The 2017 NRL season continues this weekend and once again we are providing you with a preview and tips for every match over the weekend with all the action kicking off on Thursday night. Our NRL Round 5 Preview & Betting Tips are below.
2017 NRL Round 5 Betting Tips
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs Brisbane Broncos (Thursday 8pm AEDT)
The Bulldogs have a lot of pressure being applied to them after just one win from their opening four games. They suffered their worst loss of the season on the weekend against the Manly Sea Eagles. It was an embarrassing performance in both attack and defence as they struggled to create opportunities, hold onto the ball and defend. They need to improve drastically for this weekend or it is going to be a disaster for them. Their spine that is already under pressure has taken another hit with Moses Mbye entering an early guilty plea and being suspended for one game.
Meanwhile the Broncos played in another tight game but managed to come out victorious. The win over the Raiders was needed and will do the side a lot of confidence. They finished a tough start to the year and will be looking to push themselves up the ladder against softer opposition after facing the two grand finalists from last year and the Raiders and Cowboys. Andrew McCoullough has been huge for the side this year and has been playing 80 minutes at hooker. His defensive work on the middle of the field can often go unnoticed while he relieves pressure off the halves with his kicking game. He will march the side around well and the Broncos will come out on top in this one.
TIP: Broncos to win at the line (-8) – $1.90 with Sportsbet
Sydney Roosters vs Manly Sea Eagles (Friday 6pm AEDT)
The Roosters remained perfect to start the season with a win over their biggest rivals the Rabbitohs in their last start. The side was strong defensively as they held their opponents to six points but they weren’t tested much. Latrell Mitchell continues to be a threat on the left hand side while Michael Gordon has been playing out of his skin at fullback. Their win was made more impressive by the late scratching of co-captain Jake Friend and he is likely to be back on deck for this one. Blake Fergurson could also make his return but Joseph Manu has been terrific as his replacement.
The Sea Eagles put on a clinic against the Bulldogs at Lottoland in their last start but we aren’t getting carried away. The Bulldogs were horrible in that match while Daly Cherry-Evans wound back the clock to 2012 with his best performance in years. It would be great to see him find some consistency and lead his side to another victory this weekend, however we can’t see it happening as the Roosters forward pack will match it with the Sea Eagles and the halves pairing of Luke Keary and Mitchell Pearce will orchestrate a victory.
TIP: Roosters to win at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 with CrownBet
North Queensland Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Friday 8pm AEDT)
This match is in danger of being cancelled due to the cyclone, however it is still going ahead at the time of this being posted.
The Cowboys proved their young guns have the ability to step up and score points last week against the Titans. Coen Hess continues to dominate as a bulging forward and grabbed two tries, one after he barged his way over from 10m out. He will be giving Paul Green a big head ache in terms of how many minutes he gets as Jason Tuamalolo will return from suspension this weekend. Lachlan Coote is also a chance to play fullback on Friday night but if not Kalyn Ponga has been a great replacement.
Meanwhile the Bunnies suffered a defeat against the Roosters and didn’t offer much in attack. Cody Walker looks like the most dangerous player in the Bunnies outfit but there are times when they don’t give him the ball in the opposition’s 20m zone and it has cost them. Their inbalance in attack and just working it forward for a kick has become all too predictable and they don’t have the forward pack to dominate games in this fashion. The Cowboys will put on a big scoreline in this one on home soil.
TIP: Cowboys to win at the margin (13+) – $2.20 with Sportsbet
Cronulla Sharks vs Newcastle Knights (Saturday 3pm AEDT)
As we predicted last week, the Knights came crashing back to earth with a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Panthers last week. The side had showed a lot of effort and enthusiasm in their opening three matches but the Knights of old showed its ugly face in their recent loss. Nathan Ross made a break and ran 80m before being tackled, only to play the ball to no one as none of his teammates backed him up with support. These are terrible signs for the club and as they face the defending premiers this weekend they could be in for another big loss.
