Category: NRL

Roosters to Shade Sea Eagles in Blockbuster Clash

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Bulldogs Under the Pump

When you are coming off a 36-0 thumping and the recent headlines have all been about a crisis at the club and massive clouds over the future of your coach, then it’s hard to go into a game with too much confidence.

But that’s exactly what the under pressure Bulldogs will need on Thursday night when they face the Broncos.

Contrarians and true believers who think there is nothing better to galvanise a bunch of players than a heavy defeat last time out and a sense of panic around a club can take the $3.40 for the hosts available with Unibet…But they will have to be optimists. The Broncos are $1.40 with the same company

Show Night at Allianz

Friday night is show night, and what better prospect than the big clash between the Sea Eagles and the Roosters at Allianz Stadium.

The Roosters are flying high and are one of only two teams with a 100 per cent record this season, the Sydneysiders topping the early season table on points difference.

The Roosters have been good in the tighter matches this season, while Manly has been big winners at their past two outings.

Still, the Roosters are well fancied here, with Ladbrokes and Bet 365 putting them up at $1.38, with those who reckon the Sea Eagles can keep their recent winning vein going able to get $3.35 from Unibet.

This promises to be a tense, tight and taut affair, with the Roosters fancied to shade it.

The Cowboys entertain the Rabbitohs, also on Friday night, and the Queenslanders will be looking to go on with the job with a victory over a Rabbitohs side coming off a loss to the rampaging Roosters in round four.

The Cowboys were last time out winners, bouncing back from their heavy defeat against Manly in round three to see off the Titans in the Queensland derby last weekend. So, it’s hardly surprising that they are short-priced favourites here (top price of $1.32 with Unibet), and they should justify market confidence.

Storm Set to Continue Run

Premiers Cronulla should have too much for the hapless Newcastle Knights on Saturday evening.

The Storm is the ultimate grinders and they are expected to confirm their dominance over the Penrith Panthers, against whom they usually win, on Saturday evening. Those who reckon this can be a home banker can get $1.60 with Unibet.

On the same day, the Raiders host the Eels at GIO Stadium and will fancy their chances of making it seven straight wins against their opponents at that venue. The Canberra side may well be only 1-3 for the season so far, but two of those losses have been by narrow margins, and they are around the $1.45 mark to win here.

The New Zealand Warriors are favoured to beat the Titans across the ditch on Sunday, while St George Illawarra and the Tigers face off in an intriguing encounter on Sunday, where the Dragons can be backed at $1.60 with Sportsbet to continue their good start to 2017.

Can the Sharks Weather the Storm in 2016 NRL Grand Final?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Sunday may well be a day of rest for many, but certainly not in Sydney this Sunday October 2nd. All of Australia will be tuning in to watch the NRL Grand Final, and thousands of fans will pack the impressive ANZ Stadium in Sydney to witness the clash between Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks unfold.

So what chances have each team got in this NRL Grand Final match? Where should your money go? Where will the decisive battles be fought? These are the vital questions that need to be answered before you wager your hard earned money on the result.

Previous Meetings

So what can we make of the two previous encounters between these two teams this season? Well actually we can base very little on them, except for the fact that each team utilised home advantage very well. The Sharks came out ahead in round 4 at their Southern Cross home 14-6. However the Storm reversed that in impressive style in round 26 when they cruised to a 26-6 victory.

All of the major betting firms have Melbourne Storm as the clear favourite to win this match. In part that is based on their long winning streak of 15 matches on the spin during the 2016 season. On top of this we can add the following impressive stats, and we all love stats when we are about to wager our valuable money, don’t we?

A Team for the Big Occasion

The Sharks are playing in their first Grand Final since 1997 while Melbourne Storm are appearing in their sixth in the past ten years. So it is clear which team is the most consistent. William Hill have Melbourne Storm at 8/11 favourites, with the Sharks at 6/5.

