It is here! The NRL season has finally returned and Before You Bet will have you covered with weekly round previews and NRL betting tips. Here is the Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips!
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Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Thursday 8.05pm AEDT)
The defending champions have managed to keep the majority of their winning formula intact, minus the departure of Sam Burgess to rugby but that hole has been partially filled by the signing of Glenn Stewart from Manly. Meanwhile the Brisbane Broncos have signed Anthony Milford and Adam Blair and there is also the return of super coach Wayne Bennett. The Rabbitohs have had the perfect preseason, winning the Auckland 9s and then flogging St Helens 39-0 in the World Club Challenge. They are the clear favourites in this match but the Broncos should not be overlooked, especially when playing in front of a big crowd at Suncorp Stadium. Corey Parker will also be reaching the exclusive club of 300 NRL games, becoming the second bronco to reach the milestone after legend Darren Lockyer. The Rabbits have won the last three meetings between the two sides and they should make it four.
TIP: South Sydney -4 @ 1.90 with Sportsbet
Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles (Friday 8.05pm AEDT)
These two sides hate each other, and that hatred has only grown in recent times with the comments from Watmough about his former club and the Eels publicly attempting to lure Kieran Foran to the blue and gold. Watmough will be leading the Eels formidable forward pack into battle and he will have a target on his head as Manly players will be looking to land a shot on their former teammate. If the form of Chris Sandow in the Auckland 9s is anything to go off, then he is set for a big season and on the back of the go forward of the big men, Sandow will be at his probing best. The biggest question mark on the Eels is of course how they will adapt to life without star Jarryd Hayne and whether Will Hopoate can live up to expectations and fill the void at the back. The Eels will upset the Eagles in this one, especially with the latest in the Daly Cherry-Evans saga, Manly has removed their offer for him to resign with the club.
TIP: Parramatta Eels @ $1.95 with Ladbrokes
Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors (Saturday 4.30pm AEDT)
Both of these sides had a disappointing 2014 season, the Knights were plagued by injuries but the Warriors only had themselves to blame. They let a lot of games slip through their hands and it resulted in them missing the finals. The Warriors thrive on confidence, if they get off they have the players that can score plenty of tries and blow the knights out of the match. The battle of the halves will go a long way to deciding who is victorious, Shaun Johnson found the form of his career as he led New Zealand to a Four Nations crown and was also awarded the golden boot. If he can continue on from where he left off and improve on his combination with fullback Sam Tomkins than the Warriors should win this one easily.
TIP: Warriors -1.5 @ 1.92 with Luxbet
Gold Coast Titans vs Wests Tigers (Saturday 7pm AEDT)
The Gold Coast Titans have been rocked by the bombshell of drug allegations against their star players Greg Bird and Dave Taylor. The loss of these two players alone from the side should spell the Titans to a loss but on top of this they have had to deal with investigations into the club and a takeover by the NRL. Luckily for them they are up against the Tigers who are an inexperienced side that are still developing into NRL players. If Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses and James Tedesco can live up to their high standards and keep injury free, they could be the surprise packet of the competition.
TIP: No Bet
North Queensland Cowboys vs Sydney Roosters (Saturday 9pm AEDT)
This is arguably the match of the round and a rematch from last years Semi-final. In that match the Cowboys came back from 30-0 to level the scores at 30 apiece before controversially being denied a try that would have won them the match. The Cowboys have turned Townsville into a fortress in recent seasons and they will be looking to continue that trend into 2015. Surprisingly, Lachlan Coote has been left out of the 17 for the Cowboys with Coach Paul Green opting to maintain the formula from last season with Michael Morgan at full back, however Johnathan Thurston has returned to the number six jersey despite moving back to the seven half way through last year. This one is hard to pick but if the Roosters can utilise the advantage they have in the centres with Blake Fergurson and Michael Jennings, as both players have the ability to find the tryline. However, it is hard to tip against a Cowboys outfit that is healthy and playing at home.
TIP: Cowboys -2.5 @ 1.9 with Sportsbet
Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Sunday 4pm AEDT)
Sunday afternoon kicks off with a blockbuster rematch of the preliminary final from last year. The Bulldogs got the better of the Panthers and I am backing them to do the same again. The forward pack of the dogs is intimidating to say the least - James Graham and Aiden Tolman are as hard as nails and work horses. The Dogs are also blessed with having Australian representative David Klemmer and big Sam Kasiano coming off the bench. If that isn’t enough, they also have Josh Jackson, Tony Williams and Frank Pritchard. The Bulldogs not only get a great go forward but they utilise the ball playing skills of the big men and are able to create space for their halves pairing Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds. If Brett Morris is able to adjust to fullback better than his trial period at the Dragons, the Bulldogs will be hard to beat throughout the season.
TIP: Bulldogs @ 1.92 with Palmerbet
Cronulla Sharks vs Canberra Raiders (Sunday 6.30pm AEDT)
This match has the two bottom teams from last year up against each other, therefore for at least one week one of these sides fans will be able to rejoice and enjoy being in the eight. The last two years the Sharks have been burdened with the ASADA cloud hanging over their heads and with it finally coming to a conclusion at the end of last season, the Sharks can move on. Shane Flanagan also makes his return to the helm of the Sharks and with the acquisition of Ben Barba to give the side the x-factor they lost when Todd Carney was shown the door, things are looking up for the Sharks. The loss of Milford will hurt Canberra, a lot of their tries came from his individual brilliance, Jack Wighton is a handy replacement, but it is more than likely going to be another long season for the Nation’s Capital.
TIP: No Bet
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm (Monday 7pm AEDT)
For the first time in years, the Melbourne Storm have been written off to make a finals appearance and this could be what puts the fire in the belly of veterans Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk to come out and prove a point. Captain Cameron Smith has been under an injury cloud but has been named to play which is a massive boost for the Storm side. The Storm struggled last year as they failed to find a replacement for Gareth Widdop, but the signing of Blake Green from Wigan should take some of the workload and pressure off of Cooper Cronk. The Dragons lost Brett Morris and earlier this week Trent Merrin announced he will be joining the Panthers at the end of the season, a massive loss for the Dragons and will contribute to low team morale early on in the season.
TIP: Melbourne -2 @ 1.92 with Palmerbet
