Overview

• Canberra meet Cronulla at GIO Stadium on Saturday for a spot against Melbourne in the first preliminary final, while Penrith play Canterbury at Accor Stadium on Sunday for a Suncorp date with Brisbane.
• Penrith are rated premiership favourites as long as Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo stay fit, reinforcing confidence in a push for a fifth straight title.
• The Bulldogs are seen as undermanned, with reports pointing to the likely absence of captain Stephen Crichton and an untested halves pairing of Lachlan Galvin and Toby Sexton.
• Cronulla carry form and an extra day’s rest into Canberra, whose short six-day turnaround after a 94-minute loss to Brisbane raises questions over physical and mental recovery.
• Melbourne and Brisbane await after a bye, with the Storm monitoring Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen and the Broncos buoyed by Adam Reynolds’ return and Patrick Carrigan’s expected availability.