Penrith Panthers v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Panthers tried hard last week but ultimately came up short against a stronger side. Missing a few key players made their job more difficult and that was only compounded once players were assessed after Saturday. It seems now that Segeyaro will be added to the casualty ward after suffering a broken arm. This will only increase the pressure on the halves, who appeared to be playing strongly at times, while weak at others. The Panthers hung on strongly though and can be proud of the way they went about the match over 80 minutes. The Bulldogs will also be without hooker Michael Lichaa, although that did little to impact upon their dominant performance over the Sea Eagles. There was uncertainty around how they would perform in this match, especially given the impact of the new interchange rules. That mattered little though, as their trademark power in the forwards was on show and their halves roamed freely around the field. If they play at that level each week, winning will become a habit for them. Now, the task is to establish themselves as one of the leading sides in the competition and win a game against a weaker opponent; while also making a statement in the process.

Team News
Panthers = Tyrone Peachey is moved to hooker to cover for James Segeyaro (injured), with Elijah Taylor named to fill the vacant bench spot.
Bulldogs = Kerrod Holland will make his NRL debut in the centres for Chase Stanley (injured). In another major blow, Michael Lichaa (injured) has been replaced by Craig Garvey, who could make himself a regular starter in the side. David Klemmer (suspension) returns and will start from the bench.

History
Overall = Panthers 15 Draw 1 Bulldogs 16
Last 5 matches = Panthers 3 Bulldogs 2
At Pepper Stadium = Panthers 9 Bulldogs 7
Form = Panthers 1 loss – Bulldogs 1 win

Verdict
Following their respective performances last week, this appears as though this will be all one-way traffic in favour of the Bulldogs. They came up against a tough pack last week and brushed them aside; and the Panthers issues are only compounded with the absence of Segeyaro. The Bulldogs are also missing their hooker, but they are able to cover for it; whereas the Panthers are taking away another strength they had by moving Peachey. The Panthers are not ones to shy away from a challenge and like last week, they will continue to push their opponents and fight until the 80th minute. Nevertheless, this one looks beyond them and the Bulldogs should run out comfortable winners in the end.

Suggested Bet
Bulldogs 13+ @ $3.10

Brisbane Broncos v New Zealand Warriors

The Broncos became the first team of the season to register a win with their performance over the Eels last Friday. Now, with an extra day to prepare, they return home to Brisbane. It was an impressive display against the Eels in many ways; perhaps not as convincing as many thought once Foran was ruled out. That is more of an indication of the performance of their opponent rather than their own inept ability. There was plenty to like about the Broncos and where ever you looked on the field there was a positive to note. The strength of their 2016 chances only went up and they will be out to make it consecutive victories. Although, the Warriors will make this an interesting contest after being upset by the Tigers, last Saturday. It was a win that not many people saw coming and left people wondering if this was the performance that could be expected from the Warriors this year. They failed to build pressure on their opponents and were left wondering what went wrong as they were down 28-4 at HT. It wasn’t as if the Tigers were much better though, they still made 2 more errors than the Warriors and had a similar completion rate; it was that when it mattered, the Tigers were able to score points when they were in the Warriors 20m. If this form is to continue, Warriors coach Andrew McFadden may be looking for a new job sooner rather than later.

Team News
Broncos = Jack Reed (injury) returns to the team in place of Jordan Kahu (injured) in the centres.
Warriors = Bodene Thompson is named to start in the second row for Ben Henry (injured), while Raymond Faitala-Mariner comes into the side to fill the vacant bench spot.

History
Overall = Broncos 16 Warriors 15
Last 5 matches = Broncos 2 Warriors 3
At Suncorp Stadium = Broncos 7 Warriors 3
Form = Broncos 1 win – Warriors 1 loss

Verdict
After their woeful display last week, the Warriors may find this game too much as well. The Broncos appear to have the makings of a very strong outfit wherever you look and they cannot afford to head into this match and take their opponents lightly. There is also the sense that all is still not well at the Warriors and perhaps several players are underperforming with their coach still employed. Hopefully that isn’t the case, but while the Warriors will be out to improve upon their efforts, they will have to change their attitude immensely if they’re to overcome the Broncos. Fatigue will be a factor for the Broncos too, although they’ve had the luxury of an extra day to prepare for this match and this should suit them perfectly. They won by a comfortable margin this week; however combining fatigue with an improved performance from their opponents could make this match closer than most are predicting.

