Set of Six: Why we're fizzing for Panthers vs Roosters this weekend

The Knights are back, approximately a hundred players are already out injured, and why Round 26 can’t come soon enough.

Broncos vs Cowboys is the great NRL rivalry of modern times

The clash between the Broncos and the Cowboys was the subject of almost State of Origin level hype and, somehow, it improbably lived up to it. North Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston engineered his second extra time victory in as many weeks and further proved his credentials as the best to ever lace boot. This epic gold point clash was the fourth such finale between the two Queensland side in the past three seasons including the now classic 2015 grand final. While there is a strong argument that golden point is too taxing a conclusion for regular season contests ditching the extra period would deprive fans of these epic clashes. Broncos vs Cowboys is the reason we watch rugby league – it’s just a pity that we will be forced to wait until Round 26 for the re-match.

The casualty ward is already overflowing

The injury bug continues to bite and it seems like teams dealing with injured stars could be the dominant theme of the 2017 season. North Queensland Cowboys stalwart Matt Scott has been lost for the season with an ACL tear while human headline Jarryd Hayne suffered an ankle injury that could see him on the sideline for a month. Other key players including Canterbury’s Will Hopoate, Warriors’ Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Parramatta’s Corey Norman will spend some time on the sidelines.It’s only round three and some teams are already finding their depth sorely tested. How teams deal with their crocked players could tell the story of the season.

The Knights are back, baby!

The feel-good story of the week was the Newcastle Knights finally recording a win over the battered Gold Coast Titans, a scant 336 days since last tasting victory. In recent years the boys from the Hunter have found themselves in the salary cap purgatory, playing a squad of journeymen and rookies while trying desperately to dig themselves out of the mess left by the Wayne Bennett-Nathan Tinkler era. Despite a line-up featuring only three players with over 100 NRL games under their belt and only an average of 46 caps per squad member the Knights displayed ample heart in their come from behind win over the Titans. With a win over the Rabbitohs the Knights would record back-to-back wins for the first time since August 2015 and exceed their win total for the entirety of 2016 by round three.

The Doggies are still in this

The Bulldogs might be winless after two rounds but it’s quite possible that both losses came against the two best teams in the competition – the perennially resolute Storm and the suddenly rejuvenated Roosters. This Friday’s showdown against the Warriors in Dunedin gives the Dogs the chance to put some runs on the board against an opposition struggling for momentum and with a poor record away from their Auckland home. Will Hopoate and Kerrod Holland’s injury-enforced absence sees the introduction of highly-touted rookies Brad Abbey and Marcelo Montoya, a move that might ignite the Dogs turgid attack. Bulldogs coach Des Hasler is already under the pump with repeated rumors that the Dogs won’t renew his contract past this season. Despite their well-documented woes in the halves Canterbury features one of the best packs in the comp and if the notoriously caustic Hasler can inspire his misfiring halves combo of Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye to a better performance the Dogs are capable of big things. A win over the stumbling Warriors would quiet the whispers for another week.

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Will Hopoate and Kerrod Holland’s injury-enforced absence sees the introduction of highly-touted rookies Brad Abbey and Marcelo Montoya, a move that might ignite the Dogs turgid attack. Bulldogs coach Des Hasler is already under the pump with repeated rumours that the Dogs won’t renew his contract past this season. Despite their well-documented woes in the halves Canterbury features one of the best packs in the comp and if the notoriously caustic Hasler can inspire his misfiring halves combo of Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye to a better performance the Dogs are capable of big things. A win over the stumbling Warriors would quiet the whispers for another week.

Match of the Round: Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters at Pepper Stadium

The Panthers and the Roosters enjoyed completely different fortunes last season – the Panthers were the promising up-and-comers who saw their finals campaign end at the hands of fellow upstarts the Canberra Raiders. Meanwhile, the Sydney Roosters were a rep-laden underachiever that saw their season go up in flames before a ball was kicked when key playmaker Mitchell Pearce was caught out in a compromising position with a dog.

Now both teams look like they are headed in the same direction in 2017 and this round three clash shapes as an early test of both sides’ final credentials. Luke Keary is shaping as the buy of the season and his combination with a rejuvenated Pearce give the Roosters a dynamic playmaking axis. The Panthers rebounded after their week one atrocity against the Dragons by obliterating the Tigers and showing off their violent attacking prowess. Penrith general manager Phil Gould’s vaunted ‘five year plan’ to return the Panthers to glory has received a lot of flak but the sheer depth of the Panthers squad is testimony to the care and planning that has gone into assembling the team – despite having Josh Mansour, Peta Hiku and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the sideline the Panthers still boast a three-quarter line of Dean Whare, Waqa Blake, Tyrone Peachey and Dylan Edwards.

Both sides favour a free-flowing, attacking style of football and a riveting showdown in the centres between Peachey and Blake and Roosters Latrell Mitchell and Joseph Manu looms as crucial to the outcome. The Panthers’ demolition of the Wests Tigers made their round one loss to the Dragons look like an aberration. If they can repeat the dose against an emerging Roosters team they will confirm their status as a premiership favourite. On the flipside, the Roosters will be looking to nail another pelt to the wall and the highly-rated Panthers would represent a bigger trophy than either the Dogs or the Titans. You can’t win a Premiership in March but a big win here could confirm either side’s status as a contender.

Picks (season record 9-7): Storm over Broncos / Bulldogs over Warriors / Titans over Eels / Knights over Rabbitohs / Cowboys over Sea Eagles / Raiders over Tigers / Sharks over Dragons.