Welcome to The Furnace!
In this weekly preview, foxsports.com.au dissects every game by looking at each team’s burning question.
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Read on for The Furnace for Round 11!
FRIDAY MAY 16
Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels, 6pm AEST at McDonald Jones Stadium
Knights’ burning question: Can the Knights bounce back after O’Brien bake following Titans implosion?
Adam O’Brien gave the Knights an almighty spray after they surrendered a big lead to go down to the Titans last start and he will be looking for a response to save their season.
The Knights will be without winger Greg Marzhew due to a knee injury with Fletcher Hunt to debut on the wing.
Newcastle will have plenty to play for in Dane Gagai’s 300th NRL game, but they will need more than emotion and a home crowd to get the job done against the Eels.
Kalyn Ponga needs a big game as he looks set for an Origin return, while halves Fletcher Sharpe and Jack Cogger face a big battle against Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown that could decide the contest.
The bottom line for O’Brien is that his team has lost six of its past seven games and despite having returned Newcastle as a regular finals side, the heat will be on if he bombs this season.
Eels’ burning question: Can Zac Lomax inspire the Eels to a much needed win and stamp his Blues papers for Origin I?
The Eels are anchored to the bottom of the table and despite improvements since Mitchell Moses’ return, they still need plenty more star power to climb out of the NRL cellar.
Enter Zac Lomax, who returns from a foot injury in a timely boost on the eve of the Origin series.
Lomax has already won a game for the Eels this season with a clutch field goal and his effort and desire was setting the tone for the Eels before his injury in Round 5.
If the Eels can follow Lomax’s lead, they can spring an upset over the Knights and a big game from the winger can see him hold his spot in the Blues side for the Origin opener.
NRL announce season openers in Vegas | 01:38
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters, 8pm AEST at Accor Stadium
Bulldogs’ burning question: Can Stephen Crichton help the Bulldogs overcome their back row crisis?
The Bulldogs have lost Jaeman Salmon to a long-term ankle injury and are also without Sitili Tupouniua and Josh Curran due to suspension, which will test their depth against the Roosters.
Kurt Mann is a handy replacement at lock, but Harry Smith gets a rare start in the second row and Luke Smith will debut off the bench.
However, the Bulldogs showed by coming back from 20-0 down to beat the Raiders, that no challenge is too great for this team, as long as their skipper Stephen Crichton is on the field.
Matty Johns compared Crichton to an Immortal, after he single-handedly got the Bulldogs back in the game against the Raiders.
“There were some great performances but special mention to Stephen Crichton,” Johns said on Matty and Cronk.
“He’s only 24 years of age and I thought who does he remind me of with his size, presence and skill and his leadership? He reminds me of Mal Meninga as far as his presence.”
Cooper Cronk believes Cameron Ciraldo deserves credit for identifying what needed fixing, but Crichton went out and fixed it all by himself.
“I can’t give him enough credit for what he did against the Raiders,” Cronk said.
“First step was Ciraldo, a smart footy coach who knew what he had to say at half-time and knew what they had to fix.
“He goes to Crichton and says mate I need you to fix it for me. He goes out in a 10 minute burst and this isn’t a team at the bottom of the ladder.
“This is up against a rock solid Canberra team, who are playing very good footy and he threw that team on his back. Some of his runs and the ability to just influence the game and then when he got going, Kikau on the other side started to get going.
“Round 10 against the Raiders mark that down as a big moment for this Bulldogs team.”
The Bulldogs will rely heavily on Crichton and Kikau again when they take on a resurgent Roosters side in Round 11.
Roosters’ burning question: Can Lindsay Collins inspire the resurgent Roosters to an upset over the Bulldogs and stamp his Maroons claim?
Enforcer Lindsay Collins returns from a knee injury for his first game since Round 5 and can play himself into Billy Slater’s Origin side with a big performance against the Dogs.
The Bulldogs are ripe for the picking with a number of forwards sidelined through injury and suspension, so Collins will be looking to take the challenge to their inexperienced pack.
The Roosters are on the rise in recent weeks and can force their way into the top eight with an upset win over an undermanned Bulldogs outfit.
However, given they will lose a few players to the Origin series, the Roosters can’t afford to drop too many games in the next six weeks or it could make their charge to the finals too tough come the back end of the year.
Daly still deciding best Blues team | 03:04
SATURDAY MAY 17
Dolphins vs New Zealand Warriors, 3pm AEST at Suncorp Stadium
Dolphins’ burning question: Can Katoa magic stop Metcalf’s red hot Warriors?
