Minor premiership, top four, top eight to be decided: Blythy's Round 25 Rev Up

Round 25 is upon us, with the minor premiership, top four and top eight all still undecided. Here is the rev up.

Cronulla Sharks vs Melbourne Storm

Cbus Super Stadium, 6:00pm, Friday September 3

Team News: Matt Moylan starts at five-eighth, pushing Luke Metcalf to the bench in Josh Hannay's only change.

Mass changes, with Cam Munster, Josh Addo-Carr, Reimis Smith, Jesse Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Christian Welch and Kenny Bromwich not named.

George Jennings returns on a wing with Marion Seve the new centre, Nicho Hynes will play six, and Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tui Kamikamica make up a massive new front-row pairing. Chris Lewis and Aaron Pene will play on the edges, while Ryley Jacks and Jordan Grant join the bench.

Prediction: It mightn't be the match of the round, but arguably the most important. A Storm win locks up the minor premiership, a Sharks victory has them certain to play finals footy. It's been a mixed start for Cronulla, the Storm have rested a stack of stars but still have elite players in key spots, it spells trouble for Josh Hannay's men. The Sharks can still make the eight if they lose, but they rely on a Canberra loss, as well as either the Titans losing to New Zealand, or a narrow Gold Coast win. It's a tightrope.

Craig Bellamy's line-up is lacking some big names but could still certainly compete with a host of sides in the competition, especially when you've got big Nelson Asofa-Solomona and George Jennings returning.

The club has also lost just three games this season, it's going to have to be the Sharks best game of the season by a long way. Keeping their completion rate high while still playing expansive footy is the key to a win, but it's hard to see the Sharks toppling this Melbourne outfit, understrength or not. Cronulla will throw a lot at the Storm, but it'll be Bellamy that earns the win, and the minor premiership.

Storm by 14.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Nelson Asofa-Solomona of the Storm is sent to the sin-bin during the NRL Preliminary Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm at the Sydney Cricket Ground on September 28, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Parramatta Eels vs Penrith Panthers

Cbus Super Stadium, 8:05pm, Friday September 3

Team News: Clint Gutherson is replaced by Hayze Perham, Michael Oldfield and Tom Opacic come into the centres for Waqa Blake and Will Penisini, while Jake Arthur replaces Mitchell Moses. The entire starting pack is rested, with Ky Rodwell and Samuel Loizou named to debut via the bench.

Penrith are unchanged.

Prediction: The Panthers remain in the hunt for the J.J. Giltinan shield, and while not their dominant best against the Wests Tigers, they did enough to win well. Parramatta were the team of the round, becoming the team to end the Storm's five month win streak, but are they back? They need to show a lot more than one game to change minds, but they've made a good first leap. We know what the Panthers will dish up, and with the Eels resting stars, it's hard to see them coming close.

The entirety of Parramatta's full strength spine has been rested, as has many of their stars. Don't be surprised if Isaiah Papali'i gets a late call-up to return to the side, but other than him, it's an inexperienced Eels outfit. The decision to rest the stars is an interesting one for Brad Arthur, his side still a chance of reaching fourth spot, though unlikely. This will be a training run for the Panthers as Nathan Cleary and co get themselves tuned up before a likely meeting with South Sydney next week.

Panthers by 26.

Brisbane Broncos vs Newcastle Knights

Suncorp Stadium, 3:00pm, Saturday September 4

Team News: Jordan Riki's return pushes TC Robati to the bench and Brendan Piakura out of the side, while Cory Paix takes Thomas Flegler's bench spot.

Dave Klemmer, Chris Randall, Starford To'a and Phoenix Crossland are in for Jacob Saifiti, Jayden Brailey, Hymel Hunt and Pasami Saulo respectively. Mitch Barnett has also been rested, with Brodie Jones named to start and Jack Johns joins the bench.

Prediction: Guaranteed to finish seventh, it is a little surprising to see Adam O'Brien not rest more of his superstars. The club is on a five-game win streak though, good form may outweigh the rest for O'Brien, especially against a side they beat 28-20 four weeks ago. Brisbane have surprisingly got a few in-form stars of their own, Kevvie Walters deserves some credit. There was talk of his potential sacking a month ago, now 2022 is shaping up as a massive year at Red Hill. Unfortunately for Walters - we're still in 2021.

Kalyn Ponga loves to turn it on against Brisbane, but it's Mitchell Pearce that the Broncos will need to smother. Newcastle don't win last week without him. His game management is key to their chances, and some of that poise and control seems to be rubbing off on Jake Clifford.

