2024 NRL Round 9 Betting Predictions
Round 9 of the NRL season starts with an embattled Rabbitohs trying to hold off the red-hot Panthers in Sydney on Thursday night footy.
South Sydney Rabbitohs (17th) vs Penrith Panthers (3rd)
South Sydney got absolutely smashed by the Storm on ANZAC Day, copping a brutal 54-20 loss. They've been having a shocker of a season, only managing to get one win so far and that was a close one against the Bulldogs on Good Friday. To add insult to injury, they've gone and sacked their head coach, Jason Demetriou. Talk about rough times. On top of all that, they've only won one out of their last six games against the Panthers. Now, with Taane Milne copping a two-match suspension, the Rabbitohs are bringing Izaac Tu'itupou Thompson back into the mix on the wing.
As for the Panthers, they're on the hunt for their third consecutive win as they head back to NSW to take on the Rabbitohs. They're coming off a gutsy 26-20 win against the Cowboys up in Townsville last Saturday night. The Panthers have been in decent form at this venue, winning 10 out of their last 12 games at Accor Stadium. Panthers winger Brian To’o likes the venue too, scoring 10 tries in 10 games at Accor Stadium.
A change in coach usually gives a struggling team some spark but I think the Rabbitohs defence will struggle to contain the in-form Panthers with Cleary back. So I like the Over, which is 7-0 when the Panthers play at Stadium Australia.
Stadium Record
South Sydney are 4-6 in their last 10 games at this venue. Penrith are 8-3 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Panthers are 8-2 against the Rabbitohs.
Best Bet
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (4th) vs Canberra Raiders (10th)
The Sea Eagles have been on a ripper run lately. They haven't lost in the past month and they pulled off a cracker of a comeback against the Eels, nabbing a solid 32-18 win in Round 8. That puts them in the fourth spot on the ladder as we head into Round 9. Captain Daly Cherry-Evans is back in action after dodging a suspension charge. They've won three out of their last four games against the Raiders. When they're playing at 4 Pines Park, they've been on fire, scoring a whopping 139 points in their past four games there.
The Green Machine copped a real tough one without their main man Jamal Fogarty last week. They were struggling big time to get anything going with the ball and to make matters worse, they missed a whopping 64 tackles! It was a real shocker of a performance in their Round 8 match against the Sharks, ending up on the wrong end of a 40-0 thrashing. Coach Ricky Stuart isn't mucking around after that drubbing. He's made a few changes to shake things up, bringing in Albert Hopoate to take over from the rookie Chevy Stewart at fullback. Nick Cotric is getting a run on the wing, replacing James Schiller. Plus, Elliott Whitehead is back from injury in the second row, pushing Simi Sasagi out of the squad.
It's going to be tough going for the Raiders without their halfback and the Sea Eagles are 5-0 ATS at 4 Pines Park.
Stadium Record
Manly are 4-1 in their last 5 games at this venue. Canberra are 1-2 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10 meetings, the Sea Eagles hold a 7-3 record against the Raiders.
Best Bet
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles -13.5 = $1.85
Brisbane Broncos (5th) vs Sydney Roosters (7th)
Brisbane absolutely dominated the Wests Tigers last Saturday. Their attack was on fire, especially with Reece Walsh leading the charge after some grunt work from Patrick Carrigan and the forwards up front. They smashed it with a huge 34-10 win, making it the fifth game in a row where they've scored a ripper 28 points or more. The Broncos haven't lost a game at home all season either. Ezra Mam is back from a finger injury and Selwyn Cobbo is back in action after a shoulder issue.
The Roosters absolutely smashed the Dragons on ANZAC Day, racking up a massive 60-18 win. Sam Walker was pulling off some epic plays, showing off his playmaking skills for coach Trent Robinson. Now, last year wasn't all smooth sailing for the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium. They copped losses in both their trips there. But here's the good news: they've won four out of their last five games against the Broncos. Veteran winger Daniel Tupou is back in action after a week out with a dodgy knee.
The total looks a bit too low for a matchup between two of the best attacking sides in the NRL. The Over is also 11-4 in the Broncos last 15 games.
Stadium Record
In their last 10 games at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane holds a 7-3 record. Sydney are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Roosters are 4-1 against the Broncos in the last 5 meetings.
Best Bet
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (8th) vs Wests Tigers (15th)
The Dogs smashed the Newcastle Knights with a massive 36-12 win before they kicked back for the bye in round 8. They've really stepped up their game this season, giving the top teams a run for their money. Big props to Viliame Kikau, Stephen Crichton and Matt Burton for their form. The Dogs have won three out of their last four games against the Wests Tigers too.
The Tigers have had their moments of brilliance this year, but they're feeling pretty rough after copping a 34-10 hiding from the Broncos last weekend. Now, keep a close watch on Api Koroisau after he copped a back injury on Saturday. Coach Benji Marshall reckons he'll be right to hit the field though. On another note, the Tigers haven't had much luck at Accor Stadium lately. They've lost their last nine games there.
The Dogs should be fresh from the bye and smashed the Knights previously. The Tigers have an awful record at this venue and I think the Dogs get the job done.
Stadium Record
Canterbury are 4-6 in their last 10 games at this venue. Wests are 4-10 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
The Bulldogs are 6-5 against the Tigers since 2018.
