Match Preview

A shock loss to the Wests Tigers last start has Kevin Walters' men under pressure with the Storm and Eels level with the Broncos on 26 competition points going into round 21.

The Roosters are in eighth spot on points differential, slightly ahead of the Raiders who take on a depleted Penrith side. 

Trent Robinson labelled the side's attack in their recent win over the Sea Eagles as a bit rushed with the side coming up with 18 errors despite claiming the two points.

When the two sides met in round 14 it was the Cowboys running away with the game 31-12 in Townsville and Todd Payten's men have gone on with the job since then to sit alone in second spot.

Should the Cowboys go on to secure an all important top-four spot they will look back on the round 15 miracle comeback against Manly and the round 19 great escape against the Tigers as pivotal moments in their season.

Newcastle have lost five of their past six games and face the prospect of being without inspirational skipper Kalyn Ponga for an extended period after he suffered another concussion in the loss to the Roosters.

The Bulldogs are scoring tries and loving life, reviving 'The Entertainers' brand with 140 points in their past five matches and knocking off the Eels, Tigers and Titans along the way.

Having taken one of the competition heavyweights to the wire, the Tigers should be walking that little bit taller, but the deflating nature of the loss will have left them feeling flat.

The Broncos, meanwhile, continue to march on and are now inside the top four with all their remaining matches against sides currently below them on the ladder.

Their renaissance under the astute leadership of Adam Reynolds has been remarkable and with a top-four finish at their mercy they can dare to dream of a first premiership since 2006.

Cronulla matched - and for large periods outplayed - Penrith in round 19, and were in the match right up until Jarome Luai's 77th-minute try put the game beyond reach.

The Rabbitohs head to PointsBet Stadium in red-hot form, having won their last four matches including a 24-12 victory over the Storm last weekend. 

The two clubs have met just once a year for the past six seasons, with South Sydney winning four of those clashes. 

After tackling the Titans on Saturday, Ricky Stuart's men have matches to come against the Panthers, Dragons, Knights, Sea Eagles and Tigers so they are well positioned to make a return to the finals after missing out last year.

The Titans have shown positive signs in the past fortnight against the Broncos and Bulldogs but they still remain equal last and face an uphill battle to avoid a second wooden spoon in four years.

The Panthers had to do it the hard way against a dogged Sharks side in miserable conditions last Saturday, and for the first time all year are presented with the motivation of facing an opponent who currently has the wood on them. 

The Eels have suffered two defeats at CommBank Stadium this year, while the Panthers have won in five of their seven visits to the venue, with one of those losses coming against Parramatta in 2020. 

Despite their current slump the Storm remain just two points adrift of the top four and have it all to play for, while the Warriors will be motivated to give their home fans something to cheer about in their second game at Mt Smart Stadium this year. 

The last time they met on Anzac Day the Storm scored 10 tries in the second half to run out 70-10 winners, and the Warriors haven't beaten Melbourne since 2015.

The Sea Eagles (9th) and Roosters (8th) are two of those sides along with the Raiders (10th) and Dragons (11th), so this showdown between the boys from Sydney's northern beaches and the Bondi brigade has massive ramifications.

It feels like an eternity since the Roosters downed Manly 26-12 in round two at the SCG, both sides battling injuries to star players and bouts of inconsistency since then but remaining well and truly in the hunt for September.

In the 37 meetings between the two sides in the NRL era, the Sea Eagles hold a slight 20-17 advantage.

Just two competition points separate them right now, with the Storm falling to fourth after their most recent defeat at the hands of the Raiders and South Sydney holding firm in seventh position after picking up their third win in a row on Sunday against the Bulldogs. 

Melbourne have struggled to put it together in attack over the past fortnight and are now without influential fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (knee) for the rest of the year. 

The Bunnies have had no such trouble with ball in hand and are playing with a newfound confidence, led by star fullback Latrell Mitchell.