturday afternoon – Go Media Stadium

An interesting match-up here. The Broncos struggle without their veteran halfback, while the Warriors seem to be going better when their veteran halfback doesn't play. Shaun Johnson is out for at least a month with an achilles injury. I'm hoping for a bounce-back from the Warriors here, but conceding 66 points to the team that was running last on the ladder (at the time) is hard to ignore. Watene-Zelezniak returns from suspension which can only help. I'm speculating a little on the likely Broncos line-up on Saturday, but asking Carrigan, Haas and Walsh to back up from Origin (and travel from Melbourne to Auckland) seems an ask. They're on an extended bench, so watch for line-up changes. Without Carrigan and Haas, the Warriors forwards can dominate here, particularly with a partisan home crowd giving them a boost. I'm tipping an upset.

Verdict – Warriors by 2

Result – Warriors 32 defeated Broncos 16

Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels – Saturday night – McDonald Jones Stadium

The Eels had a week off, picked up the two points for the bye, and still found themselves in last place on the ladder all of a sudden. It surprised me, and I'm sure it surprised them. Hopefully it's the wake-up call the club needs if it has any intention of playing finals football this season. The Knights should be feeling fresh after a week off too, and both teams should find this contest a little easier than recent outings. A lot of eye will be on Englishman Will Pryce in his NRL debut. He's a big body for a halfback and has a handy step on him - I wish him well. Mitch Moses has been named after his player of the match performance on Wednesday night. He'll take plenty from that and, assuming he backs up, he has the kicking game to give the Eels an edge.

Verdict – Eels by 7

Result – Knights 34 defeated Eels 26

Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday night – AAMI Park

In their last seven games, the Raiders have conceded (on average) more than 33 points per game. In their last outing they conceded 48 points to the team running last (at the time). It's possible they're getting worse. They now take on the team at the top of the ladder, who have scored the second most points in attack this season. Grant and Coates have been named to back up on Saturday, and with Origin in Melbourne this week means they are a little more likely to do so. The Raiders do have an envious record in Melbourne, but a win this time would truly surprise.

Verdict – Storm by 10

Result – Storm 16 defeated Raiders 6

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Redcliffe Dolphins – Sunday afternoon – Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

I seem to be tipping a few upsets this round, and here comes another one. These sides met in round 2 and the Dolphins won 38-0. The Dragons have probably improved somewhat since then, but they would need to, and there's nothing wrong with the Dolphins recent form. Last week they competed with the Storm for 80 minutes. They did that without Tabuai-Fidow, Kaufusi, and a very early exit from Bostock that left the Dolphins with back-rowers in the backline for most of the contest. Lomax and Hunt have been named to back up from Origin, but they played in that round 2 game when they didn't trouble the scoreboard attendant. 

Verdict – Dolphins by 4

Result – Dragons 26 defeated Dolphins 6

Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys – Sunday afternoon – BlueBet Stadium

The two teams that do most of the heavy lifting for Origin face each other on Sunday. The Cowboys are definitely resting Nanai, and have named their other five Origin players as reserves. Meanwhile, the Panthers have named their five Origin players in their starting thirteen. A lot could change in the days ahead, but based on the named line-ups the Panthers should be too strong. With the Panthers depth of talent, they could rest all five and prove too strong anyway,

Verdict – Panthers by 10

Result – Cowboys 16 defeated Panthers 6

Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers – Sunday night – Allianz Stadium

After a slightly wobbly start to the season, the Chooks are now in the top four and do look like a team that could contend for the premiership this year. They have the best points differential in the competition, and by a fair margin, and they're one of only two teams in the top ten that still have a bye round ahead of them. The Tigers have now won two in a row, and it's terrific to see a young team starting to find their feet under an exciting new coach. This will test them though. 

Verdict – Roosters by 10

Result – Roosters 40 defeated Tigers 6

Wally Lewis - round seventeen selections (in bold)

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

• Bulldogs vs SHARKS
• Warriors vs BRONCOS
• Knights vs EELS
• STORM vs Raiders
• Dragons vs DOLPHINS
• PANTHERS vs Cowboys
• ROOSTERS vs Tigers