BRISBANE v MELBOURNE: Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, 7:30pm 

Two top-of-the-table teams with a fierce history and high-range animosity should shape as one of the matches of the year but, thanks to the representative schedule, it has lost some of its lustre. Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin has decided to rest his six Test players, including key playmaker Darren Lockyer, with Griffin saying player safety came first. He has not ruled out making late changes though. All seven Storm rep players have been named but it is unclear how many, if any, will back up 24 hours later. The Storm have won 12 of the last 16 against Brisbane and have not lost consecutive games against their hated rivals since 2003-04. These two clubs met in the finals six straight times between 2004 and 2009 with Melbourne winning all bar the 2006 Grand Final. These games are always big and, even with some of the stars missing, this will be no exception. With the Storm players likely to back up and the Broncos not, the Storm should win on the back of a sturdy defence that will allow very few points but this will be a hard-fought match. 

BPL TIP: Melbourne by 10
TAB Sportsbet odds: Brisbane $2.60, Melbourne $1.50 

GOLD COAST v NEW ZEALAND: Skilled Park, Sunday, 2:00pm 

The Titans have been extremely active in the player market in recent weeks, announcing some big name signings for 2012 but the cost has been hooker Nathan Friend, who is off to New Zealand. The importance of Friend to the Titans cannot be underestimated, a smart hooker who always has his nose to the grindstone. The Titans are 2-2 with the wiry rake this year and 0-4 without him. Friend will not play against his new team this week, undergoing clean-up surgery after an off-season reconstruction that will sideline him for a month. The big and aggressive Warriors pack, led by Sam Rapira and Feleti Mateo and with an impact from Ukuma Ta'ai off the bench, could cause a fairly staid Titans pack some grief, particularly without Friend to toughen up the middle. The fringe defence of the Titans is also a concern with the centre pairing of Esi Tonga and Bodene Thompson the worst defensive centres in the NRL. The Titans have won six straight against New Zealand but with the Warriors hitting form and Gold Coast still trying to discover theirs, an upset is on the cards. 

BPL TIP: New Zealand by 8
TAB Sportsbet odds: Gold Coast $1.53, New Zealand $2.50 

ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA v NORTH QUEENSLAND: Win Jubilee Oval, Sunday, 3:00pm 

It is remarkable in this era of salary cap-driven parity that, even with an injury to Darius Boyd, the Dragons have named 14 representative players to take on North Queensland this week. Only Kyle Stanley, Dan Hunt and Jon Green have not won representative honours with Stanley and Hunt both touted as future rep stars. Nine Dragons will play rep football this week while Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Ben Hornby, Dean Young and Michael Weyman have all played for Australia. It is simply astonishing and a credit to the coaching of Wayne Bennett. With a 7-1 record and the most stifling defence in the NRL, the Dragons seem to be on their way to a third straight minor premiership. North Queensland will not be easy to roll over though. The Cowboys have been rejuvenated this year, building a 5-2 record thanks, primarily, to the tougher defensive attitude brought in by Dallas Johnson. The Cowboys have a remarkably good record against the Dragons, winning four of the last six between the two. They have yet to prove themselves on the road though and Win Jubilee on a Sunday afternoon is one of the toughest places to win. Jamie Soward's form and the class of the Dragons should give Wayne Bennett's men another comfortable win. 

BPL TIP: St George-Illawarra by 14
TAB Sportsbet odds: St George-Illawarra $1.50, North Queensland $2.60 

MANLY v CANBERRA: Brookvale Oval, Monday, 7:00pm 

Canberra were embarrassing against the Wests Tigers, humiliated in front of an apathetic crowd who viewed the performance as one of the worst ever. To be beaten 49-12 at home in any match is shameful but to do it against a team missing its three most potent outside backs and a host of big name forwards is something else. The Raiders have now lost seven straight and with David Furner unprepared to make the necessary changes, that streak does not look like ending anytime soon. Rep season could not have come at a worse time either with Josh Dugan, their most important player, going to find it very difficult to back up from Country duty after a nerve problem, the Raiders are going to find winning at Brookvale Oval extremely difficult. Manly have been very good in Sydney this year, winning five from five including all three at Brookvale Oval. The players to watch here are Anthony Watmough, Kieran Foran and Steve Matai. All are aggressive ball-runners who will tear Canberra to shreds if they tackle with the same intensity, or lack thereof, they did against the Tigers. Manly should win this and win well though Canberra did end a four-game losing streak at Brookvale last year and went on to win nine of their next ten and make an unlikely finals run. David Furner will be hoping for something similar this year with 2011 almost gone for Canberra. Don't bet on it though. 

BPL TIP: Manly by 14
TAB Sportsbet odds: Manly $1.40, Canberra $2.90