The 2022 NRL Premiership season has arrived, and all sixteen clubs are offered a fresh slate, renewed hope and something to fight for!
Plenty of the usual suspects will be prominent all year, but some clubs will improve noticeably, others will begin to slide, and we’ll be searching for the value amongst it all!
I’ve run the rule over the first eight games of the season, and you can find my 2022 NRL Round 1 Tips below.
The season is underway with a bang when the reigning premiers kick off their title defence at home against Semi-Final contestants the Manly Sea Eagles.
It was a long 20-year wait for their fans but finally, the Ivan Cleary era hit a peak when the Panthers toughed out a 14-12 win over South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium. They’ve lost the likes of Kurt Capewell and Matt Burton for the season ahead, while several more will follow at the conclusion of this season.
The Sea Eagles enjoyed their best season for some time in 2021, fighting their way to the final four before being eliminated by Souths. Their campaign was highlighted by several record-breaking solo performances, but particularly that of Dally M winner Tom Trbojevic. His fitness will be the key to their season, but if he does remain at full health, I think that they can make a Grand Final.
Star halfback Nathan Cleary has been ruled out for the first four weeks of the season and I think that will result in a Manly win on Thursday night.
NRL BIG QUESTIONS | No Cleary, no Panthers. @JaredTimms and @Jharalyowyeh5 have their doubts about Penrith going back-to-back this year.
(🧾 Keep your receipts Panther fans) pic.twitter.com/iAi8FgOtaU
— Neds (@NedsAus) March 9, 2022
The Raiders and the Sharks will renew their rivalry on Friday evening and betting suggests that this could be one of the tighter contests of the week.
The Raiders were often plagued by injury during their 2021 campaign and ultimately, it cost them a finals berth. The struggle with maintaining a serviceable halves pairing could also be a memory in 2022 with former Titans captain Jamal Fogarty’s signature, while the return of popular winger Nic Cotric has also excited fans.
The Sharks were another frustrating club in 2021, often losing games against lowly opposition while pushing some of the league’s best all the way in other weeks. They too missed a finals berth, but their offseason signing drive has been good, and is highlighted by Nicho Hynes.
I personally cannot split them, and I am going to stay away from match betting.
We’re off to Brisbane for the first Friday night primetime game of the season, and Souths will be eager to begin the post-Wayne Bennett era on a positive note.
The Broncos will be without newest recruit and former South Sydney great Adam Reynolds, and that certainly hasn’t been ignored by Neds punters – the home side have been friendless at $3.50, while the Bunnies are very firm $1.30 favourites.
It was yet another year of heartache for the parochial Broncos fans, and barring a few shining lights (blokes like Payne Haas), they were pretty bloody awful. A new season brings a fresh slate and new hope, and the only way for them is up.
I will be the first to admit that I gave Souths absolutely no chance of winning the premiership when Latrell Mitchell was ruled out at the pointy end of last season, and while I was technically right, boy they were impressive – some would say unlucky not to get there.
This is an easy season launchpad for the Bunnies, and I think that they will win comfortably.
The Roosters will make their eagerly awaited return to action at home on Saturday afternoon, and they will start clear favourites against the Knights.
They’re always thereabouts, but the wrap around the Roosters this season seems to be enormous, and a lot of people that I have spoken to have them making a Grand Final at the very minimum. Their young, exciting, big and strong roster does well and truly support these opinions, and I for one have them in my top four.
On paper, the Knights looks destined to be hovering around the edge of the eight for much of the 2022 NRL season. That’s what they did last year, they haven’t changed an awful lot, and I therefore can’t imagine too much of a difference in their overall performance and result.
The Warriors have opened only warm favourites ahead of their Round 1 clash with the Dragons, and I think that they are over the odds.
They put together some nice performances in 2021 without setting the league on fire, and I think that with a little more consistency in 2022, the Warriors can be big improvers; perhaps even sneak into the eight.
The Dragons, meanwhile, look to be on the short and narrow towards another listless season, in my opinion. They have a few potential stars on their roster, but they lack depth and experience, and I think they will struggle to win more often than not.
Taking into account everything that I have touched on, I’m with the Warriors.
It looks likely to be a mismatch when Wests Tigers host the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night.
It has been ten years since the Tigers have made a finals series, while it has been twenty since the Storm have missed one! Craig Bellamy’s men take a familiar look, shape and winning mentality into the new season, and they will almost certainly finish in the top four yet again.
The Tigers meanwhile really need to do something this season if coach Michael Maguire and their core group of players are to survive, and it’s tough imagining them taking anything from this week 1 clash.
NRL BIG QUESTIONS | Is this the year ⚡️Melbourne Storm finally slide down the ladder?📉 @JaredTimms and @Jharalyowyeh5 doubt it #NRL pic.twitter.com/SHbhNlE9FE
— Neds (@NedsAus) March 8, 2022
The Eels will launch another hopeful NRL Premiership campaign at home on Sunday afternoon, but I don’t think that they’ll have it all their own way against the Titans.
For several seasons now, the Eels have promised plenty, delivered during the regular season and then failed abysmally in the finals. It was a similar tune in 2021, and despite their often winning structure, you’d have to think something will have to give soon, if they can break through for that elusive Provan Summons Trophy.
In my opinion, the Titans boast one of the best forward packs in the league (on paper), and they really began to believe in themselves late in the 2021 season, ultimately winning a finals berth. Any improvement this year, and I think that they can genuinely fight into the top six.
I think the Eels will sneak home, but I think the Titans will make them work for it.
The Cowboys and the Bulldogs are both hopeful of improved seasons in 2022, and both clubs will be eager to begin on the right foot when they clash in the final game of Round 1.
The Cows were are sea for most of their 2021 season, they still look to have plenty of holes across the paddock and I’m just not sure that they will be good enough to go near the eight this year.
The Bulldogs have completed easily the most aggressive recruitment drive of the offseason, and they have added plenty of big names to their roster for 2022 and beyond.
We think that both coaches might struggle this year, but I’m going to take the value around the Dogs first-up as slight outsiders.
NRL BIG QUESTIONS | Death, taxes and coaches getting sacked.
Which #NRL coach will be the first to be given their marching orders in season 2022? @JaredTimms and @Jharalyowyeh5 reckon they have some idea. pic.twitter.com/E7D4qs5aeJ
— Neds (@NedsAus) March 8, 2022