Rugby League: NRL Round 9 Preview

After a week off for all but representative players the NRL returns with a series of intriguing matchups.

Injuries and suspension have wrecked havoc on a number of teams, but there are still clear favourites in all games. We’re picking a number of upsets in our NRL Round 9 Preview.

Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers

Broncos – $1.40

Panthers – $3.00

The 4-4 Panthers team could welcome back several important faces when they take on the Broncos at Suncorp in Friday nights Round 9 opener. Despite a horrible record at Suncorp and being without an away win in 2015, Jamie Soward, Dean Whare, James Segeyaro and Elijah Taylor are all racing the clock to be fit in time to turn that around this weekend (although none of the above have been named in the 17).

Alex Glenn and Jordan Kahu return for the well settled Broncos outfit. Glenn’s return in particular offsets the week off through suspension earned by Sam Thaiday during test duties.

Broncos by 1-12.

Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers

Roosters – $1.38

Tigers – $3.10

Origin backrower Aidan Guerra returns to boost hist struggling Roosters team. The Sydneysiders were pre-completion favourites and have only managed three wins in 2015 and none in Guerra’s absence. Guar’s return pushes Dylan Napa to the bench, while Smith Aubusson’s inclusion also adds utility value. The impressive Sio Siua Taukeiaho heads to the bench in a swap with Issac Liu.

Jason Taylor’s Tigers team have surprised many this season, but they’re still lacking that top 6 consistency. Keith Galloway will help with that. The big man returns from his shoulder injury in place of centre Tim Simona. His inclusion however is unlikely to help the Tigers get up over a side they traditionally play awfully poor against. We’ll go Roosters, unless Marty Taupau can frighten the Roosters with some more throat slitting gestures.

Roosters 1-12.

Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans

Raiders – $1.66

Titans – $2.25

Two teams with identical 2015 records look set to play out an exciting contest at GIO Stadium on Saturday. Both sides favour expansive attacking footy and both are surprising in this years competition.

The Titans have won three in a row, including an impressive win at the always tricky Mt Smart Stadium in NZ. They also get the bonus of Dave Taylor and Daniel Mortimer to help offset the huge 8 week ban ban handed out to serial offender Greg Bird.

After beating South Sydney before rep round, the Raiders will be full of confidence and will gain look to young five eighth Blake Austin to steer them around. The origin outsider scored a hat-trick for City last week to push his case, and will be hoping to replicate that form again this weekend. We would pick him for NSW instead of Maloney / Hopkinson despite his showing in this one.

Raiders 1-12.

Cronulla Sharks v New Zealand Warriors

Sharks – $1.71

Warriors – $2.15

The Warriors are desperate for a win after a patchy start to the season. Languishing in 13th on an admittedly convoluted ladder, the Warriors will be hoping to gain inspiration from Sunday’s Kiwi’s win over the Kangaroos. Manu Vatuvei, Shaun Johnson and Ben Matulino all played key roles for the Kiwis and will need to transfer that form to their club if the Warriors can sneak an away win over the similarly placed Sharks.

Ben Barba gets a go at fullback for the Sharks pushing Valentine Holmes to the wing. Andrew Fifita also appears back to his best after an awesome effort for City against Country during rep weekend.

I like the money on the Warriors. Warriors 1-12.

North Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury Bulldogs

Cowboys – $1.39

Bulldogs – $3.00

Ordinarily I would be eyeing up this one as an upset. The Bulldogs very rarely concede a raft of points. However on this occasion and considering their poor performance against the Tigers in Round 8, and the five-in-a-row form of their opponents, we’ll back the Cowboys.

The Bulldogs, who are still without captain James Graham, will rely heavily on Trent Hodkinson to prove his origin worth and turn in a position clinching performance. He’ll be assisted by the return of Josh Morris and David Klemmer, but his halves partner Josh Reynolds is again suspended.

The Cowboys have lost ToLo for a sizeable chunk of time, but shouldn’t feel the impact too severely with Matt Scott and James Tamou around. Scott especially probably has some critics to crush after a weak effort in the Kangaroos jumper. The Cowboys need wins before Thurston leaves for origin duty so we expect them to get it done.

Cowboys 1-12.

Manly Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights

Sea Eagles – $1.67

Knights – $2.20

Two struggling sides could play out a dud at Brookvale to kick off Sunday’s footy action. The two sides have just one win between them in the past month – an unlikely win to Manly over Melbourne last week.

Geoff Toovey continues to lose players quicker than a Cameroon football team at the Olympics. Jamie Buhrer is the latest loss – he’s gone for the season, while Kieran Foran is out for a few more weeks even after playing in the rep round.

Rick Stone has been reluctant to punish his players and has largely stuck to the side that has lost four in a row. Beau Scott returns and Chris Houston drops to the bench in the only change from Round 8.

Knights 1-12.

Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm

Eels – $2.15

Storm – $1.70

The most inconsistent side in the competition – the Eels – face a Mothers Day showdown against the ever consistent Melbourne Storm side who welcome back Billy Salter. The Eels have Semi Radradra back at their disposal to nullify Slater’s threat, but the best fullback in the game should deliver a win for his team who need all the points they can get before Origin.

Ryan Morgan and Isaac De Gois also come into the Eels 17, preferred ahead of Pauli Pauli and John Folau.

For the Storm, they have Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Dayne Weston back in the mix.

Storm by 13+.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v St George-Illawarra Dragons

Rabbitohs – $1.58

Dragons – $2.40

After being written off after two weeks the Dragons have miraculously won six in a row and will seek a seventh straight against the Rabbitohs on Monday night. In contrasting fortune the Rabbits have lost three in a row – an unthinkable situation after their early season form.

Josh Dugan is out after injuring his knee playing on the wing for the Kangaroos. While his test form was mediocre, his club form was excellent and he’s a big loss. However Tyson Frizell returns from suspension to make a case for origin selection. Incredibly, Benji Marshall is the co-leader of the Dally M Medal race.

The Bunnies have made a raft of changes after losing Glenn Stewart for three months. Tom Burgess and Chris Grevsmuhl move around but the retuning John Sutton is the key addition.

Dragons 1-12.

This Weeks Multi

Head to Head pays $73.21

Margin pays $4334.77

Odds taken from Tom Waterhouse.