NRL FINALS FIRST WEEKEND MATCH-UPS1st Elimination Final5-Brisbane Broncos v 8-Gold Coast Titans - Friday September 9, 7:50pm AEST (6:10pm local) at Suncorp StadiumMeetings in 2016 - Brisbane Broncos won only gameR5: Brisbane Broncos 24 def Gold Coast Titans 16 at Cbus Super StadiumBrisbane Broncos:Season record 15-9 - Last 5 WWWWW - Against top 8 sides: Won 5, Lost 6One of the form teams of the competition, the Broncos have bounced back from their State of Origin hangover with a vengeance.Theyve won their past five games and in two of their past three have humbled fellow finalists the Bulldogs and Storm.In a major boost not only have the team hit form but so have playmakers Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford and the latter is vital.Gold Coast Titans: 11-1-12 - Last 5 LLWWL - Against top 8 sides: Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 8The Titans have squeaked into the finals with back-to-back losses and havent beaten a fellow top-eight side since Penrith in round 11, theyre also still waiting for Jarryd Hayne to do something amazing. They might just be waiting until the 2017 season for that.1st Qualifying Final2-Canberra Raiders v 3-Cronulla Sharks - Saturday September 9, 5.30pm AEST at GIO StadiumMeetings in 2016 - Cronulla won one game, Canberra won one gameR7: Cronulla 40 def Canberra 16 at GIO StadiumR22: Canberra 30 def Cronulla 14 at Remondis StadiumCanberra - 17-1-6 - Last 5 WWWWW - Against top 8 sides: Won 7, Lost 4Canberra are red hot.The Raiders are the in-form team of the NRL and as we enter the finals series theyve won their past 10.Scalps in that run include Gold Coast, North Queensland, Cronulla and Melbourne.In the same 10 matches theyve not once failed to score more than 22 points.Cronulla - 17-1-6 - Last 5 LWLLL - Against top 8 sides: Won 8, Drawn 1, Lost 3If Canberra are peaking at the right time the Sharks might have peaked too soon.The pressure of chasing a maiden premiership could be getting to the boys in the black, white and blue, who have coughed up losses to also-rans Souths and St George in the past month.2nd Qualifying Final1-Melbourne Storm v 4-North Queensland Cowboys, Saturday September 10, AAMI Park, 8pmMeetings in 2016 - The Storm have won bothR21: Storm 16 def Cowboys 8 at 1300 Smiles StadiumR10: Storm 15 def Cowboys 14 at Suncorp StadiumMelbourne - 19-5 - Last 5 WLWLW - Against top 8 sides: Won 7, Lost 4Craig Bellamys men carry mixed form into the finals. The last time they put together back-to-back wins was round 22. While they downed minor premiership rivals Cronulla 26-6 on Saturday theyve also been well beaten by fellow contenders the Broncos (26-16) and the Raiders (22-8) in the past month.North Queensland - 15-9 - WWWLL - Against top 8 sides: Won 6, Lost 5The Cowboys are warming to their title defence. Three wins in three weeks over the Warriors (34-6), the Bulldogs (24-16) and the Titans (32-16) gives them some strong momentum even if they havent really been tested by anyone in form.2nd Elimination Final6-Penrith Panthers v 7-Canterbury Bulldogs, Sunday September 11, Allianz Stadium, 4pmMeetings in 2016 - The Bulldogs won their only encounterR2: Bulldogs 18 def Panthers 16 Pepper StadiumPenrith - 14-10 - Last 5 WWWWW - Against top 8 sides: Won 4, Lost 7The Panthers are on the prowl. While the Raiders have taken the NRL by storm the Panthers have quietly gone about their business, marching to the finals on the back of a five-match winning streak. They put an exclamation mark on that by humiliating Manly 36-6 in round 26 but the only top eight side theyve faced since mid July are the Titans and they got away with a 15-14 win there.Canterbury - 14-10 - Last 5 LLLWW - Against top 8 sides: Won 4, Lost 6The Dogs are struggling. Theyve been rolled by Souths (28-10), the Cowboys (24-16) and the Broncos (20-10) over the past three weeks and havent beat a top eight side since mid June. Swell Pullo Suomi . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Swell Juomapullo Hinta .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. http://www.swellbottlesuomi.com/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Swell Pullo Hinta . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Swell Juomapullo . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. TEMPE, Ariz. -- Carson Palmer was going through the NFLs concussion protocol on Monday and Arizona coach Bruce Arians said he wasnt ruling out the quarterback for Thursday nights game at San Francisco.The loss of Palmer would be another blow to an Arizona team that has stumbled to a 1/3 start after opening the season with the highest of expectations.Palmers head slammed to the turf on a sack by Aaron Donald late in the Cardinals 17-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.He got better last night and improved, Arians said. I talked to him last night, and his wife. Like I said, its all up to the doctors.Asked if he was encouraged, Arians said, Yeah. From what I thought yesterday, I thought there was no chance.Palmer was doing some physical activity as part of the protocol on Monday and would not have to practice in order to play against the 49ers, Arians said.He doesnt practice on Wednesdays anyway, the coach said. Its not like theyre doing something he hasnt seen before. Hed be more than ready to go.Arians said a decision on whether Palmer will play probably wont be made until probably about the time we get on the plane Wednesday.If Palmer cant go, the job falls to Drew Stanton, who re-signed this offseason to return as the Cardinals backup.Before Sunday, Stanton hadnt had significant playing time since Palmer went down with a torn ACL in the 2014 season. Stanton went 5-3 as a starter then. In nine games played, he threw for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions before he too was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury.The Cardinals still had a chance when Stanton took over for Palmer on Sunday, but he threw an interception with 1:34 to play. Stanton got Arizona to the Rams 37 in the final seconds, but his desperation pass was intercepted as the game ended.Stanton has been with Arians since the coachs days at Indianapolis and the two came to Arizona together. I think that is why Im here, to fulfill these kinds of opportunities if it presents itself, Stanton said. That all remains to be seen, and again, last game is behind now and unfortunately I didnt do what I was hoping to do annd really what I thought I was going to do.dddddddddddd. Now its time to move on and prepare for San Francisco and try to win a division game.Arians said the game plan would not change with Stanton.Not one bit, Arians said. Theyre so similar and we dont have to change anything when hes in there.The Cardinals are trying to figure out just whats gone so wrong. Some of the problems are turnovers. Some is communication, especially in the revamped secondary.Were just not playing our best football, Tyrann Mathieu said. Defensively, were not creating enough turnovers. Critical situations in the game we cant get off the field on third downs. I think thats what it really comes down to. Plays we made in the past, were just not making those plays right now.Mathieu is embracing the situation, though.Backs against the wall, were 1-3, he said. Everybody that believed in us, they dont believe in us no more so its just us now. We prefer that.Mathieu, playing only free safety and kept out of his usual do-everything role while he recovers from knee surgery, said Monday that its time to get back to his old job, where he often plays in the box and is a disruptive force all over the field.Were 1/3 man, he said. Its not really time for me to sit back and play it slow. I feel great. I look forward to wherever coach puts me at. But if I have anything to say about it, Ill be back in my normal spot. ... Im ready to cut it loose.Arians has said he was waiting for Mathieu to come to him to tell him he was ready to resume that Honey Badger role. Has Mathieu done that?Thats what I just did, he said with a big smile.Game notes Running back Chris Johnson is out with a groin injury so Andre Ellington will move to the backup spot behind David Johnson. ... Safety Tyvon Branch (groin), tight end Darren Fells (shoulder), defensive tackle Ed Stinson (toe) and defensive lineman Josh Mauro (chest) also did not participate in Mondays practice.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '