NRL Round 20 continues on Friday night with a juicy double-header. Here, we preview and provide our best bets for the first NRL game of the night, which will see the Warriors take on the Storm!
As always, stay tuned throughout the 2022 NRL season to get the best betting value when taking on the bookies, with our NRL Tips page previewing all the NRL matches in 2022.
New Zealand Warriors vs Melbourne Betting Tips
Mt Smart Stadium, Friday 29th July, 6:00pm (AEST)
It’s rare that you write ‘Storm, losers of 4 straight’, but here we are as we head into round 20 of the 2022 NRL season. Significant questions are being asked of Craig Bellamy’s men, and whether they can overcome this poor form, as well as the loss of several key players to injury. They get a great chance to right the ship on Friday night, as they take on the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium. The Warriors have lost 9 of their last 10 matches, and in round 7 were humbled 70-10 at AAMI Park by the Storm. Surely this is one way traffic.
Squads
New Zealand Warriors
1. Reece Walsh 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Marcelo Montoya 4. Adam Pompey 5. Edward Kosi 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Tohu Harris 11. Euan Aitken 12. Josh Curran 13. Jazz Tevaga. INTERCHANGE: 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Bunty Afoa 16. Eliesa Katoa 17. Jackson Frei. RESERVES: 18. Tom Ale 20. Daejarn Asi 21. Ronald Volkman 22. Viliami Vailea 23. Taniela Otukolo
Melbourne Storm
1. Nick Meaney 2. Dean Ieremia 3. Marion Seve 4. Justin Olam 5. Grant Anderson 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Harry Grant 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenny Bromwich 13. Josh King. INTERCHANGE: 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Alec MacDonald 17. Jordan Grant. RESERVES: 18. Chris Lewis 19. Cooper Johns 20. Young Tonumaipea 21. Tom Eisenhuth 22. Sualauvi Faalogo
Match Preview
The concern is real in Victoria, as the Storm now sit outside the top 4 and are dropping like a stone. With matches against some quality opposition over the last 4 rounds (Penrith A, Brisbane A, Roosters H, Eels A) the Storm are a genuine risk of plummeting out of the top 8. Whilst that is highly unlikely, a loss this weekend would be devastating to the 2020 Premiers.
Luckily this week, the Storm have drawn the Warriors. Whilst they will be excited to play in front of their home fans once again at Mt Smart Stadium, the Warriors have been close to the worst team in the competition over the past 3 months, and a matchup with a desperate Storm outfit surely isn’t what they’re after.
The Storm beat the Warriors 70-10 in round 7, and whilst the Storm are missing key players this time around, this sort of beatdown would have to be difficult for the Warriors to come back from.
But this type of score line wasn’t a one off, as over the past 5 encounters with the Warriors, the Storm have scored an average of 47.2 points per game, with a minimum score of 32. After the almighty spray the Storm were given by Craig Bellamy after last weekend’s loss, I have to believe they will be ready this week.
Whilst I don’t believe this is going to be a 70-10 beatdown, I can see the Storm winning rather comfortably with a score line similar to 28-10.
Prop: Storm O26.5 - $1.94 at Palmerbet
Prop: Highest Scoring Half: 2nd Half - $1.85 at Neds
Melbourne Storm 13+
$1.91 (2 Units)
