Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v Parramatta Eels

The Sea Eagles host the Eels in a long-awaited matchup since Kieran Foran left last year and interestingly, it is the first match for the Eels away from either Pirtek or ANZ Stadium. The Sea Eagles were great last week, comprehensively beating the Warriors on their home turf and building confidence that is needed in the absence of DCE. The Eels were equally as good, if not better, in their dominating display over the Raiders. If anything, it was the first time this year that the Eels have put together such a performance that has lasted the entire 80 minutes. As for this match, the defensive capabilities of the visitors will make them difficult to overcome. They have on numerous occasions this year what they’re capable of and this game should be no different. Compare that with the Sea Eagles, who are yet to beat a quality opponent and have struggled for consistency. The fact that they are playing out of Brookvale Oval brings them into the match, but that will only take them so far. The Eels have what it takes to overcome the external influences and capture victory, albeit, in a close affair.

Suggested Bet
Eels 1-12

North Queensland Cowboys v South Sydney Rabbitohs

The Cowboys head into this game full of confidence off the back of a tight win over the Panthers. Their home record so far this year has been outstanding and they have not conceded a point in their past two matches; meaning that you have to go back to the 60th minute in Round 1 to find the last time they conceded any points. The Rabbitohs will find it difficult too, as they aim to bounce back from a shock-loss to the Roosters. Things didn’t go to plan for them and again, their forwards were disappointing when it counted. Sam Burgess lead the way strongly, adequately supported by a few other, but they still fell short of quality. Having Adam Reynolds return from injury will hardly increase their chances of reversing their fortunes as the problems appear to be difficult to solve at this stage. Still, they will consider themselves a chance, especially after they won the last encounter between the two sides at this ground. That being said, the Cowboys should be able to demonstrate why they are in a different class this year altogether. They have attacking weapons across the pass and will not give up their home ground advantage easily. At the end of the day, the Rabbitohs still have some improvement left in them before they will be at the same standard. Once that occurs, it could be a different story but that time is still off for them this early on in the season.

Suggested Bet
Cowboys -10.5 or Cowboys 13+

Gold Coast Titans v St George-Illawarra Dragons

After a narrow loss to the Sharks last week, the Titans head into this match hoping that the Dragons do not improve on their previous two performances, where they have failed to score a point. It is a tough time for this side at the moment and it doesn’t appear as though their problems will go away either; as their attack continues to struggle for momentum. It is not all easy at the Titans either, with slow starts to matches impacting upon the overall result. If they can get that right, they are in with a strong chance of finishing high on the ladder. Here, the Titans appear to be the ideal selection but the Dragons are certain to bounce back. The loss of Greg Bird and missing Tyrone Roberts for another week limits the Titans chances of dominating the entire contest, however they have proven this year that they are a capable team. The Dragons will need to demonstrate more than they have for them to be considered a strong contender in this type of match. As for the margin, this will be a close match, given that the 9 matches have been by less than a converted try.

Suggested Bet
Titans -1.5

Marginal win = Titans 1-12 @ $3 – If the Titans are to win as expected, it would be surprising to see the margin be more than two converted tries. Expect things to be tight and perhaps pick up more value on this investment.
Tri your luck = Either team under 6.5 points @ $2.80 – Games between these two sides are traditionally close and if you’re uncertain about the Titans chances, this option could be the way to go.

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs v New Zealand Warriors

The Bulldogs shocked many with an upset win over the Storm last week in Melbourne. That effort was needed after a few poor efforts, but it hasn’t completely dismissed their problems. They still need their attack to be more direct, rather than lateral. As for the Warriors, it was another disappointing game at home where they failed to perform when it mattered. It is a common theme for them and heading back across to Sydney will test them further. The Bulldogs have a tough situation also; while they are at home this match is being played in Wellington. This means that they have to back up from MNF with a trip to NZ and a short turnaround form MNF is something that has proven difficult for majority of teams in the past. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs haven’t lost to the Warriors since 2012 and the visitors struggle at this ground with just the one win from 8 matches. There has also been a strong move towards the Bulldogs in betting markets and until the Warriors show that they can win a grinding contest, you cannot invest on them with confidence. It is a very tricky match to invest in and while the Bulldogs are favored, the Warriors could easily cause an upset. Stick with the “home” team to win this one though, with fatigue wearing them down in the end so that they win by less than 2 converted tries.

