NRL Round 14
The Form Guide
It's difficult to know exactly what to take out of the shortened round last week, with Origin players unavailable. The Cowboys got an important win over the Turbo-less Sea Eagles, with the two JTs back to some barnstorming form. The Rabbitohs were outstanding over the Sharks, overcoming the loss of a number of key players to get a solid win over a form team. It's getting harder and harder to ignore the Rabbits’ claims this year, and the win over Cronulla showed they could come through the Origin period in pretty good shape.
The Knights trampled over an Eels team that has now reached crisis point. Past greats are questioning recruitment decisions, Corey Norman is on the nose and Brad Arthur must be under immense pressure. On Sunday afternoon, the Roosters scraped home over an enthusiastic Tigers team, and will be happy to bank the two points after being without a number of key players. They are still yet to convince punters they are the real deal, but if James Tedesco can reproduce his scintillating Origin form in the club arena, they won't be far away from hitting top gear.
The Big Games
State of Origin reps will be keen to back up for their clubs this weekend, but we may not know exactly who will be lining up for each team until close to kick off. The Panthers will hope both of their star halves are back when they take on the Raiders on Friday night, and they will be looking to justify their spot at the top of the ladder with another strong win. The Raiders start slight favourites here, perhaps due to the doubt over Maloney and Cleary. If the 6 and 7 play, though, expect Penrith to be too strong. While Cleary was solid but relatively quiet in Origin 1, Maloney was anything but, throwing the intercept pass to Valentine Holmes but playing a key role in a number of Blues’ tries. He is the form half of the competition right now.
On Saturday, the big clash sees the resurgent Knights meeting the improving Roosters. Kalyn Ponga will be playing to prove he deserves a spot in the Queensland team for game 2, while Latrell Mitchell and James Tedesco will be looking to reproduce their dynamic form at the MCG in the club arena. The Queenslanders could barely lay a hand on either of them, so Nathan Brown will be on red alert this weekend. Dylan Napa was disappointing for the Maroons, and while his spot in the team won't be in danger, he will know he needs a big club performance to get his confidence back.
We head back to Melbourne on Sunday to see the Storm meet the Broncos, and there are a number of sub-plots running through this intriguing clash. The battle of the coaches may be worth the price of admission alone, with rumours still swirling about where each will end up next year. Will Chambers is the only Origin rep who won't be backing up after accepting a one match ban for his knee to Damien Cook, while Billy Slater is still sidelined with his hamstring strain. Cameron Smith will be fresher than he has ever been after an Origin match, and like Thurston and Cronk last week, his availability will be worth its weight in gold for the Storm. The Broncos welcome back Josh McGuire from injury, but it is their halves that will continue to be under the microscope until they begin steering their team around with some effectiveness.
Predictions
The Panthers are outsiders against the Raiders, but should get the job done, while the Rabbits will be too strong for the Titans. The Sea Eagles will be a tough road trip for the high flying Warriors, but the Kiwis should have the form line to get the win. The Roosters will have to much star power for the plucky Knights, while the Cowboys will pile some more pain on the woeful Eels. The Sharks will be too good for the Tigers in a close one, while the Storm at home will take down the clunky Broncos. To finish the round, the Dragons will get back on track with a strong win over the Bulldogs.
Bets Bet
There are some strong favourites this weekend, and some real unknowns as well. The Rabbitohs and the Roosters look like good things, so the Chooks-Rabbits multi at $1.85 is our best bet of the week.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