Best Bet
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs -7.5 = $1.85
Gold Coast Titans (16th) vs Melbourne Storm (2nd)
Not many gave the Gold Coast a chance at beating the Warriors over in Auckland on ANZAC Day, but they proved us all wrong. They stepped up their attack big time and pulled off a gutsy goal-line stand in the dying moments to snatch the win. With David Fifita back in top form and AJ Brimson tearing it up at fullback, things are looking up for the club in 2024. Finally, some reason to be optimistic! But, let's not forget the Titans' track record at Cbus Super Stadium. They've been leaking points, conceding 28 points or more in their last six games there. They'll need to tighten up their defence big time.
The Storm are on a roll with a four-game win streak under their belt. They smashed the Rabbitohs 54-20 at AAMI Park without breaking a sweat. But they coped a couple of injuries to star winger Xavier Coates and big man Nelson Asofa-Solomona. Overall, Melbourne's been absolutely dominant in these matchups, coming out on top against the Gold Coast in 20 out of their 27 meetings. It's also Munster's 200th NRL game for the Storm so they'll be fired up.
The Over is 5-1 with these two sides on the Gold Coast and the Storm are coming off a 52-pt haul at home. So they could produce a similar result against the Titans leaky defence.
Stadium Record
Gold Coast are 3-7 in their last 10 games at this venue. Melbourne are 5-1 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Storm are 9-1 against the Titans.
Best Bet
North Queensland Cowboys (9th) vs Dolphins (6th)
The Cowboys are keen as to pull off another big win against the Dolphins, just like they did in Round 1. Last round, they had a real close one against the Panthers. They fought hard in the second half, but couldn't quite catch up to the reigning premiers. The Panthers got off to a ripper of a start, leading 18-4 at halftime and eventually took the win with a score of 26-20. Now, when it comes to playing against the Dolphins, the Cowboys have been on fire lately. They've racked up a total of 77 points in their last two matchups.
The Dolphins didn't really hit their stride until late in their game against the Knights and coach Wayne Bennett wasn't too pleased about it. He'll be cracking the whip for a better start from his team next time around. They managed to snag two tries in the last three minutes to make the scoreline look a bit better, but Jamayne Isaako's usually reliable boot let them down, only landing one out of three conversion attempts in the 18-14 loss. To add to their woes, Dolphins captain Jesse Bromwich has got a calf issue and will need to get some scans done. And on top of that, his younger brother Kenny's out of action too, dealing with concussion protocols.
There are usually plenty of points with the Cowboys involved as the Over is 6-0 in their last 6.
Stadium Record
North Queensland are 7-3 in their last 10 games at this venue. The Dolphins are 1-0 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Cowboys hold a 2-1 record against the Dolphins.
Best Bet
Newcastle Knights (13th) vs New Zealand Warriors (12th)
Newcastle's got their eyes set on back-to-back wins for the first time this year. They showed some real fighting spirit in a morale-boosting victory over the Dolphins last Sunday and now they're hungry for more. With Kalyn Ponga out for three months with a lisfranc injury, rookie fullback David Armstrong stepped up big time. Unfortunately, their Round 8 win came with a bit of a downside. Jacob Saifiti, Jed Cartwright and Greg Marzhew all picked up injuries, and they're gonna be spending some time on the sideline.
The Warriors got off to a cracking start with a 12-0 lead last week, but they let the Titans get their first win for the season. Now, Andrew Webster ain't hitting the panic button just yet. When it comes to playing against the Knights, the Warriors have had a decent run lately. They've won three out of their last four games. Veteran back-rower Kurt Capewell's back in action after a throat injury.
The Knights showed they can win without Ponga last week and have won their 9 on Sunday in Newcastle. With the Warriors coming off a loss against the Titans, look for the Knights to possibly cause an upset as well.
Stadium Record
Newcastle are 8-2 in their last 10 games at this venue. New Zealand are 1-3 at this venue since 2018.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10 meetings, the head to head is squared at 5-5.
Best Bet
Newcastle Knights +4.5 = $1.95
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1st) vs St. George Illawarra Dragons (11th)
The Sharks are flying high after racking up their fourth win in a row with a massive 40-0 thrashing of the Raiders over in Canberra. Nicho Hynes was leading the charge with another masterclass performance on Sunday. When it comes to derby matches, history's on the Sharks' side. They've come out on top in the last seven showdowns. When they faced off against the Dragons in 2023, the Sharks were on fire, scoring a whopping 92 points across two games.
The Dragons are fired up for this year's Southern Sydney showdown, especially with Shane Flanagan back in Cronulla as the opposition coach. They've been in good form lately, winning 8 out of their first 8 matches. But that 60-18 thrashing they copped from the Roosters on ANZAC Day stung real bad and now they're itching to bounce back strong. They've already pulled off a couple of upsets this season by beating both Manly and the Warriors in the last few weeks.
Hard to see the Dragons pulling off an upset after allowing 60 pts. The Sharks have scored 40+ pts in 2 straight games and have won 5 of their last 6 by a 13+ margin.
Stadium Record
Cronulla are 3-2 in their last 5 games at this venue. Since 2018, St. George have a 1-3 record at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Sharks are 9-3 against the Dragons since 2018.
Best Bet
