The Form Guide
It has taken them almost the entire home and away season, but as we head into Round 23 of the NRL it is the Sydney Roosters who can now claim to be the form team of the competition, and they justifiably sit at the top of the ladder. They were impressive in their win over the Rabbitohs last week, who themselves had been in good touch in the post Origin period. Those two teams are now locked on 32 competition points, a win clear of the Storm and the Panthers who round out the all important top 4.
The Storm were not their usually fluent selves in going down to the Sharks on Sunday afternoon, who desperately needed to reignite their finals run after some disappointing losses. Despite a mountain of possession in certain periods, the Storm were unable to unlock the stingy Sharks defence, and this would be the main concern on Craig Bellamy’s mind coming away from the loss. The Panthers grabbed the two points over the Gold Coast in almost unbelievable fashion, storming home after looking disinterested for large stretches. You could understand their malaise, given the tumultuous week the club had been through, so to grab a win in those circumstances, in whatever fashion it comes, was mighty impressive.
The bottom half of the top 8 is a real lottery at the moment. It is possible, believe it or not, that the Dragons’ slide might see them slip all the way out of the finals, if other results go against them. The Tigers sit just one win away from 8th spot, but it is the Broncos who are now in most danger. They continued to struggle last week, letting slip a handy lead against the last placed Cowboys to sacrifice what would have been a vital two points. All the talk this week has been about Wayne Bennett, but it should be focussed on where the Broncos are going to find a halfback for 2019 that can turn their potential into performance.
The Big Games
A number of games this weekend have the potential to destabilise the ladder as it stands. We kick off with one of the most crucial on Thursday night, with the Rabbitohs traveling to Brisbane to meet the Broncos. On current form, it is difficult to imagine anything other than a win for Souths, but there is so much riding on the result for Brisbane that surely they can pull a performance out of the hat. The scenario is clear for them. A loss to Souths, and the door will be open for the Tigers to leapfrog them on Saturday. Darius Boyd remains at fullback for Brisbane, with Jordan Kahu returning to the starting side at centre, while Greg Inglis hasn’t been named for the Rabbits despite the club being hopeful he would return. The two Origin hookers have returned to their clubs in very different veins of form, with Damien Cooke playing some outstanding football while Andrew McCullough hasn’t been able to take any of the load away from his struggling halves. Expect a committed performance from Brisbane given the circumstances, but will it be enough to upset the Bunnies?
Speaking of the Tigers, their Saturday matchup with the woeful Dragons is the other match that could alter the 8 significantly. If the Broncos have lost, Wests will know that a victory will see them into finals contention, and put their destiny back in their own hands. How can you explain what has happened to the Dragons this year, other than to say it looks eerily similar to last year? They were dreadful against the Eels, and much of the talk this week has focussed on the 0 runs and 0 metres for their $6 million man, Ben Hunt. With Gareth Widdop out injured and Kurt Mann coming into the halves, even more pressure will mount on Hunt. Perhaps the responsibility of running the side on his own might shock him back into some form, but what is certain is that the Dragons must find a way to halt their slide or the chokers tag will become a millstone around their neck.
Keep an eye the other games to track the form of the finals bound clubs. The Panthers have the Knights, and might be on the come down after their big couple of weeks. Nathan Brown is toying with the idea of bringing Kalyn Ponga into the halves, and the Knights might be able to claim a big scalp in this one. The Storm will want to get back on track, but the Eels will be full of confidence after last week’s demolition job on the Saints. Jarryd Hayne has found some form, and a potential contract renewal, and the clash of all four wingers will be worth the price of admission in this one. The Sharks meet the Cowboys on Saturday night, and Cronulla will be desperate to reproduce their form from last week to solidify their spot in the 8. Jonathan Thurston must be tiring of his farewell tour, and after their epic comeback against the Broncos, this one might be a bridge too far for the North Queenslanders.
Predictions
The Broncos will try hard but come up short against the Rabbits, and Manly will continue to show what might have been by beating the Titans. The Storm will squeeze the life out of Parramatta, but it won’t be a cakewalk, while the Knights will upset the Panthers without James Maloney. The Tigers will continue the slide by beating the Dragons, and Cronulla will put a score on the Cowboys. The Warriors will be too good for Canterbury, and the Roosters will stay at the top of the table with a win over the Raiders.
Best Bet
The Knights are unbelievable value at $3.70 against a Penrith team that could be very underwhelming. Take them head to head if you’re looking for the value, or play it safer with the 10.5 start at $1.90, as our best bets of the week.
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