Round 6 of the NRL boasts eight quality contests, beginning on the Central Coast on Thursday night.
Round 5 proved to be another tough one to predict, with upsets aplenty and several roughies getting home in our First Try Scorer markets but with the new week, so too comes refreshed opportunity!
You can find a preview of each contest and my NRL Round 6 tips below.
Both of these sides ruined my tips last week and I am hoping that at least one of them can get us back on track on Thursday night.
The Broncos suffered a 59-0 loss in Round 4, but you wouldn’t have known it in the first half of their Round 5 clash with ‘Premiership hopefuls’ Manly.
They absolutely controlled the pill and skipped out to an 18-point lead that was garnished by the emergence of winger Xavier Coates.
Big call, but he looked like a young GI, he was that good in the air.
The Knights meanwhile suffered their first loss of the season, albeit as outsiders against the always dangerous Melbourne Storm.
They showed glimpses of their best but were comfortably accounted for and this does represent a danger game for them.
Even though they couldn’t hold on, it was a light years-better performance from the Broncos and I actually think they can go on with it.
An intriguing contest looms between the Bunnies and the Warriors first-up on Friday.
South Sydney recorded their first win since returning from the break with a fair 32-12 win over the Titans in Sydney.
While a win is a win (and we do love the mighty Neds Gold Coast Titans), I think that their performances against the Roosters and Storm in the weeks prior were perhaps a better indicator as to how they are going.
The Warriors were barely given a chance again but proved too strong for the Cowboys.
They always seem to have a stacked side on paper and without wanting to jump the gun, they look like they are finally starting to gel and are giving their fans something to be excited about.
I guess the Rabbitohs deserve favouritism, but I don’t agree with the variance in prices, so I’m taking the Warriors at the line.
The ripping Friday night contests continue when the Panthers host the Storm in Sydney.
I thought we’d bloody nailed it last week when the Panthers entered the final stages of their match with the Eels ahead, but they completely went to sleep and couldn’t hold on.
Disappointing for their fans, but more disappointing for me and my bet.
There were still things to like about their game, bolstered by some stunning solo performances from the likes of Isiah Yeo and Villiami Kikau, but they’ll need to recoup and improve quickly if they are to respond with a win this week.
The Storm continued cruising through Round 5, this time at the expense of the Knights.
I will be the first to say that I didn’t think they were going as well as they could have been back from the break, but as they’ve always done, they’ve made me and several others look ridiculous.
I can’t tip against them this week.
The might and power of the Neds Gold Coast Titans return to Fortress Suncorp on Saturday afternoon, and are offered another terrific opportunity to win when they line up opposite the Dragons.
Our boys were ultimately unable to get the result in Round 5, but they proved that their Round 4 win was no fluke and I think that they’ll only improve further for that hit-out.
To their credit, the Dragons really turned it on in Round 5 and were rewarded for their confident performance with their first win of the season.
The forward pack muscled up (how good is Cam McInnes by the way) and a sturdy performance for their backline proved too much for an extremely inconsistent Sharks outfit.
In current touch and bias to one side, I actually think that the Titans are a far safer bet than a club like Cronulla. For mine, the Sharks tend to try far too much and evidently, it doesn’t work all the time.
I therefore think that the Dragons will face a tougher task this weekend.
A quality battle looks like materialising between Wests Tigers (proudly sponsored by Neds) and the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday evening.
It’s probably fair to say that both sides have mixed their form in 2020 and we can’t really be sure of what to expect from either in Round 6.
Tough losses were the tale of the tape for both clubs in Round 5, but the Tigers managed to keep a potent Raiders outfit to just 14 points, and a repeat of that effort would see them extremely difficult to beat here.
I tipped against the Cows last weekend and it paid off, and for that reason, I’m going to do it again – particularly away from home and particularly against what is probably a tougher opposition.
I also think that both sides have plenty of tries in them, so I’m going to couple the Tigers winning with Over 39.5 points.
The Eels are the only club that remain undefeated in 2020, but that might change in Saturday night’s primetime game.
I actually think that the Roosters could currently be in the best form that they have shown at any point in the last three years, inclusive of two Premierships.
They never, ever look troubled and just put on a clinic week-in, week-out. Even for a footy fan who doesn’t support them, it is an absolute delight to watch.
Sure, Parra are yet to be defeated this year, but they’re also yet to face an opponent this good and I actually think they are under the odds as the $2.67 outsiders.
The Roosters and Eels currently occupy the top two lines of outright 2020 NRL Premiership betting, but I think that the gap will be opened more substantially after this.
Just can’t wait for this one!
A lot is expected of both the Raiders and the Sea Eagles this season and while neither performed particularly well in Round 5, both got away with the result and have a fair base to build off.
For the Sea Eagles, it was one of the worst halves of football in their existence, followed by something that was a bit more representative of their actual abilities.
Nothing short of that second half performance, but for the full eighty will be required from them to compete with the Raiders.
Canberra were met with a spirited fight in the form of Wests Tigers last week but did enough to get the chocolates.
We backed them at an 8.5-point line and watched them finish 8 points ahead, which is one of the sickest beats we’ve had for some time.
There is no doubt that they deserve their favouritism this week, particularly at home, but I genuinely think that there could be only a point in it.
An interesting contest between the Sharks and Bulldogs looms on Saturday afternoon.
Neither side has been at all trustworthy from a betting perspective and finding the winner of this therefore isn’t a particularly good confidence builder.
What we do know is that the Sharks suffered a defeat to the Dragons in Round 5 – the same Dragons side that was comfortably beaten by the Dogs the week prior.
The Dogs weren’t able to go with the Roosters on Monday evening but in fairness, who can?
While they lack the class and depth of a lot of their rivals, you really can’t knock the fight that the Dogs muster each week and I’m going to take them at the line as the outsiders.