Footy fans were treated to two cracking game of rugby league over the weekend as the Raiders and the Rabbitohs both booked a spot in this week’s Preliminary Final round.
While the Raiders win was the biggest upset of the weekend, if not the season, the book suffered its biggest match result loss on South Sydney’s victory over the Eels, only to make most of it back on some wild First Try Scorer results.
If you’re looking to deal the book a blow this week and build a bank before the Grand Final, be sure to delve into the digits with us in another edition of The Offload below!
Performance of the Week
The Rabbitohs sure know how to keep things interesting, don’t they?
For the second week in a row South Sydney fans found themselves sweating heavily at the half-time break with their side trailing 18-6 against the Eels in Saturday’s Semi-Final.
Parramatta seemed to have momentum well and truly on their side following Clinton Gutherson’s first-half double, but with a handful of their top playmakers sidelined, it didn’t take too long for the cracks to show.
Whatever magic Wayne Bennett managed to weave during the break obviously worked as the Rabbitohs came out to score five tries on their way to a comfortable 38-24 win.
Jaxson Paulo was the star of the show scoring a double @ $8.00, while Adam Reynolds also played a huge part nailing all six of his conversions from in front of the sticks.
The Bunnies are white hot ahead of Saturday’s encounter with the Panthers, and if you fancy them to keep on keeping on, you can currently have Souths at $2.65.
Don’t Argue…
Damien Cook.
South Sydney’s star hooker was simply enormous for the second week in a row setting up a couple of tries, scoring one himself, and also leading the team in tackles.
Cook was paying a handy $3.75 in our Anytime market, although punters did have a nervous wait before he crossed the line in the 78th minute off a Dylan Brown turnover.
Punters Pals
- Raiders 1-12 @ $3.70: it wasn’t easy, but the Raiders managed to hold on for a six-point win over the Roosters to secure a spot in the Prelim. If you’ve lost count, six of the last seven games between Sydney and Canberra have been decided by a margin of six points or less.
- Jack Wighton Anytime @ $3.00: the Raiders’ five-eighth has now scored in each of his last four finals appearances following Saturday’s brilliant kick-chase that basically won the game.
- Raiders as the Away Underdog: just to cap off a very profitable night, the Raiders also covered the line for the 13th time in their last 14 games as an away underdog.
- South Sydney at Bankwest: the Rabbitohs have now won seven of their last eight games at Bankwest after saluting as the $1.45 favourite against Parra.
- James Tedesco Anytime @ $2.00: Tedesco scored a much needed try right before half-time on Saturday night, his fifth straight in the finals.
Don’t Forget About…
Gutho.
The King enjoyed a spirited five-minute period on Saturday night that sent Bankwest into an absolute frenzy.
Gutherson burst through the middle to score the Eels’ first try of the night, before bulldozing his way over in the corner not long after to score himself a double paying $8.00.
This was one of the few highlights in otherwise forgettable night for Eels fans, but at least it helped earn Gutho a spot in the New South Wales Origin side.
If You’re Not First, You’re Last
The book came out on top on First Try Scorer results this week, largely thanks to big Josh Papalii crossing the line @ $34.00 odds on Friday night against the Roosters.
Jaxson Paulo, who scored his first finals try in the corner against the Eels, was also a great result for the bookmakers at the $10.00 quote.
Futures Forecast
Despite having the week off, the Storm have still managed to firm in our NRL Premiership market from $3.25 into $2.75 ahead of Friday’s Prelim against the Raiders.
Speaking of the Green Machine, Canberra are $15.00 into $7.50 after knocking off the reigning premiers for the second time this season.
Likewise, the Rabbitohs have seen a nice little trim coming in from $12.00 into $7.50.

Don’t Tell the Misso
Another week, another horrible live bet.
- $16k @ $1.70: Eels to Win
Full disclosure, this was placed at half-time when the Eels actually led.
Bloody Good Bets
A couple of savvy punters cashed-in on the Raiders on Friday night with some huge value on offer.
- $10k @ $3.15: Raiders to Win
- $20k @ $2.00: Raiders to Cover the Line (+6 Points)