Two high-calibre match-ups kick-start the Round 8 action on the Anzac Day holiday.
The Dragons will have a tough time bouncing back from their shock loss to the Warriors when they take on the Roosters, while the Storm will have to contend with a New Zealand side coming off an upset win against the Dragons.
Things don’t get any easier for Wayne Bennett and the Broncos when they have travel to Sydney to battle South Sydney.
The Sea Eagles will want to put their off-field troubles behind them with a win against the Knights and the Cowboys have the opportunity to notch back-to-back wins against the Raiders.
Fresh off their first win of the season the Eels will need to show the league that they can back their performance against Manly with another strong display against the Tigers.
For the first time in his career serious questions are being asked about the long-term viability of Wayne Bennett and it’s only a matter of time before the ‘Supreme Leader’ is tapped on the shoulder.
The Broncos are missing the direction of Ben Hunt at half-back and haven’t found a way to unlock the attacking potential of NSW State of Origin star Jack Bird.
The Rabbitohs were outstanding in their demolition of the Raiders in round seven and the Broncos will be starting as outsiders against a red-hot Rabbitohs side.
Greg Inglis is firing for the Bunnies and don’t be surprised if they put on a real show at home against a Broncos side that seems out of ideas early in the season.
The Sea Eagles have endured a week from hell after a dismal performance in round seven saw them blown off the park against the previously winless Parramatta Eels.
The Sea Eagles have lost players to injury and it seems like they have lost all confidence in each other on the field.
The Knights would have been happy to get the points against the West Tigers but the win came at a huge cost, with star recruit Mitchell Pearce expected to spend some time on the sidelines with injury. Kalyn Ponga looms as a major weapon for the Knights against the Sea Eagles backline.
Manly have struggled in their last three games for any type of cohesion and the situation is ripe for a player of Ponga’s calibre to exploit. Newcastle are playing with confidence and will be able to extend Manly’s struggles for another round.
Penrith will be disappointed to not get the win against the Sharks last round and expect the Panthers to bounce back in a big way against a Canterbury side that could not get on the board against the Roosters.
While the Bulldogs ran out of ideas against the Roosters, they did manage to beat the Panthers in round three this season.
Penrith have been slow to get going this season and their inability to kill off the opposition in the back half of games cost them a win last week against the Sharks.
Penrith have a number of injuries to contend with this week, but the Bulldogs seem to be running out of options in attack.
If the Bulldogs are unable to get a win on the board this week, it’s hard to see them featuring in the finals for 2018. The Panthers should have enough depth in their side to get them a close win at home.
The Titans return to the comforts of home after spending some extended time on the road thanks to the Commonwealth Games and will be wanting to turn things around against Cronulla. The Sharks pulled off an impressive win against the Panthers with Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen and Wade Graham all on the sidelines.
The Sharks will be relying on Andrew Fifta to turn in another barnstorming display against a Titans pack that has been able to pull off some brilliant performances this season.
The Titans were outclassed by the Cowboys last week in Townsville but have the potential to punch above their weight at home.
The Titans will be desperate to get their season back on track and they represent some good value in pulling off an upset win against an injury-depleted Sharks side at home.
The Cowboys were able to break their slump last week against the Titans and coach Paul Green will be looking for a better performance against a struggling Raiders outfit.
The Raiders have yet to get a win on the road this season and they haven’t had any success against the Cowboys in Townsville since 2006.
Cowboys half Michael Morgan is beginning to hit his straps in time for State of Origin and the Raiders struggled to contain the dynamic attack of the Rabbitohs last round.
All the signs point to the Cowboys putting on a show against the Raiders and notching back to back wins against Canberra in Townsville.
Ricky Stuart’s side is struggling at the moment and it’s difficult seeing them staying in contention for the finals in 2018.
Parramatta will feel they turned a corner with their performance against the Sea Eagles.
The Eels notched their first win of the season thanks to an outstanding performance of Mitch Moses. The return of Clint Gutherson to the Parramatta backline proved to be a masterstroke for an Eels side that had been struggling in attack.
The Tigers have been flying under the radar this season but were upset by the Knights last week in Tamworth.
Benji Marshall has been the catalyst for the Tigers resurgence this season and while the blue and gold faithful will be heartened by the performance last week, they’ll struggle to match the polish of the Tiger’s backline. The Tigers should be able to record a comfortable victory over the Eels.