NRL Round 4 Previews and Betting Tips

 

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs Fri 25 Mar, 4:00PM, ANZ Stadium

The South Sydney Rabbitohs will play the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs this Friday evening as both clubs come off losses against the Dragons and Eels respectively. In an NRL round full of surprises, Souths captain Greg Inglis’ embarrassing blunder made headlines after the veteran fullback attempted a field goal despite a two-point deficit in the final stages against the Dragons.

The Rabbitohs will be without Sam Burgess for the clash after the super-league product sustained a neck injury while Paul Carter is also in doubt with a judiciary hearing pending. Jack Gosiewski and Michael Oldfield come onto the bench as cover.

For the Bulldogs, Greg Eastwood will return at lock, pushing Lloyd Perrett to an extended bench in the only change for the Canterbury club.

Both teams are coming off a loss last round after impressive starts to the season. The Rabbitohs faced their first real test of 2016 in the Dragons last week after blowing the Roosters and Knights out of the water in the opening rounds. Without Sam Burgess and Paul Carter, expect the Bulldogs to get up over Souths.

Betting Tip: Total Points Over 37.5 @ $1.91 (Bet365)

 

Broncos v Cowboys Fri 25 Mar, 8:05PM, Suncorp Stadium

The North Queensland Cowboys will travel to Suncorp Stadium this Friday night to take on the Brisbane Broncos in a rematch of the 2015 NRL Grand Final. It will shape as an interesting insight into the form of both teams as they come into round four with a 2-1 record.

The Cowboys will again name the same squad that took the field on the Grand Final last year, while the Broncos will replace the injured Jack Reed with Lachlan Maranta on the wing as Jordan Kahu Shifts to centre.

The Cowboys come into the match off the back of their 40-point drubbing of the Roosters, in contrast to the Broncos, who were poor in their loss to the Panthers last week. Under Wayne Bennett, the Broncos have always learned from their losses, so expect them to bring a hard edge to the match after losing their first match of 2016 last year in addition to the pain of a lost Grand Final. The Broncos should come away with the win.

Betting Tip: Broncos Head to Head @ $1.65 (Ladbrokes)

 

Raiders v Titans Sat 26 Mar, 5:30PM, GIO Stadium

The Canberra Raiders will take on the Gold Coast Titans this Saturday night in the Australian Capital after the Raiders produced the first draw in the NRL since 2013 against the Knights last week. Conversely, the Titans got their 2016 campaign started with their first win of the season against the Tigers in an impressive showing last round.
Both clubs have named unchanged squads from last week coming into the match.
The Raiders have produced a one point win against the Roosters and a draw against the Knights since losing their preferred halves in round one, but despite the loss journeyman Sam Williams and super league product Josh Hodgson look to be providing their young outfit with the direction and kicking-game to execute their game plan.
The Raiders will come up against another inexperienced halves combination in Tyrone Roberts and Ashley Taylor for the Titans, but the Raiders imposing forward rotation will make the difference and the Canberra club should come away with the win.

Betting Tip: Raiders -5.5 @ $1.93 (Bet365)

 

Roosters v Sea Eagles Sat 26 Mar, 7:30PM, Allianz Stadium

The Sydney Roosters will take on the Manly Sea Eagles this Saturday evening as the latter managed their first win of the season over the Sharks last week in an encouraging performance for Manly faithful. In contrast, the Roosters are still looking for their first win of the season after a 40-0 drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys last week.
Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett has named an unchanged squad for the game, although Martin Tapau will miss the clash due to suspension with Jamie Buhrer coming on to an extended bench as cover.
The Roosters will welcome Brendan Elliot in the centres for the injured Dale Copley, while Eloni Vunakece comes onto the bench for the injured Ian Henderson.
In the off-season, there was an enormous change in playing and coaching staff at Manly that was bound to give the club a period of instability. But with their win against the highly rated Sharks last week, coach Trent Barrett will be hoping his squad have finally settled and will start playing to their potential. The Roosters will continue to struggle without their leadership group, so expect the Manly club to come away with the win.

