NRL Semi-Finals Preview & Predictions

Less than a week removed from their heartbreaking extra-time loss to the Broncos, the Raiders must bounce back in front of their home faithful in this sudden-death showdown with the Sharks on Saturday night. There’s no two ways around it, Canberra absolutely blew their chance to earn a week off and advance into the preliminary finals after leading 28-12 midway through the second half, with both Reece Walsh and Pat Carrigan in the sin bin for the Broncos. The Raiders stopped playing footy and tried to defend their way to victory - but Walsh had other ideas.

Meanwhile, the Sharks are doing their best to shed the flat track bully tag, backing up their win over the Bulldogs by eliminating the Roosters by a 20-10 score last week. With eight wins from their last nine games, Cronulla have been quietly going about their business over the last couple of months and will be confident having won three of their last four meetings with the Raiders - including a 40-0 thumping at GIO Stadium last year.

It’s been a wild season for the Panthers - they were anchored to the bottom of the ladder heading into the Origin period, but a nine-game winning streak propelled them into the top eight. Now, after dispatching the Warriors fairly easily in the opening week of the finals, the Panthers find themselves just three wins away from making it five consecutive premierships. Nathan Cleary took control of last week’s 24-8 win over the Warriors, gradually suffocating the opposition with his kicking game, allowing Penrith to dominate field position.

Canterbury meanwhile are all over the place. They’ve won just four of their last nine games and their continues to be uncertainty in their halves, while captain Stephen Crichton has suffered what could be a season-ending ankle injury. However, it’s forced a reshuffle that could prove a blessing in disguise, with Toby Sexton returning to the side at halfback and Lachlan Galvin moving to a more natural position of five-eighth. Matt Burton goes to centre, where he scored a try against the Storm last week.

Penrith have won 13 finals games on the bounce, but what better team than the Bulldogs - who have a whole host of former Panthers players and coaching staff in their ranks - to potentially end their run….