Just six weeks remain in the NRL season, but not a whole lot is yet decided. The top two will most likely be made up of the Storm (definitely) and the Panthers (probably), but that aside there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge. Just a game separates the Bulldogs in 5th from the Dragons in 10th, while five more teams sitting within two games of St. George are still in with an outside shot of making the eight if the teams above them falter. Despite the closeness of the ladder, Round 22 does not actually loom as a particularly close round, with the longest odds favourite at the time of writing being the Broncos at $1.40 against the Titans, but virtually every game will still have plenty of repercussions for both the teams involved, and many others. Take a look at our previews of all eight games set to take place over the course of the weekend below.
NRL 2024 Round 22
Wests Tigers vs North Queensland Cowboys
It’s not exactly the blockbuster that we have come to expect on a Thursday night, but there is still a lot on the line when the Tigers host the Cowboys to kick off Round 22. Not for the Tigers, of course; their season has once again been one to forget, with their fifth consecutive loss last weekend taking their record to 4-15. Benji Marshall’s first year as head coach has not exactly flipped the script for his side, not that anyone expected it to, and over the remaining month and a half of the season all that’s left for them to do is to potentially cause a ruckus for teams competing for spots in the top eight.
But they are unlikely to be able to do that to this weekend. The Cowboys are still far from guaranteed a spot in the finals, with just a game separating them from the Dragons in 10th, but four wins in their last five games has put them in the mix to finish top four, particularly given the struggles of the Sharks. They are just a game behind both Cronulla and the Roosters, and could very feasibly win their next three games to put themselves right in the mix. Unfortunately they will have to negotiate that period without Jason Taumololo, who suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone last weekend, while Reuben Cotter will also miss with concussion, and a poor points difference doesn’t particularly help their cause either. But this looms as a good opportunity to boost it. The Tigers don’t get absolutely blown off the park that often but they also rarely lose by less than at least a couple of tries, and this game is not likely to be any different.
Predicted Squads
Wests Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Alex Lobb 3. Solomona Faataape 4. Adam Doueihi 5. Charlie Staines 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Api Koroisau 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. David Klemmer 11. Reuben Porter 12. Samuela Fainu 13. Fonua Pole 14. Latu Fainu 15. Alex Seyfarth 16. Sione Fainu 17. Alex Twal
North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Villiami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Griffin Neame 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Sam McIntyre 14. Jake Granville 15. Harrison Edwards 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 17. Thomas Mikaele
New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels
It hasn’t been the Warriors season and when they lost to the Raiders by two points a fortnight ago, it put their finals hopes on life support, but they were always going to have a good opportunity to at least keep them alive for a couple more weeks given their fixture. They did what they needed to do last weekend against the Tigers, notching up a 12-point win, and this weekend they get their second consecutive home game against a bottom two team when they welcome the Eels to Go Media Stadium. They are just a game and a half out of the top eight, and with the three teams sitting a game and a half ahead of them all facing difficult tasks this weekend, there is every chance that a win to the Warriors will see them move within half a game of the eight by round’s end. Given the Eels’ recent form, they shouldn’t have too many problems earning that win.
Parramatta has lost six games in a row and 11 of its past 12, sitting ahead of the Tigers on the bottom of the ladder on points difference alone. Not that they would have all that many winning prospects regardless, but with Mitch Moses officially out for the year having undergone surgery for his biceps rupture they are looking even thinner than they would otherwise. The Warriors might not be world-beaters, but they should not have any problems disposing of the Eels this weekend. A loss would spell the end of their season and deservedly so, but this should be another double figure victory for the Warriors to keep their finals hopes alive, and if other results go their way this could be a very productive weekend for their charge towards the finals.
