Former rugby league star Gary Freeman is backing the Melbourne Storm and the North Queensland Cowboys to make this year's NRL grand final.
The Storm will face the Brisbane Broncos for a spot while the Cowboys must overcome the Sydney Roosters in this weekend's qualifying finals.
The Storm have been the most dominant team this season, while the Cowboys, who only made the finals due to results going their way, are starting to play great football - having beaten the Cronulla Sharks and Parramatta Eels in the finals this year.
Melbourne have played the Broncos twice this year, winning both games while the Roosters got the better of their only encounter of the 2017 regular season.
Despite that, Freeman is backing the Cowboys to make their second grand final in three years.
"You have to remember their two best players are out of the side. One of the best players in the world in JT (Johnathan Thurston) and Matt Scott are missing," Freeman told RadioLIVE.
"I'm going with the Storm, I haven't been off them all year and I'm going for the Cowboys in a upset.
"They know how to win these tough games and the Roosters will have to play their absolute best to beat the Cowboys."
Without Origin duo Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott, many expected the 2015 champions to struggle, but the likes of Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo have increased their own workload, playing starring roles for the Cowboys.
The way his teammates have rallied in the playoffs has impressed Thurston, who is backing them to defy the odds in Sydney.
"I thought last week was the best win that we've had as a club in a while given the adversity that we'd faced," Thurston told NRL.com
"The grand final is obviously the pinnacle for the club, but honestly, these boys just keep turning up for each other. It's little moments where they're doing big things that just amazes me.
"I see it firsthand at training during the week so none of this surprises me. It's good because we're in our own little bubble up there so we just bunker down and get on with what we have to do.
"That's been evident throughout the year, now we're one win away from the grand final.
"We've got a tough game against the Roosters and they'll be tough to beat because they've got strike across the park and players who know how to win big games.
"They'll be confident – and so they should – but there's no reason why we can't get the job done again."
If the Cowboys are to make the final week of the season, Freeman is in no-doubt will join them on October 1.
"Melbourne are like clock-work. Nothing seems to phase them," said the former Kiwis captain.
"The only I could say that might go against the Storm is if Brisbane play that fast moving defence and get in the face of the opposition.
"But the Storm are the best at getting numbers into the tackle, slowing the play down and these two games, the referee will stand back and watch them play which will suit the Storm."
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