MANLY v WESTS TIGERS (Bluetongue Stadium, Friday, 7:35pm)

If the NRL were to stage a chook raffle this weekend, Tim Sheens would win it. The Tigers have been the luckiest team in the NRL over the last ten weeks. Playing poor football for the majority of that time, the Tigers have somehow escaped with five wins. They again got the breaks last Saturday night when a number of controversial refereeing decisions went against the Roosters. Against a potent Manly team back to full strength on Friday night, expect the Tigers to struggle. Robert Lui will be targeted in defence. He is arguably the worst tackler in the NRL and he will have big forwards like Anthony Watmough and hard running outside backs like Steve Matai cutting in and out from him all night. The Eagles have won six from seven on the Central Coast and six of eight against the Tigers and should have too many points for Benji Marshall and company.

BPL Tip: Manly by 10
TAB Sportsbet odds: Manly $1.50, Wests Tigers $2.60

BRISBANE v CRONULLA (Suncorp Stadium, Friday, 7:35pm)

Darren Lockyer's glittering career has taken him to 59 Test matches and 36 State of Origin appearances, the most by any Australian, and the verge of the all-time games record. He has captained Queensland to seven winning series, led Australia into battle more than any other player, has a Clive Churchill Medal and was the only active player to be named in Australia's greatest ever 100 players in 2008. His most prized achievements are, no doubt, his four premierships won with the Broncos. The first of those came in 1997, Super League, where a 20-year-old Lockyer, playing at fullback in only his third season, was critical in the Broncos' third title win over Cronulla. At the long-forgotten QEII Stadium, Lockyer booted five goals to deny Cronulla their first title. It seemed like a different lifetime ago. For the final time in his stellar career, Lockyer will face Cronulla on Friday night, the 27th such time he has taken on the Sharks. For the 17th time, he will likely walk away a winner. The Broncos have won 11 of 14 against Cronulla with the Sharks not winning at Suncorp since 2004. Brisbane's ability to work the fringes should expose the Sharks out wide.

BPL Tip: Brisbane by 16
TAB Sportsbet odds: Brisbane $1.20, Cronulla $4.50

SYDNEY ROOSTERS v CANTERBURY (Sydney Football Stadium, Saturday, 5:30pm)

Miraculously, Canterbury are still in the finals hunt after a tumultuous season that has seen a coach leave mid-season for the first time in over 50 years and a horrid run that has seen them win just two from nine away from ANZ Stadium. This week they travel across town to the Sydney Football Stadium in what has become their most important match of the season. A win against the Roosters will push the Bulldogs to potentially only differential outside the eight while a loss could see them potentially three wins (due to a horrid differential) out. The Roosters have a stronger team on paper with the Dogs missing Michael Ennis, David Stagg and Kris Keating but Canterbury have won six of nine against the Roosters and coming off a sensational win over Parramatta, look to have the self-belief. This will be a low scorer and Trent Hodkinson's boot may again be the difference.

BPL Tip: Canterbury by 1
TAB Sportsbet odds: Sydney Roosters $1.85, Canterbury $1.95

NORTH QUEENSLAND v PENRITH (Dairy Farmers Stadium, Saturday, 7:30pm)

The career of Brent Tate, when it is all said and done, should be remembered as one of the toughest characters the game of rugby league has produced. The veteran centre has suffered three ruptured ACL's and a serious neck injury for which he still must wear a brace yet has come back each and every time and at a level that has seen him play rep football on each occasion. Two games into his latest comeback, it would take a foolish man to bet against him donning the maroon or the green and gold again. The 164-gamer was simply wonderful against the Titans last week, scoring a try and directly setting up two others. Tate will be a key figure in helping the Cowboys to victory over the injury-ravaged Panthers on Saturday night. The Panthers have lost fullback Lachlan Coote and five-eighth Travis Burns while lock Luke Lewis remains in doubt. The Cowboys have won seven of their last eight at home and they have scored two victories in their three matches since Johnathan Thurston went down in Origin III. The likes of Brent Tate, Dallas Johnson and Matt Scott should have too much class for the much-weakened Panthers.

