Round 14 Preview
The post Origin round can be quite difficult to get a gauge on as lineups change heavily dependent on their Origin contingent, however a number of intriguing clashes are lined up which should make for a good round of Rugby League.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles ($1.37) v North Queensland Cowboys ($3.10)
Friday 11th June 6:00PM, Four Pines Stadium
A battle between sixth and seventh is the perfect encore to Wednesday night’s Origin opener, and while both sides' Origin platers have been named, it remains to be seen whether they will all play on the two day turnaround. The Sea Eagles have spent an extra week dwelling on their shock loss to the Knights in Newcastle and will be eager to move one step closer to locking up their spot in the top eight after the resurgence over the past two months. Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ resurgence continues with Todd Payten’s side riding the highs of a thrilling one-point win over the Warriors two weeks ago thanks to the boot of Valentine Holmes. The Sea Eagles have dominated this fixture recently with three wins from their last five games against the Cowboys, and it is no surprise to find them as the firm favourites with home-field advantage. North Queensland has struggled on the road this year winning only one from five, but it is interesting to note the Cowboys have won their last three trips to Brookvale, or Four Pines Stadium as it will be known this Friday. Jason Taumalolo has been averaging over 70 post contact metres in the last 3 rounds and will be key once again for the Cowboys to improve their poor away record and as such I’m anticipating a tight game to kick off Friday night.
Recommended Bet: Cowboys +8.5 $1.90
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks ($2.95) v Penrith Panthers ($1.40)
Friday 11th June 7:55PM, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
The Sharks come in well rested for the feature game on Friday night, while Ivan Cleary hasn’t named any of his Origin stars to start, bar 18th man Api Koroisau who will start at 9 for Penrith. Penrith walked away with a 48-0 shutout when these two sides met in May, however new coach Josh Hannay is beginning to settle into his role, with his side winning their last 2 and performing admirably against the Rabbitohs prior to that. With a lot of wet weather around Sydney and both sides tending to score the majority of their points in the second half, I’m keen on the unders saluting in the first half to kick off you long weekend in style.
Recommended Bet: First half points under 23.5 $1.89
Gold Coast Titans ($3.75) v Sydney Roosters ($1.20)
Saturday 12th June 3:00PM, Cbus Super Stadium
A game against the Roosters couldn’t have come at a worse time for Titans coach Justin Holbrook with Gold Coast’s downward spiral continued last week with a heartbreaking loss to the Storm on the Sunshine Coast, a result that has left the Titans sitting 12th on the ladder, way below the lofty expectations set in the pre season. Making matters worse, the Roosters head into Saturday’s game well-rested after downing the Raiders 44-16 in Sydney a fortnight ago, and with James Tedesco name and Angus Chrichton returning from suspension the Roosters will go in full of confidence.
Roosters fans can also rest easy knowing their club holds the wood over the Titans having won six straight over the Gold Coast dating back to 2016, three of which have come by double-digit margins, which bodes well for our recommended bet here.Defensively the Titans have been awful this year and it’s very difficult to build a case for them causing an upset as they rank sixth in missed tackles and second to penalties conceded with all signs pointing to a comfortable Roosters win.
Recommended Bet: Roosters 13+ $2.00
Joseph Manu to score a try $2.50
South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.14) v Newcastle Knights ($5.60)
Saturday 12th June 5:30PM, Stadium Australia
The Knights looked well on their way to getting things back on track with a win over Manly a fortnight ago, but that joy was quickly short-lived as Newcastle coughed up 40 points to the Eels in an embarrassing loss at home last week on Old Boys Day. If the Knights thought the Eels’ attack was tough, they’re about to find things even harder on Saturday against a well-rested Rabbitohs side that recently punished Parramatta by double digits in Round 12 and now back to full-strength, Souths are easily one of the most dangerous teams in the competition moving forward as Wayne Bennett’s crew looks to move a step closer to cementing their spot in the top four after a lull in form during Latrell Mitchell’s suspension and Cameron Murray’s injury. Alex Johnston continues to be one of the most underrated players in the competition, and his competition leading 18 linebreaks to go along with 12 tries are arguably one the most important aspects of the Rabbitohs attack.