Betting Tips:

Total Match Points Under 40.0 (Luxbet)

Manly 1-12 @ $3.12 (Pinnacle)

 

Dragons v Panthers Sun 27 Mar, 4:00PM, WIN Stadium

The St George Illawarra Dragons will play the Penrith Panthers this Sunday evening after both clubs produced impressive upsets last round. The Dragons found a win over a dominant Rabbitohs side last week, while the Panthers seemingly unearthed the next big talent with Te Maire Martin making an impressive debut.
The Dragons will name an unchanged outfit for the clash, while the Panthers will welcome back Trent Merrin and Waqa Blake at lock and centre respectively.
The Panthers impressed against the Broncos last week with an energetic second half display that beat out the Broncos’ usual strong performance in that period. Anthony Griffin has been tinkering with his lineup for some time in the absence of his preferred hooker and fullback in James Segeyaro and Matt Moylan, but seems to have found a working combination with Te Maire Martin in the halves and Peter Wallace at Hooker.
Despite the Panthers’ performance last week, they will come up against a Dragons outfit who will be hungry for victory after losing their opening two rounds against tough opposition. Expect the Dragons’ emphasis on defence to give them an edge to come away with the win.

Betting Tip: Dragons H2H @ $1.83 (Crownbet)

 

Warriors v Knights Mon 28 Mar, 2:00PM, Mt Smart Stadium

The New Zealand Warriors will take on the Newcastle Knights this Monday afternoon in Auckland as both clubs are so far win-less in 2016. The Knights’ draw against the Raiders last week notwithstanding, both teams will be desperate to get their season started and the Knights face a difficult assignment against the Warriors at their home ground.
The Warriors will welcome back Konrad Hurrell and Sam Lisone to the bench in place of James Gavet and Nathaniel Roache, while the Knights named an unchanged squad for the game, although centre Sione Mata’utia has been banned for one match by the judiciary. The Knights have yet to announce their replacement.
While the Warriors have clearly been under-performing through the start of the year, expect them to produce the goods against a Knights side struggling to for form. While their performance last week would have been good signs for coach Nathan Brown, the Warriors should capitalize on their home-ground advantage to come away with the points.

Betting Tip: Warriors 13+ @ $2.02 (Pinnacle)

 

Tigers v Eels Mon 28 Mar, 4:00PM, ANZ Stadium

The Wests Tigers will play the Parrmatta Eels this Monday evening after the Parramatta club produced an impressive win over the Bulldogs last round. The Eels continue to develop under coach Brad Arthur and with wins against the Bulldogs and Cowboys the Eels look to be in their best position in years.
The Tigers did not find success last week, but their success this season nevertheless mirrors the Eels as Dene Halatau returns in the back row for the suspended Chris Lawrence with Robbie Farah making his return at hooker.
For the Eels, Manu Ma’u will return to the back row pushing Kenny Edwards to the bench with David Gower named as 18th man.
Despite the return of Robbie Farah, expect the Eels to continue their winning streak after a dominant win over the Bulldogs last round. The Tigers won’t make it easy for Parramatta, but the join-venture club still has a long way to come. Eels to come away with the points.
EELS def TIGERS 20-10

Betting Tip: Total Match Points Under 42.0 @ $1.88 (William Hill)

 

Sharks v Storm Mon 28 Mar, 7:00PM, Shark Park

The Cronulla Sharks will play the Melbourne Storm at their home ground in Sydney this Monday night after the Shire club went down in their first loss of the season to Manly last week. Despite the loss, the result should keep the highly rated Sharks outfit grounded as they come into a difficult match against the Storm. The Melbourne club have produced yet another strong start to the season with a perfect record of three wins.
The Sharks have named an unchanged side for the match, while the Storm will play Tohu Harris in the centres with Kenny Bromwich in the back row.
While the Sharks continue to build this year as the combination in their team develop, they come up against a ruthless Storm outfit seemingly unaffected by the absence of Billy Slater. After the Storm won against the Warriors at their home ground last week in a gritty performance, expect Craig Bellamy’s troops to come away with the win yet again.
STORM def SHARKS 14-10

Betting Tip: Storm Head to Head @ $2.24 (Pinnacle)

 

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Best Bet

Manly 1-12 @ $3.12 (Pinnacle)

Warriors 13+ @ $2.02 (Pinnacle)

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