North Sydney Bears v St George Illawarra Dragons
North Sydney Oval
Saturday, 2 June 1pm
Broadcast Live on Channel Nine and 9NOW
The Bears will take confidence from their spirited defensive performance against the Wentworthville Magpies last Sunday, but will be looking to back it up against a Dragons outfit vying for consistency after an impressive victory last weekend.
Their six-point victory was on the back of a dynamic Connor Tracey, who constantly sparked his team with some darting runs and a handy try-assist and will look to build on his strong form as the Bears look to record their fifth win of the season.
The Dragons will be desperate for a win this weekend with a potential spot in the top four up for grabs at the end of the round, while also hoping for back-to-back victories after a strong win over Newcastle.
On the back of a barnstorming Jacob Host, who ran for 217 metres, the Dragons dominated the middle third but will be looking to improve their discipline with the ball in hand after making 11 errors and completing at just 70%.
Expect a strong opening stanza with both teams boasting dominant forward packs, with an enticing match-up between both respective halves as they look to inspire their team to two valuable competition points.
Newtown Jets v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Henson Park
Saturday, 2 June 3pm
The Bulldogs have been unable to capitalise on their strong starts to their games in recent weeks and will be hoping for a more complete 80-minute performance against a Jets side that are coming off a remarkable comeback victory on Saturday afternoon.
Newtown have proven to be one of the most threatening attacking sides so far in 2018 as they still lead the competition in tries scored (57) and line-breaks (61) and will be hoping to continue their good form.
The Bulldogs were off to a blistering start on the Central Coast as they ran-out to an early 16-0 lead, but eventually to fell short to a gutsy Roos outfit.
Okahifi Ogden was inspirational in the loss, with the rampaging lock-forward running for 189 metres and making 41 tackles, while Bronson Garlick worked tirelessly off the bench with 28 tackles in 57 minutes.
Although boasting one of the strongest forward packs in the competition, they will be looking to improve defensively as they are ranked second in the competition for missed tackles.
Mounties v Newcastle Knights
Aubrey Keech Reserve
Saturday, 2 June 3pm
Mounties were looking to prove their premiership credentials against the Panthers last weekend but were unable to take advantage as they lost 34-14. They will be hoping to put in their most dominant performance of the season against a struggling Knights outfit.
With a dynamic spine that includes Sam Williams, Brad Abbey and Craig Garvey, the Mounties are proving to be one of the most well-balanced teams in the competition, but will be hoping to improve their home record with three of their four losses being on home soil.
The Knights have endured a tough season to date and will be looking to reinstall some pride in their jersey after a 32-16 loss to the Dragons last weekend.
They will heavily rely on the live-wire fullback Nick Meaney after he returned from injury last week – a timely boost for a side lingering at the bottom of the competition ladder.
They will be looking for a more clinical attacking display on the weekend as the Knights are ranked last in the competition for points score (207) and are coming off an error -fuelled performance on the weekend which saw them complete at just 63% and maintain just 43% possession.
Wyong Roos v Penrith Panthers
Aubrey Keech Reserve
Saturday, 2 June 3pm
The Wyong Roos got off to a shaky start in their clash against the Bulldogs last weekend, but a Mitch Williams try in the closing stages sealed a remarkable comeback victory.
They will be brimming with confidence having now recorded back-to-back wins, and will be looking to continue their short burst of form but will be without Matt Ikuvalu who has earned a first-grade debut with the Roosters this weekend.
The Panthers responded last weekend with a barnstorming performance over second-placed Mounties, well and truly stamping themselves as one of the premiership heavyweights of the Intrust Super Premiership this year.
They dominated with a clinical attacking performance that saw them cross for six tries, while also running for 1500 metres - 400 more than the Mounties, and proved disciplined with the ball-in-hand with a 80% completion rate.
A win is crucial if they are to remain in first place on the competition ladder.
Wentworthville Magpies v Warriors
ANZ Stadium
Saturday, 2 June 5.15pm
Broadcast LIVE on Fox League
The Magpies were valiant in their six-point loss to the North Sydney Bears on Sunday afternoon but will be desperate for a stronger showing to remain in touch with the top-half of the competition.
They will be looking to put in a more spirited performance after completing at just 65% and missing 33 tackles but can take confidence in their forward pack laying a strong platform through the likes of Kane Evans and Ray Stone.
The Warriors will be looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking two-point loss to the Workers last weekend in the hopes of finding consistency in the middle-third of the year.
James Bell was arguably their best performer in a losing side, with the lock-forward running for 151 metres and recording 41 tackles, and was one of just two Warriors forwards to run over 100 metres in their loss.