If those odds don’t get your juices flowing, then how about a bet on the first try scorer? First though, let’s examine where the key battles will be fought. The Storm may have the big game finals experience and history but is that enough? Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk will be using their vast experience to dictate the game for the Storm. They are both incredibly adept at getting into key positions for field goals and that could prove decisive.

First Try Scorer Odds

This game looks set to be a tight affair. That’s why the higher odds of first try scorer may appeal more. So what value can be found in these markets? Well William Hill have Suliasi Vunivalu as the clear favourite at 7/1. If you want bigger odds and a better payoff then how about the Sharks taking the lead, and Valentine Holmes touching down first? That pays 9/1, and if you fancy the Sharks to prevail anyway then this bet makes a lot of sense.

Winning Margin Odds

As we have already stated, this game looks set to be tight. There is too much at stake for a huge winning margin to be expected, and the 26-6 victory by Melbourne Storm in round 26 looks unlikely to be repeated. However, if you fancy Melbourne to overrun the Sharks by the same margin, then check these odds out!

William Hill go 11/1 on a winning margin of 16-20 points for the Storm. If you’re leaning towards Melbourne for the win, but with less than a 10pt margin, then why not place two bets? You can get 9/2 on a 5pt margin or less for Melbourne. Couple that with odds of 5/1 for the Storm to win by 6-10pts and you have the makings of a tasty bet.

The fact remains though that whoever starts out stronger in this Sunday’s NRL Grand Final will hold a key advantage. It seems to favour Melbourne simply based on the fact that they have been there before and bought the t-shirt so to speak.

 

 

Maguire on this weekends game with the Roosters

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Rabbitohs Head Coach, Michael Maguire, says that the Roosters are the on-field benchmark in the competition ahead of this Friday’s Round 26, Ron Coote Cup clash at Allianz Stadium.

Maguire is expecting a fired up Roosters outfit when the two teams clash for the second time this season – the Roosters playing for a Minor Premiership while the Rabbitohs will be looking to finish as high as fourth with victory.

“(We’re) playing against a team in the Roosters that have been leading the way,” said Maguire of the Tricolours, who scored an impressive win over Manly in Round 25 despite being ravaged by injury.

“They’re shooting for records in how many wins they’ve won – I think it’s up to 13 or 14 or something like that.

“We know exactly what kind of team we’re going to expect, so it’s about what we do.”

In a message to Club Members yesterday (Tuesday), Maguire addressed rumours about his future at the Club and emphasised it again today to the Rugby League media by looking to the future at Redfern.

“I think there’s a lot of improvement in us as a Club on and off the field,” said Maguire.

“I really enjoy the fact that we’ve grown to where we’ve been, but there’s a lot more that we want to achieve in this Club.

“I’ve got a lot of people who have big visions of where we’re going and the Coaches, my staff, my players – they work extremely hard towards the things that we want to achieve.”

Rugby League: NRL Round 11 Preview

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In a shortened pre-Origin week only eight teams get to flex their considerable bulk.  For many of them however, they’ll be without their leaders, their talisman and their original representatives.  North Queensland are affected badly with the loss of Thurston, and the Broncos lose a handful of players, but every team loses at least one player apart from the Raiders.

There are also plenty of injury concerns in the Queensland camp, so look out for some late changes to the final 17’s.

Let’s take a closer look at the four Round 11 matchups:

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Parramatta Eels

Rabbitohs – $1.47

Eels – $2.75

Greg Inglis and Will Hopoate are the two who miss out on Friday night’s opener due to origin.  It would be tidy to argue that the absences cancel each other out, but Inglis (even in his current patchy form) is a better footballer than Hopoate, thus is the bigger loss to his side.

Having said that, the Rabbitohs have the quality around the rest of the paddock to make it up.  Alex Johnston who was unlucky to miss out to Hopoate in the first instance will shift to fullback with Joel Reddy filling ion the wing.  In other team changes Jason Clark is back, and Michael Maguire has named a six strong bench, probably to assess Grevsmuh fitness after head knocks in his past two games.

