The 2016 NRL season continues this weekend with a lot of the best players backing up from Origin on Wednesday night and we will be taking that into account as we take a look at the seven matches to be played. Continue reading for our NRL Round 13 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Canberra Raiders vs Manly Sea Eagles (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
The Sea Eagles have had the benefit of coming off the bye and they will have two players backing up from Origin. Nate Myles was the starting forward for Queensland and to back up after two days will test the aging player and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was rested. Meanwhile Dylan Walker will come off the bench as a utility player for the Blues and the amount of time he gets on the field is questionable and he will be a certain starter for the Sea Eagles. The move of Walker back to the centres improved the side as Jamie Lyon offers more experience and playmaking ability in the halves. This relieves a lot of pressure off of Daly-Cherry Evans and they were almost able to shock the Sharks on the road.
Meanwhile the Raiders inconsistent performances continued last week against the Bulldogs. It looked as if they were going to be blown off the Park as they were trailing 18-4 with the Dogs on the attack just before half time. However, the side produces their best football whilst they are behind and if they can play with that mindset from the outset of matches they will produce better results. The Green Machine already had one of the most imposing forward packs but it received a massive boost with Junior Paulo being released from the Eels and joining the Raiders 6 months early. This will lay an even better platform for halves Aiden Seizer and Blake Austin and if Joey Leiliua and Jordan Rapana’s combination out wide continues they could become one of the best attacking sides in the competition.
TIP: Raiders 1-12 @ $3.00 with William Hill
New Zealand Warriors vs Brisbane Broncos (Saturday 3pm AEST)
The Broncos are coming off a disappointing loss against the Tigers last week and they will have six origin stars backing up after Wednesday night. Wayne Bennet often rests his stars during this period and we can expect that Corey Parker won’t be required to play this weekend. The Broncos halves Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford have been exceptional all season but they have been criticised for their inability to close out close matches. Their last five losses have been by two points or less and their final set against the Tigers was a disaster as they had a clear opportunity to level the scores. This could continue to haunt the side and place a lot of pressure on the team.
The Warriors are one of the worst defensive teams in the competition with only the Knights and Tigers leaking more points then them. The injuries suffered by the side has given them a lot of set backs as they have been forced to play a host of different players this season. However, the pressure is mounting on the side that was expected to reach the finals this season and they are historical for stringing victories together around the origin period and we are backing them to earn the two points on home soil with the Broncos stars having to play 3 days after Origin and travel to New Zealand.
TIP: Warriors @ $2.35 with Ladbrokes
North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights (Saturday 5.35pm AEST)
The Knights put on their best performance of the season against the Eels but they were unable to get the two-points. They have played much better in front of their home crowd and it will be challenge for the side to challenge the Cowboys in Townsville where they haven’t lost this year.
The Cowboys will have five stars backing up from Origin but it is possible that Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott will be rested as coach Paul Green will believe the side will be able to win the two points without his star players. I will be waiting until the teams are announced before predicting a betting tip for this match but the Knights won’t be able to cause an upset.
TIP: Check back here later in the week for my betting tip
Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers (Saturday 7.30pm AEST)
These two sides will be coming off a bye and the Panthers have the boost of having only two players backing up from Origin duty in Matt Moylan and Josh Mansour. Panther’s fans will be hoping the two players can get through game 1 without an injury, as Moylan is instrumental in the side’s success. The Panthers captain has been improving in each match he has been back from injury and he has been rewarded with his first selection for New South Wales. Moylan has a terrific ability to make the players around him better and he is one of the premier playmakers in the fullback position.
Meanwhile the Storm will have Cameron Smith backing up from Origin whilst there will be plenty of question marks surrounding the availability of Cooper Cronk. The Storm and Queensland halfback went down with an ankle injury in QLD training and he is in a race against the clock to start for the Maroons on Wednesday night. If he is to play it is highly unlikely he will back up three days later. I believe he won’t play regardless and the Storm’s record during Origin period is already poor and without Cronk they will lose to the Panthers.
TIP: Panthers 1-12 @ $4.00 with William Hill
Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers (Sunday 4pm AEST)
The Tigers shocked a lot of people when they were able to pull off the unthinkable and defeat the Broncos at Suncorp stadium. However, the Broncos were of course without six of their Origin stars but the Tigers were still given no chance as the home side still had a string of quality players in their team. Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks had great performances and a lot of people attribute that to them getting early ball out of dummy half as Robbie Farah was out for Origin duty. If they are able to find a combination with their former captain it will benefit the side greatly as Farah is one of the best hooker’s in the game. Their signing of Elijah Taylor from the Panthers midseason has been paying dividends already, as he has been a monster in the middle of the field both defensively and on offence.
Jackson Hastings has fallen on the outer with the Roosters and Ryan Matterson started a five-eighth in their loss to the Bulldogs. He didn’t set the world on fire and was quite poor in the position considering he had strong showings off the bench in his earlier matches. However, the youngster has only played 4 NRL matches and it is reported that coach Trent Robinson will stick with Matterson and shop Hastings around to rival clubs. Mitchell Pearce will need to help Matterson’s growth and put together a stronger performance whilst their forward pack will have a chance of laying a better platform this weekend, as they aren’t up against the big side of the Bulldogs. I am backing this to be a close match and I suggest taking the Tigers with the head start.
TIP: Tigers +7.5 @ $1.90 with Ladbrokes
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Gold Coast Titans (Sunday 6.30pm AEST)
The Bunnies were able to return to winning ways in their last two matches against the Dragons and Eels. The move of Greg Inglis seems to be working for the side and it will be interesting to see if coach Michael Maguire continues to stick with the Queenslander in that position or whether he will move him to the centres to allow Luke Keary to come back into the starting side. Halfback Adam Reynolds will be backing up after Origin and I am expecting him to take his game to another level on the back of the confidence building he will receive after representing his state.
Meanwhile the Titans have surprised everyone this season. After a host of injuries to key players in preseason and the loss of key players from last year, they were expected by many to struggle this season and finish near the bottom of the ladder. They currently sit outside the top eight but they have been competitive in all of their matches except for one and they have won five of their 11 matches. Ashley Taylor has been a revelation at halfback and the Titans look to be the big winners from the Daly Cherry-Evans back flip. Greg Bird will be backing up form Origin and they will need him to have a big match but I am predicting the Bunnies to earn the win on home soil and stretch their winning streak to three games.
TIP: Rabbitohs -4.5 @ $1.90 with CrownBet
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks (Monday 7pm AEST)
The Sharks are currently on the top of the NRL table and they have proved they will be a tough team to beat this season with one of the best forward packs in the game. They also have a good mix of youth and experience in their back line, which gives them a lot of x-factor whilst they still have the veteran heads to steer them around the park and take over the game when it is getting close. Ben Barba has been a revelation for the side at fullback and has proven his doubters wrong who said Valentine Holmes should have been selected in the position. Meanwhile the halves pairing has been on fire and has improved the teams offence, which was the reason the Sharks weren’t able to take that extra step over the past couple of seasons.
They are up against another big forward pack in the Bulldogs and both sides will have the benefit of a five-day turn around for their Origin stars. The Bulldogs ran out of gas against the Raiders as Aiden Tolman and James Graham played huge minutes in the middle of the field and they were cut to pieces late in the game. They will have their forward partners Josh Jackson and David Klemmber back in the line up to relieve the load on them this weekend. Moses Mbey and Josh Reynolds have been improving their combination but they still have the ability to float in and out of games. I am backing the Sharks to continue their great start to the season and be too strong in this one.
TIP: Sharks @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
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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!