Predicted Squads
New Zealand Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Moala Graham-Taufa 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitch Barnett 11. Marata Niukore 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Dylan Walker 14. Chanel Harris-Tavita 15. Jazz Tevaga 16. Tom Ale 17. Leka Halasima
Parramatta Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Jake Tago 3. Blaize Talagi 4. Will Penisini 5. Sean Russell 6. Dylan Brown 7. Daejarn Asi 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10. Wiremu Greig 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Ryan Matterson 14. Joey Lussick 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Luca Moretti 17. Dan Keir
The Dolphins vs Sydney Roosters
After sitting inside the top eight all year long, the Dolphins are hanging on by a thread, and could easily fall outside of it this weekend. They have lost four of their last five games to fall to 9-9, and while a couple of those have been very gallant defeats – not least their two-point loss to the Panthers a fortnight ago – last weekend’s loss to the Titans was among their most disappointing all year. They flew out of the blocks with two tries in the first 12 minutes and a penalty goal in the 21st minute had them up 14-0, but they fell in a heap thereafter, failing to score again and conceding 21 points en route to a seven-point loss. They are now sitting in 8th spot and there on points difference alone, and things only get more difficult this weekend.
The Roosters climbed past the Sharks into 3rd spot last weekend courtesy of a tight win over the Sea Eagles in an entertaining, topsy turvy affair at Allianz Stadium. They were the better team for much of that game and looked all but assured of victory throughout, but 12 points in four minutes for the Sea Eagles in the dying stages put them within a score of victory. But four points was as close as the visitors got, and the Roosters 34-30 victory, albeit unconvincing at the end, earned them a pivotal two points. Working their way into the top two looks unlikely, but the Roosters are clearly deserving of a spot in the top four and can take another step towards achieving that goal with a win this weekend. The Dolphins never make it easy for anyone and this won’t likely be the type of dominant victory that the Roosters have enjoyed so often this year, but the visitors should still be too good and can put a big dent in the Dolphins’ finals hopes with a strong win.
Predicted Squads
The Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Max Plath 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Kenny Bromwich 14. Josh Kerr 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Ray Stone 17. Kurt Donoghoe
Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph Suaalii 4. Joey Manu 5. Dom Young 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Spencer Leniu 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Victor Radley 13. Connor Watson 14. Sandon Smith 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Nat Butcher 17. Terrell May
- The Tigers’ last eight defeats have all been by at least 12 points.
- The Bulldogs are 8-0 at home this year, while the Raiders are 3-5 away from home.
- The Roosters have been no strangers to big wins this season, with each of their last seven victories coming by double figure margins.
Multi of the Week
| Legs | Odds |
| Cowboys 13+ | $2.10 |
| Bulldogs to win | $1.42 |
| Roosters -10.5 | $1.90 |
| Bet $10 for $56.66 with Bet365 | |
Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos
Incredibly, the Titans and the Broncos find themselves separated by points difference only, each sitting on 20 points and two games outside of the top eight with six weeks left to go in the regular season. Anyone who claims to have predicted that earlier in the season is either a prophet, or more likely, a liar. The Titans have been solid all year after their disastrous start, and after last week’s impressive seven-point come from behind win over the Dolphins, have now won four of their past five games. Finals has not been a consideration for this team all year and is still not particularly realistic, but incredibly they are in with an outside shot and could feasibly be just a game out of the eight by the end of this weekend. Of course, to do so they would have to first get past last year’s Grand Finalists, though given the Broncos have only won one of their past eight games, that isn’t completely out of the realms of possibility.
The reigning runners-up finally broke their run of losses a fortnight ago with a 16-point win over the Knights, but unfortunately, that did not kickstart the turnaround in form needed for them to work their way back into finals contention. Instead, they followed it up with a pretty poor effort against the Bulldogs; with their season potentially on the line, they were pumped by the impressive Dogs, going down 41-16 to send them tumbling to 13th. It’s now far more unlikely than not that they will fail to make the finals, but as with the Titans, things could change dramatically this weekend if they win and other results go their way. It’s hard to ignore just how bad the Broncos have been over the past two months, but it’s even harder to fathom that they won’t turn things around at some point. Whether that comes too late or not remains to be seen, but they can keep themselves on the cusp of the top eight for at least another week with an important win this weekend.
