We’re almost at the halfway point of the abridged 2020 NRL season and another eight quality contests lay ahead in Round 9.
The action is underway in Townsville on Thursday night and there is no doubt that the Cowboys will have their hands full with the Roosters.
Other Round 9 highlights include Saturday night’s match between the Raiders and the Storm in the nation’s capital.
We’re set for a mismatch when the Cowboys host the Roosters in Round 9’s opener on Thursday night.
The Cows pulled off the upset of the week by beating the Knights in Round 7, but proved that it was nothing more than a fluke by barely firing a shot against the Eels.
This is a far tougher task for them, and could they possibly turn it around enough to beat the Roosters? The answer is absolutely not.
I gave the Roosters the kiss of death when I tweeted this out with ten minutes remaining last Thursday:
Who beats the Roosters from here on in?#NRL #NRLStormRoosters
— NedsAU (@NedsAus) July 2, 2020
Regardless, the Cowboys are not up to the quality of the Storm and this is the perfect opportunity for atonement.
The Neds Gold Coast Titans are offered an excellent opportunity to secure their third win of the season when the Warriors arrive on the Coast on Friday evening.
It has become a bit of a habit for the Titans to produce a tough, competitive first-half performance before letting their opponent control the game in the second forty, and that was certainly the case against the Sharks in Round 8.
There was still a lot to like about the effort and with continued improvement, so to will come an improved standing in the competition.
It’s virtually impossible to set your watch to the Warriors, but it was nice to see them pull through for us from a betting perspective last week.
Happy to stick with our boys this week though, in what is the first time in recent memory they are on track to start favourites.
Friday night’s primetime fixture will see the Rabbitohs and Tigers go head to head at Bankwest Stadium.
It was another tough display from the Bunnies in Round 8, who weathered a spirited fight from the Dogs before ultimately icing the result and the 13+ margin in the 79th minute.
They are a club that is continuing to build in confidence, and they are restoring the culture that saw them into the preliminary final last year.
Wests enter Round 9 with a 4-4 record, but off the back of a disappointing loss to the Panthers.
They’ll will be without Joey Leilua following his Round 8 brain snap and if they’re going to be winning games like this one, I really do think that they need to have their best possible team on the ground.
An intriguing contest between the Sharks and Panthers looms on Saturday afternoon.
They were a little inconsistent when resuming from the COVID break, but the Sharks have returned three big performances in Rounds 6-8 and perhaps more impressively, have amassed 100 points in the process.
They proved far too good for the Titans last weekend and will take plenty of confidence into this match – I think they are over the odds to win at $2.60.
Penrith have also been excellent and have lost just once in 2020 – entering Round 9 second on the ladder.
After proving too good for the Tigers in Round 8, they deserve their favouritism in this match, but perhaps not as short as they are ($1.50 at publish).
You can take advantage of $2 lines on every game in Round 9 of the NRL and at 5.5 points, I’m more than happy to be with the Sharks.
There’s every chance that whoever wins this game between the Broncos and the Bulldogs on Saturday evening will avoid the spoon in 2020.
The Broncos hit a new low with last week’s loss to the Warriors, not only in 2020 but perhaps in their entire existence.
They were available at $9 to win the Premiership when we returned from the COVID break but in stark contrast, are now into $4.50 to suffer the most losses. What an incredible fall from grace.
Another loss here wouldn’t be surprising and incredibly, they have been priced as favourites again.
I’ve said it a few times now, but it is proven week-in, week-out – no one can rightly deny the Bulldogs’ effort.
They’re just young and not as good as a lot of the other NRL teams at the moment.
There’s no doubt that this shapes as their best opportunity to record another win and I think they’ll take it.
Saturday nights are saved for standout fixtures and once again, the NRL have not missed.
The Raiders and Storm have already met once in 2020 and fresh off the break, the Raiders proved to be far too strong for a rusty Storm outfit.
Fast forward six weeks however, and things couldn’t be more different.
I all but declared Ricky Stuart’s men after that game, and they’ve managed just two wins from five subsequent fixtures.
They were probably even lucky to hold on last week – the Dragons had all the running late, they just couldn’t reel them in.
The Storm haven’t been quite as potent as they have been in seasons gone by, but they became the first club since the NRL resumed to knock off the Roosters last week.
I simply cannot believe they have opened the $2 outsiders, and I’m chips in.
The Knights and the Eels will do battle in the Hunter on Sunday afternoon.
The Knights boast a good side and have returned several pleasing performances in 2020, but they remain inconsistent and appear to lack the mentality to win a premiership.
I thought that was underlined last week when DCE was sent off for Manly, and they opted to take the two points instead of taking on the line for the third of fourth set in succession.
They got away with the win, but barely.
Parramatta continue to lead the way after another comfortable win in Round 8, this time a 42-4 triumph over the Cowboys.
It’s getting pretty hard to tip against them and I think they’ll just be too good for the Knights.
The Dragons and the Sea Eagles draw the curtain on Round 9 of the NRL on Sunday evening.
Ever since Mary McGregor was forced to meet with the board in regards to his job, the Dragons have been a far better side.
They’re still well and truly off the pace of the competition leaders, but they’ve won a couple of games, given the Roosters a real shake and gone within a couple of points of the Raiders.
They line up opposite a Manly outfit who are without Turbo for a while yet, and who will now be without arguably their second-best player of the 2020 season so far, Addin Fonua-Blake.
I’m happy to be with the Dragons as outsiders.