It’s safe to assume Cronulla & Redcliffe experienced very different bye round weekends.
Fresh off a 50 point hammering of South Sydney, the Dolphins are full of confidence and eyeing off a late run into the 2025 finals series.
Cronulla on the other hand are dead in the water and desperate for a response following a horror Origin period. For a side that lost no players to rep duty, Cronulla have missed a golden opportunity to solidify a finals berth.
It’s Redcliffe on form but Cronulla with everything to play for. I’m leaving the H2H market here.
Tips
Herbie Farnworth Anytime Try Scorer
Briton Nikora Anytime Try Scorer
Melbourne got it done against North Queensland last week but it wasn’t pretty. The Storm are ravaged with injuries and rep duties right now but they continue to find a way while waiting for the troops to return.
It’s difficult to see the Knights attack troubling Melbourne here without Kalyn Ponga or Fletcher Sharpe winning individual moments. Newcastle will win a few more games this season in the grind but I can’t see them going with the Storm at home.
Tips
Melbourne Storm win 1-12
Under 45.5 total points
Easts couldn’t recover from a horror start against Wests last week despite looking the better team for most of the contest. Assuming a few key players return here, I like the Roosters to get back on the horse and resume their run into the Top Eight.
What Mark Nawaqanitawase is doing right now needs to be seen to be believed. He’s as raw as they come but continues to be a problem one-on-one in the centres or on the paint.
Tips
Mark Nawaqanitawase Anytime Try Scorer
Daniel Tupou Anytime Try Scorer
Canterbury are feeling the growing pains right now that come with introducing a new key player to an attack. The Lachlan Galvin situation will continue to demand headlines but he can’t help what is a disrupted and pieced-together Bulldogs pack right now.
With some troops back on deck, I think we see the Bulldogs double down on their strengths in the grind. Holes will inevitably appear in North Queensland’s ruck defence once fatigue sets in, provided the Bulldogs can drag them into deep water first.
Tips
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs win 1-12
Viliame Kikau Anytime Try Scorer
Wests made the most of some early luck in NRL Round 18 to just sneak home against Easts. There are plenty of promising signs around Latu Fainu but that second half fade is indicative of any young half learning to control a game. It won’t get any easier for Fainu here up against a Warriors outfit that has excelled in the grind throughout the regular season.
While we wait to see how they handle the Luke Metcalf fallout, we can only assume New Zealand will continue getting a lot of the little things right throughout the contest.
Tips
New Zealand Warriors win 1-12
Chanel Harris-Tavita Anytime Try Scorer
Parramatta continue to develop under Jason Ryles, cutting down on their errors and having some joy through a few repeatable actions in attack. They look comfortably safe from Wooden Spoon territory at time of writing given the form of teams around them but face a difficult task against a growing Panthers side.
Provided the bulk of Penrith’s Origin stars back up in this one, I like the Panthers to continue their climb up the NRL ladder. They’re reaping the rewards of combinations in a young backline while their pack grows into the season. There’s value in their left edge here.
Tips
Blaize Talagi Anytime Try Scorer
Isaiah Iongi Anytime Try Scorer
Casey McLean Anytime Try Scorer
A breakout performance from Xavier Willison last week was enough to overcome the absence of Brisbane’s Origin stars. Willison’s development highlights the slow grind Michael Maguire is overseeing right now, but we could be witnessing the fruits of that labour as finals nears.
Ben Hunt’s inclusion to the Broncos ruck spells danger for a Titans middle that continues to fold under pressure and repeat efforts. We mightn’t see the best version of the Broncos attack through Hunt in this game, but we should see enough.
Tips
Brisbane Broncos win 13+
Brendan Piakura Anytime Try Scorer
Gehemat Shibasaki Anytime Try Scorer