It is retro round in the NRL this weekend and it is only fitting that the two best games of the round are on Sunday afternoon.
We will have to slog through a couple of questionable matches earlier in the round, but we are in for a treat on Sunday when the Canberra Raiders host the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs take on the Melbourne Storm.
You know what will make these average fixtures far more exciting? Having a bet and you can follow in our complete 2019 NRL Round 21 tips below.
What was the best rivalry in the NRL only a couple of years ago, has fizzled out somewhat in 2019.
Neither the North Queensland Cowboys nor the Brisbane Broncos are very good and it doesn’t come as a surprise that the bookies are struggling to separate the two sides.
The Cowboys have won only one game in a couple of months and they produced a truly pitiful performance against the Wests Tigers last weekend.
The Broncos were given a touch-up by the Melbourne Storm, but to be fair, the Storm were nothing short of outstanding.
It really doesn’t feel great to tip either of these teams, but the Cowboys have completely forgotten what it feels like to win at home and the Broncos have won four of their past five games against the Cowboys as away favourites.
How good are the Manly Sea Eagles?
I feel disgusting saying that, but it is truly amazing just how likeable this Manly side are.
They followed their win over the Melbourne Storm up with a very professional victory against the Newcastle Knights and there is no reason that they can’t continue their winning ways.
The New Zealand Warriors produced a typically uninspired performance against the Canberra Raiders and I’m fairly confident that their minds have already turned to Mad Monday.
I am adamant that backing against the Warriors in the last month of the season will be a highly profitable betting play and I would love to see the Sea Eagles put 50 on them.
How much difference does one player make?
In the case of the Cronulla Sharks, a great deal.
Wade Graham returned for the Sharks against the Rabbitohs and they looked like a completely different side.
They should be able to make it three wins on the trot.
The Penrith Panthers were exposed badly by the Canterbury Bulldogs last weekend and they have lost their past seven games against the Sharks.
There is never much between these two sides, three of their past four have been decided by four points or less, and a repeat looks on the cards in this one.
It has been a tough week for our beloved Neds Gold Coast Titans, but I am confident that they can bounce back to a semblance of their best form this weekend.
Getting beaten by a firing Roosters outfit is no disgrace and this Dragons side is nowhere near as good.
The Dragons have lost five games on the trot and they are another team that clearly look as though they have stopped trying.
How Paul McGregor still has a job is beyond me and I would love to see the Titans move him another loss towards his inevitable sacking!
I’ve been saying it for a while now and it looks as though that the market has finally caught up with me – the Newcastle Knights simply aren’t any good.
The Knights have now lost five games on the trot and they produced a particularly uninspiring performance against the Manly Sea Eagles last weekend.
Nathan Brown has clearly lost the locker room and I can’t see many Knights player being particularly motivated for the rest of the season.
They weren’t overly impressive against the St George Illawarra Dragons, but the Parramatta Eels still did enough to get the job done and that is all they need to do against teams that have clearly stopped trying.
The Eels have lost their past four games against the Knights, but they have won five of their past six games as home favourites and that line of 2.5 points doesn’t look like enough.
Two weeks ago, the Tigers (proudly sponsored by Neds) looked done and dusted, but after two straight wins they are back inside the top eight.
They produced one of their most professional performances of the season to date to dismantle the North Queensland Cowboys and a repeat of that effort would make them far too strong for the Canterbury Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs are never pretty to watch, but they are tough and they deserved their win over the Penrith Panthers last weekend.
Repeating that sort of effort is tough for a side with such a limited roster and they have won back-to-back games only twice in the past 12 months.
I am confident that the Tigers are heading for the finals and they should prove too strong for the Bulldogs.
Are the Canberra Raiders the real deal?
We should get an answer to that question on Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders have now won four games in a row in impressive fashion, but it is fair to say that few people have the Dragons, Tigers, Panthers or Warriors as premiership contenders.
The Roosters are a completely different challenge and one that I’m not sure that the Raiders are up for.
Sydney were nothing short of dominant against the Gold Coast Titans and I believe that they still have another gear in them.
This would be a great time to go to that extra gear and I would not be surprised to see them send the Raiders crashing back to earth.
The Melbourne Storm will start this clash as favourites and deservedly so, but I think that the South Sydney Rabbitohs are the best outsider of the weekend.
My reason?
One man.
Wayne Bennett.
Bennett may be the best coach in the world when he has a chip on his shoulder, let’s not forget what the Rabbitohs did to the Brisbane Broncos earlier this season, and he will be very keen to score the big scalp of his old protege Craig Bellamy.
The Storm beat the Rabbitohs earlier this season, but there wasn’t much between the two sides and the Rabbitohs have generally saved their best football for big games in 2019.
The loss of Christian Welch for the rest of the season should not be underestimated either.
He is enormous for the Storm off the bench every single weekend and his absence will really test their depth.