Round 13 preview

We?ve hit the halfway mark of the 2005 NRL Telstra Premiership and for many clubs, there are still more questions than answers as the mid-season grind begins to takes it toll on the clubs and their legions of faithful supporters.

Tomorrow night we have Manly taking on the Roosters at Aussie Stadium and with the Roosters missing Finch and Ricketson, they are ripe for the picking, but Manly seem to have a modicum of difficulty winning on Friday nights under lights. The Roosters still have class across the park and Manly will have to be at their best to get the points but with Ricketson out, leadership is the key to this match and Manly have two excellent on field generals in Steve Menzies and Ben Kennedy. So, on the back of the Roosters injuries and Manly?s forward pack, I?m leaning towards Manly in a tough encounter with no love lost between either side. Manly by 4.

The early Saturday game is a cracker and arguably the best of the weekend with two top four sides in the Cowboys and Sharks going head to head. This game presents so many mouth-watering match ups but none will be better than the battle of the halves. Brett Kimmorley v Jonathan Thurston is a great battle of two of the NRL?s premier halves and both players are at either end of the Origin spectrum with Thurston having a blinder on debut and Kimmorley throwing the pass that cost NSW the match. Both players will be out have a big one in front of the Origin selectors but it is Kimmorley who needs to shine to ensure he gets a shot at redemption. Another highlight will be the battle of the fullbacks. We have Matt Bowen, easily the most exciting player in the game up against the wily veteran David Peachey, who has found a new lease of life in 2005 and much of the Sharks success can be attributed to his sparkling play from the back. This game will be played in front of a capacity crowd and I think the crowd will be enough to lift the home side to victory. Cowboys by 6.

Moving right along, we have the depleted Bulldogs taking on the struggling Rabbitohs and I feel this game will offer very few highlights other than the return of Sonny Bill Williams after an extensive injury layoff. Souths have put their cue in the rack for the season and look determined to wrest the wooden spoon from the hands of the Knights and my money is on Souths to fall in a screaming heap and finish last yet again and keep the coveted spoon in safe keeping at Redfern Oval. Bulldogs by 12.

The Warriors travel to Win Stadium minus Steve Price to battle the Dragons, who are looking to get back on track after a loss to the Melbourne Storm. Saints have no less than six players in contention for Origin selection and the selectors eyes will be squarely focused on Jason Ryles and Mark Gasnier, two players under pressure to retain their spot in the Blues squad after poor games on the weekend. Ryles would be feeling the pressure more than Gasnier and a big win over the Warriors is a sure fire way to keep their place in the Blues squad but the Warriors have been showing signs of improvement and if they can keep their errors to a minimum, they have the game that can trouble even the best sides in the NRL. There is no doubt Steve Price is a massive loss and I think the Dragons will be hungry enough to get back in the winners list and keep pushing their way up the NRL ladder. Again, it?s going to be tight but the home team should be able to get the cash. Dragons by 2.

The Tigers make their long awaited return to Liechhardt Oval for the first time in 2005 and they are hosting the unpredictable Melbourne Storm who have the ability to blow teams off the park one week and meekly surrender the next. The Tigers are playing a flashy brand of footy this year but they lack the grunt up front to be a contender come finals time and a loss here would put them in a precarious position. The Tigers will compete, no doubt about it but the Storm on the back of their star studded backline should have too much pace and skill for the honest Tigers, who will see their season slip further into the abyss half way through the season. Storm by 8.

Team 1 plays team 15 as the Broncos travel to winless Newcastle to continue their quest for the minor premiership and their first premiership in five years, their longest period ever without a title. Newcastle are yet to win a game and welcome back Andrew Johns from a broken jaw, but even the presence of Johns, one of the greats, will not be enough to catapult the Knights to victory. Brisbane are ruthless and when firing on all cylinders, are the team to beat. However, with Newcastle, firing on four cylinders should be enough to get the two points and although the Broncos have struggled against the Knights in the past, I just can?t see the Knights springing the upset this week. Broncos by 16.

The Panthers season is on the line as they host the Parramatta Eels, a team riding high and full of confidence after disposing of the second placed Sharks last weekend. The Eels are emerging as the real dark horse in this years premiership and with excellent victories over the Cowboys, Manly and Sharks in recent weeks, the Eels have earned respect and must be taken seriously. This is in no small part due to the raw talent of rookie half Tim Smith, who has been a revelation since taking the reins of the hardest job in footy. The Eels have a tough, uncompromising forward pack who work all day and that should be enough to get them across the line against the Panthers, who can?t buy a win after letting Manly come back from the dead last weekend. If the Panthers lose, their season is over and if they win, it could be the catalyst to kick-start their season but with their forwards looking so unfit, I just can?t see the Panthers big men getting over the top of the faster, more mobile Eels pack, a pack led by Nathan Hindmarsh, the best forward in the game today. Eels by 10.