Finals Fever - Week Two

After an entertaining opening weekend of finals action, Brisbane and Melbourne will be preparing for next week's Preliminary Finals, while the Dragons and Rabbitohs will be looking towards 2016 after their exits.

Roosters v Bulldogs

Two sides that many predicted to be contesting the Grand Final will clash on Friday night for the right to tackle the Broncos next week at Suncorp Stadium. In their two meetings this year, the Roosters have prevailed on both occasions; in Round 10 a Roger Tuivasa-Scheck master class saw the Roosters run out 24-10 victors, while the Round 21 match-up at Allianz Stadium saw both sides rack up plenty of points before Trent Robinson's troops eventually ran out 38-28 winners.

The Roosters and Bulldogs have forged a fierce rivalry during springtime clashes, with Canterbury coming away with three Premierships; 19-6 in 1938, 18-4 in 1980 and 16-13 in 2004 The Blue and White's also pulled off a qualifying final win over the Eastern Suburbs club in 1999 with Bradley Clyde crossing for a late four-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 12-8 win at the Sydney Football Stadium. While the Bulldogs have performed better in finals overall against Friday night's opponents, the Roosters came away with a 28-18 Preliminary Final victory to secure a place in the 2003 Grand Final.

The biggest talking points in the lead up to Friday night's game will be the availability of players for both sides. After tearing a hamstring against Brisbane a month ago, Roosters halfback and captain Mitchell Pearce will be under enormous pressure to make his return in the sudden death encounter. While teenager Jackson Hastings has shown he is the clubs long-term replacement playmaker, the experience provided by Pearce will leave coach Trent Robinson with an intriguing selection headache. For Canterbury, departing second-rower Frank Pritchard will be rolling the dice on Wednesday night in an attempt to have his dangerous contact charge dismissed. With the New Zealand and Samoan international set to join Hull FC next season, Pritchard may well have played his last game in the NRL if events transpire against him. Should Pritchard be suspended, expect Lloyd Perrett to come onto the bench with Shaun Lane to start.

Cowboys v Sharks

After three straight years of controversial finals exits, the Cowboys will be looking to progress through to their first Preliminary Final since 2007. In their two meetings this year, the Sharks have managed to win on both occasions. In Round 16, regular captains Johnathan Thurston and Paul Gallen were rested by their respective sides; with the Cowboys leading 18-0 at the break, the North Queenslanders were expected to extend their winning streak to 12, but four second-half tries saw Cronulla claim a 24-18 scalp in Townsville. In Round 22, the Sharks were able to record back-to-back wins over the Cowboys for the first time since 2008, recording a 30-18 win at Remondis Stadium in an enthralling game.

Saturday night's match will mark only the second time the Cowboys and Sharks have met in a finals match. Back in 2013, the Sharks came away with a 20-18 win in highly controversial circumstances, when it was revealed that Beau Ryan's try just before halftime was scored on a seventh tackle. Despite the decision, the Cowboys came within an inch of stealing the match in the final seconds when Kane Linnett dived for the corner following a length-of-the-field break, only for Cronulla hooker John Morris to force the centre into touch. Inconsolable following the loss, North Queensland captain Johnathan Thurston claimed an alleged "Sydney-bias" was responsible for the Cowboys controversial exit, citing the Maroons eight-year State of Origin success as a factor.

Despite being placed on-report twice in the Elimination Final win over South Sydney, Sharks hooker Michael Ennis will be free to take his place on Saturday night. Responsible for setting up Cronulla's remarkable performance in North Queensland earlier in the year, coach Shane Flanagan will be hoping for a similar performance from the veteran in order for the Shire-based club to progress to their first Preliminary Final since 2008, setting up a rematch with Melbourne who thrashed the Sharks 28-0 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The last time the Semi Finals were contested in Townsville and the Sydney Football Stadium, the Cowboys and Bulldogs both won. (2004 - Cowboys 10-0 over Brisbane; Bulldogs 43-18 over Melbourne.)

WEEK TWO FINALS VERDICT

Roosters v Bulldogs

This game could go right down to the wire. The fitness of Mitchell Pearce will have a massive bearing on the outcome; if he isn't fully fit it may play into the Bulldogs hands, but his return may provide the Minor Premiers with the experience to set up a meeting with Brisbane next Friday. Canterbury will need to improve dramatically if they are to win, while they were able to get over the Dragons last week, they were far from impressive and in many respects were lucky to even win. Both sides are capable of coming away with the result, but the Roosters appear to be better served with the direction and experience of their halves. ROOSTERS.

Cowboys v Sharks

After such a bruising encounter as last week, the Cowboys will need to lift if they are to keep their season alive. The Sharks could have easily piled more points on South Sydney, but they were unable to exploit the Rabbitohs weaknesses. Cronulla have thrived on playing in hostile environments throughout 2015 and will come up against a parochial North Queensland crowd on Saturday, but with two wins over the Cowboys already this year, the Sharks will fancy their chances. If the Cowboys get off to a strong start they could have the match wrapped up inside the first 20 minutes, but if Cronulla can grind away the fatigue of last week may hurt the Cowboys in the end. In such a tight game the impact of the bench may prove the difference; with Ben Barba the Sharks have a genuine match-winner that may just get them over the line. SHARKS.