Canterbury Bulldogs vs Brisbane Broncos – Friday night – Accor Stadium

Not a lot of teams have beaten the Bulldogs this season, but one of them was the Broncos...and how. Under pretty torrid conditions, the Broncos clicked and showed everyone what they are capable of with a 42-18 footballing lesson. They scored three tries in the first 11 minutes that night, and led 34-0 at half time. Wins don't get much more decisive than that. This time around they'll be playing in Sydney, and they're without Haas, Carrigan, Walsh and Shibesaki. Note that Walsh didn't play in the last game against the Dogs, and the Broncos can call up some handy replacements in the backline (Cobbo, Mariner) given their depth out wide. The Dogs are missing a few themselves - Crichton, King, Mann, Kiraz and Suluka-Fifita. Plenty of disruption there, and losing their captain is a big out. The inclusion of Galvin in the Bulldogs roster has been discussed to death. It must create some level of disruption, given that the halfback that has helped get the Dogs where they are this season has been told he has to go somewhere else next year. They haven't quite worked out how to use Galvin off the bench yet, but they'll get there sooner or later. You may recall Phil Gould mentioning a little while ago that if Cleary wasn't available for NSW in the third Origin game, Adam Reynolds picks himself...without hesitation. Perhaps he does, but perhaps sneaky Phil had one eye on this game, and knows the Broncos would be an easier contest with Reynolds unavailable. Sneaky. I'm going the upset.

Verdict - Broncos by 4

Result - Broncos 22 defeated Bulldogs 18

Canberra Raiders vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Saturday night – GIO Stadium

I can give the Dragons a pass mark thus far this season, given the roster they have available. The depth of that roster is about to be tested thoroughly, with six players coming into the 17 on Saturday night that played in NSW Cup last week. They lost four players to injuries in their gutsy win over the Eels last week, but this is much much harder. Their recent record against the Raiders, especially in Canberra, is a torrid read for Dragons fans, and this might be the best Raiders side they've come up against in many years. Granted the Raiders are without Young and Papalii, but they have depth in the forwards and an unchanged backline that has been giving better sides than the Dragons plenty of headaches. They are now the favourites to win the Minor Premiership, and so they should be. A win here gives them seven victories in a row. Quite a few of those wins have been by narrow margins, but they keep winning, and they'll win this.

Verdict - Raiders by 8

Result - Raiders 28 defeated Dragons 24

North Queensland Cowboys vs Melbourne Storm – Saturday night – Queensland Country Bank Stadium

All our round 18 games have been disrupted by Origin, but none moreso than this, with five unavailable for the Storm (Munster, Grant, Coates, Loiero, Utoikamanu) and four for the Cowboys (Deardon, Nanai, Robson, Cotter). The Storm have also lost Faalogo, who went down with a hamstring tear late in the game last week. Major changes for both spines for this game, and the Storm have named the largest lock forward in this history of everything in Asofa-Solomona. The Cowboys do welcome back McLean and Bateman this week in the forwards which helps a little, but on paper that pack looks like it is up against it on Saturday. Only the Titans have conceded more points than the Cowboys this season, and only the Dolphins have scored more points than the Storm this season. These sides met only a month ago, when the Storm prevailed 38-14 in Melbourne. Despite all the roster changes and change of venue, I'm expecting a similar result on Saturday night.

Verdict - Storm by 16

Result - Storm 26 defeated Cowboys 20

Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers – Sunday afternoon – Allianz Stadium

If games are won in the forwards, and they usually are, the Chooks are in a bit of trouble here. They lose Collins, Leniu, Wong, Crichton and Watson from their forward pack on Sunday, and Radley and Nat Butcher are yet to return. Their backline is still first class, but they do lose Toia for the week. Less omissions for the Tigers, but the people they have lost are in key positions. Koroisau, Bula and Mason are all unavailable, so we have Turuva at fullback, Doueihi in the halves, and Hope (a name...not a feeling) in the dummy-half role. Noting they recently lost Galvin to the Bulldogs, and we have a side struggling to win games trying to find a way to turn things around with the troops they have available. Their forward pack can dominate here (particularly so if May wants to rip through his old side), and if Koroisau was available I'd actually tip them. The Chooks have defied the critics and expectations plenty of times this season, and have crawled their way into the top six. They have enough excuses to lose this, but the Chooks don't look for excuses. I think they'll find a way to get it done.

Verdict - Roosters by 2

Result - Tigers 30 defeated Roosters 28

Manly Sea Eagles vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Sunday afternoon – 4 Pines Park

The Sea Eagles record against the Rabbitohs in recent years is chronically awful, and it's no better playing at home. While history is a very good guide, it's not the only guide, and the Sea Eagles bring to this contest a settled line-up that can compete with the best of them on a good day. They're down on forwards to be fair, but that backline can score plenty of points. The Bunnies have lost their most damaging and impactful player and goalkicker in Mitchell to Origin, and Walker has succumbed to a hamstring injury. Johnson moves to fullback and Wighton into the halves - note that Wighton did win a Clive Churchill in a losing side in this position, so no slouch. With the Bunnies likely to miss the finals this season, I wonder if Wighton will be watching his finals bound former team (that offered him more money to stay) and thinking "I may have made the wrong decision there".

Verdict - Sea Eagles by 7

Result - Sea Eagles 30 defeated Rabbitohs 12

Wally Lewis - round eighteen selections (in bold)

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

• BULLDOGS vs Broncos
• RAIDERS vs Dragons
• Cowboys vs STORM
• ROOSTERS vs Tigers
• SEA EAGLES vs Rabbitohs