Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
ANZ Stadium
Friday 14 April 4.00pm LOCAL
It’s been one of the most fierce contests over the last few years and both teams will be looking to improve on their recent form when they face off for the first time in 2017.
The Bulldogs can consider themselves lucky after a scrappy 22-12 win over the Newcastle Knights last week, while the Rabbitohs held off a depleted Panthers outfit 21-20 thanks to an Adam Reynolds field goal.
Des Hasler has made a few changes to his side with David Klemmer and Brad Abbey out of action after sustaining injuries last week, with Brett Morris moved into the number one jersey and Adam Elliot returning to the starting side. He will hope for another strong game from his captain James Graham, who has averaged over 200 metres and nearly 50 tackles in his past two games.
The Rabbitohs will be looking to build on their gritty win over the Penrith Panthers on Friday night, and will look to claim back-to-back victories for the second time this season. Michael Maguire has named an unchanged 17 to take on the Bulldogs, and will hope for another starring display from five-eight Cody Walker who has arguably been the form playmaker of the competition so far.
They will hope to improve no their recent form against the Bulldogs, having won three of the past five fixtures and six of their past ten.
Tip: Expect a grinding game of footy and a physical encounter as both teams will be desperate for the two points. Neither team have hit their best form yet this season but I'm tipping the Rabbitohs to score an upset victory. Souths by 2 in a nail-biter.
Best bet: Rabbitohs head to head $2.05
Odds: Bulldogs $1.77 Rabbitohs $2.05
Newcastle Knights vs. Sydney Roosters
McDonald Jones
Friday 14 April 6.00pm LOCAL
The Roosters were flying high with four wins to open their new campaign but they will be looking for redemption after a disastrous display against the Brisbane Broncos. A win won’t come easy, however, with the Newcastle Knights showing great resilience against an experienced Bulldogs outfit last week.
They 22-12 loss to the Bulldogs came off the back of some defensive lapses and poor execution, but can take confidence in knowing they are pushing teams to the final stages of the contest. Their attacking stats rates equal with the well-drilled Melbourne Storm (104 points this season) but will want to improve defensively if they are to run away with the victory.
No-one would predict the Roosters to put in a performance like the one they did last week, going down 32-8 to a ruthless Broncos outfit. They have been known for their brick-wall defence at the height of the game, but sunk to new levels last Friday with a 47 missed tackles. As a result, teenage superstar Latrell Mitchell has been dropped for this weeks game, after two poor performances against Manly and the Broncos.
The Roosters will certainly be looking for redemption this weekend against a team who are currently in a re-building phase, but will want to be more clinical in their attacking raids in committed in defence
Tip: It’s weird to think the Knights put in a better performance than the Roosters last week, but knowing the quality of the Roosters squad and how well-coached they are it’s hard to see them lose three in a row. Roosters by 18.
Best bet: Roosters handicap -12.5 $1.90
Odds: Knights $4.40 Roosters $1.22
Brisbane Broncos vs. Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium
Friday 7.50pm LOCAL
The Brisbane Broncos will host the Titans for the first time in 2017 and will be looking to build on their strong performance against the Roosters last weekend. They face a struggling Titans team who are coming off three consecutive losses and sit second-last on the competition ladder.
The Broncos will attempt to find some consistency for the first time this season, having not won back-to-back games in 2017. They will attempt to do so without star halfback Ben Hunt, who will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury, with Kodi Nikorima named to start at halfback.
They will take confidence with their attacking display from last week having doubled their line break tally for this season (22 in total, 11 before last week) and will look to build on their 5 game winning streak against the Titans.
The Titans are one of two teams who have won just a single game this season, and will be desperate for their second win of the season after thumping loss to the Raiders. They boast the third best attack in the competition with the likes of Ashley Taylor and Kane Elgey leading the way, but have the worst defensive record in 2017 conceding 30 points per game.
