The draw for the other teams looking at a top four spot isn't that far away from ours in terms of playing the other contenders.
Roosters have - Storm , Eels , Panthers , Rabbits
Rabbits have - Eels , Panthers, Roosters
Smugfers have - Eels, Storm, Roosters, Rabbits, Eels
Storm have - Roosters, Panthers, Manly, Eels
Manly only have the Storm and us. So the easier of the draws here.
Because there is so many games here between the contenders, winning a couple will make a shit ton of difference to our chances, as would say the Storm and the Panthers continuing on their form to date, because whilst that may mean us losing, it also means the other teams competing for 3rd and 4th also drop games, so it's kinda a zero sum game.
Also it's worth noting the teams below us in Rabbits, Roosters and Manly have had their bye, so there's two points we are guaranteed that they have to play for. Roosters are four points behind us, Manly are six.
Roosters play the Storm next week, I can't see them winning that, Manly play the Dogs, I can't see them losing that, so if we drop the game to Penrith, which is probably on the cards, round seventeen we get the bye, Manly play those Wacky Raiders, and Roosters get the Dogs, probably wins there for both.
That would mean we start Round 18 on 26 points, Roosters would be on 22, and Manly on 22. Meaning they both need minimum two more wins than us over eight rounds, or more likely three more wins given the current points differential to take our spot in the four. That's a big ask for them, or a complete collapse from us.
TLDR version. Our games vs Manly and Roosters are four point games!