The former Cowboy is showing glimpses of a really promising career at Newcastle, set to play his first ever finals game next week. As is Sauaso Sue, who debuted for the Tigers in 2013, and will finally break his career-long drought after nine seasons. The Broncos will be very keen to send out captain Alex Glenn, but a Newcastle side on its way to consecutive finals series won't be toppled here. Another bottom-two placed finish beckons.

Knights by 10.

North Queensland Cowboys vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Queensland Country Bank Stadium, 5:30pm, Saturday September 4

Team News: Reuben Cotter is out, moving Jason Taumalolo to lock and Coen Hess comes in at prop.

Sean Keppie and Taniela Paseka replace Curtis Sironen and Toafofoa Sipley on the bench.

Prediction: There's question marks over this game, completely resting on Parramatta and the Roosters' results. If both lose, Manly are guaranteed a top four spot regardless, meaning Tom Trbojevic could sit out a week if Des chooses to rest him. The Cowboys finally had a win last week, their first in three months, and it came on the back of a resurgent Jason Taumalolo. His move to prop simplified his role - run hard, run straight. And that he did. Over 200 metres, he returns to lock with some form under his belt.

Manly have a boost of their own in Taniela Paseka, one of the most underrated props in 2021. His impact and leg speed has been vital to getting his side rolling, and if Taumalolo goes big again, it'll be Paseka and the likes of Jake Trbojevic and Marty Taupau tasked with stopping him.

The Cowboys have a good halves pairing but they struggle to build pressure unless they've got the field position. They rely on getting to that opposition red zone, whereas Foran and Cherry-Evans long-kicking game will really hurt you if you aren't alert. The Cowboys have x-factor but no grit, it's hard to see them keeping pace with the Sea Eagles, especially if Manly start fast. They were complacent against Canterbury, you won't see that two weeks running.

Sea Eagles by 22.

NRL Rd 10 - Sea Eagles v Eels — SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 18: Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles celebrate winning the round 10 NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Parramatta Eels at Lottoland on July 18, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons

Sunshine Coast Stadium, 7:35pm, Saturday September 4

Team News: Souths have also made mass restings on top of Latrell Mitchell and Liam Knight's suspensions, with Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker, Jai Arrow, Cam Murray, Damien Cook, Alex Johnston, Dane Gagai and Thomas Burgess to sit out.

Blake Taaffe is the new fullback, Taane Milne is on a flank with Braidon Burns at centre, while Benji Marshall lines up alongside debutant Lachlan Ilias in the halves. Rookie Peter Mamouzelous starts at hooker, Pat Mago is the new prop, and Davvy Moale joins the bench.

Gerard Beale is in for the injured Zac Lomax.

Prediction: South Sydney are severely undermanned, the Dragons have been painstakingly average. Flip a coin. Still, the Dragons are yet to win a singe game since BBQgate. They looked certainties against the Cowboys in that first half, only to concede four tries in ten minutes on the other side of halftime.

You can't trust them. Especially missing their best back in Zac Lomax. Could it be Corey Norman's last NRL game? A lot to be answered, while the main Rabbitohs question mark lies with Blake Taaffe.

Four career games, two at fullback and two on the bench, now the young Rabbitoh junior is set to be handed the keys to the kingdom with Latrell Mitchell's season over. It's an exciting week for the club, with four members of their premiership-winning 2019 Jersey Flegg side in the NRL line-up, specifically Taafe, Mamouzelous and debutant Lachlan Ilias. The Dragons really should win this, but on their form they've too hard to pick. 'Young talent time' will have its own rerun Saturday night as the junior Bunnies sneak past the Red V.

Rabbitohs by 8.

Gold Coast Titans vs New Zealand Warriors

Cbus Super Stadium, 2:00pm, Sunday September 5

Team News: The Titans are unchanged.

Chanel Harris-Tavita is back in place of Chad Townsend, while Jamayne Taunoa-Brown replaces Bunty Afoa on the pine.

Prediction: Another clash that's dependant on other results, expect a high-scorer. The Warriors mightn't be playing finals footy, but they've won over every NRL fan over the last two years with their sheer resilience. The Titans will be keeping that out of their mind though. The Titans need both Canberra and Cronulla to lose their games to be any hope, and then there's the matter of about 50 points differential in for-and-against between the two clubs.

It's going to have to be David Fifita again. It has to be. There's no one in the Warriors outfit that can contain him, but they need to utilise him better.

Not just 'pass it to David ten metres out and hope for the best'. Especially if their other Origin forwards in Tino and Fotuaika fire, the Warrior could be in strike. It's another flip of the coin for this round, with so much x-factor and little discipline between the sides, it's anyone's game. But with more to play and the second-longest current finals dry spell, the Titans will win this regardless of prior results.

Titans by 12.