After seven rounds of the NRL, at least there’s one team that’s been reliable with Canterbury unbeaten at the top of the NRL ladder and optimism building by the day that the club can celebrate its 90th birthday with a first premiership since 2004.

Melbourne have gone off the boil a little in the past few weeks with a couple of upset losses and Parramatta can’t even be relied upon to lose every week after knocking off the Wests Tigers by 16 on Easter Monday.

Round 8 kicks off with the Bulldogs traveling to Brisbane. The Broncos will be trying to avoid a third straight defeat but are without the services of gun fullback Reece Walsh.

Friday features an Anzac Day triple-header with the Roosters and St George Illawarra getting proceedings underway at Allianz Stadium. The Warriors will host an Anzac Round match for the first time when Newcastle travel to Auckland before Melbourne match up against South Sydney in the late show.

Saturday’s schedule should result in two favourites getting up with North Queensland at home the tackle-shy Titans and Penrith facing a Manly team which has lost three on the trot and will be missing five regular first graders due to injuries and suspension.

Sunday’s action features Canberra aiming to prevent the Dolphins from a fourth straight victory before Lachie Galvin returns to the Wests Tigers starting side for their Leichhardt Oval stoush with the Sharks.

Here’s how the experts see Round 8 unfolding.

Stuart Thomas

Broncos, Dragons, Warriors, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Raiders, Tigers

Form says the Bulldogs beat the Broncos, but I’m tipping against the form and anticipating an inevitable bad day at some point for the blue and whites. This could be it. I’m not sure the Roosters and Dragons on Anzav Day has ever been more interesting. Red and white looks likely in what should be an epic battle between two well matched teams.

The Warriors have the weapons to beat the Knights in New Zealand but the weapons are sometimes disarmed. Will this be another weekend where that is the case? Nope. After the rubbish the Bunnies served up against the Dogs, it is hard to see them worrying the Storm in Melbourne.

The Titans look like a hot and cold team to me and the Cowboys very dangerous at their best. That spells problems for Dr Des’ men this Saturday evening. Can the Panthers finally get their season going with a win against the Sea Eagles? You would think so and the second win on the trot would have the competition on notice.

Keep throwing your money the Raiders way if you like a punt. Miles in front at this stage of the season, Ricky has a keen team and one doing what he asks. I’m not sure the Dolphins can match them with a few injury concerns. Tigers and Sharks looks a cracker on Sunday afternoon. A coin toss really, with neither in sparkling form or likely to challenge the best sides. A sneaky win for the Tigers amidst real change at the club.

Luke Metcalf celebrates after kicking the winning goal in extra time. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Nick Wasiliev

Bulldogs, Dragons, Warriors, Storm, Sea Eagles, Raiders, Sharks

Must admit, this first match gave me pause. Sure, there are are injury concerns. Sure, the Doggies are undefeated and the Broncos has improving, if mixed form. But this is the sort of fixture Canterbury have to put away if they are title contenders, because the Lang Park factor can’t be ignored. Even despite that, I back them. Again, just a good feeling.

A win at Brookvale Oval isn’t nothing, and it does suggest the Dragon is stirring under Shane Flanagan. The Chooks have been so Jekyll-and-Hyde the last few weeks (and more Hyde overall), so I’m going with the more consistent team.

Wahs should have this in the bag. A trip across the Tasman always plays a factor, and the Knights are not performing at a level right now where I can see a win.

The match in Melbourne should be a cracker. I’m just chalking last week’s loss by the Bunnies to a bad day at the office, cause the side is making strides under Wayne Bennett. Enough to beat Bellamy’s boys at home? Narp.

These two have been so inconsistent over the season, it’s kinda hard to tell who wins. I’m going Cowboys cause the last two weeks they’ve been the better of the two sides, plus home field advantage.

Sea Eagles are playing better right now, simple as. You can’t discount Penrith – the four back-to-back titles and all. But something isn’t right in Sydney’s west right now.

Is this true? Two wins on the road for the Raiders?! Dang. While the Dolphins are playing better, Sticky’s men should have more than enough in the capital to keep up the good streak.

Every time. I should stop just tipping the Tigers entirely – you know what? I just might. 

Mary Konstantopoulos

Broncos, Dragons, Warriors, Storm, Titans, Panthers, Dolphins, Sharks

Given how grim my tipping has been I’m going to continue to do the opposite. The Broncos have been disappointing to date, but I still have hope that at some point it is going to come together for them. I’m tipping the Broncos against the Bulldogs and think that their real advantage will come in the forward battle. If Carrigan and Haas can help set the tone early, that will help them get a win against the Dogs.

