Match Preview

Languishing in last spot on the ladder with one win from five games, the Rabbitohs are averaging just 14 points per game compared to 23.5 per game last season.

They must now try and find a way through a gritty Sharks side that boasts one of the best defences in the NRL and is revitalised after coming off a Round 5 bye.

Mitchell's suspension adds to the woes for the Bunnies, who are also missing star backs Alex Johnston and Campbell Graham to injury, robbing them of much of their potency.

While they could consider themselves unlucky losers against the Wests Tigers back on Easter Monday, Parramatta hardly fired a shot in a 41-8 drubbing at the hands of the Raiders in Round 5.

The absence of injured halfback Mitchell Moses was glaring, as Dylan Brown and Blaize Talagi struggled to get the side around the park efficiently, while giving away 10 penalties didn't help their cause either. 

Stamping their class on the competition after coming from behind to down the premiers at 4 Pines Park, Manly's next challenge is to overcome their recent record on the road after tough trips to Parramatta and Wollongong. 

And there's arguably no greater challenge then travelling across the Tasman to meet with a Warriors side who have well and truly hit their straps, rising to their third-consecutive win on the back of another Shaun Johnson masterclass. 

The Roosters will be without a number of their stars, including skipper James Tedesco and halfback Sam Walker, who have both entered concussion protocols, while winger Dom Young has been banned for two matches for a high tackle.

With a number of other players also still sidelined with injury and suspension, coach Trent Robinson has a difficult puzzle to solve this week.

After a stellar opening 20 minutes last Friday the Warriors failed to fire a shot against the Sharks in an eventual 16-12 loss, while later that night in Melbourne the Storm were outstanding in an 8-0 shutout of the Panthers to extend their unbeaten opening round record to a mind-boggling 22 years.

Craig Bellamy’s men have owned this rivalry since 2016 and boast 14-straight wins over the Warriors.

Under the guidance of former premiership-winning half James Maloney, who has taken on the role of club attack coach, the Cowboys played an expansive brand that included scoring four times after running it on last tackle against the 'Phins in a 43-18 win.

Newcastle on the other hand fell to a disappointing 28-12 defeat in front of a sold-out crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium, with a bad collapse in the final 20 minutes seeing them leak three tries.

Penrith were in devastating touch as they advanced to their fourth-straight grand final with a commanding 38-4 victory over the Storm, which is the biggest preliminary final winning margin achieved in the NRL era.

On the back of an 87 percent completion rate, the Panthers were able to flex their considerable attacking muscle, with Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards all having a big influence on the match.

A win over the Warriors would see the Knights equal the club record of 11 in a row, set back in 2001-02 when an Immortal named Johns was the hottest ticket in town.

After sending the Knights faithful home happy on Sunday, Adam O'Brien's men now need to find a way to win in a hostile environment in Auckland against a Warriors outfit that showed plenty of grit in its loss to the Panthers.

Not only are the Storm coming off a demoralising defeat but they also have the added anguish of Ryan Papenhuyzen's fractured ankle to deal with as they look to put their premiership campaign back on track.

Perhaps most alarming for coach Craig Bellamy was his side's disjointed attack, with star halves Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes throwing very little at the Broncos in a performance far removed from they dished up for most of the season.

The Tricolours simultaneously kept their own season alive and ended the premiership hopes of arch-rivals the Rabbitohs last week with a 26-12 win, and heading into Finals Week One only the Knights are riding a better run of form than Trent Robinson’s men.

Cronulla too have enjoyed a strong final month to the regular season, winning four of their last six, and will be battle-hardened after emerging 24-6 winners over the Raiders in a match which for the opening hour had the intensity of finals football.