The 2016 NRL season continues and after a weekend of upsets, the top sides will be looking to regain some momentum as we near the finals series. Continue reading for our NRL Round 24 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Brisbane Broncos vs Canterbury Bulldogs (Thursday 7.50pm AEST)
It was the same old story for the Broncos in the first half against the Eels as their defence was cracked easily whilst their attack was in all sorts. However, Wayne Bennett’s half time speech did wonders as the Broncos returned to a similar level that they showed earlier in the year and it was clear what was sparking them into action. The halves pairing of Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt were beginning to look dangerous with the ball in hand and were taking on the Eels defensive line. Hunt crossed for a try whilst Milford earned three try assists after carving his way through.
Meanwhile the Bulldogs golden point victory against the Sea Eagles hasn’t made it any easier to judge where the side is at. They are the sort of team that you would want to avoid playing in the finals as they have a big forward pack and are capable of an upset. However, their inconsistencies throughout the match are worrying. Out of all the top eight sides, they are the only team that has a negative points differential in the first 20-minute period after half time. They come out flat after their break and it could be largely due to their forward pack rotation. It is an area that needs to be improved quickly as you can’t afford to have any down time against the topsides.
The Broncos recaptured their class against the Eels as their forwards got ontot he front foot whilst Milford and Hunt put on their best 40-minute performance in close to three months. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain that and the side will want to get revenge for their loss earlier in the year when they were embarrassed by close to 40-points.
TIP: Broncos 1-12 @ $3.05 with CrownBet
Penrith Panthers vs Wests Tigers (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
The Tigers finals hopes took a massive blow on the weekend. They lost to the Titans who leap frogged them on the ladder but the biggest loss came in the form of their fullback. James Tedesco was hit with an accidental swinging arm from Ryan James that broke his jaw. It has ended his season and he is an irreplaceable player. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the Tigers as Luke Brooks will return to the line up this weekend but it will be hard for them to earn the victory without their x-factor player who gets their sets off to the perfect start returning the ball from the back.
The Panthers had a slow start against the Knights and it took until the second half for them to kick into gear. Once they hit that gear though it was shut the gates as the Panthers stormed to a big victory that gave them a favourable for and against. We are predicting that the Panthers won’t need to rely on this though as they will win this weekend by a narrow margin which will give their finals hopes a massive boost. They are a young and underrated side as their ability to offload the ball and create second phase opportunities will put a lot of pressure on the topsides defences.
TIP: Panthers 1-12 @ $3.00 with William Hill
Newcastle Knights vs Gold Coast Titans (Saturday 3pm AEST)
You couldn’t have written the script for the Titans victory on the weekend. Jarryd Hayne playing in his second match for the Titans and first ever NRL match at Campbelltown, the field he played on as a child and he slots a field goal with only a few seconds on the clock to win the game. He was brought in for his experience and cool head in those moments, as he is a game winner. He is still finding his feet but he had a couple of classy touches on the weekend and he will only continue to improve throughout the remainder of the season. Ashley Taylor was able to be more dominant in his second match alongside Hayne, which is a big positive for the side as Taylor has been brilliant in his first season in the NRL.
To their credit, the Knights are still turning up and they were able to keep the match competitive in the first half. However, the team will definitely be counting down the weeks until the year is over as it has been the worst season in the clubs history. We can’t see them picking up an upset in this one and the match could turn ugly fast.
TIP: Titans -14 @ $1.90 with Ladbrokes
Manly Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm (Saturday 5.30pm AEST)
The Sea Eagles season came to an end with a loss to the Bulldogs in golden point last week. It was a cruel way to lose for Tom Trbojevic as it was his error that cost his side. However, he has been their best and most consistent player all season and has played the majority of the year through injury. It is likely that he and Jorge Tafua will have played their last game of the year and will be sent in for surgery. It thins out their already short handed back line that saw Dylan Walker leave the field with another injury also.
