GET READY FOR ROUND 17 - All You Need to Know Before Kick-off

Wasn’t that an interesting round? The Penrith Panthers were handed just their second loss of the season at the hands of none other than the Gold Coast Titans! We’re back to the full slate of eight games this round, and with Origin stars back on deck, will we see the favourites chalk up the win? The BettingTop10 team breaks everything down for you!

In Round 16, the Panthers suffered just their second loss, but don’t worry, they are still four Premiership points clear of the New Zealand Warriors! They’ll also welcome back all their Origin stars who were rested from that game against the Titans.

The Panthers are still the heavy Premiership favourites according to NRL betting odds, and they come up against a North Queensland Cowboys team that is sitting just outside the top eight. With all their Origin stars back and the bitter taste of a loss, the Panthers may go out on the field with a point to prove.

The Warriors played their first game at OneNZ Stadium in Christchurch last time out against the Cowboys, which resulted in a 38-20 win to the home side. But what has really grabbed people’s attention is the crowd they pulled!

It didn’t look like there was a spare seat in the house, which really put Aussie fans to shame, as the bigger venues like Suncorp Stadium and Accor Stadium are usually half full at best. This new stadium also puts New Zealand’s South Island in the box seat to be awarded as the NRL’s 20th team.

This round will be a major test for the New Zealand team, who face off against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium. That’s right, we’re getting a two-vs-three clash! Kurt Capewell, Haizyn Mellars, and Sam Healey should all be available for the Warriors.

On the Dolphins' side of things, all the rested Origin stars should be back. This includes the likes of Max Plath, Thomas Flegler, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and Selwyn Cobbo. Plus, we should see both Isaiya Katoa and Jake Averillo return. This takes the Dolphins back to practically full strength.

You thought Latrell Mitchell was just about to make his long-awaited return to the field for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Ha. You thought wrong! The star suffered a calf injury during training on Monday, and his return date is yet to be confirmed. When will the big guy catch a break?

Mitchell is joined by the likes of Jack Wighton and Campbell Graham, who should both hopefully return within the next couple of weeks. Considering how many injuries they’ve had to key players, it’s surprising to see them inside the top eight, in seventh spot.

My question is, though, how long can they keep this up? The injuries don’t just impact that specific player, but the effects are felt all throughout the club, and the Mitchell setback would be particularly heartbreaking for all involved.

I think I said this last week, but I’ll say it again: whoever has got Michael Maguire’s voodoo doll, please put it down, you’ve done enough damage! The fall from grace has been widely documented, but what can you do when your injury toll is almost in the double digits?

Let’s rattle off all the current injuries plaguing the Brisbane Broncos, shall we? Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Delouise Hoeter, Gehamat Shibasaki, Pat Carrigan, Deine Mariner, Corey Jensen, Billy Walters, and Va'a Semu.

And most of these injuries currently don’t have a return date for the player, either. To make matters even worse, they face off against the Sydney Roosters, who are currently in the top four, this round.

It’s seemingly all happening at the Broncos this week, with news coming out of the club that Jesse Arthars is set to depart at the end of this season. He is joining the Super League with the Catalan Dragons. Plus, Bent Hunt is confirmed to be staying at the Broncos until at least the end of next season.