NRL Round 8 Preview
Lachlan Coote's got the offers, but we're all about the here and now.
Broncos vs Rabbitohs
Match Up: Josh McGuire vs Sam Burgess. McGuire has been perhaps the Broncos' best player not named The Milf while Burgess was part of a Bunnies forward pack who got steamrolled last week. Burgess with a point to prove while McGuire is the standard.
Key Man: There's been a bit of noise around where Darius Boyd will play for Queensland and Australia which is because he's in great form with the Broncos. Expect the Rabbitohs to bounce back strongly through the middle, but with Boyd lurking out on the edges he could be in for a few key touches/try assists.
Keep An Eye On: This game is all about the Rabbitohs and what they're made of. They got beat up by the Cowboys and must respond against a very good Broncos team, with a strong forward pack who won't be easily dominated.
Verdict: Broncos <12. The Rabbitohs will try and fail.
Bulldogs vs Titans
Match Up: Moses Mbye vs Ashley Taylor. Mbye went missing last week against the Warriors while Taylor is building into his NRL career in a slow and steady manner. I reckon Mbye will play a crucial role in this contest but I'm more interested in how Taylor matches up against one of the better young halfbacks in the game.
Key Man: Greg Bird is back and it's perfect timing for the Titans as they'll need some mongrel against the Doggies. Bird will start the game with Ryan James and David Shillington, before reinforcements come on in the form of Leivaha Pulu and Agnatius Paasi, it's Bird who will play big minutes though.
Keep An Eye On: Adam Elliott has consistently kept forward like Lloyd Perrett out of the Doggies team and has done a steady job so far.
Verdict: Bulldogs <12. I want the Titans to win, showing that they can kick it with these mid-range teams but the Doggies usually win/lose/win so roll with them.
Raiders vs Wests Tigers
Match Up: Josh Hodgson vs Robbie Farah. Many thought that Farah's return to the Tigers would help them kick on from their slick start, however it's been the opposite and he'll line up against Hodgson who started the year on fire but has chilled since then. Both are nippy runners, crisp distributors and excellent kickers so expect this to be a fun battle.
Key Man: The Tigers' best performances have come thanks to Mitchell Moses who would add a dangerous attacking threat along with that offered by James Tedesco. Moses hasn't quite been as efficient of late and if the Tigers are to beat an eager Raiders team, Moses will need to run the footy and show off his range of passes.
Keep An Eye On: JJ Felise made his debut last week, he's a big unit and will come off the bench this week while Ricky Stuart could ring the changes after naming an extended bench.
Verdict: Raiders >12. Back in Canberra after Stuart blasted their effort last week, take the Raiders.
Cowboys vs Eels
Match Up: Where do we begin? You've got Michael Morgan/Jonathan Thurston vs Corey Norman/Kieran Foran in the halves, you've got Jake Granville vs Nathan Peats at hooker, Matt Scott/James Tamou vs the Eels' young props Junior Paulo/Daniel Alvaro along with Gavin Cooper/Ethan Lowe/Jason Taumalolo vs Manu Ma'u/Beau Scott/Tepai Moeroa.
Key Man: The Eels' defence has been outstanding, hence they're looking good, Lachlan Coote holds the key for the Cowboys in breaking down that defence. Coote will add silky touches and look for him to combine with Thurston down the left as this is the Eels' right edge which resembles a brick wall.
Keep An Eye On: Patrick Kaufusi gets a spot on the bench again, he's the brother of Antonio and Felise Kaufusi, Felise who is with the Storm.
Verdict: Cowboys <12. At home and I reckon that the Cowboys will relish the challenge of coming up against a rugged Eels defence.
Sharks vs Panthers
Match Up: Prepare for some razzle dazzle down the flanks as well as some heavy contact in kick returns as there'll be some quality wingers on display here. Sosaia Feki/Valentine Holmes vs Josh Mansour/Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, this will be fun.
Key Man: There's a few key men for the Sharks (Ben Barba, Michael Ennis) however if Jamie Soward is kicking as well as he can, the Sharks might not be in the game. Soward is one of the best general play kickers and he's playing behind a young, enthusiastic forward pack who are capable of kicking it with the Sharks' forwards.
Keep An Eye On: With Origin lurking, Andrew Fifita will be eager to stack up some of his finest work and if he does, then the Panthers might struggle.
Verdict: Panthers <12. Cheeky upset here, based on what I saw from the Panthers' forwards last week.
Knights vs Sea Eagles
Match Up: Danny Levi vs Matt Parcell. Two young hookers who return to their respective teams, with Levi being a classy operator who we haven't seen enough of recently while Parcell's speed around the ruck is crucial to Manly's attack.
Key Man: Martin Taupau will go nuts in this game.
Keep An Eye On: This is where we'll see if the Knights are capable of anything better than the wooden spoon. They were strong in their last home game against the Tigers and showed pride in their jersey and club, so expect the same sort of passion but the Sea Eagles are better than the Tigers, more experience and won't break so easily.
Verdict: Sea Eagles >12. Tu meke.
Dragons vs Roosters
Match Up: Euan Aitken vs Blake Ferguson. Aitken is a low key gun centre, he's solid and can do more than what you'd expect while Ferguson is gunning for an Origin jersey. Aitken is smaller than Ferguson, so how he handles Ferguson's big fend/strength will be interesting.
Key Man: For the Roosters now to fall too far behind the NRL's leaders while Mitchell Pearce is out, Jackson Hastings needs to take full control of the Roosters. At the moment it looks like Jake Friend is trying to do it all with Hastings take a few crucial plays off, instead Hastings has to step up and show he's able to play a classy hand at this level.
Keep An Eye On: Last season going into Origin, the Dragons were a good team and Tyson Frizell/Joel Thompson were in a nice vein of form. Those two need some epic performances if they want to make their case for a NSW jersey.
Verdict: Roosters <12. Cheeky upset here, coming thanks to a blockbusting display from the Roosters forwards.
Storm vs Warriors
Match Up: Cameron Munster vs Tuimoala Lolohea. Two of the most exciting youngsters in the NRL, capable of wizardry with their feet and they add slick touches on attack as well. Zone in on them when they're returning kicks and when there's a lose ball/scrambled defence, these two will be there somewhere hunting.
Key Man: The Storm's attack has been faulty of late so look for Cooper Cronk to play a crucial role in their attack. Just how Cronk goes his work here will be interesting as Cronk could lead the Storm's return to highly structured/clinical play, or Cronk will reflect the current Storm where they try a little razzle dazzle. Either way, Cronk's kicking game could win this game alone.
Keep An Eye On: The return of Manu Vatuvei will ensure that the Warriors get their sets off to a strong start, especially as David Fusitua is on the other wing. The Warriors could start their sets with runs from Vatuvei, Fusitua and Kata which is like three props starting a set.
Verdict: Warriors <12. The Storm typically struggle against the Warriors and the Warriors have a sniff of confidence.