Every team playing this weekend will be affected by the Origin period as each team has at least one player missing for either Queensland or New South Wales. It always results in interesting matches as coaches attempt to fill the void left by their superstars. Continue reading for this week’s NRL Preview and Betting Tips.
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Wests Tigers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Friday 7.45pm AEST)
This shapes for an interesting match up as both teams are missing their best players. Robbie Farah and Aaron Woods are in New South Wales camp but they welcome back centres Tim Simona and David Nofoaluma, which should help their attack that has struggled of late. The Tigers did manage to score three quick tries against the Titans but they were held scoreless two weeks ago against the Cowboys who were without their Origin stars.
The Tigers have a record of 6 wins from 25 matches without Robbie Farah.
The Rabbitohs will be without Queenslander Greg Inglis but they have an extra blow with Isaac Luke being ruled out with a knee injury. Cameron McInnes is a handy replacement but he is still young and inexperienced, whilst Alex Johnston will move to fullback to replace GI.
The Bunnies were impressive last week against the Warriors as they went back to their old style of play. Dylan Walker also had his best game of the season as he looks to put his injury-ravaged season behind him.
TIP: Rabbitohs 1-12 @$3.15 with Crownbet
New Zealand Warriors vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday 6pm AEST)
Both of these sides were very disappointing last week as they put on performances that aren’t up to their NRL standard.
The Warriors were in the match until they let in two quick tries just before half time and were never able to fire in attack as they were held to four points. The Roosters scored the same amount of points against a side that had leaked almost half a century of points the week before.
The Chookies were out of sorts as they were creating opportunities but lacked the killer instinct we have come to expect from them. They will be without their superstars this weekend, which gives Jackson Hastings his first taste of starting in the NRL. The Warriors will only lose Jacob Lilyman to Origin duty and should be too strong against a depleted Roosters outfit.
TIP: Warriors Win @$2.00 with Ladbrokes promotion (see below)
Gold Coast Titans vs Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (Sunday 4pm AEST)
The Titans and Bulldogs are both coming off of solid wins but unfortunately for the Bulldogs they will be without their Origin stars and captain James Graham who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of their win on Monday.
Gold Coast’s rookie halfback Kane Elgey has been ruled out and replaced by Daniel Mortimer and captain Nate Myles is away for Origin duty. The Titans will be hoping James Roberts can continue his scintillating form this season as he is finally beginning to live up to his potential. He is arguably the fastest man in Rugby League and not only has his attack improved as he has scored 10 tries in 11 matches but he has now become a lock down defender. He should get the better of Chase Stanley on Sunday and it is a shame he won’t be one-on-one with Tim Lafai.
The Titans are outsiders in this one and because of this they are a better value bet. The Dogs are without six of their normal starting players and despite their depth they shouldn’t produce back-to-back wins.
TIP: Titans 1-12 @$3.40 with Sportsbet
Melbourne Storm vs Parramatta Eels (Monday 7pm AEST)
What is the matter Parramatta? Leading 30-6 against the form team of the competition with 20 minutes remaining in the match and fans were already shocked, but what happened next was unbelievable. In the space of 11 minutes the Cowboys piled on five unanswered tries to turn the match on its head.
The way Parramatta respond this week will be intriguing. They head to Melbourne to face the Storm without Hopoate who is with NSW but their opponents will be without Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Will Chambers. However, the Storm have played without these players for years during this period and have quality back ups.
Ryan Hinchliffe moves to hooker and Cameron Munster has played just as many games at fullback this year for the Storm as Billy Slater. They are a big side and if they can be patient the Eels will find a way to give them the win.
TIP: Storm @ $2.00 with Ladbrokes
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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!
