Adam O’Brien’s indecision in the spine continues to hamper this Newcastle attack. Two tries from seven linebreaks against Wests isn’t pretty reading and while the Tigers did well to scramble on a few occasions, the Knights lack of direction at dummy-half and first receiver is a tough watch at times.
Redcliffe on the other hand have a variety of repeatable actions in their attack through halfback Isaiya Katoa. He knows how to target specific defenders in the line and engage the defence with tempo and angles before passing into space.
Kodi Nikorima’s speed is a nice foil for Katoa’s on-the-ball deception and I like the value in a Phins upset here.
Manly found a chink in North Queensland’s line in Round 1 and targetted it to the tune of four tries. It was the perfect storm for the Sea Eagles preferred right edge in attack but I like the Warriors left edge to put up more of a fight here. Kurt Capewell works hard from four-man (the fourth defender in from the touchline) to pressure ballplayers and release his teammates to check the likes of Haumole Olakau’atu out wide.
Second-phase play killed New Zealand in Las Vegas but their opposition won’t land 17 offloads each week. Provided Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad gets his numbers right on the line, the Warriors should be able to repel enough Manly set pieces to keep this close.
We thought Easts right edge and ruck looked shaky in the trials and Brisbane emphatically confirmed those concerns in Round 1. Victor Radley is a big loss defensively for that new right edge and I’m expecting the spaces around Siua Wong, Chad Townsend, Robert Toia and Dominic Young to be a target for the Panthers attack here.
Jack Cole is playing to instruction as a running five-eighth on Penrith’s left edge but we saw Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards both swing there late to put Daine Laurie over last week.
I’m looking down that corridor again in this one.
Souths are again missing key personnel but their defensive resilience impressed last week.
Jai Arrow and Campbell Graham are two huge inclusions for the Bunnies this season – particularly with the work they do off the ball – and they stand opposite the Dragons preferred left edge attack in this one.
We’ve already seen plenty of variety through Luciano Leilua down that Dragons edge and I’m expecting more of the same here. From the far post, the short-side half swings late into first receiver while Clint Gutherson and the open-side half pull shape on the tram lines.
It’s an attacking system designed to ask questions from coast-to-coast across the field and it can test some new combinations on the Rabbitohs edges here.
We took the value in a big Manly win last week and I’m back for more before the markets adjust.
Jeremiah Nanai has been sensationally dropped following a horror defensive display for the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 1. His replacement – Kai O’Donnell – was similarly spotted during the trials to leave a left edge of Tom Dearden, Jaxson Purdue and Murray Taulagi isolated and under pressure on their line.
The Sharks slingshot-style attack profiles nicely against the Cowboys leaky edges here.
With Addin Fonua-Blake holding up defenders near the ruck and Will Kennedy swinging late into position in the second- or third-layer of a shift, the Sharks attack consistently creates overlap opportunities and Sam Stonestreet can be the beneficiary here.
Ricky’s Raiders nailed almost every half-chance in Las Vegas to find 17 offloads and 30 points in NRL Round 1. The best version of their unorthodox attack is difficult to reproduce but it profiles nicely against organised defensive lines like the one ‘Madge’ appears to have introduced in Red Hill over the summer.
This will be a good test of the Broncos defensive connection and resilience under pressure, given the different looks Canberra typically throw at their opposition.
For the Raiders, we’re going to get a better idea of where they sit in the 2025 NRL premiership race; we know they love a grind but do they have the class to go with the best teams in a shootout?
Wests gave us a few new looks last week in what was a winnable game against a clunky Newcastle side. They played far more conservative in yardage – getting to spots and kicking to corners – while setting up nicely for some second-phase play through Terrell May.
With Api Koroisau and Jahream Bula back this week, we get our first taste of Wests new-look spine and I think they can cause Parramatta some issues.
The Eels ruck defence was woeful against Melbourne in Round 1. They conceded too many quick play-the-balls which left their markers and ruck defenders out of position or under pressure in repeat tackles.
If May can find the right offload at the right moment, there are points for Wests to find around the ruck in this one.
How will the Gold Coast’s hulking forward pack fare in the modern game? They get a favourable matchup here against Canterbury’s small-forward model and if they get it right, there’s value in a Titans upset.
We saw what Keano Kini, AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell can do in the second-phase during the trials. With big bodies crashing the ruck and speed threats on the edges, the Titans pose a lot of questions to the defence at once.
The challenge is for an inexperienced spine to take the right options at the right moments.