John Folau gets a game on the wing for the Eels and Junior Paulo also returns via the interchange for the injured Isaac De Gois.

Souths were strong in the second half against the Storm last week, and although they miss Adam Reynolds dearly, will probably have too much quality for the plucky Eels.

As an aside, we’ll be surprised if Luke Kelly gets the kicking duties for Parramatta again.

Rabbitohs 1-12.

Wests Tigers v North Queensland Cowboys

Tigers – $1.45

Cowboys – $2.75

The Cowboys form has been scintillating over the past few weeks.  A major reason for the surge has been Thurston (and James Tamou, and Matt Scott, and Michael Morgan), who leaves needing big Origin series, but also leaves his team in an almighty hole.

Solid but unspectacular names like Ray Thompson, Rory Kostjasyn, Glenn Hall and Kelepi Tanginoa help fill the void, if such a statement could even be contemplated.  Jason Taumalolo is rumoured to be close to a return in some positive news for Paul Green.

Ball playing will be the major problem for the Cowboys, which is completely unique to them in this match up given the undeniable skill of the Tigers’ halves pairing of Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses.  Robbie Farah is obviously a blow, but Jason Taylor has been gearing them up for this by resting the workhorse over the opening rounds.

Taking over from Farah is Dene Halatau, while Matt Lodge starts in the front row for Aaron Woods.

An Origin round is always worth an upset, so we’ll pick it for this one.  Tigers 1-12 (although it’s not a massive upset as they are favourites with the bookies).

Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs

Raiders – $1.45

Bulldogs – $2.75

The 2015 surprise packet Raiders will feel comfortable at home knowing they won’t face Hodkinson, Morris, Jackson and Klemmer on Sunday at GIO Stadium.  In contrasting situations, the Raiders are unchanged while the Bulldogs are badly Origin-affected.

That points to a Raiders win – leveraging off barnstorming recruits Iosia Soliola and Frank-Paul Nuuausala.  Throw Josh Papali (who was unlucky to miss out on selection too) and you have a damaging forward unit that should prove too much for the new look Bulldogs.  Especially if James Graham is scratched as he is expected to be.

The Raiders always bring the excitement, so expect plenty of points and a Raiders win by 13+.

Newcastle Knights v Brisbane Broncos

Knights – $1.50

Broncos – $2.60

The relatively unaffected (Beau Scott the exception) Knights are expected to be too strong for the Broncos at home on Monday night.  Still without Jarrod Mullen the Knights’ superior home record is the reason behind their strong favouritism, but we think this will be anything but one-sided.

Yes, the Broncos lose so much grunt when Parker, Thaiday, Gillett, McQuire leave, and they lose x-factor when Boyd and Hodges join the Queensland camp.  However, their halves pairing that now have 10 rounds under their belt are unaffected.  Hunt and Milford (throw in Kahu too) have the makings to be a handy combination and can still win games on their own.

That’s what I am expecting them to do.  And by 13+ points too.

This Week’s Mutli

Head to Head @ $8.03

Margin @ $155.91

Rugby League: NRL Round 10 Review

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Wins to the Storm, the Cowboys and the Dragons have seen all three of them join the Broncos at the top of the NRL ladder.  All three enjoyed comfortable wins against quality opposition in a round that also saw two games go to golden point deciders.

Here’s our take on the eight Round 10 games:

Canterbury Bulldogs (10) v Sydney Roosters (24)

James Graham lasted just 27 minutes in his return from injury and the Bulldogs captain was badly missed as Sydney scored a comfortable win to kick off Round 10.  Jake Friend was the main beneficiary of the increased space he was afforded post Graham’s concussion.  Friend exploited the middle of the park expertly and had two try assists in a fine individual performance.  The other standout individual performance came from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck whose fleet footed antics resulted in 285 running metres and a 38th minute try.

