2015 NRL: Round 3 Preview and Betting Tips
Round three of the NRL season is almost upon us and, so far, it has been a hard season to pick. There are only four sides left in the competition that are undefeated and two of them are sides that aren’t expected to make the finals. This weekend will again be tough with a few big injuries, changes to line-ups and the Titans welcome back players that are still surrounded by the drug scandal. Continue reading for our Round 3 NRL Preview and Predictions.
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Manly Sea Eagles vs Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (Friday 7.35pm AEDT)
The Sea Eagles and Bulldogs both registered their first wins of the season last week and of the two, the Bulldogs looked a much stronger side. The Sea Eagles were very lucky to escape with a victory against a Storm outfit that dropped the ball over the line on three occasions. The on-field referee also made a decision to not go to the video ref. If he did, the Storm would’ve been awarded a try, but instead the Sea Eagles went down the other end and scored on the next set - a 12 point turnaround. The Bulldogs were also lucky that the Eels players were dropping like flies. The score line didn’t fully reflect how close the match was at stages, however they deserved their victory. Manly’s loss in Round One came down to their forward pack being dominated. You can expect that again this week with an even bigger Bulldogs outfit charging and ready to go. Brett Morris has shown his critics that he can play as a fullback and he will be constantly probing behind his forwards looking for an offload that he can capitalise on. This match won’t be as close as the bookmakers are making it.
TIP: Bulldogs 13+ @ $3.90 with Luxbet
Brisbane Broncos vs North Queensland Cowboys (Friday 8.35pm AEDT)
The Broncos weren’t very convincing in their first victory of the season against the Sharks last weekend. They did manage to stop their opponents from scoring a try but the two tries they scored had a bit of luck involved. However, a win is a win and the confidence of the side would have grown because of it. The Cowboys have had two disappointing losses. They were outclassed by the Roosters and they let a 14-point lead slip against the Knights. They have made a massive and necessary change for this match. Robert Lui has been dropped and Michael Morgan moved from fullback to replace him, allowing Lachlan Coote to come into the side to make his debut for the Cowboys after missing all of last season with an ACL injury. Thurston was targeted in the loss to the Knights and the Broncos’ Corey Parker spoke to the media and said he can expect the same this week. With a lot of talk about Thurston’s team mates being unable to protect him properly, I expect tempers to flare if any late shots are hit on the Australian international. The Cowboys will be fired up for this one and with the Origin period always going to be tough for them, it is getting close to a must win despite it being so early on in the season.
TIP: Cowboys @ $1.95 with Palmerbet
New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels (Saturday 3pm AEDT)
The Eels head to New Zealand without star winger Semi Radradra and new signing Beau Champion. These are big losses with the Fijian winger scoring the most tries for the club over the last season and Champion offering experience defensively and in attack. The Warriors meanwhile had a gutsy win over the Raiders in Canberra and return home with no injuries to show. The return of Sam Tomkins to the side last week was instrumental in their win as their attack benefited greatly. You can expect the Warriors to be targeting the matchup between big Manu Vatuvei and Reece Robinson. Last week Robinson’s opposing winger scored two tries against him as they were caught out defensively. “The Beast” also has the advantage of having a few extra kilos and I could see him running straight over Robinson for a try or two.
TIP: Warriors -8 @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
Canberra Raiders vs St George Illawarra Dragons (Saturday 5.30pm AEDT)
The Dragons have been awful so far this season. They have only managed to cross the try line once in each of their two matches this season and the match against the Tigers was essentially over after the first 20 minutes. The Dragons will need a better start to the match this week to not only stand a chance but to boost their confidence. With arguably their best player Trent Merrin coming off their bench, you can expect some impact after 20 minutes but if they play like they did last week, the match again could be all but over by the time he is involved. The Raiders have suffered a massive loss with fullback Jack Wighton sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a fractured eye socket. Wighton has been the shining light for the Raiders in the opening two games and he will be missed at the back this weekend. The Dragons haven’t looked dangerous in their first two games and with Josh Dugan still ruled out I can’t see them turning it on this week.
TIP: Raiders 1-12 @ $3.25 with Sportsbet
Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks (Saturday 7.30pm AEDT)
The Storm would be confident entering this match as the Sharks haven’t won at AAMI Park since 2008 and in their last two trips to Melbourne they have conceded 86 points and scored only 12. Both sides suffered losses last week with the Storm only having themselves to blame for errors at crucial times and also allowing three tries in the space of nine minutes just before half time. Meanwhile the Sharks failed to look dangerous with the ball and their defence wasn’t too crash hot either. Ben Barba is struggling to live up to expectations and is unable to recapture the form that saw him win the Dally M medal in 2012. His confidence is low after his failed stint at the Broncos and until he can begin to fire the Sharks will continue to struggle.
TIP: Storm -10 @ 1.90 with Sportsbet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Wests Tigers (Sunday 4pm AEDT)
The Wests Tigers have won their opening two games, however they had to wait until literally the final second to escape with a victory against the short-handed Titans but they were dominant in their win against the Dragons. The talk of the league has been fullback James Tedesco who has been in great form to start the season. Tedesco’s main worry though is injuries. He has missed the majority of his career so far with injuries after tearing his ACL in his debut game and also suffering other ankle and knee issues since then. If he stays on the park he will continue to develop as a player and his combination with Luke Brooks will only improve. Meanwhile the Rabbitohs are still dominating. It looked as if the Roosters had found a way to overcome the Rabbits but it wasn’t to be as the defending champions stormed home. The loss of John Sutton is a loss but he will be replaced by Origin player Chris McQueen. This same fixture last season the South Sydney side was shocked as the Tigers ran out to an early lead and was able to hold on. They will be well prepared this time and ready for the early energy from the Tigers.
TIP: Rabbitohs winning margin 11-20 @ $2.95 with Ladbrokes
Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights (Sunday 7.30pm AEDT)
The Newcastle Knights have shocked a lot of people after winning at home against the Warriors and then travelling to Townsville and coming from a 14-0 deficit to win 16-14 against the Cowboys. It won’t get much easier for the Knights as they will be up against a Titans side that will have a few fired up players ready to make an impact after missing the opening two games through the drug scandal. Greg Bird and Dave Taylor headline the return in the back row and Beau Falloon will take his place back at hooker. They will be a very different side to the one that was flogged by the Panthers 40-0 and it won’t be easy for the Knights to remain undefeated. However, the Knights are full of confidence and they are a side that continues to amaze.
TIP: Knights 1-12 @ 3.10 with Sportsbet
Sydney Roosters vs Penrith Panthers (Monday 7pm AEDT)
Arguably the match of the round as the Roosters will look to get their revenge on the side that beat them in the first semi final of last year’s finals series. The Panthers won that game with a lot of players missing through injury and they will have to do it again with five-eighth Jamie Soward being ruled out for the next six weeks after injuring his back in the win against the Titans. The Panthers have a lot of luxury with depth and this is shown with Soward’s replacement, Isaac John, having in an international match for New Zealand against Australia. The loss of Soward does hamper the kicking game as well as his combination with Peter Wallace in steering the team around the park. The tri-colours will want to bounce back after their loss to the Rabbitohs but they will take a lot out of the match as they put the defending champions up against the ropes. This match could come down to the impact made by Matt Moylan at the back. He has proved that he has playmaking ability and he will need to demonstrate this to fill the void left by Soward.
TIP: Roosters -6.5 @ $1.92 with Palmerbet
