NRL Round 20 Tips & Preview

NRL Round 20 Tips & Preview

We’ve done it!

Against all odds, in bizarre and unique conditions and in front of only a handful of live fans, we have arrived at the final round of the NRL home and away season.

The top eight is a lock, there are some world class footy sides in good form and we are set for an entertaining and competitive 2020 NRL Finals series.

Before that, Round 20 features some interest contests and incredibly, every single away side this week are set to start favourites in the market.

You can find a preview of every game and our NRL Round 20 tips below.

Brisbane Broncos vs North Queensland Cowboys
Cowboys (-1.5)

In seasons gone by this would almost certainly have been the contest of the round, but we all know how the Broncos and the Cowboys have gone in 2020, and focus will well and truly be on Mad Monday.

Bragging rights are on the line, though for the Broncos, so too is an opportunity to avoid the wooden spoon – something that they have never experienced in their existence.

Round 19 saw two performances typical of these clubs in 2020; reasonable efforts for around 40 minutes, but never really in the hunt at all.

This does represent a good and rare opportunity for both to win, but the Cowboys have won more recently and have been menacing to a few other clubs, so I’m siding with them and looking forward to Friday’s games.

Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights
Titans to Win ($2.50)

The mighty Neds Gold Coast Titans will have their final match of the 2020 NRL season at home against the Knights first-up on Friday.

The Titans enter this match on a four-game winning streak, and it really is an enormous shame that they can’t squeeze into the finals this season, because they are legitimately one of the league’s formed sides.

The combinations are really gelling now and with David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui huge signings, I’m tipping the Titans join the top four in 2021.

This week they line up opposite one of the 2020 finals-bound myths, the Newcastle Knights.

To their credit, they did record a nice win over the Dragons in Round 19, but they have been found out by a lot of other sides recently, and they are definitely just there to make up the numbers this year.

Ladder position must be the only reason why the Knights have been made favourites for this match, because the bookies certainly haven’t taken into account recent form.

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters
Favourites 6 Pack

One of two top eight clashes in Round 20 will materialise when the Bunnies and the Roosters do battle on Friday night, but betting suggests it might be a little one-sided.

The Bunnies suffered probably their most humiliating loss of the season at the hands of the previously last-placed Bulldogs, but there were still things to like about what they did late in the first half and into the second.

This is obviously and enormous rise in class for them, and while I’m sure last week’s overall result was too bad to be true, I just wonder if the required turn in form will simply prove too great.

The Roosters meanwhile continued on their merry way with a comfortable win over the Sharks, and this shapes as a similar prospect for them.

Both sides boast plenty of prolific try scorers, and I think that’s where the value lies in this one.

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Penrith Panthers
Panthers (-17.5)

The giant killers’ season will conclude at ANZ Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and boy will that nickname stick if they can knock off the minor premiers.

They started at a big price against the Bunnies, but clearly no one told the Bulldogs that, and they were very, very impressive in the first 30 minutes particularly.

They understandably slowed down a little, but they never threw in the towel, scored again in the second half and held off a spirited comeback. Like the Titans, things are looking up for the young Bulldogs heading into 2021.

The Panthers have been on another level, and proved far too good for the Cowboys in Round 19.

They’ll be winning this, and comfortably.

Cronulla Sharks vs Canberra Raiders
Raiders (-11.5)

The weekend’s second top eight clash comes up on Saturday evening and a terrific opportunity to potentially sneak into the four awaits the Canberra Raiders.

For mine, they have been the overachievers of the 2020 NRL season.

Sure, they made the decider last year and they still have a really good team, but they’ve weathered plenty of poorly timed injuries and been without millions of dollars of stars, an awful lot.

They take plenty of confidence and momentum into this game after another lovely win over the credible Warriors.

The Sharks are one of the other sides that I consider to be a myth ahead of the 2020 NRL finals, and it is matches like this one that they have typically been found out in.

They weren’t up to the Roosters’ standard last week, and I don’t think they’ll match the Raiders this week.

Wests Tigers vs Parramatta Eels
Eels (-10.5)

We here at Neds obviously love our Wests Tigers, and we can’t wait to see the boys jog out and play their final match of the season against the Parramatta Eels.

Week-in, week-out they have given their all, and it has been a treat to watch the Tigers go around, wins some quality games of footy and deliver us some lucrative winners as well!

The Eels are finals-bound, but I am reasonably confident in suggesting that they will exit in straight sets.

As is stands, a win here would see them finishing in fourth, and playing against the Panthers next weekend.

They’ll lose that, then likely play the Raiders, who will also just beat them.

This therefore could very well be the last time that we see the Eels win in 2020, and I’m happy to back them to do so.

New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles
Warriors to Win ($2.60)

With virtually nothing on the line, I can’t imagine that this will be a particularly skilful contest, but betting suggests that Sunday’s Warriors vs Sea Eagles game will be well fought.

The Warriors should bow out of the 2020 NRL season with their heads held high, regardless of their position on the ladder, given everything that they have had to weather since the return from COVID.

A well-deserved break is just a few short days and eighty minutes away, but I have a feeling that they are still well and truly focused on winning.

The Sea Eagles enjoyed a few minutes of Tommy Turbo before another unfortunate injury ended his Round 19 comeback, and they really are hanging out for the end of this match, and what has been a very disappointing 2020 season.

While I’m sure they will also be eager to go out with a win, and they are favourites to do so, I think that the Warriors represent terrific value in the market.

best bet
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Melbourne Storm
Storm (-14.5)

A sizeable mismatch between the St George Dragons and Melbourne Storm will officially draw curtains on the 2020 NRL regular season.

Glimpses of class and potential have been evident in the Dragons campaign, and I am interested to see where they go in 2021 with Anthony Griffin at the helm.

Before that, they need to find a way to stem what has been one of the league’s clear standout sides again in 2020, the Storm.

Cam Smith is flying, the backline is firing and the forward pack are as big and scary as ever.

They’ll enter the finals as favourites in my opinion, and they’ll be winning this one comfortably.