The Sharks were able to put 60 points on the Knights in both their meetings last season and we won’t be surprised if this ends the same. The Sharks have bounced back from their two losses with big wins against tough opposition and we are expecting them to cruise in this one.
TIP: Sharks to win at the line (-16) – $1.90 with William Hill
Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels (Saturday 5.30pm AEDT)
The Eels were on the top of the table after round 2 but have crashed out of the top eight after two straight losses. The side has lost its defensive strength they showed in the first two rounds after they allowed over 26 points in two straight games. We are expecting a better performance from them this weekend but opposition teams will begin to work out Clint Gutherson, the Eels five-eighth, is simply a runner of the football and doesn’t have much of a passing game. This will make them a lot easier to defend against and put more pressure on halfback Corey Norman.
Meanwhile the Raiders weren’t able to get the win over the Broncos in Brisbane on Friday night. They played the better game and were looking strong in attack but just couldn’t get themselves over the line when it mattered. Joseph Leiluia and Jordan Rapana are beginning to build up their combination once again and we won’t be surprised if they can cross for a few meat pies this weekend. However, the match will be closer than expected.
TIP: Raiders to win at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 with William Hill
Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers (Saturday 7.30pm AEDT)
The two premiership favourites to start the 2017 season will go head to head on Saturday night. The Storm remained undefeated but it wasn’t without a scare after they were slow out of the blocks against the Tigers. They were able to fight their way back into the match and earn the victory after two long range tries. Billy Slater is already looking good after just two games back. He set up a try on the weekend and will be looking to build upon that for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile the Panthers were able to dismantle the Knights defence fairly easy in their last start. They face a much larger challenge in this one. The Panthers were on the wrong end of a big defeat in their travels to Melbourne last season but we believe they will put up a bigger fight this weekend. Bryce Cartwright has been ruled out at the last minute for the last two weeks but he should make his return on Saturday. He will be a big boost for their attack and they will need him to create second phase football to create opportunities for the side. However, it won’t be enough as the Storm will grind their way to their fifth straight victory.
TIP: Storm to win at the margin (1-12) – $2.88 with Sportsbet
New Zealand Warriors vs Gold Coast Titans (Sunday 2pm AEDT)
The Warriors haven’t lived up to their expectations, which isn’t a huge shock. The side always enters a new season with so much potential but unfortunately they haven’t been able to turn that into solid performances. They were rocked last week by the last minute withdrawal of Keiran Foran who suffered a hamstring injury in the warm up. It is disappointing not to see Foran back on the field and it hampered the sides preparations which clearly affected them as the Dragons scored 20 points in the opening 20 minutes. The Warriors did fight back but it wasn’t enough as they suffered a 26-12 loss.
The Titans meanwhile were very competitive in their match up with the Cowboys. The side has a lot of injury troubles but continues to put on strong performances. They have just the one victory in their opening four games and it is a hard task for them to change their fortunes around in New Zealand. The outside backs of the Warriors will be able to do some damage against their inexperienced opponents.
TIP: Warriors to win at the line (-5.5) – $1.90 with CrownBet
Wests Tigers vs St George Illawarra (Sunday 4pm AEDT)
These two sides have had very different starts to the season. The Tigers have had a drug and gambling scandal, sacked their coach and have pressure surrounding signing the ‘big four’. Meanwhile the Dragons have surprised everyone and won three of their first four games.
We don’t believe they are a ‘big four’ and James Tedesco and Aaron Woods are the only two who have representative experience at the highest level while none of them have played a finals game. Luke Brooks is out for this match after tweaking his hamstring but Mitchell Moses has actually played a lot better when Brooks has been out of the side. It puts the ball in his hands a lot more often and he can be dangerous.
Meanwhile the Dragons are an inconsistent side and we believe they have caught their opponents at the best possible times. Josh McCrone has been playing strong though which has allowed for Gareth Widdop to excel at five-eighth. We believe this will be a closer match than expected but with the Tigers having their troubles and nothing going their way, we believe the Dragons will find a way to make it four from five.
TIP: Dragons to win at the margin (1-12) – $3.20 with Sportsbet
