NRL Round 11 Preview

NRL Round 11 Preview

The form guide continues to be turned on its head this season and the Panthers will be hoping to continue to strong start to the season when they take on the Tigers to open the action for the round.

The Eels face a huge task to keep their season alive when they tackle the New Zealand Warriors. All three Queensland sides face some tough opposition this round with the Broncos set to clash with the red-hot Roosters and the Titans hoping to get their season back on track against the Knights.

The Storm will be in for a tough clash when they host a Manly side, fresh off a big win against the Broncos.

The Cowboys have a fight on their hands when they host the Rabbitohs and the Dragons will be out to bounce back with a win against Canberra.

Cronulla will be looking to continue their outstanding run of form in their clash with the Bulldogs to finish off all the action from the round.

Penrith Panthers v Wests Tigers
Penrith to beat the line (-4.5 points)

The Wests Tigers were back to their brilliant best with a confidence-boosting win over the Cowboys in Round 10. The Tigers will be wanting to continue their good run of form as Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary comes up against his former side.

The Tigers coach will also be coaching against his son, who is expected to return to Penrith’s line-up after an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The Panthers were able to notch a gritty win of their own thanks to the brilliance of half James Maloney. The Penrith half cemented his place for the first Origin match in Melbourne with a sublime performance that helped Penrith bounce back from a shock loss to the Cowboys in Bathurst.

Despite their horrendous run of injuries, the Panthers sit in second place on the NRL ladder and have an impressive record at home against the Wests Tigers.

The Tigers showed plenty of enthusiasm in an impressive win against the Cowboys but will struggle to contain Maloney, who has been brilliant since moving to halfback.

The Panthers should be able to edge the Tigers at home and close the gap on the Dragons at the top of the NRL ladder.

Parramatta Eels v NZ Warriors
Warriors to beat the line (-2.5 points)

The Warriors have lost some of their early-season momentum with injuries to their playmakers Shaun Johnson and Issac Luke not helping their push for a top-eight position when they were trounced by the Roosters last week.

The Warriors continue to thrive under the stability of Blake Green but will need to get another of their playmakers back on the park to provide some direction for their forward pack.

The season continues to slip away from Parramatta after losing to the Bulldogs last week. The Eels are at the bottom of the ladder and will need to make history to have any part in the finals this season.

A number of key players are struggling for the blue and gold and the Warriors should be able to take advantage of Parramatta’s poor form to record a conformable win.

Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters
Roosters to win ($1.62)

The Roosters were sensational putting the Warriors to the sword last week and seem to be hitting top form prior at the right time of the season.

The Broncos were hammered by the Sea Eagles last week and there are signs of a crisis beginning to emerge at Red Hill with star recruit Jack Bird set to come under the microscope after a poor performance last week.

Brisbane will be hoping to welcome back Jordan Kahu to bolster the backline, while Josh Maguire could also come into contention.

Broncos rookie Payne Haas could also be a chance to play, after injuring his shoulder against the Sea Eagles.

Broncos coach Wayne Bennett appears to have lost some of his mojo and the Roosters should be able to pick apart the Broncos this week to record a comfortable win.

 

Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights
Knights to win ($1.80)

The Titans were the plaudits for their positive start to the season but are in danger of falling off the pace after recording their fifth consecutive loss to the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium. The Titans are struggling to match the depth of the top clubs and will need a win this week to stay in touch with the top eight.

The Knights have been equally as impressive to their start to the season but are coming off consecutive losses and will need a win to keep their chances of playing finals football alive. The Knights have struggled to adjust without the services of Mitchell Pearce while the Titans playmaking stocks have also dwindled in recent weeks.

This promises to be a tight affair and the home side have had the edge in their past clashes. If Newcastle can cut down their errors with the ball they have a real opportunity to notch a rare win on the road.

Nth Qld Cowboys v South Sydney
Rabbitohs to beat the line (-2.5 points)

The Cowboys will be disappointed to have missed the opportunity for back-to-back wins, after falling to the Wests Tigers last week.  North Queensland face a huge task to save their season with the Rabbitohs in outstanding form over the last couple of weeks. South Sydney have won four of their last five games and were impressive last week against the Dragons.

Jonathan Thurston and Jason Taumalolo will need to lift their struggling side if they are going to compete with a forward pack containing the Burgess brothers. South Sydney are playing some outstanding football and are every chance of extending the Cowboys misery at home.

 

Melbourne Storm v Manly Sea Eagles
Storm to beat the line (-6.5 points)

Melbourne Storm captain shocked the league world with his immediate retirement from representative football this week. The Storm skipper won’t be taking the field against the Sea Eagles this week after coping a one-week suspension for a wishbone tackle on former teammate Kevin Proctor in the win over the Titans.

The Storm have struggled for fluency this season and sit in fourth place on the NRL ladder after winning three of their last four games.

The Sea Eagles were able to shock the Broncos last weekend to record only their third win of the year. The Sea Eagles will be confident of causing another boil-over this week with Daly Cherry-Evans and both the Trbojevic brothers in good form.

The Storm look to be hitting their straps at the right time and will be looking to Cameron Munster and Billy Slater help them grab the win in what should be a tight contest.

St George Illawarra v Canberra Raiders
Dragons to beat the line (-7.5 points)

The Dragons were stunned last week as they were well beaten by South Sydney in only their second loss of the season. Despite the loss, the Dragons remain in the first place on the NRL ladder and will be out to bounce back against the Canberra Raiders.

The Green Machine have struggled for consistency all season and would have been disappointed to lose at home to the Sharks last round.

The Raiders continue to be haunted by some close losses this season and will be hoping for an improved performance against the Dragons.

The Raiders are set to be without Blake Austin and will be looking to Sam Williams to slot into the halves. Despite the loss to the Rabbitohs last weekend, the Dragons will be confident of getting the points in a return to form.

CRONULLA SHARKS V CANTERBURY BULLDOGS
Sharks to win ($1.45)

The Bulldogs were able to complete their third win of the season with a solid performance against Parramatta last week. Canterbury have struggled this season under new coach Dean Pay and the win last week will give his side a boost in confidence.

Cronulla were able to complete a gritty win over the Raiders last week despite a host of injuries to a number of key personnel. The Sharks are riding a four-game winning streak and will be boosted by the return of Paul Gallen. Gallen was a late withdrawal last week and will provide the Sharks forward pack with a timely boost. The Sharks will be warm favourites at home to extend their streak to five wins as they continue to be one of the form teams of the competition.