NRL Round 13 Tips & Preview

I said it in the intro, and the Dolphins will be keen to avenge their earlier season loss to the Dragons when they clash in Round 13.

It was a shock shellacking, in fact, when the Dolphins travelled south in Round 6, but a lot has happened since then, and Wayne Bennett’s men really do look well placed to strike this time.

They were returned another spirited performance against the Melbourne Storm in Round 12, and while they couldn’t quite get the job done, the effort couldn’t be knocked.

The Dragons did pull off a shock upset against the Roosters in Round 12.

That being said, how well are the Roosters actually going, though? And was that performance a knee-jerk reaction to Hook’s sacking?

I’m confident that we can kick off the weekend with a winner, and the Dolphins have covered the line in each of their last three games following a loss.

The Eels returned their strongest performance of the season to sink the table topping Rabbitohs in Round 12, and they line up opposite an awful Cowboys outfit that is also trying to deal with five Origin selections.

They have been extremely slow from the blocks this year and returning to a Grand Final looks out of reach, but boy did they turn it on against a very good side.

Mitchell Moses was OK, but Dylan Brown really stole the show, and he was ably supported by plenty of his teammates.

The Cows, meanwhile, sank to a new low and a 66-18 loss to West Tigers. WOT.

All of that considered, I really cannot see anything other than an enormous Eels win materialising in Round 13.

The Warriors can really kick into gear from Round 13 when they take on an Origin-depleted Brisbane Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium.

The Wahs have already been a big improver in season 2023, but at full strength and coming up against clubs that will be dealing with plenty of personnel losses throughout the next six weeks, I think they can and will really capitalise.

They’re further buoyed this week by the re-signing of Chanel Harris-Tevita, who re-joins alongside RTS in 2024 and surely that translates into a Top 4 finish.

The Broncos have lost their last two matches, and they’ve lost plenty of their best players this week.

With Souths dealing with miss Origin players and the Raiders keen to bounce back, this looms as the standout fixture of Round 13 in my opinion.

Souths probably were due a loss, and it came at the hands of a very credible (in Round 12, at least) Eels outfit.

They were in the contest for most of the 80 minutes, but it simply wasn’t their night and I doubt they lost any admirers because of it.

The Raiders understandably started firm favourites on a cool Sunday afternoon and against an out-of-form Sea Eagles in Round 12, but boy were they ambushed.

2 months ago, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but it was a pretty out of character performance from the resurgent Green Machine.

They lose Origin debutant Hudson Young this week, but they’ve really started to gel properly, and I’m happy to eat my words from earlier this year – they do actually look to be a Top 8 contender.

I think it’ll be pretty tight.

The round draws to a close in the Hunter on Sunday afternoon and the Knights will start pretty firm favourites against the Sea Eagles.

The Knights are the most untrustworthy club in the NRL, and have knocked off good teams one week before falling to poor ones the following.

They were outclassed by the Sharks last week, but put 46 on the Titans the week prior, who were locked in the Top 8.

The Sea Eagles stormed back into form at the expense of the Raiders last week, but they’ll need to do it without DCE and Turbo, off on Origin duties this week, plus Jake who is out with injury for about six weeks.

I still can’t go near the Knights and I’m staying away from match betting and the line.