The two finals games over the weekend were two of the most exciting games we've seen in a long time.

The Warrior's second half performance was outstanding, and to keep the Roosters scoreless in the second half shows just how far the Warriors defense has come. Although to be fair, in recent weeks it seems anyone can keep the Roosters scoreless in the second forty.

The Storm were lucky to come away with the win on Saturday night. Inglis's last minute try was a heart breaker for Bronco's supporters, and you could tell how much it hurt them when you saw Lockyer's reaction.

It was a really tough week for the Broncos, with the sexual assault allegation against Hunt, Boyd and Thaiday, and then reports that Lockyer tackled a bar manager.

The loss sees the end of the Wayne Bennett era for the club, and although it wasn't the ideal send-off, you can't argue with the culture Bennett has established at Brisbane.

Here's a review of the Broncos and Roosters 2008 season:

Roosters (6th): When you think back to 2007, and the horror year that the Roosters went through then, you'd have to say that 2008 was a success. They got off to a great start, and began to look like the Roosters of a few years ago. Towards the end of the season, though, they started to get quite shaky, and their game started to suffer. To finish in the top eight is a huge improvement, and the way Brad Fittler is molding the club - well, let's just say that the future is looking a lot brighter than it was this time last year.

The only concern for the Roosters heading into 2009 is that they haven't made any decent signings - and when you consider the players they're losing, that may be a problem.

2009 Gains: Zero
2009 Losses: Anthony Tupou (Sharks), Davis Shillington (Raiders), Micky Paea (Dragons), Anthong Minichello (possibly leaving to play rugby in France, but it's not 100% at this stage)

Broncos (5th): Another solid year for the Broncos, but they'll be extremly disappointed to have lost to the Storm in the dying minutes. It's the end of an era at Brisbane, and it's hard to see them dominating the NRL in the years to come. Just look at who they're losing - Bennett (coach), Carroll, Ennis, Hannant, Boyd, Kemp and Eastwood. The club will essentially have to be re-built, and that won't be an easy task.

In saying that, any club with Lockyer and Hunt will be tough to beat - but without Bennett at the helm, we won't see them at their best in 2009. It's certainly going to be interesting to see how they adapt to life without Wayne.

2009 Gains: Israel Falou (Storm), Ben Te'o (Tigers), Aaron Gorrell (Les Catalans), Lagi Setu (Dragons)
2009 Losses: Michael Ennis (Bulldogs), Ben Hannant (Bulldogs), Darius Boyd (Dragons), Toni Carroll (retiring), Denan Kemp (Warriors), Joel Moon (Warriors), Shane Perry (Les Catalans), Greg Eastwood (Leeds)

Only four teams remain for 2008 - next week, we'll review the two who don't make it to the Grand Final.

Have a prediction? Head to our forum, and let us know.

It's Round Two of the NRL playoffs this weekend, and it's do or die for all four teams.

On Friday night the Roosters will take on the Warriors at Mt. Smart, and this game has the makings of being a classic.

Clashes between these two teams are always something special - you only have to go back to last year's epic 31-all draw to see that there's not much between these two sides. Well - over the past few years, anyway.

After beating the Storm on Sunday, the Warriors will be heading into this game as favourites - but beware the side that takes the Roosters lightly. The Warriors cannot afford to ease up, or the Roosters will run away with the game.

The Warriors will have to shut down Mitchell Pierce, Braith Anasta, and the Roosters most lethal attacker, Anthony Tupou, if they want to win. If they can shut these three players down, they'll be well on their way.

Their defence has been improving steadily all year, and their efforts against the Storm have shown us that they can hold off the best attacking sides in the NRL.

The Roosters will have to stay composed if they want to beat the Warriors. They were in control of the Broncos last Friday, but let them back into the game in the second half - ultimately costing them a home game this week.

They need to get Tupou into the game early, and give him the ball so he can weave his magic. His ability to break the line could make the difference between the two sides, as could the kicking games of Pierce and Anasta. Last time these two teams met, we saw how important it is for the Warriors to put pressure on the two kickers.

We definitely think the Warriors can win this, and not just because we're Warriors fans. The Roosters form has been a little shaky lately, and their second half performance against the Broncos proves they still aren't playing anywhere near their best.

The Warriors home record towards the back end of the season has been impressive, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if they got a bit of rain on Friday night. It's odd, given their favoured style of play, but for some reason the Warriors play their best footy in wet conditions.

If Friday's clash is going to be exciting, then the game between the Broncos and the Storm is going to be off the charts. It's a rematch of the 2006 Grand Final, and we think the Broncos can once again upset the Storm. Or at least, we'd like them to.

The Storm will be hurting after their shock loss to the Warriors, and things won't be any easier when they face a red hot Broncos team, who will be looking to move on from their recent off-field dramas.

The Storm will need to play their natural game, and forget about what happened against the Warriors. If they try to play a different game to what they usually play, they're going to find themselves in a lot of trouble against this Broncos team.

The Broncos are playing with a lot of passion, which is being fuelled by the desire to send Wayne Bennett off on a high. The Broncos always play their best when someone influential is moving on - think, the 2006 Final, when they sent Shane Webke out on a high.

If we were the Broncos, we'd be looking at what the Warriors did to beat the Storm. Namely, getting right in their face, and trying to disrupt their flow. If they can do that, then they can come away with the win - and send the Storm packing.

Both games could easily be Grand Final matches, and we expect nothing short of that when they kickoff.

One thing's for sure - you don't want to miss this weekend's footie action.

The Warriors have kept their season hopes alive, with another hard fought win on Saturday night.

The Broncos came to town looking to move into the top four, but found a Warriors side desperate to keep their good form going - and in the end, the Warriors managed to scrape through with a 16-12 win.

The Broncos arrived in Auckland without Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday, Toni Carroll and David Stagg, but with the likes of Darren Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt and Peter Wallace on the field, they'll be disappointed not to come away with the win.

The Warriors, on the other hand, welcomed backed Wade McKinnon - who managed to play eighty minutes, and score a try on his long awaited return. Wade ran for over 150m in an impressive performance, and will only get better over the next few weeks.

Michael Witt also had an impressive return to first grade, and although his usually reliable goal kicking was off target, he tackled well and gave the Warriors good field position with his general kicking.

Ben Matulino and Witt scored the other two trys for the Warriors, while Ben Hannant and Denan Kemp scored for the Broncos.

It was great to get a look at Kemp, and to see what he'll bring to the Warriors next year. He's an exciting young player with a gift for hunting out the try line, and he certainly has the potential to make a great Warrior in the years to come.

The Warriors have to face the Sharks next week, which will be even tougher. The Sharks are sitting in the top four, and are a real chance of winning the Premiership this year.

It's do or die for the Warriors, but if they can continue their form from Auckland, there's no reason they can't beat the Sharks.

With the Warriors already picking up wins against the Storm and Broncos over the last few weeks, they have another chance to pick up top scalp.

We can't wait.