Alright, folks.

You should all know the drill by now.

There are 16 teams playing in eight games this weekend, and because nothing in this life is either perfect or complete, we here at Zero Tackleย still believe each of these aforesaid combatants come with a question marks.

So, before the third month of the regular season kicks off on Thursday night, we have sought to answer the most pressing queries ahead of Round 9.

SEE ALSO: Blythy's Round 9 Rev Up

2. Cronulla couldn't, could they?

With the men from the feet of the Blue Mountains still sitting atop with table's summit, and the Sharks currently residing at the depths of their own droppings, the logical answer to the question is no, they almost certainly won't.

Still, history suggests the Panthers will have to be knocked off at some stage, and until it happens, I will continue to appraise their opponent's chances each week โ€“ even if it is Cronulla.

According toย Stats Insider,ย there is a greater chance of rain in the Sahara on Friday than the Sharks stopping the Panthers' winning streak at eight on the same night.

Although Cronulla's mascot may resemble the antagonist from Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster thriller, the Sharks' metaphorical mandible has been toothless across the month of April.

And with the Shire side losing their last four games by an average losing margin of 11 points, it is little wonder why they have been offered a 19 point head start by the bookies.

With this in mind, and the fact that so many of Penrith's starting 13 should feasibly be playing representative football this season, I cannot actually make a realistic case for a black, white and blue win.

However, if you are Josh Hannay, anyone that has read my series of death kisses so far this season or someone that believes they have a working friendship with the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas, you are likely to disagree with this contention.