The Roosters two tries before half time effectively sealed the game before Mitch Aubusson and Aidan Guerra rounded it off.  The 24-14 margin made to a look a little closer than it ever was because a late try to Moses Mbye.

The NSW halves battle that was tipped as an Origin trial was slightly disappointing.  None of the four players reached any great heights, however that won’t worry coach Laurie Daley as much as Michael Jennings’ failure to finish the game.

North Queensland Cowboys (31) v Brisbane Broncos (20)

The Cowboys avenged a Round 3 loss to the Broncos by playing near flawless footy to run out winners by 31 to 20.  The Cowboys completed their sets at close to 90% and turned a weight of possession and pressure into a Michael Morgan hat-trick.

That was despite conceding the opening two tries of the game as a fast starting Broncos side led through Lachlan Maranta and Jordan Kahu.  The Broncos initially did well to prevent the predictable Cowboys comeback, but so exceptional was Jonathan Thurston’s game management they couldn’t do so forever.

Thurston was excellent, controlling play, and using Morgan, Coote, Ethan Lowe and James Tamou expertly to deliver two competition points for his side and see them join the Broncos at the top of the table.  From a horror start they Cowboys have now won seven in a row and are absolutely certain of featuring in the playoffs, perhaps against the Broncos late in the season.

The Broncos played their part in the Friday night thriller, and had good returns form the ever reliable Corey Parker and the origin ready Darius Boyd.

Parramatta Eels (13) v New Zealand Warriors (17)

For the second consecutive week the Warriors needed a match winner and this time they got someone who wasn’t Shaun Johnson.  Sure Johnson was magical earlier on in the match, in particular his 19th minute try and some clutch goalkicking, but the real star of the show was Bodene Thompson.

After the match was tied 13-all at the end of normal time, and the golden point period was coming to a close, Thompson took the opportunity to go unnoticed (most eyes were on Johnson and Townsend for the field goal) to crash over and get the Warriors their fifth win of 2015.

It should have been a little more comfortable for the Warriors, as they led 12-0 at half time despite losing Ryan Hoffman for the match in the 3rd minute and Leuluai to a similar fate in the 24th.  The double loss gave coach Andrew McFadden plenty of interchange headaches, and the toll on the Warriors players legs eventually told early in the second half.

Two tires inside six minutes at the start of the second half got the Eeels back in the game, and in truth they were the better team in the final moments and will be disappointed not to have capitalised on a weak Warriors left side.

The Warriors will be pleased with their rare away win, but they are not looking title material.  The five wins they have registered this season have come against the Eels (2), Raiders, Sharks and Tigers – hardly worrying.

Gold Coast Titans (22) v Cronulla Sharks (23)

The Second golden point match of the round saw the Sharks grab a much needed win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium.

Valentine Holmes was the scoreboard hero, kicking an 81st minute field goal to break the 22-all deadlock, but it was veteran Luke Lewis who provided the inspiration.
Lewis also had a try, however his contribution to both Jack Bird’s try and the first set of extra time was critical.  Lewis’ key plays and Andrew Fafita’s work rate will have please coach Shane Flanagan immensely, so too NSW coach Laurie Daley.
Aidan Sezar had earlier missed the chance to win the game in normal time when he failed to convert Anthony Don’s try from wide out.  The Titans will need to start taking opportunities like this if they are to get anything out of the season – a prospect looking unlikely after 10 rounds.

Melbourne Storm (16) v South Sydney Rabbitohs (12)

Adam Reynolds was always going to be a big loss for the Rabbitohs, and his absence saw his teammates struggle to match an imperious Storm side at AAMI Park.  Gutsy as they were without their pivot the Rabbitohs came up one try short, going down 16-12.

All of Melbourne’s points came in the first half.  Weak defence allowed Jesse Bromwich to waltz over for his first try of the season in the 19th minute to offset an early Bryson Goodwin penalty, and Melbourne extended their lead on the stroke of halftime when Billy Slater put Will Chambers away.

