NRL Round 14 Previews and Betting Tips

 

Broncos v Raiders Thu 9 Jun, 7:50PM, Suncorp Stadium

The Brisbane Broncos will play the Canberra Raiders this Thursday night in the Queensland capital after the Brisbane side were well below their best in their loss to the Warriors last week. While State of Origin fatigue may be a factor, the Broncos have slipped to fourth on the NRL competition ladder, and their patchy form in recent times will certainly work in the Raiders’ favour.
Origin stars Matt Gillett and Corey Oates will return for the Broncos as will Travis Waddell at hooker. It is also reported that centre Jack Reed has been ruled out with a shoulder injury with Jordan Kahu set to shift to centre and Greg Eden coming on to the wing.
For the Raiders, Zac Santo and Paul Vaughan will come in for the suspended Jack Wighton and Shannon Boyd at fullback and prop respectively.
While the Broncos will come into the match on the back of three consecutive losses, the Raiders will be looking for their fourth win in a row, with the Canberra club now sitting at 6th on the ladder. Despite their recent run of form, it is difficult to tip against a near full-strength Broncos outfit at home who will undoubtedly be eager for a win to re-establish their dominance. Broncos to get the points.

Betting Tip: Total Match Points Over 42.5 @ $1.92 (Luxbet)

 

Tigers v Rabbitohs Fri 10 Jun, 7:50PM, ANZ Stadium

The Wests Tigers will take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs this Friday night with the joint-venture club unable to back up from their impressive win over the Broncos in round 12 with a poor loss against the Roosters last week.
The Tigers will welcome back Robbie Farah and Tim Grant for the clash at the expense of JJ Felise with Michael Chee-Kam moving to an extended bench, while Souths’ coach Michael Maguire has elected to make no changes.
Michael Maguire’s shake-up of his Rabbitohs squad initially produced encouraging results but a disappointing loss against the Titans last week will send Souths’ coaching staff back to the drawing board. Souths will still be confident against an inconsistent Tigers outfit however and will undoubtedly be eager to return to the winner’s circle after a disappointing loss last week. Rabbitohs to get the points.

Betting Tip: Souths -5.5 @ $1.92 (Ladbrokes)

 

Knights v Warriors Sat 11 Jun, 3:00PM, Hunter Stadium

The New Zealand Warriors will be hosted by the Newcastle Knights this Saturday afternoon in the Hunter Valley with the Kiwi club seemingly turning a new leaf after a dominant win over premiership heavyweights the Broncos last week. They will face a Knights outfit struggling for form as the Newcastle club back up from another poor loss against the Cowboys last round.
The Warriors have elected to make no changes for the game, while the Knights have included Korbin Sims and Jacob Saifiti on an extended bench.
The Warriors displayed the type of football they are capable of last round and if they could consistently replicate their performance against the Broncos last week, the New Zealand club would be amongst the competition favourites. The Kiwis will look to Shaun Johnson to lead their attack on the back of a powerful forward rotation, and the Knights will struggle to match them on both fronts. Expect the momentum of last week’s performance to drive he Warriors to a dominant win.

Betting Tip: Warriors -10.0 @ $1.94 (Crownbet)

 

Eels v Titans Sat 11 Jun, 5:30PM, TIO Stadium

The Parramatta Eels will take on the Gold Coast Titans this Saturday evening after a wonderful performance from the Queensland club resulted in a field-goal victory in extra time against the Rabbitohs last week. After a horror off-season, Titans fans have been buoyed by the signing of Nathan Peats and also the surging form of Ashley Taylor, who is shaping as the favourite for rookie of the year.
While the Titans remain unchanged, the Eels have named Kenny Edwards in the halves to replace the injured Kieran Foran, while Michael Jennings and Rory O’Brien will also come into the side.
Surrounded by controversy on and off the field, the loss of Kieran Foran for the Eels will have a big impact on the club. Expect the Parramatta outfit to struggle against a rejuvenated Titans squad who now find themselves in the top-eight. Titans to get the points.

