NRL Round 10 Previews and Tips
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Bulldogs v RoostersFri 15 May, 7:35pm, ANZ Stadium Bulldogs: TBA |
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The Canterbury Bulldogs will take on the Sydney Roosters this Friday night in a match that will see the return of James Graham, Josh Reynolds and Greg Eastwood from suspension and injury in the strongest squad ‘Dogs coach Des Hasler has named for a number of weeks.
The men in blue and white will be eager to get a win after successive defeats against the Tigers and Cowboys, while the Chooks will look to continue their return to form, naming an unchanged squad after they snapped a four game losing streak against the Tigers last week.
Origin coach Laurie Daley will be watching this match closely as his two previous Origin halves pairings in Mitchell Pearce/James Maloney and Trent Hodkinson/Josh Reynolds – the four primary candidates for the Blues’ halves combination this year – go head to head to establish themselves atop the representative pecking order.
PREDICTION:
At their best, both these teams are premiership heavyweights, and expect both to come out firing as a number of Origin hopefuls look to impress selectors. Despite the return of a number of key players, expect a classy Roosters squad to outgun the Bulldogs.
Ben’s Tips: Total Match Points over 37.5 @ $1.90 (Sportsbet)
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Cowboys v BroncosFri 15 May, 7:35pm, 1300Smiles Stadium Cowboys: TBA |
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The second Queensland derby between the North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos will be held in Townsville on Friday night as the regional club look to get one back on their big brother after their 44-22 defeat at the hands of the Broncos in round three.
Since that game, the Cowboys have strung together six consecutive wins to sit fourth on the NRL premiership ladder, whilst the Broncos only loss came narrowly against the Dragons in round seven.
For the Broncos, Origin hopeful Josh McGuire is replaced by Sam Thaiday at Prop due to suspension and Francis Molo replaces Joe Ofahengaue on the bench, while the Cowboys have named Ray Thompson and Sam Hoare on the bench in place of Rory Kostjasyn and Kelepi Tanginoa.
PREDICTION:
With both clubs flying high in the top four, Origin hopefuls from both squads will be eager to impress Queensland selectors for the upcoming State of Origin series. Despite their position at outright 1st on the competition ladder, expect the Cowboys Origin hopefuls to exact revenge against Brisbane for their previous round three thrashing.
Ben’s Tips: Cowboys -3.0 @ $1.94 (Pinnacle Sports)
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Eels v WarriorsSat 16 May, 3:00pm, Pirtek Stadium Eels: TBA |
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The Parramatta Eels will play the New Zealand Warriors at home this Saturday afternoon in a match between two sides struggling for consistency. After consecutive losses against the Broncos and Storm over the last two rounds, Eels coach Brad Arthur will be hoping that the omission of Chris Sandow, Joseph Paulo and David Gower for Luke Kelly, Tepai Moeroa and Pauli Pauli inspires an 80 minute performance from his squad.
Similarly struggling to play out 80 minutes, the Warriors will be on alert after a miraculous performance from Shaun Johnson was the only thing that snapped a two game losing streak. Despite their recent patchy form, Konrad Hurrel’s suspension is the only change for Andrew McFadden’s squad, with Sione Lousi coming onto the bench.
PREDICTION:
With three big changes to the Eels squad, expect even more players to be cut from the top squad if they don’t start finding form. The Warriors are still looking as inconsistent as ever, but expect a more potent Warriors outfit to out-enthuse a struggling Parramatta side.
Ben’s Tips: Warriors Head to Head @ $1.82 (William Hill)
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Storm v RabbitohsSat 16 May, 7:30pm, AAMI Park Storm: TBA |
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Reigning premiers the South Sydney Rabbitohs will play the 2nd placed Melbourne Storm this Saturday night in a match that is sure to be an audition for the eight Origin hopefuls taking the field.
The Rabbitohs returned to form in style last week with a gritty win over the Dragons, though they will be missing star Halfback Adam Reynolds with a broken thumb. Having failed to win a game without the nuggety half in 2015, the return of former club captain John Sutton to the halves should be a stabilising influence on the Rabbitohs as they look to get their stuttering premiership defence back on track.
Conversely, the Storm continue to establish themselves as one of the form teams of the competition, naming an unchanged squad after their big win over the Eels last week saw them move to 2nd on the NRL premiership ladder.
