1. Doing the Parra shuffle: Brad Arthur has wielded the axe with Chris Sandow the most high profile sacking as the coach looks to rejuvenate his struggling Eels side. Instead of the inconsistent Sandow, Arthur has opted for the solid Luke Kelly. The Eels will play a Warriors side who are still working out how to unlock an enigma of their own in Shaun Johnson. Johnson won the Warriors last start game against Cronulla with two moments of individual brilliance. Prior to that he was nowhere near his best.
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2. Titans and Sharks potential borefest: It would take the most passionate Gold Coast or Cronulla fan to have any sort of excitement about this game. The Titans were spanked by the Raiders in their last game while the Sharks have failed to show much imagination with the ball throughout the season. Expect it to be a grind them out type of tussle with the respective forward packs deciding the winner. Ben Barba looked dangerous at times in his return to fullback.
3. Wounded Rabbits against high flying Storm: Melbourne are quietly going about their business, claiming plenty of scalps along the way. Billy Slater has returned from injury in dynamic fashion while the team's reliance on Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith is not as obvious as it has been in season's gone by. They play a Rabbitohs side who have again been struck down by injuries. South Sydney need to learn how to win without Adam Renyolds with their halfback sidelined.
4. Are Canberra a genuine final team? Canberra have shocked many by surging into the top eight with a host of good performances. They play a St George Illawarra squad who were equally tipped by many to cause little impact on the competition this year. The Dragons lost few admirers despite being defeated by South Sydney on Monday. They will need to score more points and take some pressure off fullback Josh Dugan to produce.
5. Reality bites for Knights and Tigers: Newcastle started the Rick Stone-era on a high, topping the table after a month. They have slumped to five consecutive losses. Tyrone Roberts is offering little at halfback while their forward pack have lacked the muscle they showed to start the season. The Tigers rookies were taught a lesson by the Roosters last week. The Tigers have been "in" most games this year so coach Jason Taylor would have been disappointed.
6: Origin fears: Respective Origin coaches, Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley will have their teams pencilled in and ready to announce on Tuesday. What they can not bank on are injuries and suspensions. They will be on edge watching all games this weekend, knowing one slip up by one of their charges could have huge ramifications for their side. Greg Bird has already been ruled out through suspension while injuries to Brett Morris, Adam Reynolds and skipper Paul Gallen, has already weakened a NSW side.
