The 2016 NRL regular season is almost finished with the second last round is this weekend. But alas, our NRL betting tips continue as we offer our NRL Round 25 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs North Queensland Cowboys (Thursday 7.50pm AEST)
Round 25 starts off with a huge clash as the 4th placed Bulldogs take on the 5th placed Cowboys. The Bulldogs suffered a loss to the Broncos last week and it has put their top four spot in jeopardy as the Cowboys and broncos are now two competition points behind them with a better for and against.
These two sides met a little over a month ago and it was all one-way traffic as the Cowboys demolished the Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium. The Bulldogs will have the home field advantage this time around but we are expecting the Cowboys to still earn the victory. They bounced back to winning ways last week with a dominant performance against the Warriors as Michael Morgan regained his best form. He was instrumental in numerous tries whilst he bagged one himself. Whilst a lot of the attention and pressure goes on Johnathan Thurston, when Morgan plays at his best the side succeeds as it gives the Cowboys are more dangerous look in attack as they have two weapons to utilise.
The Bulldogs have struggled to score points against the topsides in the competition. However, they were able to earn repeat sets throughout the opening 40-minutes against the Broncos but they couldn’t convert. It was a positive to see Moses Mbye managing to put the ball on his foot in an attacking position and earn his side a line drop out. He will need to repeat that this weekend and throughout the finals series. They will be without Sam Kasiano due to suspension and it will be a big loss as the side lifts when the big boy comes off the bench and at the times he is on the field their point scoring increases.
The Cowboys will be too classy as they look to capture momentum heading into the finals.
TIP: Cowboys -2.5 @ $1.91 with William Hill
Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
Another blockbuster match up in round 25 has the Storm hosting the Broncos on Friday night. The Storm have a strangle hold on top spot on the ladder whilst the Broncos have slipped to 6th place despite back-to-back victories. The last time these two sides met the Storm had a field day at Suncorp stadium and the Broncos will come out fired up to earn redemption.
The Broncos were strong against the Bulldogs without being dominant. It always seemed as if they were in control and that they were going to earn the two competition points. Their resurgence has been largely due to their forward pack recapturing the punch it had earlier in the season. The move of Sam Thaiday into the starting line up has worked well as he has used his toughness and experience to start the Broncos sets off strongly. He will play his 250th NRL game on Friday and we are expecting a big match from the Australian and Queensland representative.
The Storm were able to hold off the Sea Eagles at Brookvale in a match that saw Suliasi Vunivalu grab four tries in the opening 40-minutes. He wasn’t able to improve on that in the second half but he is becoming a lethal weapon on the right edge. The Storm were strong through the middle of the ruck but they would be disappointed in their defence that leaked points despite the Sea Eagles limited opportunities.
The Storm still has the best defence in the competition whilst Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk are pulling the strings at a high level. They are playing on home soil and we are predicting they will earn a narrow victory.
TIP: Storm 1-12 @ $3.05 with CrownBet
Manly Sea Eagles vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday 3pm AEST)
The Raiders had another wake up call on the weekend as they had a terrible first half to trail the Eels into half time. They came out with a bang in the second half to win the match by 10-points but if the Green Machine believe they are premiership contenders they can’t afford to put in a performance similar to that in the opening 40-minutes. A lot of it was due to having played the Sharks and Storm in the two weeks prior but throughout the finals they will be playing tough matches every week. Coach Ricky Stuart will be harping on that this weekend and we are predicting the side to come out strongly in the first half. They are the best attacking side in the competition and it is on the back of their ability to play expansive football at a high level.
The Sea Eagles put up a fight against the Storm but were clearly a class behind their opponents. It looks as if retiring captain Jamie Lyon won’t take the field this weekend due to a hamstring injury but if he does you can expect the Sea Eagles to play with a lot of commitment. However, the majority of the side is playing with niggling injuries and their attack hasn’t been up to a high enough standard this year to worry the Raiders whilst their defence will be penetrated fairly easy.
TIP: Raiders -8 @ $1.90 with Ladbrokes
Gold Coast Titans vs Penrith Panthers (Saturday 5.30pm AEST)
This will be a very exciting match, as the 7th placed Panthers will travel north to take on the 8th placed Titans. The winner of this match will book their place in the finals whilst the loser will have to win next weekend or rely on other matches to go their way.
The Titans got the job done against the Knights on the weekend but it was far from their most impressive performance. It demonstrates how important Ashley Taylor is to the side as the rookie halfback was rested and the side struggled in organisation in attack. Their four tries came from forwards including two from Ryan James who was lucky to be on the field after escaping a charge at the judiciary. Taylor will be back this week, which leaves Neil Henry with the decision of where to play Jarryd Hayne on the field, as Tyrone Roberts is also healthy. The move to fullback will be his likely destination as he plays his best football at the back and with less playmaking pressure on him.
