Don't sleep on Kasiano's niggle either, he always causes some sort of ruckus.

Sea Eagles vs Eels

Match Up: Dylan Walker vs Corey Norman. Walker continues to improve with Manly and is showing off his running game more with each week while Norman has a hand in nearly every threatening Eels play. Both are highly skilled, but Walker is more of a runner with Norman offering a silky touch whether with his hands or boot.

Key Man: The Eels are a very, very good defensive team and while there are many attacking weapons that Manly can use, it will start with young dummy half Matt Parcell. Parcel's greatest gift is his speed and if he can establish a threat around the ruck area, then space will open up out on the edges where Brett Stewart will come into his own.

Keep An Eye on: Both teams have their bench rotations figured out and they serve up nearly identical benches, most importantly though both benches are in form and each offer plenty of impact. Watch out around that 20 minute mark and beyond to see who helps their team gain the upper hand.

Verdict: Sea Eagles <12. Home turf, big occasion and a team that is quietly building with each week.

Cowboys vs Rabbitohs

Match Up: Jason Taumalolo vs Sam Burgess. Two of the very best middle forwards in the NRL will go at each other in a pretty damn epic battle. Taumalolo is quicker with better footwork but will likely play less minutes while Burgess is all effort, playing big minutes and heavily involved in everything.

Key Man: Luke Keary welcomes back Adam Reynolds at halfback, which will free up Keary to run the football, a lot. Reynolds is one of the best halfbacks at steering his team around the park and Keary's bread and butter is a darting run starting with a dummy or a step. Look for Keary to establish a running game before mixing it up, or vice versa as Reynolds keeps it simple.

Keep An Eye On: I'm interested in who gains the upper hand out on the edges with Gavin Cooper and Ethan Lowe up against Chris Grevsmuhl and Kyle Turner. None of these players have any obvious weakness and all do a very solid job for their team, I'l be watching for how their halves and fullbacks get them involved with their set-plays.

Verdict: Cowboys >12. I reckon we'll see the Cowboys forward pack stamp their authority on this game.

Titans vs Dragons

Match Up: William Zillman vs Josh Dugan. This is a weird battle as Dugan's a gun while Zillman is a forgotten man of the NRL thanks to constant injury troubles. Dugan will stand out like a sore thumb with his work which when matched up against Zillman's subtle influence on the Titans will be fun to watch.

Key Man: Ryan James will need to fill the void left by Greg Bird who is out suspended as the Titans will back their forward pack to dominate the Dragons'. James is an enforcer who has good hands and runs good lines, hence he's a try-scoring threat but the Titans need his aggression and niggle in the absence of Bird.

Keep An Eye On: Kalifa Faifai Loa is back in the NRL, up against his former team and his dynamic running plus specialist winger finishing could be a bonus for the Dragons. Most importantly, Faifai Loa will need to assist Dugan and Jason Nightingale in getting the Dragons out of their own end as their forward pack hasn't shown that they can do this.

Verdict: Titans <12. I've talked myself into backing the Titans but who knows, this could be the game in which the Dragons break free. I like the grit in this Titans team though.

Bulldogs vs Warriors

Match Up: Moses Mbye vs Shaun Johnson. When watching Mbye play, I see how Johnson could play as Mbye combines a running threat with general halfback excellence with an accurate kicking game and smart distribution. Johnson is a better runner, he just doesn't run and he's a capable halfback, we just haven't seen him take control.

Key Man: If Josh Reynolds is at his best, oozing energy and getting under the skin of the Warriors then he could single-handily play the Warriors out of the game. One could think that the Warriors are fragile, mentally and Reynolds will be out to not only expose this but also to stamp his claim for an Origin jersey, bad timing for the Warriors.

Keep An Eye On: Right now, I like William Hopoate over Roger Tuivasa-Sheck as Hopoate's work has a great influence on his team's fortunes. I can't predict that Hopoate will play out of his skin, just watch Hopoate throughout the game and note all the low key contributions he makes on attack and defence.