Predicted Squads
Gold Coast Titans: 1. Keano Kini 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Jayden Campbell 7. Kieran Foran 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Erin Clark 11. David Fifita 12. Beau Fermor 13. Chris Randall 14. Isaac Liu 15. Klese Haas 16. Keenan Palasia 17. Josiah Pahulu
Brisbane Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Blake Mozer 15. Kobe Hetherington 16. Xavier Willison 17. Martin Taupau
Melbourne Storm vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
Not much is certain about the ladder at this late point in the season, but the Storm are one team that have managed to separate themselves from the pack over the first 21 rounds of the year. They once again got the chocolates with ease on the weekend, and though it was only against the lowly Eels, it was nonetheless their sixth consecutive win and their 15th of the year – enough to have them sitting two games clear of the Panthers on top of the ladder, and more importantly, four games clear of the Roosters in 3rd. In even better news, Cameron Munster made a successful return from his groin injury, and all going well will have a nice little six-week patch of preparation for the finals.
The Dragons, meanwhile, did not have such a cushy weekend. After an important win over the Broncos kept them right on the edge of the top eight, they were given a reality check by the Panthers on Sunday afternoon. The three-time reigning Premiers made the Dragons look like a pack of schoolkids in a dominant display, running out 46-10 winners – with six of those Dragons points coming right on the final whistle. That was a stark reminder not just of how good the Panthers are, but the gap between the Dragons and the top teams, and the Storm are very much one of those teams. St. George have been up and down like a yoyo over the past six weeks – pumping the Tigers, then losing comfortably to the Sea Eagles; smacking the Dolphins then losing by 30 to the Roosters; beating the Broncos then suffering last week’s defeat to the Panthers. But that run of trading wins and losses is likely to come to an end this weekend. Few teams beat the Storm at AAMI Park – it’s happened just once all year – and the Dragons are not likely to get particularly close on Saturday evening.
Predicted Squads
Melbourne Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Grant Anderson 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eli Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 17. Alec MacDonald
St. George Illawarra Dragons: 1. Zac Lomax 2. Mikaele Ravalawa 3. Moses Suli 4. Max Feagai 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Jack de Belin 11. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Tom Eisenhuth 14. Hame Sele 15. Luciano Leilua 16. Jack Bird 17. Ben Murdoch-Masila
Cronulla Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Sharks’ freefall continued last weekend, the team which occupied top spot for so long this season slumping to its fourth loss in five games. Though they weren’t disgraced, the Cowboys had the upper hand throughout that matchup, and a hattrick to Kyle Feldt was enough to keep the visitors at bay, a 30-22 loss for the Sharks the final result. They still sit a game and a little bit of points difference clear in the top four, but their spot there is far from assured if their recent form is anything to go by, particularly with the Bulldogs, Cowboys and Sea Eagles all winning for fun in recent weeks. With all three of those teams far more likely than not to secure the points this week (and the Sea Eagles certain, courtesy of the bye), the Sharks really need to win this one, but fortunately they get a Rabbitohs team which will likely be smarting from a really poor loss to the Raiders last Sunday.
The Bunnies’ seemingly impossible charge towards finals contention took a hit when they lost to the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago, and with their 20-point defeat to the Raiders that unlikely charge is now all but over. Admittedly things could change quickly; like with the Titans and the Broncos, the Rabbitohs are still just two games outside of the top eight and could easily make that one game with a win this weekend, but a points difference of -110 does not help their cause and more importantly, the way that they played against the Raiders last weekend suggests that they don’t have it in them anyway. What’s more, they will be without Alex Johnston after he suffered a suspected ruptured Achilles early in the Raiders’ game, while Cody Walker also hurt his calf. The Sharks are not in good form at all and may struggle to hang onto their top four spot if they don’t turn things around soon, but they should really be good enough to get the points on their home turf this weekend.
