Super Saturday features the top three teams on the competition ladder. The first match is in Kograh, with the Dragons hosting the 3rd placed Rabbitohs. The home side was good last week against the Panthers, without winning, and will take confidence from that game into this one. The Rabbitohs have scored the most points of any team in the competition and the Dragons will need a strong defensive performance. The second game heads north to Brisbane, as the 2nd placed Broncos host the Knights. The Broncos are proving themselves capable each week, while the Knights face a tough time in this game if they are aiming to limit their opponents scoring. The final game heads back to Sydney, with the Roosters hosting the 1st placed Panthers. Struggling for consistency, the Roosters may have drawn the Panthers at an ideal time as they look to cover the loss of halfback Nathan Cleary. Perhaps we are about to see why each side is sitting where they are on the ladder.
Check out our best bets for Saturday's action below and make sure to head over to our NRL Tips page for more Round 15 content!
NRL Round 15 Preview & Betting Tips
St George-Illawarra Dragons vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Saturday 10th June, 3pm (AEST)
The Dragons did themselves proud against the Panthers, scrapping their way to a 26-18 loss. With scores level at 18-all with less than 15 minutes remaining, the Dragons failed to close out the contest strongly. It wasn’t through lack of effort, rather, their opponents scrambled well in defence. The fact that majority of the statistics between them and a team in the Top 3 were relatively close, will give them hope moving forward.
The Rabbitohs were victorious last week, overcoming a 22-16 HT deficit against the Titans to prevail 46-28. Their attack was at its best, a dazzling 8-try display set up by strong ball carrying and discipline in defence in the second half. This will be a remarkable different Rabbitohs team with Mitchell, Murray, Arrow and possibly Walker, all absent. This has done little to change the price, with the Dragons still outsiders ($2.70 vs $1.47); that overstates how capable the Rabbitohs are at covering their losses. Murray alone gets through a tonne of defensive work. The trip to this ground will also worry the Rabbitohs; they have won just 3 in 8 matches at 38%, although those 3 wins have come in their past 4 visits here. History is against the Dragons; despite defeating the Rabbitohs in Round 15 last year, that is their only victory against them in the past 9 matches.
There isn’t much confidence in this game, so keep your investment low or overlook it altogether. The forwards which the Dragons have should be able to match the Rabbitohs in the middle. While possessing superior outside backs, the Dragons had caught the Panthers (one of the best defensive teams in the competition) out in Round 14. This brings the line into play over 80 minutes.
Dragons +6.5
$1.85 (1 Unit)
Brisbane Broncos vs Newcastle Knights
Suncorp Stadium, Saturday 10th June, 5:30pm (AEST)
The Broncos recorded an upset victory over the Sharks 20-12 on the road last week, justifying their jump to the top of the NRL Power Rankings. Heading into the game as outsides, they proved themselves to be anything but that with a strong first half display setting up a 14-6 HT lead. Having a superior completion rate, they trailed their opponents in most attacking areas; rather, they established their win with a strong defensive effort. A 75thminute try to their opponents was only a consolation.
The Knights will have a difficult time breaking them down but have the benefit of a week off after having the Bye in Round 14. Prior to that, they defeated a depleted Sea Eagles team 28-18 at home. The 6-try display demonstrated what they are capable of, with 6 line breaks and 19 missed tackles standout areas. They will need to be at their best if they are to win here. A lot of factors are working against them though, reflected in the odds ($1.23 vs $4.20).
The Broncos have a superior record here (59% vs 44%) and score more (23ppg vs 21ppg) yet concede fewer points (17ppg vs 23ppg) than the Knights. When you combine this with the fact that the Broncos have won their past 3 games against the Knights, all by a 13+ margin at an average of 18.3 points, it is hard to overlook the fact that this talented team can cover the line. The Knights will put up a fight but, in the end, the Broncos should be too strong.
Same Game Multi
Broncos 19+, Cobbo & Walsh to score @ $7 – 0.5 Units
Broncos 13+
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
Sydney Roosters vs Penrith Panthers
Allianz Stadium, Saturday 10th June, 7:35pm (AEST)
Amid alarm bells ringing for the Roosters, they scraped home for a narrow 25-24 victory over the Bulldogs. Appearing to be the lesser of the two sides at times during their match, they put themselves in a winning position and allowed Keary to slot the winning FG with 5 minutes remaining. More importantly, the match appeared to signal a return to form for fullback James Tedesco. As good as he was, others in the team also need to take responsibility and lift their efforts. Their attitude in defence (missing just 19 tackles) shows that they are trying to lift in effort areas.
The Panthers poses another challenge for them, although the injury suffered by Nathan Cleary will limit their output in coming weeks. Victorious over the Dragons 26-18, the Panthers overcame the loss of their halfback through discipline attack (86% completion rate) and taking their chances via fast play in the middle of the field. The fact that they also had more (almost double) kicking metres shows that other players are capable. There is no better time for the Roosters to face the Panthers, but their current form is reflected in the odds ($2.55 vs $1.52). The Panthers have a strong recent record over them, winning 8 out of the past 9 matches and on a 7-game winning streak. The last time the Roosters defeated them was back in 2019, with 3 of the past 5 Panthers victories coming by 20+ points. It would be surprising to see a similar outcome here. The loss of Cleary will limit their effectiveness at the end of attacking sets, while the Roosters have their own troubles with the loss of Suaali’i.
The NRL Power Rankings could ultimately give the clearest guide of the difference between these two teams but with uncertainty surround how the Panthers perform without their halfback is worth playing it safe and taking either team to win by less than 12 points and anchoring this selection with a few others over the weekend.
Either Team by 12 points or Less
$1.62 (1.5 Units)
