Round 7: Previews and Predictions

Canterbury Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs ANZ Stadium, Friday Afternoon Good Friday football kicks off in appropriate style as these two traditional rivals renew hostilities. The Dogs will come out searching for their third win in succession but will need an improved performance on their showing last week if they are to elevate themselves into the top eight. They currently have a league-worst attack, averaging just over 14 points per game however welcome back winger Kerrod Holland to the fold. David Klemmer remains a big loss, however, the front line work of James Graham and Aiden Tolman has been more than impressive over the past fortnight. For the Rabbitohs, they're coming in off the back of a one-point win over an under-strength Panthers side however it's their halves combination that will lead them to victory if they are to get the Easter chocolates this weekend. Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker have both been as influential as each other for the Bunnies and will need to replicate their recent performances to earn the Redfern club the win. It should be a cracking contest to kick off the Good Friday triple header. Bulldogs by 4. Newcastle Knights v Sydney Roosters McDonald Jones Stadium, Friday Night Sydney travel to Newcastle out to right the wrongs from their poor loss in Brisbane last week as they come up against the Knights looking to register their second win of the season. Sione Mata'utia's bombed try effort cost them last week against the Bulldogs as the Knights' recent outings - including Nathan Ross' try of the season contender - have given their fans hope for the season going forward. The form of Ross and Dane Gagai has brought a smile to the faces of Knights fans this season as they'll be out to exploit the frail defensive line that the Roosters displayed last week. As a result, the Roosters have dropped Latrell Mitchell in favour of youngster Joseph Manu and are expected to recapture their offensive groove which saw them average over 21 points per game in the first five rounds. The Roosters should bounce back and register their first win in three weeks however it may not be as easy as some punters are predicting. Roosters by 10. Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans Suncorp Stadium, Friday Night The Broncos head into Friday night on the back of a thumping win over Sydney last week, by far their most complete performance of the season. Following a tough opening month to the season, the Broncos should be ready to roll and take advantage of a softer draw in the coming month, even if they are without halfback Ben Hunt. Kody Nikorima slots in to the vacated number seven jersey while winger Corey Oates returns on the wing as the Broncos look to maintain their sturdy defence (equal third best) against a Titans side that has no issue crossing over the try line. The injury-depleted Titans welcome back Nathan Peats and Chris McQueen this week as they look to travel up the M1 in search of their second win this season. They're defence is what needs work and the Broncos will have a field day if the Titans can't tighten that up. The Titans have won just five games in the 21-game history between the two sides, and we can't see them adding to that this weekend. Broncos by 14. Manly Sea Eagles v Melbourne Storm Lottoland, Saturday Afternoon Both teams come into this game following a pair of poor losses in round six. Manly were totally outclassed against the ladder-leading Dragons while Melbourne's handling errors proved costly in the grand final rematch. The Sea Eagles need a win to stay in touch with the upper echelon of the ladder and will lean heavily on the league's fourth best offense to get them off on the right foot. Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic will lead that push with five-eighth Blake Green keen to show his former side what they're missing out on. Akuilia Uate will bolster their offense although they will be without Nate Myles and Martin Taupua for the clash. Melbourne have named Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Munster and Christian Welch on an extended interchange - all reliable hands to help them fix their handling issues from last week, albeit in wet conditions. The Storm will miss Will Chambers in attack through suspension however they welcome back Cheyse Blair into an attack that has failed to fire more often than not this season. Their five wins have come on the back of their league-best defence that'll once again be a big factor come Saturday afternoon. Once again, there are mouth-watering match ups all over the park, none bigger than Cherry-Evans against Cooper Cronk. The two Queenslanders will go toe to toe for what will probably be the final time at Brookvale with Cronk in Storm colours. Manly's 1-3 home record this season is one they'll want to improve on, but we can only see it getting worse as Melbourne return to the winners list. Storm by 8. Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors GIO Stadium, Saturday Night Canberra are a solitary field goal away from league the league in points scored this season while the Warriors are averaging 25 points a game since Keiran Foran made his debut. Did someone say offensive showdown under the bright lights of GIO Stadium on Saturday night? Neither the Raiders or the Warriors have been particularly fond of defending so far in 2017 so it's only fair that two of the league's most capable offenses get set for a show down. The Warriors are 2-0 with Foran and Shaun Johnson has realised how good life is with another star along side him in the halves while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is improving each week at fullback. The Raiders have also won their last two and are looking to continue to climb up the ladder. Their past month has been very good after a slow start to the season and found their offensive groove last week, scoring 42 points on the hapless Titans. We can see them continuing that form, however the Warriors will prove to be a tougher task. Raiders by 12. St. George Illawarra Dragons v North Queensland Cowboys WIN Stadium, Saturday Night St. George sit atop of the NRL ladder after six rounds and will seek to extend their stay there as they take on a depleted Cowboys side without their first choice fullback, half back or hooker. Gareth Widdop has been a major factor in turning last season's second-worst offensive side into this season's best as he and recruit Paul Vaughn have led the Dragons in this department. Not to be outdone defensively, the Dragons have the second-best defence in the competition as they start to prove to naysayers that they may just be the real deal. Take a future immortal out of any side and you're not gonna end up on the better side of the ledger, as is the case with the Cowboys. Their record without JT is poor, and despite a host of names returning - as well as the addition of Coen Hess to the run on side - it's tough to see where their offensive spark will come from. After a home loss last week against a rejuvenated Wests side, we can see them dropping two on the trot as the Dragon bandwagon continues to grow. Dragons by 10. Penrith Panthers v Cronulla Sharks Pepper Stadium, Sunday Afternoon Penrith's disciplinary action against Matt Moylan, Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku potentially cost them two competition points last week against Souths and they'll be out to right those wrongs this week against the reigning premiers coming off a big win against the Storm. The Panthers two wins have come against lowly Newcastle and Wests outfits and will be looking to take a big scalp in order to restore their premiership credentials and there's no better way to do that than to knock off Cronulla. James Fisher-Harris and Tyrone Peachey also return with Bryce Cartwright also an outside chance to play in a game where the Panthers will want to reassure their fans of what they're capable of. For Cronulla, James Segeyaro is out with a broken arm but their defense - fourth best in the league - continues to impress, holding the Storm to just a solitary field goal last week in wet conditions. They'll need to be up to par again this week if they are to stop the flashy Panthers attack. This has the potential to arguably be the game of the round and we reckon Penrith have too much of a point to prove to let this slip. Panthers by 2. Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers ANZ Stadium, Monday Afternoon Monday night football is back (sort of)! Two teams near the bottom of the ladder battle it out with Parra, who started the season 2-0, looking to win for the first time in a month while Wests search for back to back wins under new coach Ivan Cleary. The Tigers were a little flashy at times last week against the Cowboys and it paid off, largely on the back of strong mid-field runs from their forwards. They'll look to repeat the dose this week as they look to regain some stability around the club in all areas. The Eels, who lose Frank Pritchard, will get a glimpse of their future first hand as they come up against Mitchell Moses just a week after he announced he would like to join the club immediately. Their unimaginative offense languishes near the bottom of the table for points scored as they continue to struggle without Bevan French. It looks as though the Tigers will make it two on the trot come Easter Monday and hand the Eels their fifth loss in a row. Tigers by 8.