NRL Round 7 Preview
As the traditional ANZAC Day round approaches there are four teams with only one loss who remain on equal points at the top of the ladder and a host of teams starting to find some form. Read on as we take a look at a number of blockbuster matches coming up in round seven.
Sydney Roosters ($1.42) vs St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.90)
Thursday, 25th April 4:05pm, Sydney Cricket Ground
In terms of traditional NRL games it doesn’t get much bigger than this. For years these two teams have battled it out on ANZAC day and each year it continues to deliver with 3 of the last 4 editions decided by 2 points or less. This year the Roosters come into the clash hot off a golden point thriller against the Storm in a grand final rematch that was arguably the game of the season so far. On the other hand the Dragons have notched up four consecutive wins after losing their opening two and the combination between new halves Ben Hunt and Corey Norman is starting to gel, much to the concern of oppositions. Unfortunately for the Roosters they will be without one of the form players of the competition in Luke Keary who has succumbed to a head knock from last weeks game but they will be pleased to welcome back captain Jake Friend and New Zealand international Joseph Manu from injury and suspension respectively. For Dragons coach Paul McGregor he has been able to name an unchanged side from last weeks victory over the Sea Eagles and will be hoping for another controlled performance from his side. In recent history the ANZAC day clash has been owned by the Dragons as they have won 3 of the last 4 and we predicting that without Luke Keary they will inflict the Roosters first loss since round 1 and extend their own winning streak to 5
Recommended Bet: St George Illawarra Dragons 1-12 $4.00
Melbourne Storm ($1.16) vs New Zealand Warriors ($5.00)
Thursday, 25th April 7:50pm, AAMI Park
The second of two traditional ANZAC day clashes sees the New Zealand Warriors travel to Melbourne to take on the Storm in the Thursday night prime time game. Both teams are coming off close losses as the Storm almost came back from a 20 point deficit in the 2018 grand final rematch whilst the Warriors went down by 7 points to the Cowboys as they lacked direction without veteran half Blake Green. Thankfully for the Warriors Green has been named to return from injury this week in a much needed boost to their lineup, although they will be missing star winger David Fusitu’a to injury. The Storm on the other hand have named an unchanged side as they look to avenge their first loss for 2019 and maintain their spot on top of what is a hotly contested ladder so far. In last years corresponding fixture the Warriors were embarrassed by 40 points and this has been the case over the last 4 years as the Storm have won the last 4 ANZAC day meetings between the club. With this in mind and after last weeks disappointing opening 20 minutes we are predicting Storm to extend their 4 year ANZAC day winning streak against the Warriors to 5 in convincing fashion.
Recommended Bet: Melbourne Storm -13.5 Line ($1.85)
Canterbury Bulldogs ($1.82) vs North Queensland Cowboys ($2.00)
Friday, 26th April 6:00pm, ANZ Stadium
In the 6pm Friday time slot we see the 13th placed North Queensland Cowboys travel down to Sydney to take on the current bottom of the ladder Canterbury Bulldogs in a pivotal game for both teams seasons. The Cowboys are coming off their first win in a month after defeating the Warriors in New Zealand for the first time in four years thanks to some Michael Morgan class that overshadowed another concerning defensive performance. The Bulldogs, however, suffered their 3rd straight defeat in a 14-6 loss against the Rabbitohs. This loss marked the second consecutive week that the Bulldogs have managed only one try and you can bet that Dean Pay will be sweating on a much improved attacking performance if his side are to get the win this week. The Cowboys also sprung a surprise by naming 2016 Dally M winner Jason Taumalolo on an extended bench as he looks to make his return from an MCL injury 3 weeks ahead of schedule in what would be a huge boost to their already impressive forward pack. The inclusion of Taumalolo could prove significant in the direction that this contest goes but with the Bulldogs being one of the few Sydney teams that Cowboys hold a strong record against, winning their last 4 against them here, we are tipping to Cowboys to notch back to back wins for the first time in 2019.
Recommended Bet: North Queensland Cowboys $2.00
Penrith Panthers ($2.25) vs South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.65)
Friday, 26th April 7:55pm, Panthers Stadium
Panic stations are beginning to be hit out at Penrith as they let a 14 point lead slip to the Sharks last week in what proved to be an incredibly uncharacteristic performance from a team who has come to be known as the fast finishers. To couple the poor start to the season for Panthers fans it has been confirmed that general football manager and club icon Gus Gould has resigned from his role in a move that will position Ivan Cleary with a whole lot more responsibility. How Penrith responds to this remains to be seen but they will have to be at their best as they face a South Sydney team who currently have only one loss all season and continue to find a way to win despite being undermanned and struggling to put together an 80 minute performance. The Rabbitohs can take confidence that despite not performing at their best they still lead the league in possession percentage and running metres, which proves a scary prospect for the Panthers when they have struggled to hold possession as a result of errors and missed tackles. With four of the last five games between these sides being decided by 4 points or less we are predicting another Friday night thriller that will go the way of the Rabbitohs.
