The 2017 NRL season is heating up as we head into the last round before the State of Origin and bye period. We take a look at all the weekend's action in our NRL Round 11 Preview and Betting Tips below.
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys (Thursday 7.50pm AEST)
The Cowboys were all but written off last week when facing the Bulldogs. The side was without a number of players, including Johnathan Thurston. However, Jake Granville and Lachlan Coote returned to the side and they had a huge impact on the result. Michael Morgan was given the majority of the credit for his performance but it was Granville getting his forwards on the front foot and Coote’s organisation that allowed Morgan to play with freedom. We are predicting them to play well on Thursday night but the Sharks are a tougher opposition than the Bulldogs.
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The Sharks earned the victory over the Dragons but it was expected to be a lot easier. They only just got over the line and it was a controversial winning play with a hint of a forward pass. Their forward pack is a lot stronger than the Cowboys and on the back of their go forward they should be able to create enough opportunities to earn another narrow win.
TIP: Sharks at the margin (1-12) – $2.90 at William Hill
New Zealand Warriors vs St George Illawarra (Friday 6pm AEST)
If ever there was a tale of two halves, it was in the match of the Warriors vs the Panthers on Saturday. The Warriors took a 28-6 lead into the break and the match looked to be sealed, however the New Zealand side didn’t come out of the sheds with the right attitude and their defence was cut to pieces as they suffered a historic loss. The Warriors will need to turn things around to recapture their confidence and Shaun Johnson needs to take more responsibility and not give every job to halves partner Keiran Foran.
Meanwhile the Dragons aren't lying down despite their two star players being on the sidelines. Josh Dugan and Gareth Widdop are both injured which leaves only half their spine intact. The side has been defending strongly all season and if they can get the Warriors frustrated they will win this one, however, we believe the Warriors will click in this one and get the two competition points.
TIP: Warriors at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 at Sportsbet
Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers (Friday 7.50pm AEST)
The Broncos were blown off the park against the Sea Eagles in the opening 15 minutes of the match and they trailed by 14 points. However, there was a turning point in the match which lead to a try and saw Tom Trbojevic limp off and it was all Broncos from that moment on as they went on a 24-0 run to end the match. The side has won five straight matches and considering they are on home soil, they won’t be losing this one.
Meanwhile the Tigers are in a rebuild stage and they will have a very different roster next season. They are without Aaron Wood for this one and they will be missing a lot of punch and defence in the middle of the field. They won’t be able to make an impact on this match with their side on the back foot for the majority of the contest.
TIP: Broncos at the line (-12.5) – $1.90 at CrownBet
Gold Coast Titans vs Manly Sea Eagles (Saturday 5.30pm AEST)
The Titans are on a three game winning streak which includes the impressive scalp of the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night. They managed to score 38 points against arguably the best defence in the league, which is no easy feat. The side fought back on multiple occasions which not many sides have been able to do against the Storm. It is a good step forward for the side and it is on the back of their halves pairing of Kane Elgey and Ashley Taylor putting together consistent and strong performances. Meanwhile Tyrone Roberts has excelled at fullback. However, it isn’t all good new for the side as they suffered more injury setbacks. They have overcame these obstacles all season and we believe they will be able to do it again on home soil this Saturday.
Meanwhile the Sea Eagles have their own injury trouble with Tom Trobjoevic out for the next 6-8 weeks. He has been arguably their best player of the last two seasons and they will miss him at the back. He offers a lot in attack and takes the pressure off his halves. We believe the Titans will be able to hold on at home against the inconsistent Sea Eagles.
TIP: Titans at the line (-3.5) – $1.90 at Ladbrokes
Parramatta Eels vs Canberra Raiders (Saturday 7.30pm AEST)
The Raiders suffered a humiliating defeat on Sunday against the Knights. They were expected to win by a large margin but they were overpowered up the middle and they couldn’t gel in attack. It is a disappointing result for a side that was expected to contend for the premiership. They haven’t been able to find consistency this year to allow them to build momentum. They need to return to the basics of putting the opposition on the back foot up the middle and dominating with their backs after that. They receive a boost with Josh Papali returning to the line up after serving a club suspension for drink driving.
Meanwhile the Eels were handed their own embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Roosters. The side was never in the contest and it was compounded by the injury to half Corey Norman. The Eels lost the only other match without Norman this season and we can’t see them creating much in attack with him on the sidelines.
TIP: Raiders at the line (-5.5) – $1.90 at William Hill
Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers (Sunday 2pm AEST)
The Knights will host the Panthers on the back of their best win in two seasons. It was their most dominant performance and the 14 point victory came against a side expected to contend for the premiership. The halves pairing of Jaelen Feeney and Brock Lamb are beginning to show positive signs while Sionie Mata’utai was great for a 20-year-old stand-in captain. However, it is still tough times ahead for the Knights but it is positive to see improvement.
The Panthers completed one of their best comebacks as they overturned a 28-6 half time deficit to secure the much needed two competition points. It could have been a disaster if they lost that match but the victory could breath life into the side. These two sides met earlier this season and the Panthers ran away with the match in a 40-0 victory. They have proved they have one of the best attacks in the competition when things are clicking and we believe they will be firing on all cylinders this weekend.
TIP: Panthers at the line (-10.5) – $1.90 at Sportsbet
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters (Sunday 4pm AEST)
An interesting second last match of the round sees the Bulldogs face off with rivals the Roosters. The Bulldogs were disappointing in their last start against the Cowboys as their defence was cracked far too easily while they struggled to create much in attack. The side is very one dimensional and if their initial plan doesn’t work they find themselves in a lot of strife. Matt Frawley had a solid game but we believe he is better suited to playing halfback rather than five-eighth.
Meanwhile the Roosters will enter this match on the back of their biggest win of the season. Their attack was firing and they put the Eels away early. Mitchell Pearce had a great game at halfback and he will be looking to do the same to earn a spot in Laurie Daley’s NSW Origin side. The Roosters held off the Dogs in their meeting earlier this season and we believe they will do the same.
TIP: Roosters at the margin (1-12) – $2.90 at CrownBet
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Melbourne Storm (Sunday 6.30pm AEST)
The final game of round 12 will pit the Rabbitohs against the Storm and unfortunately for the Bunnies they are catching the Storm at a bad time. They are coming off a loss and entering the Origin period, which means they will be desperate for a victory and the two competition points for two separate reasons. It is always a tough period for the Storm while their star players are off on Origin duty which means they will be putting everything into this game to keep their distance at the top of the table. Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith played at a high level against the Titans but their defence was the problem as they leaked 38 points. We are backing them to be very strong in this area this weekend as they look to hold out the Rabbitohs.
Meanwhile the bunnies are coming off an impressive victory against the Tigers which saw Sam Burgess have his best game since returning from rugby union. The big forward barged his way over for two tries and was constantly putting his hand up for a run. He needs to continue to lead from the front for his side while Cody Walker will need to play well at fullback for them to stand a chance. However, we are going to stick with last year’s grand finalists in this one.
TIP: Storm at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 at William Hill