At 16-2 it looked as though Melbourne could run away with the fixture but Souths thought otherwise as they fought hard in the second half to keep their opponents scoreless and kept up the pressure with tries to wingers Alex Johnston and Aaron Gray.  Even in the closing stages they had their opportunities to snatch a win or send a third game of the Round to golden point but the final play just alluded them.

Melbourne go top of the table.  Important with origin just around the corner.  Whereas the Rabbits are 7th.

Queensland fans and Mel Maninga will be sweating on the availability of captain Cameron Smith.  Smith kicked out at Isaac Luke when looking for a quick play the ball.  He did seem unaware that Luke was in the tackle but at least three kicks made contact with Luke’s head – it could get interesting.

St George-Illawarra Dragons (32) v Canberra Raiders (18)

Sunday afternoon’s Dragons / Raiders clash lived up to its billing and matched the intensity from the team’s earlier Round 3 encounter.  The Dragons ultimately got the better of their Canberra based opponents but not before both teams were able to play end to end footy at its best.

Running behind a quality pack featuring the likes of Merrin, Frizzle, De Belin, Thompson and others the Dragons’ halves ran riot with ball and hand and expertly marshalled their team with deft kicking games.  Both Widdop and Marshall laid tries on for each other and also played parts in several of the other five Dragons’ tries.

Completing the season double versus the Raiders means the Dragons have now won seven of their past eight and helps them join the logjam at the top of the ladder at 14 points.

The win also displayed the Dragons attacking threat, piling on a season best 32 points to dampen the rumours of a weak offensive game plan.  They head into the bye in the best of moods while Ricky Stuart will have to help his side get to face the Bulldogs next week.

Newcastle Knights (22) v Wests Tigers (12)

Newcastle may have got their season back on track after they snapped a five game losing streak to beat the Tigers at Hunter Stadium in the last of the Sunday action.

The Knights were in charge for much of the day, but it took a late try to debutant Chad Redman to seal the 22-12 to win after earlier spending at least ten minutes defending their narrow 16-12 lead on their own goal line.  That pressure came about from a Robbie Farah 40/20, but the home side were able to hold on and get to the other end and safety – a controversial scrum win against the feed helping immeasurably.

Neither side got away to any great lead, instead trading tries to James McManus, Dene Halatau, David Fa’alogo and Luke Brooks, until the Knights scored two on the bounce to damaging centre Joey Leilua.

The Knights just miss out on a top 8 spot (their for and against record see them just slip behind the Warriors) but will be pleased to break a five week hoodoo that had threaten to completely derail their season after a nice start.

The Tigers were disappointed with their ability to create pressure on the oppositions tryline – Robbie Farah said so three times in one sentence during the press conference, but coach Jason Taylor did pay dues to Mitch Moses as one of the few capable of busting the defence open.

Manly Sea Eagles (10) v Penrith Panthers (11)

A Matt Moylan field goal capped off an impressive performance form the young fullback and delivered his team a tight win against Manly at Brookvale on Monday night.  Moylan was a the heart of everything good in the Panthers play, both on attack and in defence.

His field goal and natural poise in every facet of the game overshadowed a record-setting Brett Stewart double – the veteran becoming the most prolific Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles try-scorer in the process.  Both of Stewart’s tries came in a first half that Manly edged 10-6.

The Panthers rarely threatened in the first half but improved after the break and kept the home side scoreless in the second half.  Jamie Soward helped get them within two with a fine play to put Dallin Watene-Zelzniak away before Moylan kicked a 72nd minute penalty and a 73rd minute droopy.

The droppy from 39m out was the play that will make most of the highlight reels, but it was his positioning of Waqa Blake (a pass that Blake spilled with an open try line) that better illustrated his worth to Rugby League.

