Mate, as long as you're not suspended for the Finals then all goods.

Roosters vs Broncos

Match Up: Boyd Cordner vs Matt Gillett. Any time you get two Origin calibre players going at each other, you've gotta take note and here we have two of the best edge forwards in the game. Cordner has the size advantage, while Gillett is more nimble with his feet and could present the Roosters edge defence with a few headaches.

Key Man: Anthony Milford's gotta fire at some stage during this phase of the season. The Broncos have been struggling to roll forward, which hasn't allowed Milford to play with the same zip that we've seen from him but I also think that Milford's magic has covered Brisbane's flaws at various stages over the past 18 months.

Keep An Eye On: Connor Watson starts in the halves and he's put Jackson Hastings in the shade with a few decent performances over the past few weeks. Hastings appears to be on the outer now and Watson's ability when running the footy makes him a nice complimentary piece to Mitchell Pearce at halfback.

Verdict: Broncos <12. Roosters forwards could offer Brisbane some problems, I've got the Broncs' mobility though.

Bulldogs vs Dragons

Match Up: Moses Mbye vs Benji Marshall. When the Doggies and Dragons are at their best, Mbye and Marshall are on fire but when they are struggling, many of their flaws emerge from the shadows - I reckon those flaws wouldn't be so visble if they were playing alongside dominant halves. Both offer some funk, but it will be who can roll through clinical kicks and execution which will be crucial.

Key Man: David Klemmer will need to keep the Bulldogs moving forward, while James Graham does his passing thang. The Dragons forward pack struggles to handle powerful forwards and Klemmer will view them as being ripe for the picking.

Keep An Eye On: Josh Jackson was far from his best last week against the Cowboys and it'll be interesting to see if that was just a blip, or if he's feeling some fatigue from Origin.

Verdict: Bulldogs >12. The Doggies rollercoaster continues.

Warriors vs Panthers

Match Up: Shaun Johnson vs Nathan Cleary. Another battle of the halfbacks here as I'm very interested in how Johnson goes up against a young lad who just looks to be the perfect halfback. Johnson could be put in the shade by Cleary's kicking game and control he offers, while Johnson could put on a running showcase and put Cleary in his place.

Key Man: Trent Merrin is the rock in the middle of the field for Penrith which allows all their funk on attack. The Warriors don't have the biggest forward pack and Merrin will have an opportunity to use his footwork to shift defenders slightly, as well as popping offloads out with relative ease. If Merrin's rolling through plenty of carries, metres and offloads, Penrith should win.

Keep An Eye On: Bryce Cartwright doesn't really play like a typical half and he's still doing a fair job on the edge as a big body, simply because Matt Moylan's there. Moylan is about as slick a ball-playing fullback as Darius Boyd and his presence allows Cartwright only do a basic job as a half, giving Penrith what must be considered another forward.

Verdict: Panthers <12. Their free-flowing style is gorgeous and effective.

Eels vs Tigers

Match Up: Clint Gutherson vs Mitchell Moses. Moses is coming off a sublime game last week and he'll face off against Gutherson, who is showing that he can kick it in the halves at NRL level. I'll be interested in who is more effective; you'd assume Moses but Gutherson is highly funky.

Key Man: Kevin Naiqama will probably line up against Manu Ma'u and with the ball-playing done inside Naiqama, look for him to have a jump on Ma'u with his speed. Ma'u can handle himself out on the edge and Naiqama will struggle to get line breaks, but when the Tigers hit this edge, Naiqama will create space or get a quick play-the-ball, or be a decoy for James Tedesco.

Keep An Eye On: Jordan Rankin did some dummy half work last week and look for him to get in there when Dene Halatau is having a break.

Verdict: Tigers <12. As the season wears on, look for Parramatta to fade.

Cowboys vs Storm

Match Up: Jason Taumalolo vs Cameron Smith. A funky match up here as Smith's tackling ability and then his wrestle will be crucial in slowing down Taumalolo, who has been immense every week through the middle for the Cowboys. Smith will have some sort of plan and it'll be a joy to see the battle between these two.

Key Man: Blake Green has played with Tohu Harris and Cameron Munster outside him for a few weeks straight now and this is crucial to giving the Storm a slick attacking threat down either edge. Green is the man who starts everything and his decision making, then his execution will be vital as the weapons outside him will be waiting for an opportunity.

Keep An Eye On: Ray Thompson gets another run in the NRL, doing what he's done for almost five years now as he fills in for Jonathan Thurston. Thompson's been linked with a move to the Dragons while there could also be a long-term future at the Cowboys, when Thurston retires and this is an opportunity for Thompson to put his best foot forward.

Verdict: Storm <12. It'll still be close without Thurston, he's the difference though.

Rabbitohs vs Raiders

Match Up: Cameron McInnes vs Josh Hodgson. McInnes is a decent dummy half, while Hodgson is one of the best and the funk sits in whether the difference between the two is clearly visible. If McInnes is scooting, that means his forwards are making metres so that'll be a good sign but if that's not the case, Hodgson will likely cover McInnes in shade.

Key Men: Junior Paulo/Shannon Boyd/Joseph Tapine. The Rabbitohs have been suspect through the middle all season and have looked their worst against powerful, mobile forward packs which is what the Raiders have in this trio.

Keep An Eye On: Zane Musgrove starts at prop and Angus Crichton will come off the bench, two players who have stepped up from the Rabbitohs' Under-20's team and as their season drifts off into the oblivion, getting this blokes minutes will be crucial.

Verdict: Raiders <12. One team's trending upwards, the other isn't.

Sea Eagles vs Knights

Match Up: Jake Trbojevic vs Jeremy Smith. 'Chop 'em down' vs the Cumberland throw. Defensive specialists doing their thing in the middle.

Key Man: Jamie Lyon is finishing his career off strongly in the halves for Manly, thanks largely to an expert kicking game that allows Daly Cherry-Evans far more time and space on the other side of the ruck. Lyon will have the chance to fine-tune this kicking game and his ball-playing against Newcastle, which will be important moving forward with Manly hunting a Finals spot.

Keep An Eye On: Newcastle are giving more opportunities to players who will feature next season and beyond, which is a fantastic move. Josh King's starting at prop, David Bhana's starting on the edge, Jake Mamo at fullback and it's just smart work from coach Nathan Brown.

Verdict: Manly <12. Newcastle hang in there, but Manly have the Finals in their sights.

Titans vs Sharks

Match Up: Ash Taylor vs Chad Townsend. Two young halfbacks who have both enjoyed plenty of praise this season with Taylor emerging as a legit NRL halfback and Townsend steadily building on a promising start to his career. This is crunch time though and both the Titans and Sharks are in strong positions (relative to expectations), so how they perform during this phase of the season will be fun to watch and we'll get no better example of this than Monday night when they face off against each other.

Key Man: Greg Bird missed last week and he's back this week to go to battle against his brother from another mother, Paul Gallen. Having Bird back, allows the Titans to settle back into their normal rotations with Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu adding some serious power off the bench. Then you've got Bird's composure as he got a bit nutty last time these two teams played each other and hasn't quite been able to stay away from the judiciary, so how he deals with the niggle and then how he plays through the middle with his skill and footwork will be key.

Keep An Eye On: Zeb Taia and Chris McQueen have been in decent form all season but face a serious test this week against Luke Lewis and Wade Graham. This is where we get a fair gauge of Taia and McQueen, where they sit as NRL edge forwards and if they can continue their run of form against Cronulla, it's a huge boost for the Titans moving forward.

Verdict: Titans <12. Break the streak!