Betting Tip:Titans -2.5 @ $2.19 (Pinnacle)

 

Roosters v Storm Sat 11 Jun, 7:30PM, Allianz Stadium

The Sydney Roosters will play the Melbourne Storm this Saturday night after their impressive win over the Panthers last week elevated the Victorian club to equal first on the NRL competition ladder. Their opposition in the Roosters have been struggling this season, particularly in the wake of star second-rower Boyd Cordner succumbing to another long-term injury.
The Storm will remain unchanged for the clash, while the Roosters will swap out the injured Isaac Liu for Mitchell Frei on the bench.
The Storm will go into the contest as heavy favourites looking for their seventh consecutive win and will be confident of grinding out a Roosters outfit minus Mitchell Pearce. While the Roosters will have the forward power to run with Melbourne, the quality in the Storm’s spine will prove the difference. Storm to get the points.

Betting Tip: Storm Head to Head @ $1.49 (Pinnacle)

 

Sea Eagles v Panthers Sun 12 Jun, 4:00PM, Brookvale Oval

The Manly Sea Eagles will host the Penrith Panthers at their traditional home of Brookvale Oval this Sunday afternoon with a number of roster changes for both clubs. Both teams will back up from poor losses last week with pressure mounting on both coaches to produce results.
Manly will field a new-look halves combination of Apisai Koroisau and Dylan Walker after injuries to Daly Cherry-Evans and Jamie Lyon. Addin Fonua-Blake, Jorge Taufua and Blake Leary will also come into the side, with Liam Knight at 18th man.
The Panthers have again named Nathan Cleary to play in the halves at the expense of Jamie Soward. Bryce Cartwright will move to five-eighth as Sitalek Akauola and Moses Leota come onto the bench.
With both teams fielding heavily disturbed spines, expect a sloppy contest. The Sea Eagles are facing their fifth consecutive loss, expect the Penrith club to go into the match confident they can produce a win. It is hard to predict the outcome of the match due to the heavily disturbed squads but the Panthers should get the points on the back of recent form and Manly’s gutted back-line.

Betting Tip: Total Match Points Under 40.5 @ $1.91 (Bet365)

 

Dragons v Bulldogs Mon 13 Jun, 4:00PM, ANZ Stadium

The St George Illawarra Dragons will take on the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs this Monday afternoon after the Dogs produced an impressive performance against competition heavyweights the Sharks last week, despite their narrow loss. The Dragons are backing up from a bye, however the joint-venture club will go into the match confident after their round 12 win over the Cowboys.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has elected to make no changes from last week, while Siliva Havili will replace Josh McCrone on the bench for the Dragons.
Winning against a side capable of producing an eight game winning streak is no easy feat, which is something the Bulldogs will be fully aware after their loss against the Sharks last week. Despite the loss, the Bulldogs will go into the match as heavy favourites against a struggling Dragons side and will be keen to avoid what would be their third consecutive loss. Bulldogs to get the points.

Betting Tip: Bulldogs -7.5 @ $1.88 (Pinnacle)

 

Sharks v Cowboys Mon 13 Jun, 7:00PM, Shark Park

The Cronulla Sharks will play the North Queensland Cowboys this Monday night in what shapes as a massive clash that will establish the dominance between two of the best teams in the competition. Both sides will go into the match full strength and with their respective Origin contingents.
The Sharks will remain unchanged from their two-point win over the Bulldogs last week, while the Cowboys will welcome back Michael Morgan in the halves in place of Ray Thompson.
It is difficult to pick a clear winner out of this contest, with the Cowboys grand final winning side coming up against a Sharks outfit looking for their ninth consecutive win. While it will undoubtedly be a tough contest, expect the physicality of the Sharks to rattle the Cowboys and the Cronulla club to get the points.

Betting Tip: Total Match Points Over 37.5 @ $1.90 (Unibet)

 

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Best Bet

Sharks v Cowboys Total Match Points Over 37.5 @ $1.90 (Unibet)

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