North Queensland are on the ropes and running out of time to address their leaky middle defence. The pressure is compounding the injuries an inexperienced backline has made all season; Braidon Burns is a nice addition here in that respect, but his lateral movement will be tested by the Dolphins attack.   Redcliffe are running out of troops in the pack and it’s catching up with them. It’s difficult to tip the Cowboys on their defence (second worst in the NRL) but they might just have enough against the Dolphins here.   Bet Now Cronulla Sharks vs Sydney Roosters 8:00pm, Friday |…

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…

Brisbane have landed on a winning formula in recent weeks but their ability to adapt will be tested here with key players missing in key positions.   Reece Walsh is the obvious omission, but how the Broncos handle the middle without Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan is the concern. Canterbury’s have some absences of their own around the ruck but have repeatedly displayed a willingness to win games in different ways this season.   Brisbane need to start well and avoid getting into the grind with the Dogs.  Bet Now Canberra Raiders vs St. George-Illawarra Dragons 7:30pm, Saturday | GIO Stadium, Canberra…

Penrith’s once brittle and inexperienced defensive systems have improved throughout the regular season to have the Panthers just inside the Top 8 rolling into NRL Round 17. They began the year conceding first points early in most games but as combinations and cohesion develops, we’re seeing more of the best version of this Penrith side.   Canterbury are in the middle of adding a few strings themselves, namely around Lachlan Galvin in the #17 jumper. I like the Bulldogs to make a target of Blaize Talagi on Penrith’s left edge but I’m happy to back the defending champs to keep this…

It’s difficult to bet against Canberra right now given what their attack is producing each week. Continuity has been to the benefit of the Raiders to begin the year and while it’s only a minor change here, Savelio Tamale leaves a sizable hole on that left wing. He and Seb Kris have been consistent contributors to Canberra’s yardage game and IT attack while making some smart decisions off the ball too.   It presents Sunia Turuva and the Tigers with an opportunity down that edge if they can get it right.   Bet Now New Zealand Warriors vs Penrith Panthers 5:00pm, Saturday…

Shane Flanagan delivered some more press conference brilliance following a heavy loss to The Dolphins in NRL Round 14. If history is any indication, ‘Flanno’ will get a response out of St George here and they get a winnable game against a Cronulla Sharks outfit that looks lost right now.   Nicho Hynes will cop the brunt of the criticism for Cronulla’s poor form but the issues are more widespread for the Sharks. Their defensive resilience has disappeared in the face of scoreboard pressure as they consistently fail to cash in on their good-ball opportunities.   Hynes, Braydon Trindall & Will Kennedy…

The Sea Eagles have gone WLWL since NRL Round 7 and are coming off a big win against the embattled Broncos. Their middle looks improved with Lachlan Croker, Jazz Tevaga and Ben Trbojevic in their preferred positions while Lehi Hopoate continues to trigger discussion around Manly’s best-choice fullback.  Newcastle will miss Leo Thompson through the middle and I’m still not convinced on plugging Fletcher Sharpe into five-eighth. Manly have burned me a few times this year but this is theirs to lose.   Bet Now Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys 8:00pm, Friday | AAMI Park, Melbourne Tips: Melbourne Storm 13+…

Newcastle posted a timely win last week but it reeks of their NRL Round 9 win over South Sydney. Dylan Lucas and Fletcher Sharpe impressed in their preferred positions to run through a decimated Panthers outfit, but how repeatable were most of those scoring actions?  I’m not sure the Dragons line will crack so easily here. St George need to keep in touch with the Eight and this is a winnable game for them on the back of their clinical left-edge attack.   Bet Now Gold Coast Titans vs Melbourne Storm 5:00pm, Saturday | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast Tips: Melbourne…

The 2025 State of Origin Series is finally here and there’s plenty for New South Wales Blues fans to feel confident about heading to Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night. That being said, the Queensland Maroons famously do their best work as underdogs and as a Blues fan myself, it’s concerning to see Billy Slater’s squad written off so early… Deciding Factors Cooper Cronk offered some great insight on The Matty & Cronk Show this week into not only Queensland’s current gameplan, but also how the Maroons likely approached games during their decade of dominance. In summary, he predicted QLD to…