The Dragons have been tough and gritty and I particularly want to highlight the efforts of Jacob Liddle who has been fantastic. While the Roosters have had a couple of good wins they are extremely hot and cold. By continuing to do the footy basics rights, the Dragons will get the win in this one.

The Warriors and Storm will both get two points this week and for fun in tipping the Titans, who can beat any team when they are playing their best footy. 

The next game should be a good one with two teams who should be in the top eight still finding their feet. Tom Trbojevich will make a huge difference for Manly, but I didn’t tip the Panthers last week and I regretted it. The Panthers still have a lot of work to do but were much closer to their best footy last week.

I’m also tipping the Dolphins who have been the comp’s big improvers and the Sharks to win at Leichhardt.

Paul Suttor

Bulldogs, Dragons, Warriors, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Raiders, Sharks

Brisbane are not dependable at full strength to with Reece Walsh out and Ben Hunt struggling, Canterbury look to be a sure thing. Bulldogs by 10

The Roosters can’t keep the same team on the field due to frequent injuries and with Dominic Young dropped for his poor form they look like a side searching for answers whereas St George Illawarra have been gritty in most games and possess the second-best defence in the NRL Dragons by 4

The Warriors could win by 20 against Newcastle, even if they only score 20 points themselves. Warriors by 20

Melbourne are missing Harry Grant but they still have way too much strikepower to account for a South Sydney side which has rolled the dice on Latrell Mitchell being back at fullback at the expense of arguably their best player this season in Jye Gray. Storm by 16

The Cowboys are fresh off the bye and the Titans are as stale as can be. Cowboys by 30.

Penrith started getting their mojo back in the second half last weekend against the Roosters. Manly are a mess. Panthers by 8

Canberra and the Dolphins are two similar sides in 2025. They don’t rely on individuals but grind down opponents by their team first mentality. Something they actually do not just a catchphrase for social media captions. Raiders by 6

The Tigers were playing like a team that was distracted on Monday against Parramatta and paid the price. Cronulla are far too professional to let them off the hook. Sharks by 10.

(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

AJ Mithen

Bulldogs, Dragons, Warriors, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Raiders, Sharks

Another week of stout defences will get us to tipping glory. I hope you’ve all been copying me on the road to the top!
Canterbury has the defence to stop Brisbane, who are particularly struggling in attack. Will Selwyn be set free at fullback?

Dragons to grit past the chooks in a horrible bludger, Warriors to smack up the Knights who are in all sorts and the Storm to beat the bunnies but not by mo heaps. 

North Queensland and Penrith in bog standard 22-16 wins, unexciting and uninspiring but just winning. 
Your presumptive champions, the people’s team, the Canberra Raiders welcome the red hot Dolphins to the capital before laying a casual 56 on them.

Finally, Sharks to beat the Tigers based on defence. 

Mike Meehall Wood

Bulldogs, Roosters, Warriors, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Raiders, Sharks

There’s some straightforward choices this week – lol, jk, does that even exist anymore in the NRL?

We’ll start with the Dogs, who are playing very well, against the Broncos, who are not. Oh, and they’ve got a boatload of injuries to boot. Canterbury continue their strong start here.

The Anzac Day game is probably the closest call of the lot, but in the spirit of just picking the home team when you don’t really know, let’s go for Easts.

NZW are decent, the Knights couldn’t score in a brothel. Christchurch isn’t a weekend in Amsterdam, so Up the Wahs. The Storm have lost once to Souths in Melbourne. That will continue this weekend.

Nobody is sold on the Cowboys but everyone has checked out of the Titans. NQ in a stinker. My Beaches Boys are playing like busteds, so I’ll be leaving them well along. No need for a reverse psychology tip, they’re straight up bad. Penrith by a few.

Both Canberra and the Dolphins have been going great – it’s a tough one to call but, on return home, the Raiders should have enough.

No amount of Lachie Galvin can make this Tigers side better than the Sharks, even with the Leichhardt factor. Assuming Cronulla don’t get someone injured warming up on the sideline, as happened last year, it’ll be Up Up come the end.

David Shilovsky

Bulldogs, Roosters, Warriors, Storm, Cowboys, Panthers, Raiders, Sharks

Could the Dogs’ perfect run continue? Let’s see. Chooks to get the job done in a scrapy traditional affair, the Knights are unlikely to trouble the Warriors. Storm have the ominous record behind them.

Cowboys should be a safe bet at home, the Panthers are at home and look dangerous again.

Won’t tip against the Raiders at GIO and Cronulla should take care of the Tigers.