Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Thursday night – CommBank Stadium

It wasn't so long ago that the Panthers were sitting last on the NRL ladder, and now they find themselves in the top eight. They've achieved that in part because the competition is perhaps the most compressed it's ever been, but it's still a mighty fine achievement, particularly during this period of the season where they contribute more to the State of Origin series than just about everyone. Their most recent win in Auckland over the high-flying Warriors, while resting all their Origin stars, is the win that has garnered the attention of many, and rightly so. The big question mark now is this - have they exhausted themselves dragging the team up the ladder mid-season, leaving them with a half empty tank for a potential finals campaign? I don't think they can win the premiership this season, but if they did they have every right to consider themselves the best of the best...perhaps ever. As for Thursday night, everyone is watching Nathan Cleary who is clearly nursing a leg issue. It's manageable enough for him to play, but the Panthers may want to give him another week off rather than risk losing him for an extended period. The Bulldogs are virtually full strength and refreshed after a week off, while the Panthers are on a short turnaround from a trip across the ditch. With that in mind, and with a question over Cleary, I'm with the Bulldogs in the game of the round.

Verdict - Bulldogs by 4

Result - Panthers 8 defeated Bulldogs 6

Manly Sea Eagles vs Wests Tigers – Friday night – 4 Pines Park

The Sea Eagles aren't the only team in the NRL that are difficult to read, but they're on the podium for inconsistency. There last two games have been losses to teams that haven't won a lot of games this season, but their last game at home was a thorough dismantling of the Broncos. They're back at home on Friday, which is likely to help, and they've had a week off to get their ship in shape. The coach has shuffled his backline for this - Hopoate returns at fullback, Trbojevic to the centres, and Garrick to the wing. The core issue may be in the forwards, with the damaging Olakau'atu and the hard-working Croker both unavailable. Their backline can do some special things, but their forwards have to set the table. The Tigers continue to compete but (mostly) fall short, as they did last week against the Raiders. They are a side on the rise, but losing their dynamic fullback (Bula) for a month is going to hurt. I'm with the Sea Eagles, but not with a lot of confidence.

Verdict - Sea Eagles by 7

Result - Sea Eagles 28 defeated Tigers 10

Newcastle Knights vs Canberra Raiders – Friday night – McDonald Jones Stadium

The Knights end of season highlights reel won't be the longest edition, but much of what is there will feature Fletcher Sharpe. He's been a revelation this season, and I wish him well with his recovery from the sort of injury you'd expect in a car accident. Get well Fletcher. Given the Knights struggles in attack his absence will be deeply felt, but the return of Bradman Best has clearly given their attack more vigour. The Friday night contest is a step up from what the Knights have been taking on in recent weeks. The Raiders have won 10 of their last 11, and that one loss was to the Bulldogs. They're a team that find a way to win - with brilliance, sheer determination, or a perfect blend of both. They also have a sweet run of home games following this match in Newcastle, and they remain my minor premiership and premiership favourite. They'll be resting Hudson Young this week, perhaps for his own good. The Raiders are blessed to be in a position where they can manage their roster as they edge toward September. Rarified air.

Verdict - Raiders by 8

Result - Raiders 22 defeated Knights 18

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

A slightly unusual set of circumstances on Saturday at Suncorp. It's not Magic Round or a double-header, but something else. Anyone with a ticket for this game has to be shuffled out in time for the ticket holders for the Dolphins game a few hours later. Logistically interesting, but this ground cops a battering all season and seems to hold up reasonably well. I almost turned off the Broncos/Sharks game last weekend, but I'm glad I didn't, as the Broncos found their mojo and found the win in one of the more entertaining games we've had this season (and we've had a few). The Broncos are now in fifth place but there's no room for complacency - they're just two points ahead of the team in 11th. They've named the same seventeen that got the job done last week, and will be relishing the opportunity to knock off a top four team this weekend. A surprise loss for the Warriors last week against an under-strength Panthers - they'll be hoping that was an anomaly. A return to their prior form, where they scored 76 points in two successive matches in Sydney, wins them this. Note that these sides met in round 7 in Auckland, where the Warriors prevailed 20-18 in difficult conditions. The weather looks better for this contest, and the crowd for this game might surprise a few. School holidays, a daytime schedule and an opponent with a loyal following in Brisbane 0 43000+ wouldn't surprise me one bit. It's not magic round, but it will feel like it.

