The National Rugby League made a successful return last week from a 2 month break and we were treated to a faster pace of play based on a few important rule changes. Round 4 kicks off at Suncorp Stadium once again this Thursday with the Broncos looking to rebound against the mighty Roosters.
NRL Round 4: Broncos vs Roosters Preview & Betting Tips
Broncos vs Roosters (Thursday, 4th June, 7:50pm AEST)
It was another long night for the Brisbane Broncos against the Eels last Thursday in a 34-6 drubbing at Suncorp. Their goal-line defence was a real concern and unless Seibold can fix those problems in just one week, the Roosters are going to take full advantage inside the 20. To make matters worse, Kotoni Staggs will miss the clash with suspension and Alex Glenn suffered an injury in the loss. So Herbie Farnworth will come into the side on the wing and Arthars moves into the centres. Ethan Bullemor will get the start in what looks like a very inexperienced 2nd row. In the good news, Payne Haas was at his usual best last Thursday after a classy 80 minute performance and he’ll need to continue leading the Broncos pack without David Fifita. The other positive was the return of Matt Lodge from injury and he’ll come into this game off the bench.
Facing a rare 0-3 start, the Roosters secured their first victory of the season on Friday night. In the 28-12 win over rival Souths, the faster pace of play looked to spark the Roosters attack. Especially with the likes of James Tedesco (314 run metres) proving hard to stop around the park and taking advantage of tired forwards. Kyle Flanagan put in a polished performance for a young halfback and his battle with Brodie Croft will be one of the keys on Thursday. The other positive was the return of captain Boyd Cordner who they missed in the first 2 rounds. He added a try in the win over Souths as well. In team news, they should welcome back the experience of Mitchell Aubusson and Siosiua Taukeiaho is a good chance to return from injury. Proving the Roosters depth is right up there with the best in the competition.
The Broncos performance last week is a real worry as they face one of the best teams in the NRL of the last couple of seasons. The Roosters should be extra dangerous with the faster pace of play at the moment and that should mean trouble for the Broncos inexperienced lineup. So we really like the value on offer for the Roosters clearing 22.5 points. Especially considering that Brisbane has allowed an average of 32.2 points in their last 5 games.
Roosters Over 22.5 points
$2.10
Anytime Tryscorer
Daniel Tupou
While the 6 again rule has been the talk of the NRL, the rule change that now prohibits players being tackled in mid-air has given tall wingers like Daniel Tupou a real advantage. He scored in just the 3rd minute last week against Souths and will now face an inexperienced winger Herbie Farnworth on Thursday night.
Boyd Cordner
The Roosters skipper returned to action last week with a try and we like his odds of repeating more of the same this Thursday. Considering the Broncos mediocre goal-line defence, Cordner is going to be dangerous when the Roosters get going.