They welcome back hooker Nathan Peats who will make his first appearance for the club in 2017, and will add significant go-forward out of dummy half.
Tip: Wayne Bennett will be craving for consistency and hoping they can build on their best performance of 2017. The Titans will relish the return of Peats but he won’t be enough to save them from defeat. Broncos by 14.
Best bet: Total points over 44.5 $1.86
Odds: Broncos $1.22 Titans $4.35
Manly Sea Eagles vs. Melbourne Storm
Lottoland
Saturday 14 April 3.00pm LOCAL
The Eagles were touted as a premiership dark horse following their three game winning streak and victory against the Roosters, but were broken at home against the Dragons at home last weekend. They face an in-form Melbourne Storm outfit who are coming off their first loss of the season to the 2016 premiers Cronulla Sharks.
The Eagles will be out to make amends against another competition heavyweight on Saturday and will hope to re-build the fortress they now call Lottoland. Their three losses this season have all been at home, and will look to improve their defence efforts after the loss. Martin Taupau and Nate Myles have been ruled out with injury, with Addin Fonua-Blake joining the starting side.
The Storm are coming off a tough 11-2 defeat to the Cronulla Sharks, but will be determined to return to form against their modern-day rivals. Their performance last week was very uncharacteristic with a vast array of handling errors, and will be sweating on the fitness of Jesse Bromwich and Cameron Munster who are small chances to return from injury.
The Storm are undefeated away from home so far this season, but face a gutsy Manly team who will want to prove their short stint of success was nothing out of the ordinary.
Tip: Since 2013, four of the past six encounters have been decided by three points or less, and fans can expect a similar fixture this Saturday. They have both been impressive defensively this season but expect the experience of the Storm to help them grind out a much needed victory. Storm by 4 in a low-scoring game.
Best bet: Total match points under 38.5 $1.88
Odds: Eagles $2.45 Storm $1.55
Canberra Raiders vs. New Zealand Warriors
GIO Stadium
Saturday 15 April 5.30pm LOCAL
Two of the most exciting teams in the competition face off in the second Saturday night fixture, with both sides coming off back-to-back victories for the first time this season. Despite both teams sitting on 6 competition points, the Raiders have found themselves sitting in fifth place on the competition ladder, but the Warriors placed just outside the top 8 based on points differential.
The Raiders will be full of confidence following their resounding 42-16 win over the Tigers, and sit just outside the top four on points difference. They boast the second best attack in the competition averaging over 30 points a game, and have scored over 40 points twice this season. Jordan Rapana has further staked his claims as the worlds best winger, coming off one of the best individual performances of the season with a hat-trick against the Titans, while recording 7 tries (1st), 9 line breaks (1st), 51 tackle breaks (2nd) and 177 metres per game (4th) so far in 2017.
The Warriors have finally found some consistency and have relished the inclusion of dynamic five-eight Kieran Foran who has put in back-to-back man of the match performances. Their attacking structure has drastically improved, as well as their goal-line defence having conceded just two tries last week. They h have named an unchanged side, as have the Raiders, and both teams will be gunning for a third straight victory to climb into the top eight. v
Tip: Expect plenty of points in this encounter, as both teams play an exciting brand of footy and enjoy throwing the footy across the park. Playing in front of their home crowd will be a huge advantage for the Raiders, so i'm tipping the Green machine by 6.
Best bet: Total match points over 46.5 $1.88
Odds: Raiders $1.30 Warriors $3.30
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs. North Queensland Cowboys
WIN Stadium
Saturday 16 April 7.30pm LOCAL
The Dragons were touted as one of the favourites for the wooden spoon before this season, but now sit on top of the competition ladder with five wins in their six fixtures. They boast the best attacking record in the competition, and now face an out-of-form Cowboys outfit who will be without Jonathan Thurston who sustained an ankle injury last week.