The Dolphins face a huge challenge against the second placed Warriors in Round 11, who have been on fire with Luke Metcalf leading the way.
However, while Metcalf has lit up the NRL in 2025, Katoa hasn’t been far behind albeit in a less successful team this season.
Johns believes Katoa’s ball playing has been up there with the best in the competition this season because he is creating indecision in the defensive line and creating space for his players out wide.
“Often times with Isaiaya Katoa we talk about telling a lie with the football when he is looking in and playing out and why exactly that works,” Johns said.
Cronk explained what Katoa is doing so well by committing defenders on the inside and then passing into gaps on the outside.
“The context of it is when you look in you are actually telling a lie to the defenders to rotate their shoulders in and look at what I am looking at,” Cronk explained.
“Then in a split second I am going to bounce back out and beat you on the outside.
“There was a moment Katoa did it against the Eels, which was absolutely top shelf from a young half. He over-exaggerates the inside to the point that Mitchell Moses turned completely in and he catches them on the outside.
“I don’t think we have seen better ball playing than that in a long time.”
“That’s as good as it gets, you don’t get better than that, just incredible,” Johns said.
Given the form Metcalf is in, Katoa’s battle with his halves opposite will be one of the best match-ups of the round and could decide the contest.
Warriors’ burning question: Can Luke Metcalf lead the Warriors to equal first on the ladder?
The Warriors have been the surprise packets of the season to date on the back of the sparkling form of new halfback Luke Metcalf.
If the Warriors beat the Dolphins and the Bulldogs lose to the Roosters, the New Zealand team will go equal top of the table albeit with a far inferior points differential.
The return of James Fisher-Harris from a pectoral injury is a massive boost for the Warriors, while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck could also be a late inclusion.
However, the key to the Warriors’ success has been the brilliant form of Metcalf and he faces a mouth-watering contest with Isaiya Katoa in a bid to cement his side in the top two entering the Origin period.
North Queensland Cowboys vs Manly Sea Eagles, 5.30pm AEST at Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Cowboys’ burning question: Will Todd Payten’s decision to drop Jake Clifford to shift Jaxon Purdue to the halves prove to be the right call?
Despite having their chances to beat the Panthers in their 30-30 golden point draw, Todd Payten has swung the axe on halfback Jake Clifford.
Tom Dearden will return to the halfback jersey for one of just a handful of times since his Broncos days, while young gun Jaxson Purdue switches from the centres to five-eighth.
It is a bold move for the Cowboys who have improved in the last month and sit sixth on the ladder.
Paul Crawley believes the decision to give Purdue a run in the halves could be about keeping him at the club long-term, rather than Clifford’s form.
“The Cowboys turning a corner coincided with Clifford’s comeback,” Crawley said on NRL 360.
“He works well with Dearden, good kicking game and he makes a difference, but you’ve got the young bloke in the centres, who is a potential superstar who played his juniors in the halves and there’s probably pressure to give him a go.”
However, Gorden Tallis believes it was an odd decision, given Dearden will likely be on Origin duty over the next couple of months, which means Purdue will likely partner Clifford in the halves during that period.
“I thought it was strange dropping a halfback when the last month of footy has been their best month of footy,” Tallis said.
However, Andrew Webster believes a bid to extend Purdue’s contract could be behind the brutal call.
“Purdue is a special player isn’t he? If he is a natural half and they want to extend him, maybe that’s part of the thinking from Todd Payten,” Webster said.
Sea Eagles’ burning question: Can the Sea Eagles rise out of the ashes of the DCE saga?
Manly have lost four of their last five and now sit just one loss from slipping out of the top eight and clearly Daly Cherry-Evans’ contract saga has played a part in thier form slump.
Manly were riding high at three wins from their first four games, but their slump has coincided with a poor run of form from their captain amid the uncertainty over his future.
Johns believes the 30-14 home loss to the Sharks showed all is not well at Manly amid the uncertainty surrounding Cherry-Evans’ future amid links to the Roosters.
“There is no doubt the DCE thing that has gone on the last couple of weeks has impacted them,” Johns said.
Cronk believes Cherry-Evans tried to structure the decision around his future to help Manly focus on their season, but despite his best intentions it has backfired and done the opposite.
“I think he has had the right intentions and no one still knows what he is doing, but I think it has probably got to the point where he just needs to get it out there and move on,” Cronk said.
