We’re head-first into another exciting week of NRL following a controversial finish to Round 19.
The battle for the top eight is intensifying each week and it continues when the Sea Eagles and Roosters kick off tonight in Thursday night footy.
The Storm will be desperate to snap their four-game losing streak when they take on the Warriors in New Zealand and get set for another big Friday night clash when the Eels play the Panthers at home.
Interestingly, despite their patchy form, they are the only club to defeat Penrith this season.
The Sharks and Rabbitohs lock horns in a potential finals preview on Saturday afternoon, while the Dragons will be hoping to sneak into the top eight with an upset over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Check out my complete NRL Round 20 Tips below!
Round 20 kicks off on the Northern Beaches on Thursday night and the Sea Eagles will host the Roosters.
It hasn’t been the best week for the Manly Sea Eagles.
Whichever way you look at this situation and whatever your feelings are, there’s still a game to be played, and they will be without a lot of their squad.
The Roosters haven’t been terrible recently, and with a substantially stronger side out on the paddock, they should just be winning this one.
It’s sure to be an intriguing battle when the Warriors host the Storm first-up on Friday evening.
On face value, most would chalk this one up to a handy Storm victory, and the bookies certainly believe that will be the case, given they’re offering the Melbourne club at NRL odds of $1.26.
They are, however, facing a fifth loss in succession, and having to travel internationally for this one is less than ideal in a slump.
The Warriors have been next to terrible, however, and that could be the Storm’s saving grace.
They returned a strong first-half performance against the Raiders in Round 19, but went to water in the second half and ended up suffering a sizeable defeat.
I’m staying away from match betting and line, and I’m going to back a couple of try scorers instead!
The Parramatta Eels will look to complete the set over the Penrith Panthers when they clash in Friday night footy.
Despite their incredible inconsistency this season, the Eels remain the only club to have defeated Ivan Cleary’s men in 2022, and they have tended to keep their best performances for the biggest moments.
That being said, they are in danger of falling out of the eight, owing to their losses to lowly opposition.
The Panthers are almost unstoppable, and they continued on their way with another handy win over the Sharks in Round 19.
If the Panthers bring anything close to their best, they win this one comfortably as well.
The Titans return home to take on the Raiders on Saturday afternoon.
Things just keep going from bad to worse for the Gold Coast-based club, having officially parted ways with former captain Kevin Proctor after he filmed himself vaping at half-time last week.
I mean, honestly.
He clearly hasn’t put in any effort since signing to the Super League, and this kind of behaviour from a senior player really underlines how bad things must be.
For the sake of everyone involved in the club, here’s hoping things look up in 2023.
The Raiders’ form revival continued in their second half of their Round 19 clash with the Warriors, and they are now a genuine fringe Top 8 club, and probably with more upside than the likes of the Dragons and Sea Eagles.
They are a class above the Titans and should be winning this reasonably well.
The match of the round could very well be played out between the Sharks and the Bunnies in the Shire on Saturday evening.
Both of these clubs will almost certainly play finals footy, and with the latter coming into a bit of form since Latrell’s return, this really does set up to be a quality contest.
The Sharks did lose in Round 19, but it was to the Panthers, and they were far from disgraced.
Returning home and with almost all of their cavalry in tow, they are fitting early favourites in the Neds market.
Souths became the latest club to knock off the Melbourne Storm, and they take plenty of momentum and confidence into this one.
Latrell continues to be the key, but everything does appear to be falling into place for them now, and in great time for a run towards September.
In my opinion this is another one that could fall either way, so I am staying out of match betting and away from the line.
The Broncos will start clear and justifiable favourites when they take on the last-placed Wests Tigers on Saturday night.
The Broncos started slowly again in 2022, but they have continued to go from strength to strength and they won their way back into the top four with an impressive triumph over the Eels on the road in Round 19.
Were Wests Tigers robbed of victory in Round 19?
Damn right they were, and they understandably sought a please explain from the NRL after that hopeless decision to award the Cowboys a penalty in the final second of their clash.
The Broncos are just a far better side in 2022 – it’s as simple as that.
At home, they’ll win this one comfortably.
The Knights will have their hands full with every opponent they draw for the remainder of the season, including the similarly lowly Canterbury Bulldogs.
It has been a real season to forget for the Knights, and they are yet another club who have plenty to do and restructure in the offseason.
They’ve signed captain Kalyn Ponga to a long and lucrative contract, and they really do now need to get everything else in motion if they are going to get the best from him.
The Bulldogs have been competitive and overall, decent since Trent Barrett was shown the door, and they enter this clash following another good win over the Titans in Round 19.
They deserve their market favouritism, and I think they’ll be winning again.
The Dragons and Cowboys clash in the final game of Round 20 of the NRL.
The Dragons remain one of about four of five clubs who look capable of sneaking into the finals this season, the resurgence of Ben Hunt certainly isn’t harming their chances.
They choked Manly out of their Round 19 clash, and they will be quietly confident of an ambush at home this week.
Not exactly their fault, but the Cowboys claimed an extremely contentious victory over the Tigers in Townsville last week, and they will be surely eager to silence their critics with a big win in Round 20.
I thought a few genuine weaknesses in their armour were showcased last week, and I’m going to tip the upset!