The second game on NRL Sunday heads to Redcliffe, with the Dolphins hosting the Panthers. The traditional home ground of the Dolphins needs to produce something special, as they aim to maintain contact with the Top 8. Meanwhile, the Panthers will want a victory to push them closer to winning the Minor Premiership.
Catch our preview and betting tips for the Dolphins vs Panthers clash below, and head over to our NRL Tips page for more free NRL tips.
NRL Round 20 Preview & Betting Tips
The Dolphins vs Penrith Panthers
Kayo Stadium, Sunday 16th July, 4:05pm (AEST)
Having not won since Round 13, the Dolphins desperately needed a victory against the Titans. They were gallant in this match and were rewarded with a Golden Point 23-21 win. Trailing 14-6 at HT, they were much better in the second half and took their chances when they were presented with them. They put themselves in a strong position to succeed over the 80 minutes; they had 52% possession and completed at 86%, while also dominating metres made and having fewer missed tackles. They need similar performances if they are to keep their Finals hopes alive and it is a difficult challenge this week against the Panthers.
Despite having a week off, the Panthers remained at the top of the NRL Power Rankings. This has everything to do with the way they performed in Round 18, where they defeated the Storm 34-16 on the road. Trailing 14-nil after 30 minutes, the Panthers demonstrated poise and confidence in their ability to build pressure. Slowly wearing their opponents down, they were clinical in the second half. They gave themselves every possible chance of achieving a victory with a high share of possession and an 84% completion rate. Furthermore, they lead all key areas in attack and had fewer missed tackles. This result was made more impressive by the fact that it was achieved without Nathan Cleary on the field. The depth at the Panthers is something to be admired.
The Panthers hinted at an early return for Cleary, naming him in the reserves. That has narrowed the price of the Panthers further ($5.20 vs $1.16); they appear well placed to win this game regardless of whether he plays. The Dolphins have been an improved team recently, but this will be another challenge altogether. They have shown in the past that they can lift and push better sides; they should not be written off and their attack is evidence of this. They average 22ppg compared to the Panthers 24ppg. The difference between the two sides will come defensively. The Dolphins allow an average of 26ppg compared with the Panthers 12ppg. Their most recent effort to limit the Storm to just 14 points highlights how strong they are in this area. Even the omission of their Origin players shouldn’t disrupt much of their momentum. The other factor to consider is the absence of Jeremy Marshall-King at hooker for the Dolphins. They are a remarkably better team with him on the field and they will miss his contribution on both sides of the ball.
Assuming the Dolphins can tighten up their defence, they should push the Panthers. There is too much uncertainty around what the Dolphins can produce. On their day, they could push the Panthers. You can almost guarantee what the visitors will offer though. They are the safer option, albeit, with a larger stake on the match.
Panthers 13+
$1.68 (2.5 Units)
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Total Points Over 49.5 – With each team having an efficient ability to score points, the game should be high scoring. The fact that the panthers have a strong defensive structure is a danger to this option, however.
Tago & Turuva 1+ Try Each – As for Tago and Turuva, they are forming a lethal combination on the Panthers’ left edge. Expect Luai to be out to make a statement after missing out on selection for the Blues and feed his outside backs as much ball as possible.
