Origin 2 is officially in the history books, the New South Wales Blues have closed out the series and focus returns to the race towards the 2021 NRL Premiership in Round 16.
As is always the case at this time of year, each side’s performance will be dependent on the availability of their stars, and there looks to be good value around several outsiders in NRL betting this week, particularly at the line.
I’ve previewed every match and provided my NRL Round 16 tips below.
This is certainly one of the matches of the round, but the quality will also be determined by the number of Origin players that back up from Sunday night.
The Roosters have been plagued by injuries and forced retirements in 2021, but their bottom line still remains higher than most other clubs, and they enter Round 16 fifth on the ladder.
The Storm have been nothing short of outstanding all year, and while they have been forced to go without a lot of stars during the Origin period, their class and depth has allowed them to continue winning.
I can’t see a reason why their streak will be snapped at the hands of the Roosters.
An intriguing match will see the Warriors take on the Dragons first up on Friday evening.
In my opinion, the Warriors still boast one of the better rosters (on paper, at least) in the NRL, but they have failed to capitalise more often than not, and another ninth-place finish looks to be a strong possibility.
Given he was ruled out of Origin at the eleventh hour, you’d have to think young gun Reece Walsh is in real doubt, though the feeling in the dressing room should be buoyed by last week’s signing of club hero Shaun Johnson.
The Dragons’ slip down the ladder has continued, though they have won two of their last three games, and should have taken plenty of benefit from having last week off.
I think that there is value around them as outsiders at the line.
The Panthers will take on the Eels which, on face value, will be an absolute Friday night blockbuster.
Digging a little further, however, and noting how different a side they were without their Origin stars a couple of weeks ago, I think the Panthers are actually going to face some serious opposition from the Eels.
With Ivan Cleary confirming several stars will be rested, and with new that son Nathan might require season-ending shoulder surgery, Penrith will have to rally.
The Eels have been strong and consistent performers all season and given they haven’t actually had to deal with too many Origin outs, this is a real moving point for them.
I think they are a genuine winning chance, but I’m going to get involved with $2 lines for a little more breathing room.
One of the bigger mismatches in Round 16 looks likely to materialise between the last-placed Bulldogs and the Sea Eagles on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs simply haven’t been able to get a foothold on the competition this year, and they have won just two games so far.
The Sea Eagles meanwhile hold one of the more fascinating and impressive stories of the year, and it has all been on the return of Tom Trbojevic in career-best form.
While Turbo could very well be rested this week, the Sea Eagles proved that their confidence and structure has improved noticeably, and they flogged a better side in the Cowboys without their star after Origin 1.
I’m expecting a similar result on Saturday.
Our Neds Titans are in action in the nation’s capital and against an inconsistent Raiders outfit on Saturday evening.
I’ve said it a few times now, but it remains true that the Titans have just been let down by their inconsistency in season 2021.
They boast some outstanding talent and we’ve seen on several occasions that they are more than capable, something just seems to be stopping them from making a permanent leap into the top eight.
There were several good passages of play produced in their Round 15 loss to Manly and they were unlucky to lose by a single point to the Roosters the week prior; I think a repeat of either effort would be enough to sink the Raiders.
I understand why the Raiders are priced as favourites, particularly on what is sure to be a cold evening, but I’m happy to stick with our boys at the line.
One of the better contests of the round is slated for Saturday night, and both the Knights and the Cowboys will be eager to and confident of getting the win in Newcastle.
The Knights are another side who have failed to live up to their roster and billing, and with several key injuries continuing to plague their season, it’s tough imagining them making the eight.
The Cowboys on the other hand have had every right to be awful, and while they certainly were that at the beginning of their campaign, they have continued to improve noticeably as the season has progressed.
Given they are still without plenty of key players, I think the Knights are unders, and I’m backing the Cows for the upset.
The action heads north and to Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, and the Broncos’ faithful will be hopeful that their side can return a consolation effort given Queensland’s performance at the stadium last week.
The Broncos season has been awful again, and while there have been slight improvements made on their 2020 effort, they won’t be playing finals footy this year, and there’s a lot of work to be done before that can happen again.
The Sharks fell out of form after head office’s appalling treatment of John Morris, but it’s fair to say that is now behind them, and they’ve been playing some good footy recently.
There has been plenty of chat surface recently surrounding the validity of moving the Sharks to Brisbane, instead of granting Queensland’s south-east another NRL license. They can strengthen their case for a big supporter base by beating the Broncos. Boy I make myself laugh.
Wests Tigers (proudly sponsored by Neds) are sure to return another gutsy performance in Round 16, but they’ll surely have their hands full with the star-studded Bunnies on Sunday.
Round 15’s 66-16 loss to the Melbourne Storm was a tough one to swallow, but I have little doubt that the Tigers will have learnt plenty from the game, and the week off has surely done them a world of good as well.
The Bunnies have continued on as they often have since Wayne Bennett took the helm, winning more often than not, and entering Round 16 fourth in overall standings.
This one looks to be a bit of an open and shut case.