Match Preview

The Panthers could scarcely have been more impressive in their Round 27 demolition of the Cowboys and they head into the finals series brimming with confidence and self-belief.

The absence of five-eighth Jarome Luai had the potential to throw the premiers off kilter but as they have done for the past four seasons they seamlessly slotted in a replacement player in Jack Cogger and barely skipped a beat.

While the Storm got up for a 32-22 victory last Thursday at Suncorp Stadium, for a win which lifted them past the Warriors into third spot, that can’t be used too much as a yardstick given both sides will look vastly different as they welcome back the stars they opted to rest in Round 27.

The game will be Brisbane’s first finals appearance since 2018, while for the Storm it’s a case of business as usual as they prepare to play in the post season for the 13th year in a row and do so as a top-four side for the seventh time in the past eight seasons.

The turnaround has been remarkable for Adam O'Brien's men, who sat 14th after Round 19 and looked anything but premiership contenders.

The Dragons have shown some promising signs in recent weeks but will still finish the season in second-last position, equalling their worst ever finish as a joint venture in 2019.

Having pushed the Storm and Warriors over the past fortnight, the Dragons go into Saturday's game confident of giving their home fans a ray of hope at the end of a tough season.

While North Queensland aren’t totally in control of their own destiny, it all starts with having to win on Saturday night to give themselves a chance of playing beyond the regular season. 

If they can beat Penrith and the Rabbitohs lose to the Roosters then North Queensland are probably through, while they could still make it if the Rabbitohs win and Raiders lose to the Sharks. 

While the Kiwi side can’t move any higher than their current standing in third, a loss against the Dolphins coupled with a Storm win over the Broncos would see them drop to fourth, so they still have plenty to play for on Saturday.

After holding a team to under 12 points for the first time since Round 20 last Friday against the Dragons, Andrew Webster will be hoping his side have rediscovered their hard edge defensively, as they seek to secure a club record-equaling eighth win in a row.

The two foundation clubs head into Round 27 in a three-way tie with the Cowboys on 30 competition points, but with contrasting points differentials that may prove crucial in the end. 

A win alone should be enough to see the Rabbitohs through to the finals for the sixth year in a row, thanks to a 37-point differential advantage over the Cowboys, but it's more complex for the Tricolours.

Fan-favourite Jake Trbojevic will notch his 200th game for both the club and in the NRL in a major motivator for the home side while there's still an unlikely chance the Wests Tigers can claw their way off the bottom of the ladder with a big win. 

It's been a disappointing season for both clubs with some high expectation at the start of the season but injuries and suspensions have cruelled their journeys, along with a rollercoaster of inconsistent performances.

Brisbane is on track for their first minor premiership in 23 years with victory over the Storm guaranteeing top spot on the Telstra Premiership ladder after the Panthers surrendered a game against Parramatta last week. 

Melbourne locked in a top four spot thanks to Newcastle's defeat of the Sharks with Craig Bellamy's side a chance of leapfrogging the Warriors if they're able to topple the Broncos and hope the Dolphins beat the New Zealand side.

The victory was the Warriors' 16th of the season but looks to have come at a cost with five-eighth Luke Metcalf suffering a hamstring injury.

In a bizarre opening to the match the Warriors allowed the kick-off to bounce and the ball ended up with Dragons centre Zac Lomax who dived over to score, but the bunker ruled Lomax had lost the ball into Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad as he tried to collect it.

Five of those defeats have been by 10 points or less and there has plenty to admire about their efforts against Wests Tigers and Newcastle in recent weeks, both games going right down to the wire before slipping out of the Dolphins' grasp.

The Cowboys remain in the hunt for a trop-eight spot despite a three-game losing streak dropping them from seventh to ninth and knocking their points differential down from +57 to +12.