The premiership is careening towards the pointy end and form lines are just as hard to follow as they were back in the early stages of the season. Even the teams with nothing left to play for are fighting tooth and nail to upset the finals aspirants.
Tipping all the winners each weekend is near impossible, so we'll give you some extra help with three standout games.
The sure thing
St George Illawarra Dragons vs. Dolphins, WIN Stadium, Friday July 31, 6pm (AEST)
The Dragons had their chance last week to show how hard they are willing to fight for a victory, and they failed to produce, with their defence cut to ribbons by the Titans' backs.
The Dolphins had the bye to nurse some wounds and steel themselves for the run to their first ever finals appearance. The Dragons may put up a fight for patches of the game, but ultimately they won't be able to contain the Dolphins. If they found it difficult stopping the Titans' backline, they are in for an evening of pain in this one.
Round 22 sure thing: Dolphins
The toss of the coin
The Cowboys showed that they have what it takes to play finals football this season when they knocked over the Broncos last week in a typically torrid Queensland derby. They are dangerous across the park, but need to continue to tighten their defence if they are going to make the Top 8 and cause some damage once they do.
The Roosters had a tough time knocking the Knights over last week, with the brilliance of James Tedesco ultimately getting them across the line. They keep finding ways to win, even when not at their best. I get the feeling they will have to be on top of their game to win this one in Townsville. It really could go either way, but the coin has landed Roosters side up.
Toss of the coin game winner: Roosters
The roughie
The Panthers started poorly last week against the Eels before wobbling home to victory after the break. The Raiders showed more of their scintillating attacking strike power in thrashing the Tigers. Of course the Panthers do tackle a little more effectively than the Tigers, but in recent times their defensive line has been exposed by several teams. They look to have made an effort to fix the left edge leakage issues by benching Blaize Talagi for this match.
The Raiders need a win here to continue their pursuit of a finals berth, and to reassure their fans that making the finals will not be a waste of time. The Panthers need to win to stay ahead of the pack in the race to the Minor Premiership.
You would expect the Panthers to win this, the betting agencies certainly do, but if the Raiders can continue their recent improvements, the could just spring an upset here.
Round 22 roughie: Raiders