The Storm are coming off a loss to the Raiders were they leaked more than 20-points for the first time this season. The Storm are the best in the business at bouncing back though and we can see this match turning into a big loss for the Sea Eagles at Brookvale. The Storm will focus on their defence but they will pounce on any mistake the Sea Eagles make in their own half and turn it into points.
TIP: Storm 13+ @ $2.10 with Sportsbet
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors (Saturday 7.30pm AEST)
The Cowboys will enter this match on the back of three straight losses. It is uncharted territory for the defending premiers as they have found themselves in a massive form slump. Nothing was going their way on the weekend against the Roosters and there was a lot of uncharacteristic wayward passes from their star players. Their latest two losses were on the road and they will be looking forward to returning to their home soil where they won 10-straight games to start the season before losing their latest home game against the Storm – a game that Johnathan Thurston missed due to his hamstring injury.
The Warriors will also enter this match on the back of a disappointing loss as they were flogged by the Rabbitohs on home soil. It was a match they were supposed to win as it would have put them in a great spot on the ladder, instead they missed out on two competition points and their for and against took a massive hit. They were back to the Warriors side that started the season as their defence was non-existent whilst they dropped the ball repeatedly. The Warriors poor record on the road up against the Cowboys great record at home means this could be a tough day in the office for New Zealand. As they are without Isaac Luke their ruck defence will be lacking and this should allow for the Cowboys to get on the front foot and therefore create space for their backs.
TIP: Cowboys 13+ @ $1.90 with CrownBet
Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels (Sunday 2pm AEST)
Well if there was any doubts about the Raiders premiership chances they were officially dismissed on Monday night. Their defence has improved drastically as they were able to limit the chances of the Storm and the Sharks the week before. It hasn’t seemed to hamper their offence either as they have scored some spectacular tries. To beat the team leading the competition in back-to-back weeks and cement your spot in the top four is a credit to how much the Raiders have improved this season.
Meanwhile the season seems to be catching up with the Eels as they had a big score put on them at Suncorp stadium on Friday night. They put up a fight in the first half but it fell away in the second and it could be another dangerous road trip ahead of them. The side has nothing left to play for and as the majority of their stars have either left the club or are sitting on the sidelines, we are seeing this match turn into a big win for the green machine.
TIP: Raiders 13+ @ $1.91 with William Hill
Sydney Roosters vs St George Illawarra Dragons (Sunday 4pm AEST)
Both coaches would have been watching their teams last week and thinking to themselves “where has this been all season”. The Roosters were able to tame the Cowboys and earn a convincing win whilst the Dragons showed their best attack all season and defeated the Sharks.
There isn’t much for either team to play for but they definitely will turn up on Sunday looking to build some momentum into next season. Benji Marshall is playing for his NRL career whilst there are rookies on the Roosters side that will want to prove they should be playing at the top level.
One game hasn’t got us sold on the Dragons and their offence though as it could easily fall back to what they showed all season this week. Meanwhile the Roosters have a much larger forward pack and that should allow them to get onto the front foot and if Mitchell Pearce can back up his performance from last week the Chookies will earn the victory.
TIP: Roosters 1-12 @ $3.00 with Sportsbet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Cronulla Sharks (Monday 7pm AEST)
These two sides seasons have flipped in the last two weeks as the Bunnies have put together two great performances. Their first was in Melbourne where they were within a minute of upsetting the Storm and on the weekend they embarrassed the Warriors in New Zealand. The side is playing with a lot more freedom and they have gone away from their normal tactics of just bashing the ball up the middle of the field. The return of Greg Inglis has certainly impacted the side, as he has been a massive part of their last two matches.
The Sharks have earned just one competition point from their last three matches as their 15 match winning streak is quickly becoming a distant memory. They have lost their way in recent weeks and it is crucial they regain the steering of the ship to gain some momentum. It will be a tough contest this weekend but the Sharks have too much class across the board to stay down for this long. They have arguably the biggest and most mobile pack in the competition whilst a dangerous, young and talented back line will return them to the winner’s circle.
TIP: Sharks 1-12 @ $3.00 with Ladbrokes
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
