Melbourne v Newcastle
6pm Friday 2 June 2017
AAMI Park
All attention will be on the team lists when they are announced on Friday afternoon with Storm duo Cam Smith and Cooper Cronk rumoured to be in doubt for the clash against the Knights. Centre Will Chambers was cited in Origin 1 but has accepted a fine and is eligible to play.
For the Knights, Dane Gagai who played strongly in the beaten side and is likely to suit up.
The Storm sit pretty on top of the competition ladder 2 points clear of the Sharks. They can probably afford to rest their Origin stars against the bottom-placed Newcastle side looking for the just 3rd win of the season.
The Knights welcome back fan-favourite Nathan Ross as well as Josh Starling and hard running lock, Mitch Barnett while the Storm get their forward leader in Jesse Bromwich back following his off-field indiscretions following the ANZAC Test.
Stadium Record
The two sides have surprisingly split their last 4 encounters at AAMI Park with 2 wins a piece.
Head to Head Record
Again, Newcastle has a more than respectable record winning 3 of the last 6 games against Melbourne with the average margin in these matches a tick under 6 points.
Tip: A lot hinges on the availability of Smith and Cronk however the Knights get a few starting regulars back to their side and have a decent record against the Storm.
Best Bet: Knights +14.5 $2.00
Odds: Storm 1.17 Knights 5.15
Parramatta v New Zealand
8pm Friday 2 June 2017
ANZ Stadium
Kieran Foran returns to take on his former club the Parramatta Eels tonight. It will be interesting to see what type of reception he receives from the Eels faithful given his well-documented mid-season departure last year.
The Warriors returned to the winners circle last week with a resounding win over an understrength Broncos at Mt Smart. That win snapped a 4 game losing streak for the Warriors. Coincidentally, their last win prior to that was against the Eels.
The Eels lose the services of captain Tim Mannah and Siosaia Vave for the match however welcome back hard hitting Nathan Brown to the fold. The Eels will also be out to put back to back wins on the board following a strong win over the Rabbitohs last week with the final scoreline flattering the opposition. A win here would momentarily elevate them to the Top 8 with the Raiders to play on Sunday.
Stadium Record
This will be these two sides have played against each other at ANZ Stadium. Warriors have lost 5 of their last 7 at the venue while Eels have won 6 of their last 8 at the venue.
Head to Head Record
Warriors have won 4 of the last 5 encounters against the Eels.
Tip: While these lose Mannah and Vave, the Eels back row really muscled up and showed their class last week. The Warriors are yet to on the road this year and don’t expect them to change that record this week.
Best Bet: Parramatta win $1.75
Odds: Parramatta $1.75 New Zealand $2.10
St George-Illawarra v Wests Tigers
3pm Saturday 3 June 2017
ANZ Stadium
Dragons host the Tigers on the first of three games on Super Saturday.
The Dragons have a number of big ins in the form of skipper Gareth Widdop and Blues trio Tyson Frizzell and Josh Dugan who have both reportedly come through the brutal Origin well. All three have been in exceptional form this season in particular Widdop who was the competition top points scorer prior to being injured in Round 8. He has also bagged 6 tries through just 8 games this season.
He will had another dimension to their attack which has been held together admirably by Josh McCrone and Dragons’ Mr Fixit, Kurt Mann. Dragons were sitting on top of the ladder prior to his injury so they will be looking to get their season back on track.
The Tigers finally got their man with Tuimoala Lolohea released by the Warriors late last week and named to start at preferred five-eighth position in his debut for the Leichhardt boys. His inclusion is a massive boost for the Tigers attack following the loss of Mitch Moses earlier in the year. The Tigers rebuild has very much a strong Warriors flavour to it with props Ben Matulino and Russell Packer joining the club in 2018. As well as Lolohea, the Tigers will be boosted by the return of Origin heroes James Tedesco and Aaron Woods on Saturday afternoon.
Stadium Record
Dragons have won 3 of the last 5 against the Tigers at ANZ Stadium.
Head to Head Record
The two sides have split the spoils in the last 4 encounters with two wins a piece. The Dragons won the two matches prior to that.
Tip: While the Tigers have some big inclusions, it is unlikely they will have much time to form their combinations so will have a big job on their hands to contain the high flying Dragons.
Best Bet: Dragons 13+ $2.10
Odds: St George-Illawarra $1.28 Wests Tigers $3.65
Sydney v Brisbane
5:30pm Saturday 3 June 2017
Allianz Stadium
Another match highly affected by Origin casualties with halves Mitch Pearce and Anthony Milford both ruled out with concussion for the Roosters and Broncos respectively. Roosters prop Dylan Napa suffered a leg injury on Wednesday and is also in doubt while the Broncos are also sweating on the availability of Corey Oates, Matt Gillett, Sam Thaiday and Josh McGuire.
Benji Marshall retains his spot in place of Anthony Milford while Connor Watson will again deputise for Mitch Pearce. Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough also returns after being sidelined with concussion in their loss against the Warriors last week.
Both sides sit equal third on the ladder with 16 competition points and both suffered last start defeats. It is always a cracking game between these two sides with the forwards battle always a highlight.
The Broncos were disappoint with their stars out last week. Ben Hunt returned from a number of weeks on the sidelines and partnered veteran Benji Marshall for the first time. They’ll be no doubt looking for a much improved performance this week. The Roosters got themselves into a winning position against the Raiders last week and were valiant in defeat.
