Compiled by PETER JESSUP
Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm
ANZ Stadium; Friday, April 7, 9.30pm.
Broncos: Darren Lockyer, Lote Tuquiri, Tonie Carroll, Michael Devere, Wendell Sailor, Shane Walker, Ben Walker, Petero Civoniceva, Luke Priddis, Shane Webcke, Brad Thorn, Gorden Tallis (c), Kevin Campion; interchange Dane Carlaw, Michael Hancock, Ashley Harrison, Darren Mapp.
Storm: Robbie Ross, Brad Watts, Aaron Moule, Tony Martin, Matt Geyer, Tasesa Lavea, Brett Kimmorley, Rodney Howe, Richard Swain, Robbie Kearns (c), Steve Kearney, Matt Rua, Scott Hill; interchange Danny Williams, Russell Bawden, Ben Roarty, Paul Marquet.
Referee: Bill Harrigan.
* The Storm are establishing a formidable record at home, club spirit last week producing a new mascot in "Gummy the Vampire" to take the mickey out of the biting allegations that followed the brawl with the Sharks the week before. Brisbane have lost their skipper Kevin Walters, again, (broken ribs, four weeks) and this time don't have the advantage of shifting Ben Ikin in (shoulder tear, 4 weeks). They can't afford to be down two seniors at Olympic Park and an unchanged Storm will have the edge.
Canterbury Bulldogs v Auckland Warriors
Stadium Australia; Saturday, April 8, 4.30pm.
Bulldogs: Rod Silva, Hazem El Masri, Darren Smith, Willie Talau, Daryl Halligan, Brent Sherwin, Ricky Stuart, Dennis Scott, Jason Hetherington, Darren Britt (c), Brad Clyde, Steve Reardon, Travis Norton; interchange Craig Polla-Mounter, Steve Price, Nathan Sologolkin, Glen Hughes.
Warriors: Scott Pethybridge, Lee Oudenryn, David Myles, Nigel Vagana, Henry Faafili, John Simon (c), Stacey Jones, Joe Vagana, Robert Mears, Talite Liavaa, Logan Swann, Ali Lauiti'iti, Jason Death; interchange Shontayne Hape, Tony Tuimavave, Matt Spence, Mark Tookey, Jerry SeuSeu travelling reserve.
Referee: Mark Oaten.
* Both sides struggling with confidence, struggling to score, struggling to harden up soft middles that have given away games they should have won. The Warriors have the softest centre of the lot, a comp-leading 238 points conceded (next worst Dragons - 208, best Brisbane - 118, NRL average - 165. The Dogs have scored fewer points - 128 to Auckland's 150 - and let in fewer - 134. The Dogs have their backs to the wall, demanding fans baying for better, while the Warriors still appear to have their heads on issues other than football and another raft of changes won't have helped rebuild their ticker.
Northern Eagles v West Tigers
NorthPower Stadium; Saturday, April 8, 9.30pm.
Eagles: Andrew King, Andrew Frew, Albert Torrens, Brett Grogan, Brandon Reeves, Michael Buettner, Jason Taylor, Steve Trindall, Geoff Toovey (c), Mark O'Meley, Adam Muir, Steve Menzies, Owen Cunningham; interchange Daniel Gartner, Josh Stuart, Greg Ebrill, Jamie Goddard.
Tigers: Matt Seers, Joel Caine, Kevin McGuinness, Terry Hill, John Hopoate, Michael Gillett, Craig Field, Jason Lowrie, Darren Senter, John Skandalis, Jarrod McCracken, Mark O'Neill, Tyran Smith; interchange Ciriaco Mescia, Luke O'Donnell, Ben Duckworth, Shane Walker.
Referee: Sean Hampstead.
* The Tigers are the surprise of the comp, tungsten-tough at home and away, hard forwards, Craig Field finally finding his way as team director, power out wide with Hopoate and Hill. Captain McCracken comes back from his foot injury and will be looking to make a big impact to get himself into the Anzac test side. The Eagles have been struggling but came up with a big increase in effort last weekend and if they repeat that and can add some finesse should be lifted to a win by a vocal Gosford crowd.
Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers
Parramatta Stadium; Saturday, April 8, 9.30pm.
Eels: Brett Hodgson, Clinton Schifcofske, Daniel Wagon, Stuart Kelly, Eric Grothe, Jason Smith, Ben Kusto, Michael Vella, Dean Schifilitti (c), David Westley, Troy Wozniak, Nathan Hindmarsh, Jim Dymock; interchange Denis Moran, Andrew Ryan, Chad Robinson, Jason Moodie, Luke Burt (one to be omitted).
Panthers: Peter Jorgensen, Robbie Beckett, Ryan Girdler, Shane Elford, Chris Hicks, Steve Carter (c), Matt Rodwell, Craig Greenhill, Lee Hopkins, Carl McNamara, Tony Puletua, Scott Sattler, John Cross; interchange Mark Geyer, Matt Adamson, Chris Levy, Jody Gall, David Woods.