| Bookmaker | James’ Tip | Odds |
 | Sharks to win | $1.30 |
 | Sharks 1-12 | $3.00 |
 | Sharks/Sharks half-time/full-time double | $1.70 |
Predicted Squads
Cronulla Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Braydon Trindall 8. Thomas Hazelton 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Siosifa Talakai 15. Royce Hunt 16. Toby Rudolf 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele
South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Izaac Thompson 3. Taane Milne 4. Richard Kennar 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Jack Wighton 7. Cody Walker 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Cameron Murray 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Keaon Koloamatangi 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Siliva Havili 16. Tom Burgess 17. Michael Chee Kam
Penrith Panthers vs Newcastle Knights
It’s around this time of the year that the Panthers generally begin to flex their collective muscle, and that is exactly what they are doing of late. The three-time reigning Premiers have won three on the trot (and harking back further, ten of their last 13), and last Sunday put in one of their more dominant performances of the year against a Dragons team which has generally been very competitive this season. The Panthers dominated that game from the outset and led 46-4 with just a couple of minutes to go before the Dragons scored a converted try in the final minute of the game. With a two game gap separating them from the Storm at the top of the ladder it’s unlikely that the Panthers will finish top, but with another two games back to the Roosters and the Sharks, a top two spot is theirs for the taking. They can take another step towards securing it when they host the Knights this weekend.
Newcastle is right in the finals hunt as they come off their bye, sitting just a game behind the trio of teams at 9-9, all of whom will enter their game’s this weekend as relatively comfortable underdogs. But the Knights went into last weekend’s bye on the back of a couple of poor performances, having been pumped by the Sea Eagles to the tune of 38 points before losing by 16 points to the Broncos – their only win in the past two months. They are certainly still in the mix to play finals, but whether they are good enough is another question. If they can somehow knock off the Panthers in Penrith it will change things dramatically for them, but it is very hard to see that happening. This should be a relatively comfortable win for the Panthers as they begin to gear up for a crack at an incredible fourth consecutive Premiership.
Predicted Squads
Penrith Panthers: 1. Sunia Turuva 2. Isaiah Iongi 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Trent Toelau 15. Liam Henry 16. Mavrik Geyer 17. Matthew Eisenhuth
Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Krystian Mapapalangi 3. Dane Gagai 4. Dylan Lucas 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Brodie Jones
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Canberra Raiders
The round concludes with an intriguing matchup between a Bulldogs team trying to force their way into the top four, and a Raiders team looking to do the same with the top eight, each of whom is coming off an impressive victory last weekend. The Bulldogs managed to finally overcome their travelling woes this year which had seen them lose all but one of their nine away matches prior to last weekend – albeit a lot of them close losses – with a brilliant display against the Broncos. They looked every bit a top four side in that game, ultimately running out 25 point winners to put themselves within a game of the Sharks and Roosters in 3rd and 4th spots. They are putting their hat in the ring as the best team in it outside of the runaway top three, and can further consolidate that standing if they manage a big win this weekend.
The Raiders, however, are coming off a really solid performance of their own, having knocked off the Rabbitohs by 20 points to jump to 9th spot and level with the Dolphins on point. With two wins on the trot, they are only actually a game behind the Bulldogs, though realistically the gap between the two sides is bigger than that – something a +88 points difference for the Bulldogs compared to a -71 one for the Raiders points to. The team from the nation’s capital have done a good job of putting themselves in the finals mix this year, but the Bulldogs have been the best team in the league at home based solely on record – they are the only team yet to lose on their home turf this year. They have beaten some far better sides than the Raiders in Belmore this year, and should be able to take their home record to 9-0 and potentially put themselves within touching distance of the top four with an important win to conclude Round 21.
Predicted Squads
Canterbury Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Blake Wilson 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Josh Curran 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Sam Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Kurt Mann 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Lipoi Hopoi 16. Kurtis Morrin 17. Harry Hayes
Canberra Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Jordan Rapana 3. Matt Timoko 4. Seb Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Tom Starling 10. Joe Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Danny Levi 15. Trey Mooney 16. Ata Mariota 17. Zac Hosking
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