Of concern to the Panthers was the late injury to George Jennings.  The young outside back appeared to break his leg and could be out for up to 6 weeks.

Rugby League: NRL Round 10 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With just two weeks to go until  State of Origin league fans have just one more week of a full 8 matches before the byes start to take effect.  Fantasy players and punters will love Round 10 for that exact reason and when you see the size of our multi predictions you might too.

Read through our NRL Round 10 Preview below:

Canterbury Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters

Bulldogs – $2.60

Roosters – $1.52

After four weeks on the sidelines suspended, Bulldogs captain James Graham returns to lead his team in a difficult Friday night encounter against the Roosters at ANZ Stadium.  Graham’s form over a tricky origin period where they will almost definitely lose Trent Hopkinson and Josh Morris, and could lose Josh Jackson and David Klemmer, is important for the Dog’s playoff chances.

Josh Reynolds and Greg Eastwood also return to boost the Dogs, in doing so, relegate Sam Kasiano and Moses Mbye to the bench (although rumours are Mbye might play at centre ahead of Chase Stanley).

Their opponents for tonight found some form in an impressive win over the Tigers last week and field an unchanged side.

Roosters favourites and we won’t argue.  Roosters by 1-12.

North Queensland Cowboys v Brisbane Broncos

Cowboys – $1.63

Broncos – $2.35

Friday’s night second match is an absolute belter- probably the closest a regular season game will come to matching finals intensity.  It’s a Queensland derby right on the eve of Origin.  It’s 1st vs 4th.  And it’s Thurston against Hunt.

The Broncos meet the Cowboys in Townsville hoping to maintain their lead on the NRL ladder and also hoping to overturn a poor run of form at 1300 Smiles Stadium.  Having won just twice their in the last six attempts at the venue, and having lost to the Cowboys in the qualifying final last season, the history book is right against them.

2015 presents a fresh opportunity and considering the form of Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday and Alex Glenn they have a realistic chance.  They’re slight outsiders but we’re going to give them the win by 1-12.

Parramatta Eels v New Zealand Warriors 

Eels – $2.12

Warriors – $1.75

Konrad Hurrell’s running style was the major talking point in the media throughout the week.  The half blockbusting centre, half Instagram clown was this week suspended for three matches after a nasty collision in their win last week against the Sharks that left Anthony Tupou with a badly fractured jaw.  The Warriors have pledged to help Hurrell redevelop his running style, but there are definite concerns that the centre is now becoming a liability.

He’s been replaced this week by Dominique Peyroux, who gets his an overdue chance to impress in his preferred position.  The Samoan international was influential in his Nation’s representative round win over Tonga and will be looking to avoid names like Dane Nielsen, Joel Moon, and Krisnan Inu as failed centre recruits.

He’s the only change to the starting line up with Sione Lousi taking his place on the bench.

In stark contrast to the settled side of the Warriors, the Eels have made three changes as they look to halt a two match losing streak.  Gone are Chirs Sandow, David Gower and Joseph Paulo, and in come Luke Kelly, Pauli Pauli and Tepai Moeroa.

The Eels can be a bit of a bogey team for the Warriors, but the NZ side have won three of the last five, and on the evidence of recent performances seem to be getting better.

Warriors 1-12.

Gold Coast Titans v Cronulla Sharks

Titans – $1.70

Sharks – $2.18

A bit of a fizzer really in an otherwise exciting round (with all due respect to Titans and Sharks fans).

Both teams are coming off losses in Round 9.  The Titans were way off the boil and got annihilated by the Raiders. They badly missed their enforcer Greg Bird, and if their next most aggressive player, Nate Myles, is affected by his mid week singing with Manly, they’ll be struggling.

The Sharks missed a good opportunity to take two competition points form the Warriors.  They led with two minutes to spare thanks to an Andew Fifita special, but could not quite close it out, despite making great strides in their ability to play composed footy while draining the clock.

