THE LONG HARD LOOK WITH MIKE WILSON
NRL ROUND 1 PREVIEW – FRIDAY FIXTURES
Round 1 has finally arrived and it looks to have some great games lined up to kick off the 2011 season. Some very tough betting prospects have been thrown up as a result so we’ll keep the betting pretty conservative early on until the comp begins to produce a bit more form.
STAKING PLAN
Along with each best bet I will provide the amount to bet using a specialised staking plan to optimise betting results. All bets are based on a $2,000 starting bank.
Let’s have a look at the games for the opening round and where the best bets are.
FRIDAY
Brisbane Broncos vs. Nth Qld Cowboys
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
Kickoff 7:30pm (local)
Brisbane fans welcome their biggest asset in Darren Lockyer back to Suncorp after he sat out the end of 2010 with a rib cartilage injury. 2 Rookies make their debuts in Gerard Beale on the wing, and Jack Reed will start in the centres to replace injured Justin Hodges. Sam Thaiday will likely start in the front row which is a move that I think will strengthen the forwards whilst Ben Hannant recovers from injury. The Cowboys will field a star studded line up and they can certainly make a game of this. Their away record in recent years though is a massive factor against them.
Mike’s Best Bet: None
Sydney Roosters vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Sydney Football Stadium
Kickoff 7:30pm (local)
Star five-eighth Todd Carney will watch this game from the sidelines but it is with no real detriment to the Roosters team as Braith Anasta slots straight in to his preferred No.6 position. It will be interesting to see how the Roosters go about their offensive strategy. They tend to favour the left hand side a bit when in the opposition 20. Undoubtedly, Greg Inglis who will most likely be on the opposite side of the park will be struggling for fitness and the tri-colours will want to target him in the final 20 minutes.
Mike’s Best Bet: $45 on the Roosters head-to-head @ $1.84 (Centrebet)
