Round 15 of the NRL boasts another eight exciting games and kicks off on the Gold Coast on Thursday night with an intriguing clash between the Titans and the Tigers.
We’re past the halfway point of the regular season, and wins are starting to become far more vital to the top eight chances of several clubs.
You can find my thoughts on every match and NRL Round 15 Tips below.
The Titans takes on the Tigers first up on Thursday night, and there is a case to be made for both clubs winning.
Incredibly, the Titans have been in and out of the eight for the entire season.
They enter Round 15 thirteenth overall, however, having won just won of their last four matches, and another loss here would be quite damning.
The Tigers did lose in Round 14, but their slow start to the season is well and truly in the rear-view mirror, and they are playing with a lot more confidence.
On the Gold Coast, I actually don’t have anything between the two, so I am going to take the value on offer for the Tigers as outsiders.
The best contest of the round could materialise in the nation’s capital on Friday evening when the resurgent Raiders takes on the Warriors.
I had them finishing in the bottom two this season, and their form through the first five or six weeks of their 2023 made me look like a genius.
Fast-forward to Round 15 though and the Raiders have climbed into sixth, having won seven of their last eight games. Wowee.
They survived a spirited charge from a somewhat in-form Wests Tigers last week, and they’re always worth consideration at home during the cold months.
The Warriors slide in form was seemingly ended last week when they delivered the Dolphins a hefty defeat over in New Zealand.
It is sometimes tough to know what we are going get from the Warriors, but their best is certainly good enough to win something like this.
Six of the last seven games between these two sides have gone under the total match points line, so I’m going to look that way again.
The Sea Eagles welcome back some much-needed cavalry and have opened clear favourites ahead of their Friday night clash with the Dolphins.
Manly returned to winning form with a thrashing win over the Raiders three weeks ago, but without DCE or any Trbojevic brother, they were unable to account for the Knights in Round 13.
They step out this week refreshed from the bye and justifiable favourites.
Are they Dolphins actually going that well at the moment?
Sure, they won two weeks ago, but it wasn’t an entirely convincing performance against a club currently paying $301 in Premiership betting (Dragons).
They followed that up with a big loss to the Warriors, and they’ll be without a few key personnel again this weekend.
Open and shut, I think Manly will win it.
The last-placed Dragons take on one of the key Premiership favourites this week in the Rabbitohs and understandably, betting suggests it’s going to be one-sided.
Dozer does take his place for the Dragons, and that alone makes them an infinitely better prospect, but they are still a league or two below the quality of this opposition.
The Bunnies snapped a two-game losing streak by putting 46 points on the Titans last weekend, and there is no doubt that they line up against a weaker opponent in Round 15.
The Broncos take on the Knights in what really should be one of the bigger blowouts in Round 15.
The Broncs climbed back into equal top spot after a Round 14 upset of the Sharks, and they really do look the real deal in 2023.
I thought they’d have a few down weeks during the Origin period, but seemingly, their depth is really paying off this year.
The Knights are probably the hardest club to trust from a betting perspective again this year, but they do enter this match refreshed following a week off and prior to that, a smart win over the Sea Eagles.
Alas, the Broncos have covered the line in seven of their last eight games against the Knights at Suncorp, and I am confident they’ll do it again.
What should have been the match of the round takes place on Saturday night, but with how disappointing the Roosters have been, coupled with the Panthers’ loss of Nathan Cleary, I’m not really sure what to expect!
Halfway through the regular season, I now do not think that the Roosters can win it, but they do still sit on the edge of the eight and surely, will win into another Finals series.
The Panthers meanwhile continue to lead the way on the ladder and in Premiership betting, and they are justifiable favourites again this week.
Five of the last six games between these two clubs have blown out in score, and I think we’re set for something similar in Round 15.
The Storm take on the Sharks in Melbourne in Round 15’s penultimate fixture.
Second time I’m asking this question of a club ahead of Round 15; are the Storm going very well?
They’re certainly not the scary prospect they once were, but they’re still sitting fifth on the ladder.
They’ve knocked off clubs like the Broncos recently, buy they were given a real touch-up by the Cowboys last week.
The Sharks are also battling a bit at the moment, and they suffered a pretty disappointing loss to the Broncos as favourites at home last week.
Origin selection is looming for Nicho Hynes, and a huge performance from the Sharks seven is one thing that I am actually confident in here.
Games between these two clubs have often gone right down to the wire throughout the last decade, and with that in mind, I’m going to back the Sharks to cover the line as outsiders in betting.
The Eels can record another potentially vital win and continue their ascendance up the ladder when they meet the lowly Bulldogs on Monday afternoon.
It often times hasn’t been pretty, but they Eels are undefeated in their last three weeks, having knocked off the Bunnies and the Cowboys before going on the bye.
They still have plenty of work to do if they want to make the top eight, but there’s certainly enough time to do so – they just need to be winning games like this one.
The Bulldogs were unlucky to be pipped by the Roosters last weekend, but their form has only ever been inconsistent at best this year, and they’ll start outsiders in almost every remaining game.