Recommended Bet: South Sydney Rabbitohs 1-12 $3.00
West Tigers ($1.65) vs Gold Coast Titans ($2.20)
Saturday, 27th April 5:30pm, Scully Park
How a week in footy can change the outlook of two teams! The Tigers were coming off a huge win up at Suncorp Stadium against the Broncos but now find themselves on the back of a 51-6 embarrassment at the hands of the Eels whilst the Titans continue to go from strength to strength as they notched back to back wins for the first time since July last year. For Titans coach Garth Brennan he will be impressed how his sides attack has developed from managing only 36 points across the opening four rounds to mustering up a massive 68 points across the last two rounds thanks to a much improved kicking game and the return to form of Ashley Taylor and Tyrone Roberts. This improve in attack will scare a Tigers side whose defence was meant to be their stalwart until last weeks defeat. For the Tigers there are still no signs of veteran Benji Marshall as coach Michael Maguire has named an unchanged side from last weeks starting side whilst the Titans have lost Ryan James to a season ending ACL injury but welcome back New Zealand international Kevin Proctor to the starting lineup. In recent history this contest has been dominated by the side from the Gold Coast as they have won 5 of the last 6 meetings and with the unpredictability of a side who conceded 51 points just 5 days ago we are tipping the Titans to continue on their winning ways.
Recommended Bet: Gold Coast Titans $2.20
Brisbane Broncos ($1.65) vs Cronulla Sharks ($2.25)
Saturday, 27th April 7:35pm, Suncorp Stadium
Yet another defeat for the Brisbane Broncos and yet another side that is relatively unchanged with the only change being Tevita Pangai Junior returning from suspension as coach Anthony Seibold remains confident that his current side are the ones to turn around the 5 losses that they have suffered in their opening 6 games. On the other hand the Sharks have made only one change due to Briton Nikora being suspended, with Jason Bukuya coming in for him, and they are flying high as they turned around a 14 point deficit against the Panthers to secure their third win for the season. Luckily for the Broncos their record against the Sharks speaks for itself as they have won the last 4 games against the Sharks and the Sharks haven’t beaten them up in Brisbane since 2014. This record coupled with Anthony Milfords 150th game and the do-or-die scenario that that the Broncos now face leads me to think that they can notch up their second win in a close encounter with the Sharks.
Recommended Bet: Brisbane Broncos 1-12 $2.90
Manly Sea Eagles ($2.00) vs Canberra Raiders ($1.81)
Sunday, 28th April 2:00pm, Lottoland
Potentially one of the games of the round comes in at the penultimate game for round 7 as the high flying Canberra Raiders take on a Sea Eagles side who have surprised many with their form without star fullback Tom Trbojevic. The Raiders have arguably been one of the surprise packets of the season so far as they sit with only one loss and look a much more structured side in both attack and defence. They currently have the best defence in the league, averaging only 11 points conceded per game, and have one of the most dangerous back five in the competition who have the ability to score points from anywhere on the field. For the Sea Eagles it will be key that they stop the explosiveness of this back five and they will be relying on another strong performance from Martin Taupau who currently sits 10th in both all run metres and post-contact metres in the league so far in 2019. In recent history this has been a contest dominated by Manly who have won 3 of the last 4 including winning the last 2 at Lottoland but with the vast experience, quality and confidence that the Raiders side is playing we are predicting them to win a close one and notch their second consecutive win against the Sea Eagles.
Recommended Bet: Canberra Raiders -1.5 Line $1.90
Newcastle Knights ($2.20) vs Parramatta Eels ($1.65)
Sunday, 28th April 4:05pm, McDonald Jones Stadium
The last game of the round comes between two teams who sit at opposite ends of the spectrum after not only the first 6 rounds but after their efforts in last weeks matches. The Eels unveiled their new Bankwest Stadium in fashion on the back of a Mitchell Moses masterclass who became the first player to ever score the first try, goal kick and field goal at a stadium in history as he led the Eels to a 51-6 victory. On the other hand one of the early season favourites to return to finals, the Newcastle Knights, are coming off their 5th consecutive loss, 38-14 to the Titans, as they continue to put together lacklustre performances in both attack and defence. One area of confidence that the Knights can take into this weeks game is their record against the Eels as they have won their last 3 against them by a combined total of 47 points. Despite this record and the Eels coming off a 6 day turnaround from a high pressure game we are still leaning towards the Eels to continue their winning streak on the back of a much more reliable form line from 2019 so far.
Recommended Bet: Parramatta Eels -2.5 Line $1.90
