Oscar Pannifex breaks down every game of Round 20 and provides his best betting plays of the weekend.
Two clubs fresh off the bye and preparing for a very different run home.
Brisbane have nothing to lose which makes them more dangerous than ever, back to almost full strength with Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh key inclusions here. There’s still time for the Broncos to remind us all what they can do, and the challenge for Penrith is to not let a winnable game get away from them.
Off the highs of a Wally Lewis Medal, Nathan Cleary now returns to clubland with his gaze firmly fixed on the 2026 NRL Premiership. I like him to kick and chip away at this Broncos side until fatigue sets in and the fight goes out of them, but I’m not ruling out a Brisbane boilover.
Tips
Best: Broncos (+14.5) @ $1.85
Anytime Try Scorers: Brian To’o @ $1.91 & Reece Walsh @ $2.95
Same Game Multi: Broncos (+13.5) + Brian To’o Anytime Try + Reece Walsh Anytime Try @ $9.19
For the third time this year, Cronulla nailed their approach to pile on 50+ points in an attacking clinic. Their power forward model was allowed to play front-foot footy while Braydon Trindall (three assists) and Nicho Hynes (two tries, three assists) responded to cues in an exhausted defensive line.
Newcastle are unlikely to offer up as many looks here but even if they do, this Knights attack is one of the few that can go with Cronulla in a shoot-out.
It’s the Sharks with all the momentum right now and the loss of Jacob Saifiti is a crucial one for the Knights, as we saw last week.
Tips
Best: Sharks 1-12 @ $2.85
Anytime Try Scorer: Ronaldo Mulitalo @ $1.75
Same Game Multi: Sharks 1-12 + Ronaldo Mulitalo Anytime Try @ $4.77
Perhaps the occasion got the better of Easts last week; they tried too hard to find Daniel Tupou early on to offer Parramatta a sniff. We keep waiting for the best version of a Roosters side that already sits third on the NRL ladder but a shaky performance against the 15th placed Eels last week didn’t fill anyone with confidence.
Parramatta’s inexperienced spine couldn’t punish all of those Roosters errors last week and a Melbourne spine missing Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster are at risk of doing the same. Harry Grant can and will do it all on his own at times, but it makes for a simple task for the Roosters here; contain Grant and win the game.
Easts record against Melbourne will get plenty of mention in the lead up but I like the Roosters attack to play itself into form.
Tips
Best: Roosters (-11.5) @ $1.85
Anytime Try Scorer: Daniel Tupou @ $1.6
Same Game Multi: Roosters (-11.5) + Daniel Tupou Anytime Try @ $2.43
Canberra fans have had to take the good and the bad that comes with a very young and inexperienced spine but enjoyed a day out in NRL Round 19.
Ethan Sanders showed his class with the boot and with his ballplaying, taking smart options with the ball behind a pack that dominated the ruck.
That’s the blueprint for South Sydney here; win the middle, control the ruck and the Rabbitohs can slowly apply the pressure back on their opposition.
Cody Walker returns after a career lowlight in NRL Round 18 and there’s a bit to like about what he can do to the Raiders edges here, if given the chance.
Tips
Best: Rabbitohs 13+ @ $3.80
Anytime Try Scorers: Tallis Duncan @ $2.40 & Jack Wighton @ $3.80
Same Game Multi: Rabbitohs 13+ + Tallis Duncan Anytime Try + Jack Wighton Anytime Try @ $18.41
This Warriors machine keeps rolling on, navigating the absence of their Origin stars last week to make light work of a desperate Tigers side. St George will embrace the early grind here but once fatigue sets in and the clock ticks over into the back end of each half, I like New Zealand to pull away.
Chanel Harris-Tavita has owned the Wahs left edge all year and he can have a day out targeting the spaces around Daniel Atkinson. Adam Pompey and Alofiana Khan-Pereira outside him can be the beneficiary of what Harris-Tavita, Kurt Capewell and Wayde Egan do with the ball a little closer to the ruck.
Tips
Best: Warriors 13+ @ $1.60
Anytime Try Scorers: Adam Pompey @ $2.30 & Chanel Harris-Tavita @ $3.35
Same Game Multi: Warriors 13+ + Adam Pompey Anytime Try + Chanel Harris-Tavita Anytime Try @ $8.74
Wests put up a fight early against New Zealand last week but couldn’t go with them once fatigue set in. The defensive numbers in particular don’t paint a pretty picture for the Tigers from that loss either; 11 linebreaks is a damning statistic that Benji Marshall needs to address this week.
Assuming a response, I like Wests attack to make this interesting. Canterbury won’t kick through the front door like the Warriors pack did and it might just give the Tigers enough looks with the ball themselves.
Tips
Best: Wests Tigers (+6.5) @ $1.85
Anytime Try Scorer: Heamasi Makasini @ $3.40
Same Game Multi: Wests Tigers (+6.5) + Heamasi Makasini Anytime Try @ $4.72
Gold Coast come into this one off an encouraging month of footy that included a win over Penrith and a tight loss to Melbourne last week. They’re doing a lot of the little, repeatable things right which is creating a platform for the likes of Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini to enjoy highlight reel moments.
There’s a lot to like about what the Titans ruck attack (42% of their tries this year) can do against a Manly forward pack here missing some key contributors. I like Oliver Pascoe to orchestrate a scoring action or two in this one.
Tips
Best: Titans @ $2.40
Anytime Try Scorers: Arama Hau @ $4.25 & Jojo Fifita @ $2.80
Same Game Multi: Titans + Arama Hau Anytime Try + Jojo Fifita Anytime Try @ $17.17
This game is a big watch to see how Redcliffe respond to their capitulation last week. I’m happy to ignore it – given the quality of player missing in that loss to Cronulla – provided we see a response from the squad as a whole.
They don’t even need a win for the Dolphins to remain genuine finals contenders for me, but they can’t let this become a shoot-out. The best version of this Redcliffe side can grind out a win here but North Queensland are making a habit of bringing the worst out of their opposition this season.
Tips
Best: Cowboys @ $2.30
Anytime Try Scorer: Heilum Luki @ $3.80
Same Game Multi: Cowboys + Heilum Luki Anytime Try @ $6.48
