Rugby League

The countdown now begins for the NRL Grand Final as the whole season comes down to the heavy weight bout between the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm. Now without our beloved Warriors in the mix, many Kiwis around the country will be watching from a neutral position, unless you’ve got personal ties to either team. But if you don’t, finding yourself without a side on Thursday afternoon of Grand Final week isn’t a bad place to be. It gives you the chance to decide who you might want to root for in the big showdown. On the flip side,…

Reece Walsh’s speed unfairly magnified the defensive issues on Canberra’s right edge last week. Still, those issues remain here and they line up against Cronulla’s preferred left edge in attack.  Braydon Trindall was a bold inclusion for the Sharks last Saturday (given the form of Daniel Atkinson the week before) but his ballplaying was superb to feed his winger two tries against a jamming Easts right edge. Trindall and Nicho Hynes also threatened to tip Teig Wilton over a few times playing short at a sliding defensive line and I’m expecting more of the same here.   With Wilton holding up…

Injuries have disrupted the preparations of both teams heading into Friday night.   Marcelo Montoya and Bronson Xerri are big losses for a Canterbury side that typically gets great value out of their outside backs in yardage. Blake Wilson and Jethro Rinakama are handy replacements and are both blessed with speed, but neither will carry the Bulldogs out of trouble like the men they’re replacing.   Meanwhile, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen leave enormous holes in Melbourne’s spine. Their absence likely forces a change to how the Storm look to attack in this one, and fortunately for Melbourne that plays right into…

Was it always the plan for Melbourne to bring back their cast of stars here? Or are we seeing a response from an embarrassed Craig Bellamy following last week’s capitulation to Easts?  Melbourne’s resilience under pressure and willingness to play the long game has been their greatest quality this year. Unlike their opponents in this one, the Storm are happy to absorb pressure with their defence and trust the points will come late. They don’t have Harry Grant to orchestrate things in good-ball here though.   I like Melbourne to come out firing but Brisbane might have too many points through…

On the wrong end of two heartbreakers in consecutive weeks, the Panthers are in unfamiliar territory as they look to complete an incredible run into the finals. The stats suggest Canterbury were perhaps unlucky to finish behind Melbourne on the scoreboard last week. They dominated in yardage and produced 10 linebreak opportunities but were repeatedly denied by a desperate Storm defence in the scramble.   Lachie Galvin is playing on the ball to create havoc in the line and the Bulldogs are getting better at capitalising on those moments on the following play.  Bet Now New Zealand Warriors vs Parramatta Eels…

Two rosters decimated with injuries makes for a lottery game to kick off NRL Round 25. South Sydney made it back-to-back wins thanks to some winning involvements from Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker in consecutive weeks. They’ve lacked the cattle & class to win those moments throughout the regular season but are defending well enough to make this a grind and win it ugly. St George lost another heartbreaker last week and are without Jack de Belin and a few others here. In a scrap I’m keen to be with Bennett’s Bunnies. Bet Now Penrith Panthers vs Canberra Raiders 8:00pm,…

This feels like the 2025 NRL Grand Final Preview at time of writing. Melbourne’s resilience under pressure remains their greatest quality – they’re capable of winning games ugly or late which bodes well given two key parts of their spine are missing here. Penrith on the other hand are all but full strength and their spine is undefeated from eight games together this season. I’ll be with the Storm in a few months time if these teams both make it to the big dance, but this week it’s Penrith’s to win. Bet Now New Zealand Warriors vs St George Illawarra…