Verdict: Bulldogs >12. The Doggies are almost as up and down as the Warriors, if their forwards show up this could get messy.

Broncos vs Knights

Match Up: Darius Boyd vs Dane Gagai. Boyd is the definition of slick, everything he does is slick while Gagai is the Knights' spark on attack and Gagai will need to offer some of Boyd's distribution skills if the Knights are to have any chance of victory.

Key Man: Korbin Sims moved to the edge last week and the timing couldn't be any better for the youngest Sims brother as he comes up against the club that gave him an Under 20s gig, plus Korbin has declared himself a Queenslander so he'll be keen to make a mark in front of a big Brisbane crowd. He'll likely line up against Alex Glenn which could see Korbin making big metres out on the edge.

Keep An Eye On: After moving from Parramatta, Pauli Pauli has shifted from the edge to the middle with the Knights and he offers a very large, mobile body through the middle.

Verdict: Knights <12. Why not? I dunno, they won last week and have an angry forward pack who could ruffle a few feathers.

Raiders vs Sharks

Match Up: Josh Hodgson vs Michael Ennis. Besides Cameron Smith, these are the two best hookers in the NRL as the both offer so much more than the odd run and crisp passing. They have a wide range of passes that are crucial to their team's attack, especially close to the try-line and they are also gifted kickers of a footy. I'm excited, these two are really good at their craft, Hodgson's so good that Ennis will probably target him with plenty of niggle.

Key Man: If Shannon Boyd doesn't show up, decides to take the week off or whatever then the Raiders could get steamrolled through the middle and that will be the game. Boyd is capable though of getting on top of a strong Sharks forward pack and his battle with Andrew Fifita will be fun.

Keep An Eye On: Gerard Beale has been named on the Sharks' bench for a few weeks now and has come on in a few different positions. Whether he's used here, or how he's used will be interesting as he's capable of a variety of positions, which can provide the Sharks with a fluid bench.

Verdict: Raiders >12. At home and with a point to prove, however going against the Sharks isn't easy.

Tigers vs Storm

Match Up: James Tedesco vs Cameron Munster. Two of the best young fullbacks in the NRL, two of the hardest blokes to tackle and perhaps two fullbacks who have the greatest influence on their team's attack. If this battle doesn't get you excited, give up on life.

Key Man: Sauaso Sue will once again start at lock and the Tigers need him to offer plenty of whack on defence, along with flopping all over the show (legally) to slow the Storm's play-the-ball speed. The Storm love quick plays and the Tigers love leaking points, so expect Sue to step up in an enforcer role.

Keep An Eye On: Expect Tohu Harris to replace Will Chambers at centre and expect Harris to do it well, as he does where ever he plays on a footy field.

Verdict: Storm <12. The Tigers can't defend while the Storm can.

Roosters vs Panthers

Match Up: Jayden Nikorima vs Te Maire Martin. Two young Maori halves, one who has chosen to represent Queensland and Australia and one who is a true-blue kiwi. Both are gifted footy players who both love to take the line on, what I'm intrigued about though is how they combine with their respective halfbacks. Martin has been playing second fiddle to Jamie Soward, chiming in when needed while Nikorima and Hastings share the workload.

Key Man: Bryce Cartwright's skill out on the edge will be crucial in getting the big Roosters forwards moving around, limiting their impact. Cartwright is an offloading deity who is also a big unit himself so the physical battle won't worry him, the Panthers need his skill though as they'll look for offloads and quick blokes to get the Roosters on the back foot.

Keep An Eye On: Reagan Campbell-Gillard is the forward who offers the Panthers with energy, aggression and intimidation; he'll be fighting a David vs Goliath sort of battle here. I love the work of Campbell-Gillard though and he could inspire his troops, ensuring that the Panthers hold their own through the middle.

Verdict: Panthers <12. Again, who knows but I like the Panthers, especially if they opt for skill and mobility.