NRL Round 22 action begins at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night as the Tigers host the Cowboys. 5 wins behind their opponents, the Tigers are fighting hard to improve on last season and avoid the dreaded Wooden Spoon. Despite being an improved year on the field, consistency or a lack thereof, is hurting them. The Cowboys must continue to win to hold onto their spot in the Top 8 and will not want to give up a match like this that they should win. As always, Before You Bet is here to preview the exciting action ahead, hopefully finding you a winner, to add to your viewing enjoyment.
2024 NRL Round 22 Preview & Betting Tips
Wests Tigers vs North Queensland Cowboys
Leichhardt Oval – Thursday 1st August – 7:50pm (AEST)
Match Preview
The Tigers headed over to New Zealand last week to face the Warriors and were handed a 12-points loss, eventually defeated 28-16. In what was a win for Before You Bet punters, the Tigers were competitive for majority of the first half, but conceded last tries to trail 14-nil at HT. With things going against them, them lifted in the second half, but by that stage, there was too much left to do. With just 49% possession, they had a better completion rate (80%) but were poor carrying the ball. They averaged just 8m per carry and made only 389 PCM’s; their defence was fragile too, missing 40 tackles, conceding 9.5m per carry and allowing 8 line breaks.
The Cowboys have a short turnaround to contend with on top of a trip south to Sydney, backing up from a Saturday night victory over the Sharks at home. In need of a strong, consistent performance, they scored 3 first half tries to lead 18-10 at the break. With their defence also pressured, they were able to pull away in the second half, eventually prevailing 30-22; a late ‘garbage time’ try only flattered the visitors. It was an improved showing on recent efforts from the Cowboys; with 52% possession they completed at 85%, averaged 8.5m per carry, had 514 PCM’s and made 11 line breaks. Missing 39 tackles is never ideal but this time, they were able to scramble well to prevent their defensive mistakes turning into points. The win moved them up the ladder into 8th (and higher on the NRL Power Rankings) and the challenge for them is to maintain this standard.
Match Prediction
Despite having a 15% record at this ground (2 wins in 13 games – vs Tigers 55%) and the fact that the home team has won the past 4 fixtures, the Cowboys are favourites ($3.40 vs $1.32). It might have something to do with the fact that they have won 4 out of the past 5 games played between these two sides. On top of that, they have scored a higher average of points this season (17ppg vs 24ppg); notwithstanding their poor defensive record, it is still better than their opponents (29ppg vs 24ppg).
The Tigers receive a boost with Olam and Klemmer returning to their side while the Cowboys will struggle with the omission of Cotter and Taumalolo. Both are key forwards and will give the Tigers a chance of gaining ascendency in this area. The Cowboys are still the stronger team, possessing a formidable spine that will look to put their strike edge players in promising positions. Nevertheless, the form of the Cowboys has been difficult to read; a strong performance last week was somewhat overshadowed by a narrow loss to the Sea Eagles weeks earlier. The time is now for them to prove a point. If they cannot win this game against the last-placed team in the competition, with authority, they do not deserve to be playing Finals come September.
The Tigers could easily spring a surprise, but it would take a complete, 80-minute effort, for them to capture victory. The line (9.5) is interesting and enticing given the Cowboys inability this season to defend their line for long periods of time. Recent history suggests a blowout should be expected; the average winning margin in their past 5 matches is 32.2 points, with 74-, 48- and 24-point victories. The Cowboys should be able to cover the line with their attacking power and once they gain the ascendency, there is no limit to what they can achieve in this match.
Cowboys -9.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
We’ve collaborated with exciting new bookmaker, QuestBet, to bring you a great value Same Game Multi for the opening game of each AFL & NRL round. Simply click this link or the image below to jump on our Tigers vs Cowboys SGM.
The first two selections are obvious. The Cowboys are the preferred team, meanwhile, the average total points in their past 5 matches sits at 65.8 points. Nanai has scored 12 tries this season (ranked 2nd for the Cowboys) and has been strong on their right edge. Drinkwater is great in support play, scoring 7 tries and proving his worth as a ball player close to the line.
SGM Odds: $7 at QuestBet (0.5 Units)