Meanwhile the Panthers are flying high and have won three straight games on the back of a strong showing from 18-year-old halfback Nathan Cleary. It is still hard to believe he is so young considering how well he is playing and the calmness he shows under pressure. The Panthers have strengths across their line up with a great back line and strong forward pack. It will be a tough ask for them to win away from home but we believe the side will be able to earn the two competition points and book their place in the finals.
TIP: Panthers 1-12 @ $3.50 with Sportsbet
Cronulla Sharks vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday 7.30pm AEST)
What has happened to the Sharks? The side was flying high on the back of 15-straight wins and the minor premiership looked to be locked up along with a home semi-final. They are now in a position where the Raiders are breathing down their necks and they have lost three on the trot. The side needs to return to the basics that gave them so much success earlier in the year as they punched the ball up through the middle on the back of a great forward pack before utilising their talent and speed out wide. Fullback Ben Barba has lost his form and this has had an impact on the side’s ability to score points, as he had been a huge attacking threat for the side.
The Roosters are showing their fans what they are capable of when they are able to field their strongest side. Pearce put together another great performance whilst their forward pack was dominant against the Dragons. It will be a more challenging task for them this weekend and the Roosters haven’t had much recent success against the Sharks. If you had to pick a winner going off of form then you would have the Roosters claiming the victory, however, the Sharks are due for a good performance and two weeks out from the finals will have the side switched on to bounce back.
TIP: Sharks 1-12 @ $3.05 with CrownBet
New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers (Sunday 2pm AEST)
Both of these sides will enter this match with slim hopes of reaching the finals series. The team that loses season will be over whilst the winning team will be wanting to earn a big victory to help their for and against. Realistically, neither side will be able to reach the knock out stages this year and they will be building momentum heading into next year with a victory. Both teams were plagued with injuries throughout the year whilst losing their last two matches has ended their chances.
The Tigers lost a lot of attack without James Tedesco last week whilst their defence was broken far too easily. They didn’t turn up with the proper mind set and it will be hard for them to turn it around quickly, especially when they are heading to New Zealand to play.
The Warriors were in a similar situation but were torn apart by the defending premiers away from home. They showed a bit of fight but the match was never in doubt. Shaun Johnson has carried a big load throughout the year with Roger Tuivasa Sheck being on the sidelines whilst Isaac Luke has been in and out due to injury. He has also had a different fullback every other week and this instability has affected his ability to create a combination with his side. The inconsistencies shown between both sides have us suggesting steering clear of betting on this contest.
TIP: No Bet
Newcastle Knights vs South Sydney (Sunday 4pm AEST)
The Knights are continuing to lose matches by a large margin and they will be looking forward to the season coming to an end. They had one of their closer matches on the weekend as they managed to lose by just 20-points. It has been a tough season for the Novocastrians and it will go down as the worst year for a club during the NRL era as they have just one victory to their name.
The Bunnies have put together three of their best performances this year but unfortunately they left it until they were out of finals contention to produce their best football. They almost defeated the Storm in Melbourne, they annihilated the Warriors in New Zealand and they backed it up with a victory against the Sharks. Their forward pack is finally lifting and defending strongly whilst their backs are getting the job done. We believe they will be able to run away with this match despite the Knights playing on their famous old boys day.
TIP: Rabbitohs -13.5 @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
Parramatta Eels vs St George Illawarra Dragons (Monday 7pm AEST)
The Eels and Dragons have both had seasons to forget. The Eels have had one of the worst off field years in history with the salary cap scandal and player issues. Meanwhile the Dragons have struggled with their ability to score points and their roster will likely go through a massive change during the offseason.
The Eels have continued to fight throughout the year but the loss of personnel is beginning to take its toll on the side as they let a big lead slip against the Raiders. Bevan French spent a bit of time in the fullback role and he showed how dangerous he can be in attack with his footwork and speed. Jeff Robson will steer the team around the field whilst Clinton Gutherson has showed he has the ability to be a solid playmaker despite starting the season on the wing.
The Dragons will attempt to regain their strong defence after leaking 42-points against the Roosters. Their inconsistencies have let them down all season as it was just two weeks ago that they defeated the Sharks on the road by a nearly 20-points. Benji Marshall is playing for his career whilst Mitch Rein is also on the outer.
The Eels haven’t given up throughout this year despite losing 12-competition points. They will be playing in front of their home fans and their superior attack will earn them a victory.
TIP: Eels -4 @ $1.90 with Ladbrokes
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