BPL Tip: North Queensland by 8
TAB Sportsbet odds: North Queensland $1.68, Penrith $2.15

NEW ZEALAND v CANBERRA (Mt Smart Stadium, Sunday, 2:00pm NZ time)

Billy Slater may be the best fullback in the game but Canberra's Josh Dugan isn't far behind. He is widely regarded as an amazing talent but he has such scope that by the end of his career, he has the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as the great fullbacks: Churchill, Langlands, Lockyer, Slater. He carried the Raiders to victory on Monday night in an astonishing second half. Dugan had a hand in everything. His first try was just pure willpower, running hard onto a pass like a front rower before busting through five tackles to score. His second try, on the siren to put Canberra in front, was a combination of wonderful positioning and explosive speed. It was his best game of 2011. The Raiders have won five of the last eight against the Warriors including a 23-16 upset when these two last met in Auckland. The Raiders are capable of pulling off an upset here.

BPL Tip: Canberra by 2
TAB Sportsbet odds: New Zealand $1.43, Canberra $2.85

NEWCASTLE v GOLD COAST (Ausgrid Stadium, Sunday, 2:00pm)

Beau Henry returns to Newcastle for the first time since being granted a mid-season release in what will be just his second game for the Titans. The promising five-eighth, who fell from being viewed as a long-term Knights No.6 at the start of the season to being discarded midway through the year after being told he was not part of Wayne Bennett's plans, will no doubt have plenty to prove. He will be particularly keen to win his personal battle with young gun and opposite number Ryan Stig. While Henry is capable of pulling out a big game, the Titans aren't. They are a truly awful team who have beaten only an understrength Dragons in their last ten. The Knights have been very good defensively, for the most part, over the last three months and should grind out a comfortable win against the hapless likely wooden-spooners.

BPL Tip: Newcastle by 13
TAB Sportsbet odds: Newcastle $1.40, Gold Coast $3.00

ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA v SOUTH SYDNEY (WIN Stadium, Sunday, 3:00pm)

The betting agency that paid out more than $50,000 on St George-Illawarra winning the minor premiership at the end of May certainly didn't envisage the Dragons' stumble over the last two months. Wayne Bennett's team seemed destined for a third straight minor premiership but after claiming only five points in their last seven matches, the latest loss being a shock defeat at Canberra on Monday night, the battle for the minor title will be played out between Melbourne and Manly. Bennett will certainly be hoping to kick-start the season against a South Sydney outfit who were disgraceful in allowing 48 points against the Warriors on Sunday. The Dragons did look to be running into some form on Monday but just couldn't get enough points on the board. That shouldn't be a concern against the flimsy South Sydney defence with Jamie Soward forecast to have a field day.

BPL Tip: St George-Illawarra by 16
TAB Sportsbet odds: St George-Illawarra $1.15, South Sydney $5.25

PARRAMATTA v MELBOURNE (Parramatta Stadium, Monday, 7:00pm)

One of rugby league's great personal rivalries resumes on Monday night with Billy Slater and Jarryd Hayne set to go head-to-head, and quite possibly eyeball-to-eyeball, again. These two have long had a dislike of each other with both footballing personalities at the opposite end of the spectrum. Billy Slater, intense and talkative and a scholar of the game, who will do anything to win. While Jarryd Hayne is laconic and naturally talented but easily riled and often unable or unwilling to hurl himself into matches. Though Hayne will be wearing the No.6 jersey this week, Slater, who plays as a second five-eighth, will be sure to find the Eels star. Few will forget when the corresponding clash last year when Hayne laid a headbutt on Slater, only to be met with a heavy response. Hayne has played well since moving to five-eighth but Slater is in outstanding nick and with partners in crime Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, the table-topping Melbourne Storm should prove too strong for the Eels. Melbourne's kicking game could wreak havoc with the Eels and the makeshift centre pairing Stephen Kearney has selected could be exposed by the option running of Slater, Cronk and Gareth Widdop.

BPL Tip: Melbourne by 12
TAB Sportsbet odds: Parramatta $3.15, Melbourne $1.35