Suggested Bet
Bulldogs 1-12

Brisbane Broncos v Newcastle Knights

The Broncos have had plenty of time to prepare for this match, with the time off almost a reward for their 26-nil win over the Dragons. While the score appears impressive, the match was dour and riddled with mistakes from both sides. The Broncos could’ve easily beaten their opponents by a larger margin if they execute like they normally do. Still, a win is a win and it will mean that they are strong favorites here against the Knights, who are coming off their first win of the year against the Tigers. It may’ve been somewhat controversial, but the Knights will take it and can be a reward for the hard work they’ve offered in each of their matches. They will need to lift to another level if they’re to compete with the Broncos though. The home ground advantage will only make things more difficult and the pressure will be on them from the opening minutes. Whereas they have a good record in Melbourne, Suncorp is not kind to them and then will find this game beyond them. As for the margin, scoring points is what the Broncos are able to do but they have an uncanny habit of playing to their opponents level. If this doesn’t happen, expect a large tally to be run up.

Suggested Bet
Broncos 13+

Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks

The Raiders have a longer period of time to recover heading into this match and it was much needed following their ambush by the Eels last week. They headed into that match with minimal preparation and it showed; hammered 36-6. It needs to be noted that they’re a far better football team than that and they will be out to prove it here. The Sharks had a different story, getting away with a close win over the Titans at home. They were not without their issues, but they again demonstrated how they can win a grinding contest. They will need that again here, with the Raiders posing as a tricky opponent. They have proven this year that they are going to make their home ground a difficult place for teams to perform well at. This increase of confidence is always welcomed and this match is certain to go down to the final minutes. As for the winner, the Raiders look poised to bounce back now that the returning players have the extra week back from injuries. Rather than select that option outright, investing around a close game appears the way to go in this one.

Suggested Bet
Either team under 6.5 points
Home run = Raiders 1-12 – If the Raiders are able to win, it would be surprising to see the margin blowout to anything more than 2 converted tries. If you want to make a call on the winner, go for this option.

Wests Tigers v Melbourne Storm

The Tigers return to Leichhardt Oval off the back of a loss to the Knights; an effort than handed the struggling club their first win for the season. All is not well at the Tigers after their great start to the season and they are now on a 4-game losing streak. The return to their spiritual home ground is expected to lift them and a win in these circumstances would not shock. This is aided by the Storms lackluster effort last Monday against the Bulldogs. It was a match that they were expected to do well in and they failed to build much pressure on their opponents. This has been a theme for the Storm throughout 2016, where they have appeared to be away from their best and struggled for consistency and momentum in matches. Despite this, they have found ways of winning matches and this has covered their issues somewhat. As for their chances here, they are the favorites in this match for a reason but there is more value in the Tigers causing an upset; considering how well the home team performs at this ground.

Suggested Bet
Tigers H2H

Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers

The Roosters finally grabbed their first win of the season last week, in a pleasing display that lead to a victory over their bitter rivals, the Rabbitohs. It was more impressive because of their individual play, especially the defence of some of the forwards around the ruck. The Panthers were similar in their performance, but not in the overall outcome as they went down to the Cowboys by 5-points. This means that all of the Panthers matches so far this season have been decided by 8-points or less. They will take confidence away from that performance and perhaps need it here against a team that themselves are finding their momentum again. The Panthers are a team that is aware of what needs to be done in order to find victory and their losses are coming down to lack of execution when it matters. In this contest, they should be too strong for the Roosters; regardless of their win last week, as it will take a several similar efforts to change the view of fans out there. As for the margin in this contest, the Panthers record of close matches should lead one to thinking that it will not get out to more than 2 converted tries by the time the fulltime whistle blows.

Suggested Bet
Panthers 1-12