NRL Round 13 Preview
The Form Guide
Is there a new top dog in the NRL? The Panthers certainly established themselves as the team to beat by dismantling a disappointing Dragons 28-2 on Saturday night. James Maloney and Nathan Cleary left Brad Fittler with no doubt about who he needed to pick as halves for NSW, while the much vaunted St George pack was outmuscled by the Penrith big men. The two teams are now deadlocked at the top of the table, but it is the Panthers who have all the upside at the moment. Dragons fans will be nervous about the regular late season fade outs they have suffered through, and the upcoming Origin period will test their mettle as well. The Rabbitohs and the Warriors met in the other top 4 clash, and again it was a one sided affair, this time the Bunnies running away with it. There is a lot to like about the way the Burgess brothers are re-establishing their authority after a number of underwhelming seasons. They too will be affected by Origin commitments, so will be hoping to come out the other side with their roster intact and still in the top 4.
Joining them after a run of 6 straight wins is Cronulla, who put the cleaners through the Knights on Sunday. The Sharks have flown under the radar, despite their winning streak, but will have caught everyone’s attention by landing in the top 4. They are relatively unaffected by Origin, so will look to solidify their spot over the next 6 weeks. The Storm, Roosters and Tigers all grabbed wins to cement their top 8 positions, while the Broncos are right there with them, despite a negative points differential that is hurting them at the moment. The Sea Eagles and Cowboys will feel desperately unlucky not to have come away with wins, and the North Queenslanders in particular can probably start planning their Mad Monday.
The Big Games
It’s a reduced round this weekend to cater for State of Origin, with only four games to sink our teeth into. The Sea Eagles and Cowboys meet on Thursday in a match both will see as an opportunity to fix their ailing season. With Origin reputation hitting both teams, there are plenty of unknowns, but the presence of Jonathan Thurston will be a rare treat for the Cowboys at this time of year. He will be determined to have an impact on his team’s fortunes during this period, and perhaps that will be enough to reignite his form.
The Rabbitohs host the Sharks in what should have been a really important match up, but rep commitments has taken some of the shine out of it. The Sharks still have their most important players on deck, and that should be enough to get them home. The Knights will be desperate to get their season back on track against the Eels, and they will have their young superstar Kalyn Ponga on deck after he failed to squeeze into Kevin Walters' team. He will know that any injuries in the Queensland backline could give him a huge opportunity, so will want to shine against the Eels. The Roosters will be missing some strike power against the Tigers on Sunday afternoon, but will be very keen not to let the Origin period derail the good form they have started to put together. The Tigers are up and down like a yo-yo, but will be very wary of a Roosters team that is starting to hit their straps.
Predictions
Manly are favourites to knock off the Cowboys on Thursday, but this game is exactly the reason Thurston has retired from Origin duty, so the champion halfback will get the North Queenslanders home. The Sharks are on a run, and will continue that against the Rabbits, while the Eels will get a rare win for this year over the Knights. Despite missing some key players, the Roosters, with Cooper Cronk pulling the strings, will be too strong the unpredictable Tigers.
Best Bet
The Sharks are on a roll, and for the first time in a long time have not been ravaged by Origin commitments, unlike Souths. They'll do some damage against the Rabbitohs, so the Sharks -4.5 at $2.03 is our best bet of the week.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
