Suncorp Stadium will host the Friday night double header to open up Magic Round in the NRL! The Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights get the action underway from 6.00pm before the Sea Eagles take on the Broncos in the headline clash! Greg Davis is with us on a Friday night this week to take a look at both games and give his betting tips below.
NRL Round 10 Friday Night Betting Tips
Wests Tigers v Newcastle Knights
Suncorp Stadium Friday 6pm (AEST)
TIGERS: 1. Daine Laurie, 2. David Nofoaluma, 3. Adam Doueihi, 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Tommy Talau, 6. Moses Mbye, 7. Luke Brooks, 8. James Tamou, 9. Jacob Liddle, 10. Alex Twal, 11. Luke Garner, 12. Luciano Leilua, 13. Joe Ofahengaue. Interchange: 14. Jock Madden, 15. Shaun Blore, 16. Alex Seyfarth, 17. Thomas Mikaele, 18. Michael Chee Kam, 19. Jake Simpkin, 20. Stefano Utoikamanu, 21. Tom Amone
KNIGHTS: 1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Starford To’a, 3. Enari Tuala, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Brayden Musgrove, 6. Kurt Mann, 7. Phoenix Crossland, 8. David Klemmer, 9. Jayden Brailey, 10. Daniel Saifiti, 11. Tyson Frizell, 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13. Mitchell Barnett Interchange: 14. Connor Watson, 15. Jacob Saifiti, 16. Sauaso Sue, 17. Brodie Jones, 18. Hymel Hunt, 19. Josh King, 20. Tex Hoy, 21. Simi Sasagi
If a week is a long time in politics, then seven weeks is an absolute eternity in rugby league. Just ask the Wests Tigers.
On March 28, the Tigers beat Newcastle in Newcastle where the Knights were hoping for a third-straight win to start the season to celebrate Mitchell Pearce’s 300th NRL match.
But coach Michel Maguire and his men upset the home side and headed home with the two points after a 24-20 win.
The teams meet again on Friday night in the opening match of the NRL’s Magic Round at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
The Tigers have registered just the solitary win since that Round 3 success over the Knights who have won two of their last four outings with the two losses coming against powerhouses Penrith and the Sydney Roosters.
Wests were awful against the tackle-shy Titans last week giving Maguire reason to launch a post-match rocket for the ages then ring the changes for the match-up with the Knights.
Five-eighth Adam Doueihi has been one of the best – if not the best – players for the Tigers in 2021 and was the match-winner back in Round 3.
But he has been shunted out to the centres with Moses Mbye – a player the Tigers don’t want beyond this year – shuffled into the no.6 jumper. Maguire has also swapped his hookers with Jacob Little back in the starting side and Jake Simpkin pushed deep into the extended squad.
The Tigers have to try something to get out of the funk that has seen them freefall to second-last on the ladder, wedged between Brisbane and Canterbury.
Messing with the playmaking spine reeks of desperation from a club that appears next to no chance of reaching their customary ninth-place finish.
The late loss of Kalyn Ponga is a major blow for the Knights but even without their star fullback, Newcastle should still get the job done against the increasingly toothless Tigers.
Bradman Best Anytime Try ($2.60)
Manly Sea Eagles v Brisbane Broncos
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 8.05pm (AEST)
SEA EAGLES: 1. Tom Trbojevic, 2. Jason Saab, 3. Brad Parker, 4. Morgan Harper, 5. Reuben Garrick, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 8. Taniela Paseka, 9. Lachlan Croker, 10. Martin Taupau, 11. Haumole Olakau’tau, 12. Josh Schuster, 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Cade Cust, 15. Moses Suli, 16. Sean Keppie, 17. Toafofoa Sipley, 18. Zac Saddler, 19. Tevita Funa, 20. Christian Tuipulotu, 21. Ben Trbojevic
BRONCOS: 1. Jamayne Isaako, 2. Xavier Coates, 3. Herbie Farnworth, 4. Jesse Arthars, 5. Corey Oates, 6. Anthony Milford, 7. Tyson Gamble, 8. Matt Lodge, 9. Jake Turpin, 10. Payne Haas, 11. Jordan Riki, 12. Tevita Pangai Jnr, 13. Thomas Flegler. Interchange: 14. Danny Levi, 15. John Asiata, 16. Ethan Bullemor, 17. Rhys Kennedy, 18. Keenan Palasia, 19. David Mead, 20. Tesi Niu, 21. Brendan Piakura
The second match in the Magic Round’s Friday night double-header is technically a Manly home game so the Broncos will be forced into the less palatial visitors’ sheds at Suncorp Stadium.
So at least Melbourne-bound Broncos winger Xavier Coates will get a taste of what awaits him in 2022 when he links with the Storm.
Brisbane may also get a taste of some red-hot Manly form with the Sea Eagles finding their wings and soaring to four wins from their last five matches after opening the season with four consecutive losses.
Their only loss in the past five weeks has been to ladder leaders Penrith - no shame in that.
The biggest reason for Manly’s turnaround is the bloke in the no.1 jumper. The Sea Eagles are a vastly different – and by different we mean substantially better – side with fullback Tom Trbojevic on the paddock.
“Tommy Turbo” is arguably best player in the NRL at the peak of his powers and if he doesn’t pull a hamstring picking up his bag at the airport, he is set to terrorise the Broncos.
Trbojevic has scored five tries in four matches in 2021 to go with eight try assists and seven linebreak assists while he has averaged 210.4 running metres per game.
He can pop up anywhere and do anything which is not good news for Brisbane’s brittle defensive line.
With the return of enforcer Martin Taupau, Manly have extra muscle to help the Tommy Turbo hustle and they should dispatch the Broncos who were OK against the Cowboys but still a long way from being able to match it with in-form teams.
Tom Flegler replaces Pat Carrigan at lock but he is hardly going to be a match-winner for the Ponies who have named Jake Turpin as captain.
Lewis, Miles, Langer, Tallis, Lockyer…Turpin. Speaks volumes for where Brisbane is at with the workman-like hooker joining some legends of the game as a Broncos captain.
Coats 1st Tryscorer ($10)
