Round 9 of the NRL boasts another eight thrilling matches and represents an excellent curtain raiser to Magic Round in Brisbane next week!
Friday night footy looms as an absolute belter once again, and is highlighted by a match between current competition leaders the Broncos, and arguably the form team of the league, the Rabbitohs.
Check out my preview for every game and NRL Round 9 Tips below!
Round 9 kicks off when two 2022 NRL Preliminary Finalists lock horns in the Shire.
The Sharks have returned to action in a similar vein of form to the one which saw them make that Preliminary Final, and a similar result is on the cards in 2023.
They proved too strong for a credible Bulldogs outfit in Round 8 and climbed back into fifth on the ladder.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have been the biggest disappointment of the league so far.
Which player or club has been the most disappointing in 2023 #NRL season so far? Do you agree with @JharalYowYeh5 or @JaredTimms? pic.twitter.com/5z9kcI56OV
— Neds (@NedsAus) April 24, 2023
They did win in Round 8, but it was only their third of the season, and they were probably lucky to get there against the Knights.
I’m happy to kick off the weekend with a simple line bet.
I’m also pretty keen on the Eels in Round 9!
I give them plenty, but there is no doubt that the Eels have slowly continued to improve through the first two months of the NRL season, and they followed up a couple of nice wins with a competitive performance against the league-leading Broncos last week.
The Knights’ decent run of form meanwhile came to an end in Round 8, and they suffered a disappointing defeat to the Cowboys, in a match that I thought looked very winnable for them.
While still quite a way from their best, I think that the Eels are still well and truly good enough to take games like this one, and they can bounce back.
Just can’t wait for this one.
The match of the round will almost certainly materialise in Brisbane on Friday night, when the league-leading Broncos host arguably the formed team of the comp, the Rabbitohs.
The Broncos’ return to form this season has been something to behold, and the addition of Reece Walsh really cannot be understated.
When it all boils down, they are just better than most other clubs at the moment, and it has been telling on the ladder.
The Rabbitohs have well and truly clicked into gear as well, and a big win over the Dolphins was franked with an impressive performance and win over the Panthers in Round 8.
With that momentum, I think that Souths might just sneak home again in a thriller.
This is shapes as one of the more intriguing battles in Round 9 of the NRL.
The worst fears of Raiders fans everywhere became a reality on Tuesday when Dally M Medallist Jack Wighton signed a deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
We all know a Raiders fan who has since come out and said it’s fine and that he’s not worth big money, but all also know that is a load of rubbish,
The Raiders have been pretty bad for the most part, but they have returned some excellent performances in spaces as well – the win over the Broncos a few weeks ago comes to mind.
They had the bye in Round 8 and prior to that, proved too strong for the Dragons, but I’m just a little concerned that this enormous news this week will see them fall back into a little bit of a hole.
The ‘Phins have continued to do ‘Phins things, and they overcame an incredible 26-point deficit to beat the Titans in Round 8 – equalling the record for the biggest ever comeback in the NRL. Wowee.
They’ve recorded five wins already this season, which means one more and they cover the pre-season 5.5 win/loss line that was set by the bookies.
I have nothing between these two clubs (in Canberra), so I am keen to take the Dolphins to cover as outsiders.
Manly get the chance to consolidate last week’s lucky win when they take on the Titans at Brookvale Oval on Saturday evening.
Can somebody please line up this form for me?
The Sea Eagles turn up in Round 7, put on a show and sink a genuine Premiership threat in the Storm, and they hardly even come out in Round 8 and almost lose the winless Tigers.
They are just such a frustrating club to watch and from a betting perspective, but I guess a win is a win, and the Sea Eagles are incredibly sitting second on the ladder.
The Titans are a similarly frustrating side to follow, and how they blew a 26-point lead in Round 8, I don’t think we’ll ever really know.
There is just zero club culture, and I genuinely have zero clue how they fix that.
Unsurprisingly, betting suggests that the most one-sided match of the round comes up between the Panthers and the Tigers at the foot of the mountains on Saturday night.
One club has made three Grand Finals in a row, won the last two and remain one of the most lethal forces in the game of Rugby League, the other will struggle for even one win in 2023.
Wests were competitive with Manly for about 75 minutes in Round 8, but that was clearly due to Manly playing horrifically, rather than the Tigers playing well.
I’m having a Same Game Multi, obviously skewed towards the Panthers.
Same Game Multi selections:
- Panthers 13+
- Brian To’o Anytime Try
- Stephen Crichton Anytime Try
Another ripping contest looks like materialising across the ditch on Sunday afternoon when the Warriors take on the Roosters.
They’ve produced one of the most impressive turns in form of the season so far, and I firmly believe that the Warriors are unlucky to only be sitting seventh in overall standings.
They were too good for the Cows in Round 7, and they were almost as good as the Storm last weekend, who themselves were lifting after a loss.
The Roosters haven’t come close to meeting my expectations this season, and while they did win in Round 8, a one-point triumph over the Dragons is hardly a convincing result.
I think that the Warriors are again over the odds and I’m keen on the upset!
The Dragons and Bulldogs renew their historic rivalry in the final clash in Round 9 of the NRL.
Off the back of their performance last week, you’d think that the Dragons would just come out and win this one easily, but consistency isn’t something that the Dragons are famous for.
The Dogs have also proven to be extremely inconsistent this season, and have played well against some genuinely good sides, while also losing to some poor ones.
All of that makes me extremely nervous about head-to-head betting and the line, so I am going to stay away from it.