The Sharks have made major changes to their 17.  David Fifita and Michael Gordon both return from injury, replacing Anthony Tupou and Mitch Brown.  Blake Ayshford also returns at centre for Ricky Leutele.

We’re picking the Sharks 1-12.

Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Storm – $1.42

Rabbitohs – $2.95

In Saturday night’s late game Melbourne are somewhat surprisingly overwhelming favourites to beat the Rabbitohs.  The Storm are nicely perched in second with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses in 2015 thus far, and got even better last week when Billy Slater returned to the mix.

His inclusion makes them even more formidable, yet they shouldn’t have it all their own way.  The Rabbitohs managed to snap a losing streak last week in a narrow victory over the Dragons.  They ground out a win without telling contributions from Greg Inglis, George Burgess or Isaac Luke.

Adam Reynolds is injured again and a major loss for the Bunnies, there is ongoing drama around Luke’s benching, and both of those factors worry us too much to be able to tip them.

Storm 1-12.

St George-Illawarra Dragons v Canberra Raiders

Dragons – $1.49

Raiders – $2.70

The Round 3 matchup between these teams was the turning point of the Dragons season.  After scoring just 4 points in each of their first two games, the Dragons got past 4 and then went on to score 22 and to beat the Raiders.  The win set them up for five more wins on the trot a steak that only came to an end in a narrow loss to Souths last week.

The Round 3 match featured a tremendously unstructured second half, and although we don’t see the same happening this week (the Dragons are playing very conservative and defensively sound footy having conceded the least points in the competition) we do anticipate it will again be close.

Sam Williams played with a collapsed lung in the second half last week, brave but medically silly and he’ll miss this week’s action.  That  means young halfback Mitch Cornish comes back into the side in the only change for either side.

We like the Raiders here 1-12.

Newcastle Knights v Wests Tigers

Knights – $1.75

Tigers – $2.08

Expect no further penisgate incidents when the Knights take on the Tigers on Sunday.  The now infamous incident featuring Korbin Sims and the appropriately named Willie Mason has gained too much attention for Sims to try the stunt again.  The grapple proved just how far players will go to force an opposition error, and is in the same vein as Liam Farrell’s Super League kiss that forced a handling mistake.

The Knights are the slight favourites, presumably courtesy of their home ground advantage, because the Tigers have the recent edge, winning five of the past seven meetings.

Look for the forwards to settle this one.  Aaron Woods v Kade Snowden is a classic.  Jeremy Smith and his battle with Martin Taupau is also bound to feature plenty of aggression.  Expect the Knights to send plenty of traffic Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses’ way in a desperate bid to stop the rot.

We’ll back them to do so too.  Knights by 1-12.

Manly Sea Eagles v Penrith Panthers

Sea Eagles – $1.82

Panthers – $2.02

Brookvale should be treated to an entertaining clash between two teams who at the start of the season were top 8 shoo-ins.  Currently however, both sit outside the top 8 and for Manly in particular who sit in last place their season is in disarray.  Injuries and transfer speculation have wrecked havoc with Manly and the distraction is likely to continue all the way through to the Round 13 transfer deadline as they do everything they can to retain Daly Cherry-Evans.

Cherry-Evans was the best player on the park last week as Manly grabbed a win agaisnt the Knights.  In fact his performance was so good commentator Andrew Voss called the best individual performance by any player in the competition this year.  Voss reckons he holds the top two spots, including his performance versus Melbourne in Round 2 as well.

He’s crucial to their short term and long term future.  If he plays well on Monday night the Sea Eagles will win, if not it could be loss number seven for the year.

In team news, Steve Matai comes back into the Manly fold, shifting Peta Hiku to the wing.  That means no spot for David Williams.  For the Panthers, James Segeyaro comes in for Isaac John and Sika Minu kits up for the suspended Tyrone Peachey.

Manly 1-12.

This Week’s Multi

Head to Head pays $166.40

Margin pays $16278.57

Odds available at Sportsbet.