PREDICTION:
While the Rabbitohs were strong in their performance against the Dragons last week, they will miss the composure Adam Reynolds brings to their squad. Expect the Storm to be at their clinical best with another win as their Origin quartet gets geared up for the representative period.
Ben’s Tips: Storm -6.0 @ $1.95 (Pinnacle)
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Titans v SharksSat 16 May, 5:30pm, Cbus Super Stadium Titans: TBA |
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The Gold Coast Titans will play the Cronulla Sharks this Saturday evening as the Queensland club once again looks to be struggling on and off the field after their big loss to the Raiders last week was made worse by club captain Nate Myles announcing his signing with the Manly Sea Eagles for the 2016 NRL season.
Similar to the Titans, the Sharks were brought back down to Earth last week after their form resurgence was interrupted by a heartbreaking loss against the Warriors at the death. The Titans have named an unchanged squad from last week, while the Sharks will welcome back David Fifita, Michael Gordon and Blake Ayshford into their squad.
PREDICTION:
As both clubs struggle with turbulent seasons so far this year, it will be each club’s respective coach and their ability to motivate their players in adversity that will make the difference. Despite their narrow loss last week, the Sharks look the more likely as the Titans have once again become embroiled in player transfer controversy. Expect their minds to be elsewhere and the Sharks to come out on top.
Ben’s Tips: Sharks +3.0 @ $1.94 (Pinnacle)
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Dragons v RaidersSun 17 May, 2:00pm, WIN Stadium Dragons: TBA |
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Perhaps viewed as a clash of the cellar dwellers in the NRL pre-season, Sunday’s match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Canberra Raiders is a battle for a top four berth. The Dragons were brought down to Earth last week as their six-match winning streak was snapped by the Rabbitohs while the Raiders are flying high after defying expectations to now sit on the cusp of a top four spot after their massive win over the Titans last week.
The Dragons have named an unchanged squad from their loss last week, while the injury to courageous Raiders’ Halfback Sam Williams – after which he played 60 minutes with a collapsed lung – will see rookie half Mitch Cornish return to the team.
PREDICTION:
While the Dragons still hold the best defensive record in the competition, the Raiders are now placed 3rd for overall points scored. Despite their big win over the Gold Coast last week, the Dragons’ defensive steel should see them get over the line against an exciting Raiders outfit.
Ben’s Tips: Dragons Head to Head @ $1.53 (Ladbrokes)
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Knights v TigersSun 17 May, 4:00pm, Hunter Stadium Knights: TBA |
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The Newcastle Knights will take on the Wests Tigers this Sunday evening as both clubs struggle for consistency. The Knights have now lost five in a row after their phenomenal start to the season in a heartbreaking turnaround for the club, while the Tigers look to get the best out of a talented but inexperienced roster.
In an effort to inspire his squad to a win, Knights coach Rick Stone has named regular Centre Dane Gagai at fullback, with Sione Mata’utia moving to the Centres and Kurt Gidley moving to the halves for the injured Jarod Mullen. The Tigers have named an unchanged squad after the big loss to the Roosters last week.
PREDICTION:
With both clubs coming off big losses, expect the experienced Knights to be desperate for a win against a young Tigers side. Rick Stone will be banking on the experience of Kurt Gidley in the halves to guide his team to victory, while the Tigers will be looking to restore lost pride after being shut out by the Roosters last week. Expect the Knights to come out on top.
Ben’s Tips: Knights H2H @ $1.75 (Ladbrokes)
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Sea Eagles v PanthersMon 18 May, 7:00pm, Brookvale Oval Sea Eagles: TBA |
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In Monday’s clash between the Manly Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers, two desperate and injury ravaged sides will be looking to get their seasons back on track. With a number of stars having returned over the past few weeks, Steve Matai will join Manly’s 17 as the club looks to start building momentum after two consecutive wins.
The Panthers have failed to post consecutive wins since the opening two rounds of the season, but the addition of Hooker James Segeyaro will add even more star power to the Penrith club after the return of half Jamie Soward dramatically improved their performance last week.
PREDICTION:
With both clubs coming off fantastic performances in the last round, neither looks the obvious winner. Despite losing against the Broncos last week at the death, the Panthers will now field three quarters of their first choice spine. Expect a powerful Penrith forward pack to dominate Manly through the middle, and their rejuvenated spine to secure them the win.
Ben’s Tips: Panthers Head to Head @ $2.10 (William Hill)