Verdict - Broncos by 4

Result - Broncos 26 defeated Warriors 12

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Parramatta Eels – Saturday night – WIN Stadium, Wollongong

An extra time field goal from Zac Lomax proved the difference when these sides met in round 5 - with team line-ups on Saturday much as they were then. Most would argue that the Eels are going better now than they were early in the season but we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. It was a good win last week, but it was against the team running last and it was one of those days where the ball bounced their way. This is slightly harder, and playing at night at Wollongong is never easy. Gutherson will give his all to notch a win over his old club - I think he can drag his team to victory.

Verdict - Dragons by 4

Result - Dragons 34 defeated Eels 20

Redcliffe Dolphins vs South Sydney Rabbitohs – Saturday night – Suncorp Stadium

The injuries are mounting for the mighty mighty Dolphins - they have five players with season-ending injuries who would otherwise be in their starting thirteen, and Kaufusi is out with a knee injury for about a month. Most of those season-ending injuries are to forwards, but the Dolphins can still name an interchange bench of Graham, Lemuelu, Stone and Kerr which is a better list of interchange forwards than many. Some handy returns for the Rabbitohs here, with Graham and Walker back to help Wayne Bennett knock off his last club. These sides met way back in round one in Sydney where the Bunnies prevailed 16-14. Notably, the Bunnies were without Latrell Mitchell or Alex Johnson in that game, and we saw last week what those two can do. I don't enjoy tipping against the Dolphins, but:

Verdict - Rabbitohs by 7

Result - Dolphins 50 defeated Rabbitohs 28

Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks – Sunday afternoon – AAMI Park

My favourite moment of the Sharks loss to the Broncos last week was when Hynes played for an obstruction penalty and the entire Sharks backline through the arms up in the air like they were performing in a Mitch Moses tribute show...and the Bunker awarded the try. More of that I say. They back up from the disappointing loss in Brisbane with one of the toughest road trips in the business. The Storm have shown us glimpses of what they can do this season, but their best has typically been at home. 6 games at AAMI Park for 6 wins - 254 points scored and just 86 points conceded. It must be mentioned that the Sharks did beat the Storm in round 11 this year (31-26), but this venue and the afternoon timeslot points to a Storm victory. 

Verdict - Storm by 8

Result - Storm 30 defeated Sharks 6

Gold Coast Titans vs North Queensland Cowboys – Sunday afternoon – CBus Super Stadium

Two teams that continue to break my heart with their ongoing crapulence - one of them gets an opportunity to redeem themselves in my eyes...at least for a week. The Cowboys have been leaking points in recent weeks, and the Titans have plenty of attacking firepower, but I can't ignore the scoreline from the last time these sides met. In round 8, the Cowboys prevailed 50-18 in Townsville. That was with Clifford joining Deardon in the halves, which happens again on Sunday. The Titans record against the Cowboys on the Gold Coast is quite strong, but that recent result is tapping away in my head, telling me to tip the Cowboys in this. Will I be disappointed? It wouldn't surprise me if I was.

Verdict - Cowboys by 4

Result - Cowboys 30 defeated Titans 24

Wally Lewis - round seventeen selections (in bold)

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

• Panthers vs BULLDOGS
• SEA EAGLES vs Tigers
• Knights vs RAIDERS
• BRONCOS vs Warriors
• DRAGONS vs Eels
• DOLPHINS vs Rabbitohs
• STORM vs Sharks
• TITANS vs Cowboys