The race to the finals: what round 26 means for your team

SIX teams have secured their spot in the finals, four teams will battle it out for the last two. Laurie Daley previews all the action.

Chris McQueen

SIX teams have secured their spot in the finals, four teams will battle it out for the last two. Here's how your team shapes for round 26.

But no team can afford to coast into finals mode nor do they want to go in to the finals without a tick in the win box.

Here’s how your team shapes up for round 26. 

Roosters v Rabbitohs:
Easily the biggest match-up of the season sees these two traditional rivals go head-to-head for the 207th time. But this is no ordinary match, with the winner not only boasting bragging rights over their competition heading into the finals, but also walking away with the JJ Giltinan shield as the minor premiers.

Rest assured, much has changed since they last met in Round One. Trent Robinson has managed to turn his assortment of stars into a well-oiled, rugby-league machine although two recent losses have upset their momentum. The Rabbitohs, on the other hand, have overcome a slump in mid-season form and look back on track to take their first title in 42 years.

Over the long and spiteful history between these clubs, the Rabbitohs boast a slight advantage, winning 108 of their clashes in comparison to the Chooks' 93 victories. The Bondi boys will no doubt be looking to peg one back considering the crushing defeat South Sydney dealt them in the season's opener. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is the only notable omission from the game, with Greg Inglis named at fullback for the Bunnies despite on-going knee issues.

Dragons v Warriors:
A win in this match will keep the Warriors’ faint-finals hopes alive - just. The ball is no-longer in their court, however. If they are able to overcome the Dragons at Win Stadium, the the Warriors will rush to the nearest TV and start praying the following two games work in their favour. Now, whilst Melbourne will more than likely topple the Gold Coast, the Tigers overcoming North Queensland in Townsville falls into the category of extremely unlikely.

The Warriors' turbulent season will probably come to an end Saturday. But at least we are left with the prospect of Shaun Johnson dismantling an understrength Dragons side that slumped to its sixth straight loss against Parramatta on Monday night.
 
If you’re a Dragons fan and you believe in hoodoos however, there is still hope of ending your dismal season with a win. The Warriors have not beaten the Dragons since 2007 and have not beaten them in Australia since 2003.

Titans v Storm:
The Titans climbed half-way up Mount Everest last week by upsetting the Roosters. Can they reach the summit this week by overcoming the defending premiers in the Victorian capital?

The Gold Coast will again be short on troops, with none of their injured players returning, and Nate Myles likely to be ruled out with an ankle injury.

Confidence will also be hard to come by for the Titans. They know the Cowboys are unlikely to lose to the Tigers, and therefore any immense upset they can conjure against the Storm will likely be in vein.

However, many believed the Roosters would bounce back to winning form with a comprehensive win over the Titans last week. This was not the case. Will an unchanged Melbourne outfit suffer the same fate? The statistics suggest not, with  Melbourne losing just one of its 11 matches at AAMI Park this season, six of those wins by 14 points or more.

Cowboys v Tigers: 
North Queensland will know before they take the field on Saturday whether their match with the Tigers is do-or-die. If either the Warriors or the Titans win, the Cowboys must beat the Tigers in order to retain their finals spot.

They will boast a strong home ground advantage, with a substantial crowd expected for Matty Bowen’s last home game. But the Tigers will also be playing for their own sentimental reason. After 10 turbulent, and often brilliant seasons, Benji Marshall will take front and centre at an NRL fixture for the last time. It means the Tigers will be no easy push overs this weekend.

They will be looking to send their champion playmaker out a winner by again upsetting North Queensland this season. It should be noted Wests have won nine of their past 11 matches against the Cowboys, including three of their past five against them in Queensland.

Manly v Penrith:
Dead rubber. Even if Penrith are able to pull-off the upset of the season, the worst possible scenario for Manly is that they finish fourth instead of third. Either way, they will get a second chance in the finals and will have to play either the Roosters or the Rabbitohs away from home. But, even without Brett Stewart and Jamie Buhrer, Manly should be too strong for a side trounced by Canterbury last week.

The Sea Eagles will be looking to continue their winning-form into the finals and give club legend Brent Kite a fitting send off in his last home game. Peter Hiku and Tom Symonds will fill the spots vacated by Stewart and George Taufua at the back.

Knights v Eels:
If Newcastle aren’t able to trump the cellar-dwelling Eels, not only do they not deserve to play finals football, they more than likely won’t. Seventh place is theirs to lose. If they win, they eradicate the possibility of the Cowboys, Warriors or the Titans leap-frogging them. If they are beaten and two of those teams are able to win, this match will be Danny Buderus’s last ever in the NRL. The Novocastrians will need every advantage Hunter Stadium gives them, considering Parramatta haven’t won in Newcastle in their last four visits. 

Expect a close one with the last four meetings between these two sides being decided by 8 points or less.

Sharks v Raiders
The Sharks could already have fifth spot locked in before they take the field Sunday. However, if the Bulldogs topple Brisbane, Cronulla will need to beat an understrength Canberra side to ensure they play the lowest placed team in week one of the finals.

Some will argue finishing fifth is a disadvantage, with a likely showdown against the red-hot Cowboys imminent, whilst sixth will more than likely play the inconsistent Knights. The Sharks will be without potent back-rowers Paul Gallen, Jason Bukuya and Wade Graham.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Todd Carney is given an extra week off to rest a troublesome hamstring as well.

But even with these major omissions, Cronulla should be too strong for a turmoil stricken Canberra side trying to turn around a 36 point flogging.