Stadium Record
Roosters have won the last 3 against the Broncos at Allianz.
Head to Head Record
Roosters will be out to avenge their Round 6 defeat to the Broncos where they were beaten convincingly 32-8. Prior to that they had lost 3 of the last 5 to the Broncos.
Tip: Expect a bruising encounter between these two experienced forward packs. Much depends on the availability of Origin stars, keep an eye on team lists for late changes.
Best Bet: Under 37.5 1.90
Odds: Sydney $1.68 Brisbane $2.20
North Queensland v Gold Coast
7:30pm Saturday 3 June 2017
Allianz Stadium
Cowboys host the Titans to close out Super Saturday. Much like many of the matches this weekend, a bit watch will be on final teams. Immortal-in-waiting Jonathan Thurston was named on an extended bench however is highly unlikely to play. Centre Justin O’Neill will have a late scratching following concussion suffered in dying stages of Origin with Javid Bowen to gain a star. In more positive news, Michael Morgan will back up for the Cowboys. A loss here could see the Cows drop out of the top 8. The return of JT can’t come soon enough for the Cows.
For the Titans, Jarryd Hayne looks like he will back up but hooker Nathan Peats is all but certain to miss the clash. The Titans form has been patchy this season with strong wins over Sharks, Knights and Storm before dropping their most recent outing at home against the Sea Eagles. They currently sit 12th on the ladder, will be desperate for a win to stay in touch with the top 8.
Stadium Record
Cowboys have won their last 4 outings in Townsville. Titans have to look back to 2012 to find their last win there.
Head to Head Record
Cowboys have won the last 4 matches between the two sides as well as 5 of the last 6.
Tip: Much depends on the make up of the two sides. With Thurston out, Titans will have their best chance to break through for a win in Townsville for the first time since 2012.
Best Bet: Titans +6 $1.90
Odds: North Queensland $1.50 Gold Coast $2.50
Manly v Canberra
2pm Sunday 4 June 2017
Brookvale Oval
Manly will be without Maroons enforcer Nate Myles when they host the Raiders on Sunday afternoon. He is sidelined with an elbow injury suffered chicken wing tackle during Origin 1. For the Raiders, their sole Origin representative will likely play.
Manly are coming off the bye last week but will have their tails up after a dominate win over the Titans on the Gold Coast the week previous. They put in a strong performance on that occasion after being bashed by the Broncos in round 10. They will need to aim up against a monster Canberra pack while Bryan Kelly and Jorge Taufua will have their hands full in trying to defend the dangerous Leilua and Rapana duo.
The Raiders found themselves in real dog fight at GIO against the Roosters last week. Without their Origin stars, the Roosters put their best foot forward closing the margin to 2 points in the concluding stages before an Aidan Sezer try after the siren put the result to bed. It doesn’t get any easier with weekend facing the Sea Eagles on home soil. Their attack this season has yet to reach the lofty heights we have come to expect from the green machine and they would want to see it click sooner rather than later.
Stadium Record
Raiders won their last game at Brookvale. Prior to that Manly had won 8 of 10 matches at Brookvale.
Head to Head Record
Raiders have won 3 of the last 5 v Sea Eagles including a two-point victory in round 8 this year.
Tip: Tough game to pick with two evenly match sides, both coming off last start wins. Expecting plenty of points however with 5 of the last 6 matches end with a total of 45 points or more.
Best Bet: Total Points – Over 43.5 1.90
Odds: Manly $1.91 Raiders $1.91
Canterbury v Penrith
4pm Sunday 4 June 2017
ANZ Stadium
Canterbury and Penrith closes round 13 of the NRL with Penrith making a key changes to their spine with Matt Moylan moving to five-eighth which sees the return of rookie Dylan Edwards to the fullback position. They also welcome back Australian winger Josh Mansour who will be playing his first game in season 2017. Mitch Rein will make his debut for Penrith following a groin injury to veteran Peter Wallace.
For the Bulldogs, Brett Morris, David Klemmer and Josh Jackson are all looking to back up from Origin on Wednesday while captain James Graham is in doubt with a shoulder injury. Five Eighth Josh Reynolds remains sidelines for a couple more weeks.
The Dogs went down narrowly by 1 point to the Sharks last week. They played well in parts but as has been the case throughout the last two seasons, struggled to put points on the board. They’ve scored only 178 points this season through 12 matches; second worse attack behind the Tigers (152 points through 11 matches) while their defence remains intact sitting 6th on points conceded. These attacking woes has seen them slump to 3 consecutive losses.
Penrith will be out to show that they are true top 8 contenders following two straight wins overly lowly placed New Zealand and Newcastle. They’ve got momentum and moving their skipper Matt Moylan into the halves can only further enhance their attack.
Stadium Record
Dogs have won 3 of the last 4 games v Penrith at ANZ Stadium. Panthers have lost their last 5 at ANZ Stadium.
Head to Head Record
Since 2011, the two sides have split wins with 5 wins a piece.
Tip: A tight game to close out the round, favouring Dogs slightly with their record against the Panthers at ANZ.
Best Bet: Canterbury win $2.05
Odds: Canterbury $2.05 Penrith $1.77
