With Origin 1 taking centre stage on Wednesday, Round 14 of the NRL gets underway a day later this week and extends through until Monday.
With potential injuries pending and resting likely, the markets might move a little following Wednesday night’s clash, and I’ll be hanging off placing my bets until we see the fallout.
Check out my NRL Round 14 preview below.
Round 14 gets underway on Friday night, and betting suggests that is could be one of the most one-sided contests of the week.
I think that it could very well depend on how many of the Cowboys’ Origin contingent back up, and for that reason, there could be value in backing the Dragons to cover a line as outsiders.
The Cowboys’ recent form has been nothing short of outstanding, and they proved that they can still perform without their Origin stars with a dominant win over the Titans in Round 13.
The Dragons’ form this season has been inconsistent at best, but they do look a side that is capable of fighting into the finals, if they start to put everything together more effectively. They step out this week refreshed following a bye.
I’m going to stay away from match betting and pick a couple of try scorers!
Two sides that haven’t played to their potential recently meet in Round 14, and the Titans and Bunnies will each be desperate for a result on Saturday afternoon.
It’s starting to becoming really hard to know what the Titans need to do to turn their fortunes around. They boast some very good players on paper, but they have forgotten how to win a game of footy. The positive base their built by making the finals last year has evaporated, and Justin Holbrook might be in a bit of trouble come season’s end.
Souths are clutching to their position in the top eight, but only just, and they really don’t look like anything of a premiership threat. They have opened and will almost certainly start favourites in this match, but they certainly aren’t ‘sure things’ in my opinion, and I think it’s a real danger game.
The Roosters and the Storm will each hope to welcome back several Origin stars for their clash on Saturday evening.
The Roosters’ slow and inconsistent start to the season isn’t completely in the rear-view mirror, and they suffered a tight defeat to the Raiders in Round 13. It looks to me as though they are being saved by some seriously good solo performances, rather than playing well as a team.
The Storm have been outstanding pretty much all year again, and they are another club who should be nice and fresh following the bye week.
In most instances, I’m going to be backing the Storm, and I certainly will be this week.
The Broncos and Raiders lock horns in what could very well be the standout fixture in Round 14 of the NRL.
They looked to be on track for another dismal season languishing near the bottom of the table, but the Broncos really have responded to their critics this season, and they are a fitting top four prospect entering Round 14.
The Raiders have also improved noticeably throughout the last month or so, and they recorded another tough win over the Roosters in Round 13.
I completely understand the Broncos’ favouritism here, but with so many Origin stars on the short back-up, I actually think that the value lies in backing the Raiders to cover the line.
Wests Tigers will have their hands full when the Sea Eagles arrive in town on Sunday afternoon.
By arrive in town, I mean travel 20 minutes across town from their own base.
There have been whispers early this week that Tigers coach Michael Maguire has been told that this will be his final game in charge. While the Tigers have been noticeable improvers after a particularly dismal start to the season, the writing has been on the wall for a while, and I am of the opinion that this will be best for both parties.
The Sea Eagles are without Turbo for the rest of the season of course, and while that probably means they can’t win the Premiership, they remain a live chance of playing finals footy. Without Turbo and DCE last week, they put on a clinic against the Warriors, and they face a similar quality of opponent in Round 14.
The Knights stand little chance of success when they host the competition-leading Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
It has been another disappointing season for the Newcastle club, and it’s yet another coaching position that will almost certainly become available by season’s end. They were on the bye in Round 13 and prior to that, only just snuck past a very bad Warriors side.
The Panthers have been almost faultless in 2022, and without most of their starting side last week, still managed to put 30 puts on the board and comfortably beat the Bulldogs. Ivan Cleary will almost certainly rest some players this week, but I don’t think it will matter.
The Warriors begin life after Nathan Brown at ‘home’ against the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday evening.
It was imminent, and after the coach told the club that he wouldn’t be relocating to New Zealand when the club returns home in a couple of weeks, his contract was terminated with immediate effect. Kiwi league legend Stacy Jones has taken the reins an interim, but whispers are that it’s also a trial for a full-time contract.
The Sharks look to be a genuine top four chance this season, and they are a substantially better side than the Warriors. Enough said this week.
We’ll be treated to a rare Monday game in Round 14 of the NRL, and I use ‘treated’ for lack of a better term, because this will almost certainly be super one-sided.
The Bulldogs will be lucky not to finish last in 2022, and it’s tough imagining them doing enough to compete with the Eels this week, even as inconsistent as this opponent has proven to be.
This is the perfect opportunity for Parramatta to put on a big score, regather their belief and start to work positively towards a finals campaign.