Following on from one of the most exciting opening rounds since the turn of the century, we’re set for another eight action-packed games in Round 2 of the NRL!
The Dolphins made their debut, and what a debut it was! All four Queensland clubs won, the Panthers faltered at the first hurdle of their title defence and the Sea Eagles lead the ladder into Round 2.
Anthony Siebold’s men are on the bye this week, but I’ve run the rule over the remaining sixteen clubs, and you can find my complete NRL Round 2 Tips below!
Round 2 is underway with a bang when the Panthers meet the Bunnies at the foot of the mountains.
The Panthers’ bid for a three-peat got off to a poor start when they were stunned by the Broncos in Friday night footy.
While clearly a little rusty and still trying to account for the loss of a few key personnel, the Panthers weren’t entirely terrible, and I am confident that they will improve for the run.
I thought that the post-match argument between Luai and Salmon actually showed plenty of heart, and the Panthers as a whole clearly still have an enormous hunger to win.
The Bunnies meanwhile returned a smart Round 1 performance to overcome the Sharks, and even this early in the season, they look to be a genuine Top 4 side.
It is fair to say that Lachlan Illias slowly warmed to the task in 2022, but all of that was ancient history when he returned arguably a career-best performance in Round 1.
I don’t have nearly as much between these two sides as the bookies seem to, and the value looks to be in backing Souths to cover the line as outsiders, in my opinion.
The first of two Friday clashes looms as an absolute treat and will feature the Eels and the Sharks; both eager to bounce back from Round 1 defeats.
The Eels did return a very solid Round 1 performance, and after trailing a couple of times, they did well to push a smart Storm outfit to extra time.
In my opinion, they still look to be a genuine Top 6 side in 2023, but I have big doubts on their chance of making back-to-back Grand Finals.
The Sharks continued to drift in betting ahead of their Round 1 clash with Souths after Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes was ruled out of the game.
To add insult to injury, Wade Graham spent time in the bin for a high shot on Davvy Moale, yet the Sharks still managed to match motors with the Bunnies for most of the clash.
Hynes looks likely to return this week, and if he does take his place, the Sharks are value at their current odds ($2.55 at publish).
The Sharks have won six of their last eight matches against the Eels, and that adds further confidence.
Just cannot wait for this one. The Broncos and Cowboys will reignite their fierce Queensland rivalry in front of a big crowd at Suncorp Stadium in Friday primetime.
Regardless of form, this is almost always an outstanding contest.
That being said, both clubs do enter it in winning form, and I’m actually pretty confident that we are going to be treated to another classic.
The Broncos were given virtually no hope of competing when they lined up opposite the reigning premiers in Round 1, but they returned a performance in line with their midseason form of 2022, and snuck away with a deserved victory.
They do boast a good team on paper, and when they put it all together, they are capable against most other clubs.
The Cowboys looked to be on track for an enormous win over the Raiders in Week 1, but they completely went to water in the second half and ultimately, they were luck to get home with the win.
Against a better side this week in the Broncos, and away from their parochial home crowd, they will have to improve if they are going to win again.
Interestingly, the Broncos have failed to cover the line in each of their last four matches at Suncorp, so with that in mind, I’m taking the Cows to cover!
An intriguing match looms between 2002 NRL Grand Finalists the Roosters and Warriors in Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
In my opinion, the Roosters returned the worst performance of any club in Round 1.
Tipped by many, including myself to win the whole thing in 2023, the proud and historic club hardly fired a shot against league newcomers the Dolphins, and they were justifiably made to pay.
Surely they were just too bad to be true, I mean, can you remember James Tedesco making so many unforced errors!?
I’m very confident that Trent Robinson will have identified the major problems in that performance, and they’ll be very eager to bounce back here.
The Warriors meanwhile returned a smart performance of their own to comfortably overcome the Knights, and signs were good for a competitive season.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad starred in his first game back at the club, but there was plenty to like about the side across the field – is this the season they finally start to realise their potential?
Whichever way this one falls, I am expecting plenty of points!
The Dolphins are back in action on Saturday afternoon, and they are faced with another very beatable opponent in the Canberra Raiders.
I, alongside most pundits gave the Dolphins no chance at all of winning in Round 1 but in retrospect, the ambush probably was on – a Wayne Bennett masterclass, a packed Suncorp Stadium on a Sunday afternoon, and an opponent that is widely hated in Queensland.
Are they the real deal, though?
Are the Dolphins the real deal? They did knock off a Premiership threat on debut… @JharalYowYeh5 & @JaredTimms are back with more #NRL Unpopular Opinions! pic.twitter.com/9T3QBN9gbQ
— Neds (@NedsAus) March 6, 2023
I’ve tipped the Raiders to finish in the bottom two this season, and their first half performance against the Cowboys in Round 1 filled me with confidence.
To their credit, they warmed to the task and looked a lot better in the second forty, and were ultimately probably unlucky not to win.
All things considered, the Dolphins actually looked pretty decent, and if they continue to ride this wave (ehhh) of excitement and confidence, I think they’ll just win again!
The Storm have opened the shortest-priced favourites of any club head-to-head in Round 2 of the NRL, and for good reason.
Melbourne were down on key troops but still underlined their Premiership credentials with a tough win over 2022 Grand Finalists Parramatta in Week 1.
Harry Grant was nothing short of outstanding, and as my colleague Oscar underlined in this article, he truly is the benchmark for 9’s in the NRL currently.
The Bulldogs’ signing drive continued during the offseason, and they started the year with renewed hope and prospects, and to be fair, a decent looking side (on paper).
Time is clearly still needed for them to build into a competitive squad, however, and they suffered a hefty defeat to Manly.
The market has this one correct, and I can’t foresee any result materialising than a comfortable Storm victory.
I reckon I could count on one hand the number of times that Wests have opened favourites in betting, in the last five years.
That rarity has materialised in Round 2, and it is probably a fair indication as to the opinion most, including our bookies, hold of the Knights.
The Tigers signed really well ahead of their 2023 campaign, particularly to their forward pack, with the likes of Api Koroisau, John Bateman and Isaiah Papali’i joining some credible names already in work.
Their Round 1 performance and loss to the Titans left plenty to the imagination, but they did look a lot better in the second half of that game, and this looks a great opportunity to build on that.
The Knights were pretty forgettable in their Round 1 loss to the Warriors, and things probably won’t get much easier for them this week.
Adam O’Brien remains the most likely coach to be shown the door early this season, and nothing short of a big win this week is probably required for the conversation to quieten a little.
Not only were Dragons fans forced to wait an extra week to see their club in action, but they also have to wait until every other club has played in Week 2!
Premiership markets anticipate that it is going to be another long, disappointing campaign for the St George faithful, but they have opened favourites in betting ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Titans.
Like I did for every club prior to Round 1, here’s how the ins and outs look for the Red V in 2023:
- Ins: Zane Musgrove, Nick Lui-Toso, Jacob Liddle, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Paul Turner
- Outs: Jackson Ford, George Burgess, Poasa Faamausili, Jack Gosiewski, Andrew McCullough, Tariq Sims, Josh McGuire
While obviously prone to a few mistakes, I thought that the Titans were actually quite good in Week 1, and they enter this clash full of confidence, and with the slight fitness edge.