Recommended Bet: Rabbitohs 13+ $1.52
Canberra Raiders ($1.35) v Brisbane Broncos ($3.20)
Saturday 12th June 7:35PM, GIO Stadium
There’s still plenty of footy left, but this feels like a must-win game as far as the Raiders are concerned, especially with the log jam in the middle of the table. Injuries and a basic lack of effort and execution has left Ricky Stuart’s men with work to do, but one big win over the Broncos this week would be enough to lift them much, much closer to the top eight. As for the Broncos, a win is just as crucial with a second straight wooden spoon still on the cards. Unfortunately, Brisbane gave its fans very little to cheer about last week on the road against the Dragons, and this trip to Canberra won’t exactly have fans full of confidence either. In positive news in will be great to see Karmichael Hunt return to the Broncos after many years playing AFL and Rugby, and while he won’t be the attacking spark who once dominated for the Maroons and Kangaroos, he will provide a high level of experience in the young Broncos side. Brisbane have struggled to win in the nation's capital of the previous few seasons and it’s hard to see that streak coming to an end now and with the Raiders coming off a bye bye, this is an ideal game for them to get things back on track.
Recommended Bet: Raiders -8.5 $1.90
New Zealand Warriors ($4.80) v Melbourne Storm ($1.18)
Sunday 13th June 2:00PM, Central Coast Stadium
The Storm are not only out for their 11th straight win of the season, but also their 11th straight win over the Warriors, which included a 50-6 thumping in the back end of the 2020 season. Melbourne overcame a late sin-binning to stave off the Titans last week – a result that has left the Storm only two points behind the Panthers on the ladder and may end the round on top of the ladder if the Sharks are able to record an upset win on Friday evening.
The Warriors, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back from their agonizing loss to the Cowboys a fortnight ago and seem to grow a leg in their home away from home on the Central Coast where they have only lost twice this season. Stopping the potent Storm attack which leads the league in tries and linebreaks will be they key for the Warriors, however with the Storm naming a virtually full strength line up apart from Ryan Papenhuyzen I can see them doing a number on their Kiwi counterparts.
Recommended Bet: Storm -13.5 $1.90
Parramatta Eels ($1.28) v Wests Tigers ($3.70)
Sunday 13th June 4:05PM, Bankwest Stadium
The Eels are looking to build on the momentum of last week’s stunning 40-4 win over Newcastle, while the Tigers are also riding the highs of a thorough 26-6 win over a half-strength Panthers team and appear to be stringing some convincing performances together over the past month. The Eels extended their winning streak to six over the Tigers with a commanding 14-point win when these two sides met earlier in April and that they’re back to full strength made short work of the Newcastle defence out last round. As far as the rematch goes, the Tigers do have enough talent to keep this close, particularly on the defensive side where they’ve been surprisingly efficient all year, with the attack picking up in recent weeks as previously mentioned. Bankwest tends to lend itself to high-scoring games, and while I believe the Eels will win, I’m going to take the Tigers on the line, albeit with little confidence.
Recommended Bet: Tigers +11.5 $1.90
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ($4.40) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($1.19)
Monday 14th June 4:00PM, Stadium Australia
Things looked pretty grim for the Dragons this time last week, but a big win over the Broncos was just what the doctor ordered for the Red V. The Saints still find themselves sitting eighth on the ladder after snapping their three-game skid, and they should sense the importance of this game with a couple of vital games against the Raiders and Warriors coming up before their first bye of the season. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are looking to snap a five-game skid after suffering a 30-4 defeat to the Panthers a fortnight ago. Canterbury should be well-rested after taking last week off, but recent history doesn’t favour Trent Barrett’s side having lost four of their last five to the Dragons, which includes a 32-12 loss at Netstrata Jubillee Oval in May. With a win likely to prove very crucial to the outcome of their season, the Dragons should be able to ride the momentum of last weeks win and record a big win to end round 14.
Recommended Bet: Dragons -13.5 $1.90