“The Origin part to me is he is the captain of Queensland and he has had a really good rep career the back end of it, but he needs to step up.”
Manly face a big task to beat the Cowboys away from home after failing to take advantage of a string of early season games on their home turf.
Cronulla Sharks vs Melbourne Storm, 7.35pm AEST at Sharks Stadium
Sharks’ burning question: Can Nicho Hynes continue his hot form against his red hot former club?
The Sharks’ surge to on the verge of the top four has coincided with a form spike from maligned halfback Nicho Hynes.
Hynes outpointed his former Origin rival Daly Cherry-Evans last week and now comes up against an ever sterner test in Jahrome Hughes and his former Storm team.
Hynes has led the Sharks for try assists in the last couple of weeks and if he can inspire them to an upset of the Storm, he could even put himself in the Blues Origin frame if injuries strike.
Siosifa Talakai returns in a timely boost with Thomas Hazelton ruled out, while Teig Wilton could also be back.
The Sharks have the pack to match it with the Storm, a side they traditionally play well against, but unless Hynes shines in the halves, they won’t score enough points to stay with the Storm.
Storm’ burning question: Have the Storm solved their Harry Grant dilemma just as he returns?
The Storm struggled to win games in the absence of skipper Harry Grant, but finally found their mojo in a demolition of the Tigers.
Grant dominates the ruck so much that the Storm needed to figure out how to play off Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes without their silky No.9’s creativity.
Cronk believes the key for the Storm without Grant is to look out before playing in and going up the middle.
“With the Storm winning 64-0 against the Tigers, they did a lot of looking out to play in,” Cronk said.
“They went straight through the Tigers.”
Johns noted a startling fact on the try-scorers list which explained the Storm’s change of tact.
“It’s funny 64 points and their wingers didn’t score a try, it just shows you where their compass was,” Johns said.
With Grant and Munster expected to miss some games throughout the Origin period, Cronk believes they now know how to play without some of their spine stars.
“Craig Bellamy made the Storm aggressive and direct in the way that he coached their team,” Cronk said.
“They weren’t getting fluffy against the Tigers, they were going nice and straight and aggressive.
“Instead of going pass, pass, pass, if you play direct, the reason why Papenhuyzen had four tries and Munster and Hughes lit it up is, Munster and Hughes ran the football or did a short pass. Back-to-back touches then outside to play in.
“They had it on a string because they were looking out to play back through the middle.”
The resurgent Sharks looks to be an epic clash for Bellamy’s men, as they aim to find some consistency heading into the Origin period.
‘I don’t think Mam should be playing!’ | 01:11
SUNDAY MAY 18
Brisbane Broncos vs St George Illawarra Dragons, 2pm AEST at Suncorp Stadium
Broncos’ burning question: What kind of impact will Ezra Mam have in his first NRL game back?
Whether you agree or not with the severity of the penalty, Mam will be back in Broncos colours for the first time since last year after completing a nine-game suspension.
Fox League’s Cooper Cronk believes Mam has yet to earn his Broncos jersey yet, although coach Michael Maguire’s decision was basically made for him when Ben Hunt picked up a hamstring injury last week.
“I think Ezra Mam is a point of difference. He can be a spark that helps the Broncos but I would sit him in reserve grade and make him earn that jersey more,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.
You only have to look at the 2023 grand final to see Mam is a special player on his day and one that far more often than not, makes this Broncos team better when he’s in it.
However, what the Broncos are struggling with at the moment isn’t an area that Mam should be expected to help improve.
Talent isn’t a factor for the Broncos, instead they’re struggling with consistency, effort and defence.
Mam, for all the ability he has when the ball is in his hands, isn’t the strongest defender. He can be hot and cold as well.
There’s no doubt the Broncos will be lifted by the inclusion of Mam, but there are far bigger concerns between the ears for this side, who have been accused of being ‘mentally weak’
Dragons’ burning question: Can the Dragons match the Broncos pack after latest injury blow?
The Dragons pushed the Warriors all the way in a 15-14 thriller, but ultimately fell short of a miracle comeback and things don’t get any easier against the Broncos.
Adding to the challenge is that boom front-rower Toby Couchman has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, adding to a tough year for the Dragons’ engine room.
Jack de Belin will fill in at prop with Blake Lawrie, who has been dropped twice this season recalled to the bench.
