The 2017 Rugby League Anzac Day Test kicks off on Friday night between Australia and New Zealand. We take a look at the match up and off our NRL Anzac Day Test Preview and Betting Tips.
Australia vs New Zealand (Friday 8pm AEST)
The Australian side has stayed relatively loyal to the team that lifted the Four Nations at the end of the 2016 season. Billy Slater was overlooked to keep Darius Boyd at fullback and the Broncos number 1 can justify his selection after a strong start to the season for the Brisbane team. The only change in the backline is the inclusion of Will Chambers for the injured Justin O’Neill while Johnathan Thurston is expected to overcome an ankle injury to take his place at five-eighth. He will obviously be a huge boost for the side with a wealth of experience under his belt and his playmaking ability. The forward pack has changed with Josh Papalli suspended by coach Mal Meninga for his drink driving charges prior to the beginning of the season and Matt Scott on the sidelines with a torn ACL. Andrew Fiftia comes into the side to partner David Klemmer in the front row. Fifita brings a very different style of play into the side with his often sideways charges keeping the defence on its toes while he isn’t afraid of throwing an offload and chancing his arm.
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Meanwhile the New Zealand side has improved drastically with the return of Kieran Foran. He was missing during the internationals at the end of 2016 and they were playing without a five-eighth. The massive bonus the New Zealand side will have is their spine plays at club level together and will be clicking on all cylinders despite the lack of preparation for this game. However, the Australian spine won’t miss a bet having played in their respective positions together for many years with Australia and Queensland. The New Zealand side has a strong forward pack and they will be hard to crack. Tohu Harris is missing from the side in the backrow but Simon Mannering moves to an edge, with the wrecking ball Jason Tauamalolo taking up his place at lock. He has been in devastating form this season and has been putting up huge numbers. We are expecting a big performance out of the kiwi in this one to lay a platform for his halves pairing in Foran and Johnson.
The Australians have won the last four meetings against the New Zealanders, winning every match in 2016, including the corresponding fixture in Newcastle 16-0. However, we are predicting an upset in this one with the New Zealand spine being bolstered by the return of Foran and the Australian forward pack losing some bulk in both attack and defence – Trent Merrin has been a passenger for the Panthers this season and we can’t see him making much of an impact for Australia. The Kiwis will come out on top in a narrow victory.
TIP: New Zealand at the margin (1-12) - $4.50 at Sportsbet
First Try Scorer
We are predicting the Kiwis to come out on top so we will back them to have the better start of the two teams. They will need to get into the match early on to boost their confidence and we believe they will pounce on an early error or create a chance from inside their own half with their strong attacking ability. The New Zealanders have strike weapons across the park and none are more dangerous then their halfback Shaun Johnson. The playmaker is at his best when he is running the ball and he has proved he hasn’t been afraid to take on the line this season. We are backing him to step a forward on his way to the line or be there in support to open the scoring in the 2017 Anzac Day Test Match.
TIP: First Try Scorer Shaun Johnson - $19.00 at CrownBet
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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!
