NICK Cotric can join a Raiders legend if he scores a try against the Cowboys, in a record that stretches back to 1996.

The Tigers can join a small and ignominious group if they don’t beat the Dragons.

And it’s pretty clear which one of the Roosters’ danger men the Titans have to pay special attention to.

Check out the telling stats ahead of round 18.

Round 20

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Panthers v Sharks

Friday, 6pm at Panthers Stadium

The Sharks have won four of the past five matches at Panthers Stadium.

In each of those four losses, the mountain men have failed to score more than 14 points.

And in three of those four wins, the Sharks have won by a margin of at least 16 points.

Knights v Eels

Friday, 7.55pm at McDonald Jones Stadium

The Knights have an imposing record against the Eels, having won nine of the last 11.

In each of those wins they’ve held the Eels to 12 points or less.

And yet Brad Arthur’s men have won the last two games they’ve played in Newcastle, and can win three straight in the Hunter for the first time in their history.

Bulldogs v Rabbitohs

Saturday, 3pm at ANZ Stadium

The second half could go a long way in determining the result of this match with the Bulldogs scoring the fewest second half points (122 — 7.6 per game) compared to Souths scoring the third most in the half with almost double the amount (201 — 12.6 per game).

And if Souths do shoot clear in the second stanza they’ll win nine wins in a row for the first time since they won 12 straight in 1989.

Sea Eagles v Storm

Saturday, 5.30pm at Lottoland

After losing five of the first six at Brookvale, Melbourne have since won six of the past 10.

That includes the past two, and if they get up again they’ll string together three straight at Lottoland for the first time.

Cam Smith and co have certainly taken a liking to the suburban ground of late, chalking up at least 30 points in the last two hit-outs.

Raiders v Cowboys

Saturday, 7.35pm at GIO Stadium

Nick Cotric has scored a try in his last eight straight games.

If he can cross against the Cowboys he’ll become just the second Raider ever after Noa Nadruku in 1996 to score in nine consecutive matches.

Akuila Uate was the last player to achieve the feat. He did so playing for the Knights in 2002.

It just so happens that the Cowboys were the last team to stop the powerhouse back from scoring, and he also failed to bag a four-pointer the one time he played at fullback (which he’ll do on Saturday).

Broncos v Warriors

Sunday, 2pm at Suncorp Stadium

Ominously for the Warriors, Stephen Kearney has beaten a Wayne Bennett coached team just once in six tries.

And that win came last year in an Origin affected round, where the Broncos were missing Darius Boyd, Anthony Milford, Josh McGuire, Corey Oates and Sam Thaiday.

The Broncos have also won the last two, and eight of the last 11 against the Warriors at Suncorp.

Dragons v Tigers

Sunday, 4.10pm at Jubilee Oval

Of the 38 teams to start the season with at least five wins from their opening six matches in the NRL era, only seven teams have not made it to the finals.

Wests look like becoming the eighth, as they sit three games behind the Warriors in 10th place.

The most recent team to do this was their opponents — the Dragons — who only won six of the last 17 games to finish in ninth place.

They’ve got their work cut out the Tigers too, as they’ve lost the past four against the Dragons at Kogarah.

Titans v Roosters

Sunday, 6.30pm at Cbus Super Stadium

The Titans will need to shut down Latrell Mitchell.

The NSW Blues centre has scored six tries in his four matches against the Titans, his highest tally against any team and his equal best strike rate.

On the opposing side, Anthony Don has scored six tries in seven matches against the Chooks, and at least one meat pie in each of their last three clashes.