Suggested Bet
Broncos 1-12 @ $3

Oatemeal = Corey Oates FTS and/or LTS @ $7 – He was on fire last week, scoring two tries in the Broncos win. Look for Oates to be an attacking threat again for the Broncos, as the loose edge defence from the Warriors comes under pressure. You can be sure that he will not be far away from an attacking movement.

Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters

The Raiders began their 2016 campaign on the right note on Saturday, making amends for their poor home record in 2015 and winning their first match against the Panthers. It was a different Raiders team that we saw, mainly due to the controlled manner they played with and it could be different again this week due to injuries. It appeared early on that they would struggle and once Penrith made a comeback with the weight of possession in their favour, many wondered if the Raiders could cope. They did and played well in doing so; to the point where several players delivered on the hype heading into the match. The same cannot be said for the Roosters though, who were comprehensive outplayed and beaten by the Rabbitohs. The Roosters lacked power in the forwards, leading to increased pressure on the halves. This impact the direction in attack that they could offer and they struggled for momentum. Even though they did score twice, it never looked likely with their poor kicks to end sets and inability to build pressure. They really missed Pearce, Cordner and JWH in the middle, however they will have to get accustomed to this for the time being and will have another tough time in Canberra.

Team News
Raiders = With halves Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer (both injured) out, Sam Williams is named at 5/8 and Lachlan Croker will make his NRL debut at halfback. Williams was a late withdrawal last week with a virus.
Roosters = Daniel Tupou (injury) returns on the wing, with Joe Burgess being pushed back to an extended bench.

History
Overall = Raiders 9 Roosters 22
Last 5 matches = Raiders 3 Roosters 2
At GIO Stadium = Raiders 9 Roosters 4
Form = Raiders 1 win – Roosters 1 loss

Verdict
It is a difficult choice between these two sides this week, mainly due to their form and players missing. If the Raiders were not missing their halves, it would be hard to go past them. The stability that Austin and Sezer offered will be hard to emulate and the Roosters will be out to bounce back. The Raiders had several chances to put the Panthers away last Saturday and failed; they cannot afford to do the same again this week. The Roosters are also far better than the performance they turned out last week. While questions linger about the effectiveness of their halves, the Raiders will struggle to build the same pressure that the Rabbitohs did last week against the Roosters. The Roosters forwards will also be out to prove a point after being overpowered. It is not panic stations for them just yet and when you put things into perspective, the Rabbitohs were far superior opponents compared with the Panthers. With that in mind, expect the visitors to head south and sneak away with a win in a game that is almost too close to call.

Suggested Bet
Either team under 6.5 points @ $2.90

If you must = Roosters 1-12 @ $3.10 – If you want to take on one team in this contest, then I would recommend siding with the Roosters to win by less than 2-converted tries. The Raiders will still be fatigued from their match last week and with the Roosters determined to bounce back, we may see an improved level of execution, albeit, with its flaws over 80 minutes.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights 

The Rabbitohs turned on a physical display on Sunday against the Roosters, reminded everyone that they shouldn’t be forgotten about just yet. Many thought the score would be closer than it was, summed up by the Rabbitohs dominance and their opponents ineffectiveness. A few injuries throughout the match soured celebrations though and the team running out this weekend will be remarkably different. Thankfully, majority of their power in the pack remains and that’ll be something they will rely heavily on. The Knights started the season with a loss to the Titans; an effort that has left many wondering just how they will improved. Their attack appear monotonous and lacked creative spark, perhaps impaired by the poor conditions. Nevertheless, their defence was unable to limit the Titans attacking opportunities and they Knights are perhaps lucky the final score wasn’t larger with the attacking opportunities they were offering up. In one positive, the debutants looked strong and they will develop the further they go into the season. For now, they will have a tough task of halting the Rabbitohs momentum in front of their home fans for the first time this season.