Referee: Mogsheen Jadwat.
* The Eels reckoned inside knowledge courtesy of John Simon and Mark Tookey kept the Aucklanders in the game last weekend, coach Brian Smith's summing-up that it was two soft tries that even let them compete. That implies he'll harden their defence for this, the battle of the next-most-likely merger partners. Tony Puletua, too, will be out to impress Frank Endacott and his test scouts. The Panthers injury list doesn't look as bad as made out but they struggle away from their lair.
Canberra Raiders v Sydney Sharks
Bruce Stadium; Sunday, April 9, 4.30pm.
Raiders: Brett Mullins, Mark McLinden, Luke Williamson, Brandon Costin, Lesley Vainikolo, Laurie Daley (c), Brett Finch, Luke Davico, Simon Woolford, David Atkins, David Furner, Anthony Colella, Jason Croker; interchange Alan Tongue, Justin Morgan, Anthony Brann, Andrew McFadden.
Sharks: David Peachey, Mat Rogers, Andrew Ettingshausen (c), Colin Best, Brett Howland, Adam Dykes, Mitch Healey, Martin Lang, Dean Treister, Jason Stevens, Chris McKenna, Nathan Long, Nick Graham; interchange Andrew Pierce, Luke Stuart, Paul Mellor, Jason Ferris.
Referee: Tim Mander.
* The Sharks have been well short of their best, or well short of doing their best for 80 minutes. But the side is unchanged apart from the return of "Hymie" McKenna and they'll take some comfort from that. It's always hard at Bruce but the tough tasks the Sharks have had against the Tigers and the Storm in their last two outings will stand them in good stead here. The Raiders also put out much the same team but the effort against the Dragons last week might have left them vulnerable. Ruben Wiki is still three weeks away.
St George Illawarra Dragons v Sydney City Roosters
WIN Stadium; Sunday, April 9, 4.30pm.
Dragons: Luke Patten, Nathan Blacklock, Mark Gasnier, Shaun Timmins, Jamie Ainscough, Anthony Mundine, Trent Barrett, Craig Smith (c), Nathan Brown (c), Luke Bailey, Lance Thompson, Darren Treacey, Wayne Bartrim; interchange Terry Larney, Chris Leikvoll, Andrew Hart, Matt Cooper.
Roosters: Luke Phillips, Jack Elsegood, Robert Miles, Matt Sing, Anthony Minichiello, Brad Fittler (c), Adrian Lam, Peter Cusack, Simon Bonetti, Ian Rubin, Craig Fitzgibbon, Bryan Fletcher, Luke Ricketson; interchange Nelson Lomi, Darren Burns, Dallas Hood, Richie Barnett, Ryan Cross (one to be omitted).
Referee: Steve Clark.
* The Dragons are running well, good combinations developing all over the park, and their scoring rate has jumped markedly in the last three rounds. Darren Treacy escaped penalty for a high tackle by pleading guilty this week, penalty points just short of a one-game ban. The Roosters again have injury-enforced changes, Shane Rigon out (thigh), Richie Barnett under a cloud (corked thigh). The Dragons have to be favoured at their second home.
Newcastle Knights v North Queensland Cowboys
Marathon Stadium; Sunday, April 9, 4.30pm.
Knights: Robbie O'Davis, Ben McDougall, Timana Tahu, Adam MacDougall, Lenny Beckett, Mark Hughes, Andrew Johns, David Fairleigh, Danny Buderus, Tony Butterfield (c), Ben Kennedy, Peter Shiels, Bill Peden; interchange Matt Parsons, Glenn Grief, Steve Simpson, Sean Rudder, Paul Rauhihi (one to be omitted).
Cowboys: Tim Brasher (c), Damien Smith, Julian O'Neill, Paul Bowman, Graham Appo, Paul Green, Noel Goldthorpe, Robert Relf, Paul Dezolt, John Buttigieg, Peter Jones, Mark Shipway, Jeremy Schloss; interchange Ben Rauter, Shaun Valentine, Greg Bourke (one to be added).
Referee: Paul Simpkins.
* The Knights have big problems, half Andrew Johns struggling with a groin injury that has bothered him since mid-1999 and brother Matthew out with a hairline fracture of the ankle. Both played on against the Roosters but Andrew was walking like John Wayne and required repeat trips to the dressing room for repair in order to finish. They'll still have far too much firepower for the Cowboys at Marathon, the visitors with their own injury dramas forcing changes to the forward pack, but the Knights' premiership run looks like spluttering out if they can't keep the bros on field.
Peter Jessup's picks:
Broncos
Bulldogs
Eagles
Eels
Sharks
Dragons
Knights
Success rate this season: 57%
Rugby League: NRL preview - Round 10
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