The representative weekend is in the history books and Round 15 of the NRL boasts a full complement of eight games, beginning on Thursday night.
If I was a betting man which clearly, I am, I would say that we’re in for several good contests in Round 15, but none better than Friday night’s Grand Final rematch between the Roosters and Storm.
As always, there’s winners to be found and I’m confident of doing a Blues-over-the-Maroons job of digging a few out.
Round 15 is underway on Thursday night and the Rabbitohs will need to be at their best to beat last-start winners Wests Tigers, proudly sponsored by Neds.
The Tigers have continued to fight above their weight this season. For a club that is largely young blokes led around by a couple of veterans, sitting equal on points with the eighth-placed side halfway through the regular season is an excellent achievement.
Souths have worryingly lost their three most-recent games, but given they’ve been heavily depleted more that once, it really isn’t too much of a big deal. Particularly because they remain second on the ladder, well and truly within striking distance of the Storm. I think that they can and will bounce back here.
Friday night’s early game will see the Dragons and Cowboys square off at WIN Stadium and while betting suggests that it should be a comfortable Dragons win, I don’t think it’s quite that clear cut.
The Dragons have been sub-par this season. They boast an excellent team on paper but have barely put it all together and that has been reflected in their poor position on the ladder leading into Round 15. They were easily accounted for by the Sea Eagles in Round 14 and they won’t find this a whole lot easier.
The Cows went within a point of Wests in Round 14 and their form prior to that was solid; three wins from four, including one on the road against the in-form Raiders. With Origin players back into the fold, I think they’re a real chance of winning.
What an outstanding way to brush off the working week and get into the full swing of the weekend. A few frothies, a few pizzas and this game is just what the doctor ordered. Unsurprisingly, we’re looking at $1.90 a piece for the Roosters and Storm at publish.
The Roosters have fallen into a bit of a form slump and several players will be backing up from Origin, but they are a side that typically rises to the big occasions and it would not be surprising to see them bounce back into the winner’s stall in a big way here, ala New South Wales last Sunday night. You simply cannot write off champions.
The Storm have been doing what the Storm do best, and that’s annoyingly maintaining first position with relative ease. They’ve opened their lead to two wins and just do enough to get the result each week. They know how to win.
In recent form, as much as I hate to say it, I just cannot tip against Melbourne.
The mighty Neds Gold Coast Titans return to Fortress Cbus on Saturday afternoon but realistically, they’re going to hands full with Manly.
The Titans stamped their authority over the Broncos two back and were unlucky not to take the points away from the Warriors most-recently. They’re really started to find some form and what perhaps is a good omen for our boys, they absolutely towelled the Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval a few weeks ago. A repeat of that would be nice.
The Sea Eagles have been played well without their stars for the most part this season, but with all three back into the squad and the ludicrous display that the Trbojevic brothers in particular put on in Origin 2, it’s very hard imagining them turning in a poor performance this week.
The Knights are offered a terrific opportunity bounce back into the winner’s stall at the expense of the Broncos on Saturday evening.
There is absolutely no shame in being beaten by the Storm, particularly at this point of the season, particularly in Melbourne and particularly when you’re missing some big names. Prior to that Round 14 loss, the Knights were in devastating form and had taken several big scalps.
The Broncos have been awful. A couple of decent performances have been flanked with absolute garbage, and in a season that plenty touted them as a Grand Final prospect, they’ll be very lucky to make the eight.
Knights win and there’s still enough meat on the bone for me at $1.70, but the small line is even more enticing.
Betting suggests that it will be one of the better contests of Round 15 but from my perspective, it’ll be another Raiders win; potentially a comfortable one.
After flying the gates, the Eels have really started to realise their potential and understandably, that has meant a sharp fall down the ladder. They’re holding onto eighth spot, but this realistically could be the week that they drop out. To their credit, they have won two of their last three, but one was against the Redfern Under 7s and the other the Broncos – need I say more?
The Raiders are fourth on the ladder and with other results going their way, could mathematically climb as high as second by winning in Round 15. While I don’t think that will happen, I do think that they’ll be far too good for the Eels.
Focus turns across the Tasman first-up on Sunday when the Panthers, somehow in winning form, attempt to record another one over the Warriors.
Their hideous start to the season has been well documented, but the Panthers have finally started to find a bit of a rhythm and they are seeking a fifth-consecutive win when they step out at Mt Smart Stadium. Wins over the Roosters and Rabbits in particular are sure to have seen a spring added to their step and a repeat of either effort would surely see them winning again.
The Warriors are impossible to trust from a betting perspective, but what’s new? Other than 2002, that has been the case. Even the 2002 Grand Final was a bit like this. At this stage, I’d prefer to take the price on offer for the Panthers in head-to-head betting.
The final match of the round takes us to ANZ Stadium (yuck) and will surely see a three thousand-strong crowd cheer on the Bulldogs and Sharks.
The Dogs have been awful this season, but I think that almost everyone anticipated that and every match for the remainder of the season will be a difficult task for them. They face a credible, though probably underperforming Sharks side and the $3.30 on offer for them in head-to-head betting does look unders.
The Sharks lost to the Raiders in an epic Round 14 encounter, but a repeat of that performance would see them comfortably do in the Dogs.