With the Dragons leading the comp and the likes of Gareth Widdop and Cameron Mcinnes in career best form, much of their success has come down to their forwards who have been dominating opposing forward packs over the first six weeks. Paul Vaughn and Jack De Belin have been leading the way for the Red V, consistently dominating the middle with damaging runs.
Look for another strong performance from the Dragons pack, as they face up with Jason Taumalolo and Coen Hess who have been brilliant for the Cowboys so far this season. The Cowboys remain in fourth place despite their surprising loss to the Tigers last week, but will have to improve significantly if they are a chance of beating the in-form Dragons.
With Jonathan Thurston ruled out, Ben Hampton has been named to partner Michael Morgan in the halves, while Kalyn Ponga retains his spot at fullback with Lachlan Coote still recovering from injury.
Tip: The Dragons have proved they are the real deal with five wins so far, put will have to prove their worth against the 2015 premiers. In saying that, the Cowboys are without Jonathan Thurston and Matt Scott and being away from home the Cowboys may struggle. Dragons by 12.
Best bet: Dragons -10 $1.90
Odds: Dragons $1.42 Cowboys $2.90
Penrith Panthers vs. Cronulla Shark
Pepper Stadium
Sunday 17 April 2.00pm LOCAL
The Panthers were valiant in their defeat to the Rabbitohs last weekend and welcome the return of Matt Moylan and Waqa Blake to their starting 17 after stints in reserve grade. They host the Cronulla Sharks who are coming off a gritty 11-2 victory over the Melbourne Storm, and will be looking to maintain their spot in the top 4.
The Panthers will be determined to make amends after their gutsy performance last week, and will be out to make a statement after a relatively poor start to their season. They were touted as a competition heavyweight prior to the start of the season, but injuries and off-field dramas have got in the way of consistent performances.
James Fischer-Harris is a massive inclusion, as is dynamo centre Tyrone Peachey who will make a surprise return from a rib injury.
The Sharks have finally found some consistency in their game and will happy with their defensive efforts last week, having not conceded a try against the clinical Melbourne Storm. The wet conditions didn't help either team with their handling errors, but will be looking to be more disciplined with the ball in hand.
Kurt Capewell has been named on the bench in the place of James Segeyaro, so expect big minutes from youngster Jayden Brailey who has been working tirelessly in defence this season.
Tip: This fixture lines up as possible match of the round, with both teams near full strength and in desperate need of two points. The Sharks will be full of confidence after their win last week, but the Panthers will be out to prove they are the serious contender they are made out to be. Panthers by 1.
Best bet: Panthers 1-12 $2.80
Odds: Panthers $1.68 Sharks $2.20
Parramatta Eels vs. Wests Tigers
ANZ Stadium
Sunday 17 April 4.00pm LOCAL
Both teams struggling for form this season attempt to re-ignite their season and get back in touch with the top half of the ladder. The eels are coming off four consecutive losses and look no where near the side that recorded two wins in their first two games. The Tigers, however, are coming off a remarkable victory over the Cowboys in Townsville.
The Eels were definitely missing the spark that comes with Bevan French last week, unable to crack the defence of the Warriors despite consistent sets on their goal line. They will look to their halfback Corey Norman for further creativity, with Gutherson moved to fullback and Brad Takaraingi named in the halves in new look spine.
The Tigers are clearly relishing the arrival of Ivan Cleary and looked like a more professional and clinical outfit after putting in a dominant display against the 2015 premiers. Their forwards provided a a huge impact with he likes of Aaron Woods and Chris Lawrence hitting their straps, while outside backs David Nofoluma and James Tedesco were strong as always.
Tip: It is imperative for both teams to find good form this week as they sit well outside the top eight. The eels have been lacklustre in attack and will need to improve, but one gets the feeling the Tigers are looking to prove a point under their new coach. Tigers by 4.
Best bet: Tigers head to head $2.05
Odds: Eels $1.57 Tigers $2.40
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Words: Andre Cupido
