For a while it looked as though the entire season was in jeopardy, but some world-class administration has delivered us to the 2020 NRL Preliminary Finals, which is truly incredible.
Four clubs remain in the hunt for the 2020 NRL Premiership, and that number will be cut to two following matches between the Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders, Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs this week.
You can find a preview of both matches and our NRL Preliminary Finals tips below.
Just can’t wait for this one.
The Melbourne Storm have been the league’s benchmark club for around 15 years now, and they will attempt to win passage through to yet another Grand Final at the expense of the brave Canberra Raiders on Friday night.
They did look a little shaky soon after the return from the COVID break, and that run of form did include a notable loss to the Raiders, but as soon as the penny dropped, the Storm have been extremely lethal.
They’ve put some of the league’s better clubs to the sword and looked bloody good doing it, and they fittingly entered the 2020 NRL finals as premiership favourites.
The Raiders had every right to shut up shop about three months ago, when a number of their stars, including Josh Hodgson went down with injury.
Instead, they’ve shown real resolve and backbone to fight their way into the final four, and they really wouldn’t look out of place pulling off another upset on Friday night and winning through to the decider.
Last week’s performance and win over the Roosters was one of their best, and anyone that questions Ricky Stuart’s ability as a coach at this point is a spoon.
I simply do not see a reason why Canberra won’t return another gutsy effort, but I think that the Storm’s class will ultimately see them get the W.
The minor premiers have been clinical, but there is no doubt that they’ll need to be at their best to overcome the rampant Rabbitohs on Saturday night.
Incredibly, Penrith have tasted defeat only once in 2020, and that was a long time ago now.
Their campaign has been nothing short of outstanding, almost completely faultless in fact, and they’ve showed no real signs of faulting at the pointy end of the season.
They secured a well-deserved week off with a single-point win over the Roosters in Week 1 of the finals, and while that side has since been eliminated, I think that Penrith are sure to have tightened themselves up.
What can we say about South Sydney?
Even four weeks ago they hardly looked like winning a finals game, but that resounding win over the Roosters has switched them on, and now they look like a genuine title contender.
Their comfortable win over the Knights in Week 1 of the finals was proven to be no fluke when they came back from an early deficit to comfortably beat the Eels last week, and while this is another step up in class for them, they’ve proven many times that they are up to it.
It’s difficult to tip against Penrith, but I think that the Bunnies can and will make a real contest of it.