The Dragons have shown improvements in the halves since the injection of Lyhkan King-Togia and have a backline full of strike to match it with the Broncos.
But unless they win the battle up front against a pack Michael Maguire will have fired up after four losses in five starts, the Dragons won’t be able to stay with the Broncos for 80 minutes.
Canberra Raiders vs Gold Coast Titans, 4.05pm AEST at GIO Stadium
Raiders’ burning question: How will the Raiders cover the big loss of Matty Nicholson?
In a crushing blow, the Raiders will be without star recruit Matty Nicholson for up to three months because of a leg injury.
In his first season in the nation’s capital, the Englishman has been a revelation, winning a starting spot on the right edge and locking it down until his unfortunate setback.
Luckily for Ricky Stuart, he has plenty of talent ready to step up in Nicholson’s absence.
Zac Hosking is too good to be coming off the bench, which is why you saw him start at prop against the Dogs last weekend.
Hosking will start on the right edge and there’s still ample depth with Ata Mariota, who is enjoying a career year, to come off the bench.
Yes, the Nicholson injury hurts, but the Raiders have the depth and talent to cover it.
Titans’ burning question: Can the Titans finally build some momentum after their epic come-from-behind win last weekend?
They’ve been one of the big disappointments in 2025, but the Titans gave their long suffering fans something to cheer about when they pulled off a remarkable win against the Knights after trailing 20-0.
The likes of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, AJ Brimson and Alofiana Khan-Pereira were crucial in the Gold Coast’s win, proving just how good this talented side can be when things click.
The worry is the difference between their best and worst is a considerably wide gap.
Perhaps a win of this nature can spark a bit of a run, because if the Titans play like they did in the second half against a stout Knights defence, they’d give any team in the NRL a scare.
Kieran Foran returns for the Titans on the bench, which provides insurance for AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell in the halves.
A big win over the Raiders away is the sort of scalp the Titans need to push for a top eight spot this season.
Wests Tigers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, 6.15pm AEST at Campbelltown Sports Stadium
Tigers’ burning question: Will the Tigers respond after an embarrassing beat down in Round 10?
The Tigers were back in the top eight before some bad old habits returned in the 64-0 thrashing by the Storm last round.
Benji Marshall accused his side of failing to live by the standards they have set so far this season in a terrible defensive performance against Melbourne.
Cronk believes the Tigers were far too passive in defence and need to show more aggression, desperation and intent.
“The Tigers defended like a fence paling. What I mean by that is that there was no line speed and they just sat there,” Cronk said.
“The Tigers’ defence had big gaps between bodies and what the Storm did was attack the person then skip to that space and the other defenders didn’t move. They were stationary like a fence paling.”
A clash with the Rabbitohs coming off a win over the Broncos will be no easy task and Marshall’s troops need to get back to a simple game plan based on effort and desire, which ironically is how Souths beat Brisbane.
Rabbitohs’ burning question: Can Latrell Mitchell back up last week’s match-winning performance?
Latrell Mitchell showed in the win over the Broncos that when he plays at his best, Souths are very hard to beat.
The key to Mitchell’s performance against the Broncos was that he simplified his game and based it around his running game.
That saw him finish with 84 run metres from 14 runs, four tackle busts, an offload, a linebreak and a try to go with four goals and the match winning two-point field goal.
Cronk believes there is no player in the game who can rise in the big moments like Mitchell.
“I have so much respect for Latrell on how he can influence a performance,” Cronk said.
“Try-saver on Mariner, try-saver on Payne Haas as well.
“To be able to do the field goal in driving rain, to kick that ball 55 on the fly, there is not too many people who can do that.
“He is the best ‘moments’ player we have. If there is a moment, he can deliver. Can be quiet in between, but when the big moment arrives and he’s needed, he can deliver.
“There was the second kick return and Latrell catches the ball and had outside backs there and a much smaller carry and he ran straight into Payne Haas.
“That was a little sign early on that he was up for a big game. When Latrell plays well he does things like that.”
Matty Johns praised Wayne Bennett for his approach to the Broncos game, which he treated like a grand final after four straight losses and Mitchell followed his lead.
“There are a lot of injuries at Souths and they needed him,” Johns said.
“Souths were looking down the barrel of five losses in a row.
“Wayne brought Steve Waugh in to have a chat to the team. It just shows the importance of that game and Latrell knew it.”
Souths need Mitchell to back it up to beat the Tigers before the bye as they head into the Origin period.
Bye: Penrith Panthers