Team News
Rabbitohs = Luke Keary (suspension) has been named at halfback to cover for Adam Reynolds (injured), who is set to miss a lot of time. George Burgess (suspension) also returns, slotting in to the front row and allowing brother Sam to move to lock for John Sutton (injured) who will also miss plenty of football. Nathan Brown comes into the team on the bench to cover for Zane Musgrove (injured)
Knights = Korbin Sims is promoted to the starting side at prop, with Kade Snowden dropping back to an extended bench.  Pauli Pauli (suspended) is replaced on the bench by Danny Levi (14) and Lachlan Fitzgibbon (16), while Nathan Ross is named on the wing for Chanel Mata’utia (injured).

History
Overall = Rabbitohs 10 Knights 13
Last 5 matches = Rabbitohs 5 Knights 0
At ANZ Stadium = Rabbitohs 7 Knights 4
Form = Rabbitohs 1 win – Knights 1 loss

Verdict
It seems unlikely that the Knights will be able to halt the Rabbitohs given the home teams power in the forwards. They demonstrated last week just how tough they can be and with their pack only strengthened, the Knights will be under pressure from the opening minutes. It will take a monumental effort for the Knights to disrupt things and going by their 80-minute effort against the Titans, forming quality combinations will be a few weeks away for them just yet. This game becomes a matter of how much the Rabbitohs win this game by; with their momentum playing a vital role. Losing Reynolds will cause some concern, but Keary is a talented and willing replacement. Expect the strong showing to continue here against a Knights team that will improve, but only a small amount this week.

Suggested Bet
Rabbitohs 13+ @ $2.10

No Gray are = Aaron Gray FTS and/or LTS @ $8 – He scored the Rabbitohs second try on the weekend and he will not be far away again. The Rabbitohs love to execute the sweeping movement to their left hand side, where Gray is often waiting unmarked to finish the movement off.

Parramatta Eels v North Queensland Cowboys

Even in defeat, the Eels pleased plenty of people and had their admirers. In the past, Parramatta have been guilty of shutting down in matches and allow the score to blowout. This wasn’t the case last Thursday against the Broncos, staying in the match even despite losing Corey Norman to injury at HT. This limited their attacking threats and one can only wonder what might’ve been. As for the Cowboys, they began their title defence with a tough win against the Sharks in Townsville. It was arguable the match of the round between two sides that appear as though 2016 will be a positive one for them. As usual, their class got them through the match with JT working well with the rest of the “spine” to build pressure on their opponents. His ability to take the ball to the line was creating puzzling choices for defensive players and their last tackle options were one of the best seen in the opening round. Furthermore, their defence held strong and will take confidence away from that effort. Interestingly, this is the first time they have return to Parramatta since their amazing “come-from-behind” victory in MNF last year against the Eels; so all eyes will be on just how the Cowboys start this match.

Team News
Eels = Kieran Foran (injury) is named to make his club debut at halfback, while Danny Wicks is added to an extended bench.
Cowboys = Unchanged.

History
Overall = Eels 15 Draw 1 Cowboys 15
Last 5 matches = Eels 1 Cowboys 4
At Pirtek Stadium = Eels 11 Cowboys 6
Form = Eels 1 loss – Cowboys 1 win

Verdict 
The Eels are expected to kick into another gear in this match, with the effort last week against the Broncos giving them plenty of confidence. If it was any other opponent, they would be a strong chance of winning. Considering it is the Cowboys though, the Eels will have a tough time of building and keeping momentum in this match. Foran will add plenty of attacking ability to the team, but it will also take a couple of weeks for him to fit into the Eels system and style of play. The Cowboys are a classy outfit and against a tough side last week, they were able to prevail. An unchanged squad will ensure that they have as much momentum as possible in this game and make them the ideal selection for this match. In terms of the margin, this game will be closer than most people think. The Eels demonstrated last week how their change of attitude will mean that they play right until the end of matches. It will probably still be a comfortable win for the Cowboys, but by no more than 2-converted tries.

Suggested Bet
Cowboys 1-12 @ $2.85

Narrow it down = Cowboys 7-12 @ $5.50 – If you’re looking for more value out of your investment, then select the Cowboys to win between the suggest margin. It is a lot more difficult to tip but the defensive errors that are still occasionally present will offer more attacking opportunities than the Cowboys had last week and you can expect them to make the most of it.