The final Sunday game of the minor round (which next week is Penrith vs Manly) is actually the game that would have been played on the Monday night, but since they don't want a Monday game the week before the finals they move it to the Sunday but play it in the evening so it is still the final game of the regular season.
However, there is not really much of a coincidence that Brisbane get a Thursday night before the finals (Melbourne also get it too) while the Dogs and Cowboys get the Friday night. Nein want their higher rating teams to go into the finals as fresh as possible. They did it the past two or three years by having Souffs vs Chooks on the Thursday before the finals. Its so blatantly obvious, but nothing will change (and I doubt it will change much even after the NRL get control of the draw from Nein in 2018).
As for Don Furner's comments.....he's right on the money IMO.