The 2017 NRL season is still a month away from kick off but fans will receive a teaser this weekend with the fourth annual Auckland Nines tournament. Teams have sent star studded line ups and it will make for an entertaining weekend of action. Continue reading for our 2017 NRL Auckland Nines Preview and Betting Tips.
2017 Auckland Nines – Tournament Winner
The defending champions the Parramatta Eels have sent another strong side and on the back of an offseason of drama, Semi Radradra will be looking to dominant in the format he thrives in. Corey Norman was excellent last year as their playmaker and we are predicting the side to be strong this season. However, they are facing off with the Warriors in the pool stages and two other strong sides in the Dragons and Sea Eagles which could lead to the side running out of steam to go all the way.
We believe the two teams that will be hardest to beat are the North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos. The Cowboys are sending a lot of experience and young talent. They have speed to burn and all eyes will be on the richest NRL teenager of all time, Kalyn Ponga. He signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Knights in the offseason but he will remain a Cowboy for the 2017 season and has been named in the squad. Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan will line up for the side along iwth Jason Tuamalolo and Jake Granville. However, we are predicting these players to get limited minutes with the youth in the side earning a lot of playing time.
The Broncos have Anthony Milford, Benji Marshall, Darius Boyd, Jordan Kahu and Matt Gillett in their line up but their most dangerous player could be James Roberts. The speedster will excel in this format and if he should be able to carve defences to pieces. The Brisbane side has shortened from $21 to $6.50 over the past couple of days but we believe they are still worth jumping on with the creativity of Milford and speed to burn around him.
TIP: Broncos to win – $6.50 with Sportsbet
2017 Auckland Nines – Tournament Roughie
We are predicting the tournament roughie to be the Melbourne Storm. They may not be the best side on paper but they have a lot of young and entertaining talent as well as the best coach in the game instructing them. Cameron Munster has shown he is a star of the future while Josh Addo-Carr matches it with James Roberts in terms of speed. Young Tonumaipea showed glimpses of brilliance last season while Curtis Scott will be itching to get onto the field after his debut was cut short after breaking his leg. Meanwhile Felise Kaufusi and Nelson Asofa-Solomona are two big forwards that can offload and have plenty of mobility. It is an outside chance but definitely great value for money.
TIP: Storm to win – $29.00 with Sportsbet
2017 Auckland Nines - Top Tournament Try Scorer
We will be sticking with the theme that the Broncos will be the victors of the Auckland Nines and a huge contributor to that will of course be James Roberts. We have already mentioned the speed he has to burn but he will be playing alongside Anthony Milford who is one of the most creative and exciting players in the game. It will be easy for him to find space because Milford will attract a lot of defenders. We are predicting the flyer will end the tournament as the leading try scorer, and at great value.
TIP: Auckland Nines Top Try Scorer – James Roberts - $13.00 with CrownBet
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!
