And just like that, we’re nearly two-thirds of the way through the 2023 NRL Premiership season!
There is plenty to look forward to in Round 18 of the NRL, beginning in the Shire on Thursday night when the Sharks take on a continually dramatic Dragons outfit.
It has been a big week off the field for several other clubs, including the Titans and the Sea Eagles – how will they respond?
Check out my thoughts on every game and NRL Round 18 Tips below.
A bit of a mismatch to kick off Round 18 as the Sharks take on the Dragons in The Shire.
It’s fair to say that the Sharks haven’t been at their best in recent weeks, but there probably hasn’t been a worse side than the Dragons during the same period of time.
They also return to action after well-earned week off, while the Dragons have continued to underline themselves as the biggest basket case in the NRL by refusing to grant Ben Hunt a release. Clearly, going to play well for both parties.
Same Game Multi selections:
- Sharks 13+
- Siosifa Talakai Anytime Try
One of the matches of the round looks like materialising across the ditch on Friday evening when the Warriors host the Rabbitohs.
I said it on Monday alongside Jharal Yow Yeh – I think that the Warriors will play a Prelim Final this season!
Give us your boldest predictions for the remainder of the #NRL season! Do you agree with the ones that @JharalYowYeh5 & @JaredTimms have made? pic.twitter.com/TIwXye9nfR
— Neds (@NedsAus) June 26, 2023
After 17 Rounds of footy, they’ve climbed into the Top 4, and a win over the Rabbitohs this week really would consolidate their position.
The Bunnies, meanwhile, have fallen out of form, winning just one of their last five matches.
I have little doubt that they’ll switch back on after the Origin period, and assuming that Latrell comes good, but I completely understand and agree with the Warriors’ market favouritism in current nick.
The match of the round will almost certainly be the second one on Friday though, when reigning premiers and current competition leaders Penrith travel to Melbourne.
The Storm haven’t been quite a scary as they have been for the better part of two decades so far in 2023, but their bottom line is still better than most other clubs, and they sit third on the ladder heading into Round 18.
Their last three performances have suggested that they really have clicked back into gear, and they’re always a handful at home.
The Panthers rested most of their Origin stars last week and still proved too good for the Knights, and with all of them returning to action this week (minus Nathan Cleary), it makes for a mouth-watering Friday night clash.
I can’t split them, so I am going to take the value on offer for the Panthers to win as slight outsiders.
The Raiders continue to be the biggest surprise packets of the 2023 season (in my opinion), and they take on the Titans in the chilly nation’s capital on Saturday afternoon.
They were slow from the gates, and I thought I was a genius, but the Raiders have hardly put a foot wrong throughout the last few months and sit sixth on the ladder.
I thought that last week’s performance and win over the Roosters was tough and gritty, and they are another club that is always a tough prospect to overcome at home.
The Titans have also returned some nice and improved performances this season, and were probably at their best last week when knocking off the Broncos in Brisbane.
A repeat of that effort, and they can absolutely win again, and I think that this is going to go right down to the wire.
The Cows look to be back in form, and they are offered another great opportunity at winning when they host the lowly Wests Tigers on Saturday evening.
I had wondered if Origin would spark something in them, and it seems like it has!
A big win over the Storm in Round 14 has been franked by the Cowboys, who have since beaten the Panther and the Cowboys, and a club who did touch nearly triple figures in Premiership betting last month are now rated a $26 chance.
The Tigers seem to have fallen back out of form, and with that, they’ve drifted to NRL Premiership odds of $501.
They have actually been something of a bogey side for the Cows in recent seasons, and with that in mind, I think there’s value in a tight Cowboys win this week.
For the second time this season, it’s a local derby when the Broncos takes on the Dolphins in front of what is sure to be a big crowd in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Big, because Broncos crowds are famously fair-weather, but also big because the Dolphins bandwagon continues to roll on!
If my attempt to polarise both sets of fans above hasn’t worked on you, then please read on to my actual thoughts below.
The Broncos have returned to genuine Top 4 status this season, but they’ll be eager to bounce back after a shock loss to the Titans in Round 17.
I’m keen to see how long the Dolphins bandwagon does continue, because they really have started to suffer some pretty big losses in recent weeks.
This game went right down to the wire earlier this season, but I think that the Broncos have improved since then, and the Dolphins might have gotten a little worse.
Neither the Bulldogs nor the Knights are in the finals framework in 2023, and both will be eager to record a rare win in Round 18.
The rebuild is well and truly on at Belmore, but there’s obviously plenty more to do before their shape as a genuine NRL threat.
The Knights faced a severely understrength Panthers outfit last week but still lost, and they remain one of (if not the) hardest clubs to trust from a betting perspective.
I don’t think either side in match betting or at the line, and I’m electing to look elsewhere for the value!
Same Game Multi selections:
- Dominic Young Anytime Try
- Jake Averillo Anytime Try
The final match of the round will see an underwhelming Sea Eagles outfit take on an underwhelming Roosters outfit, with a win absolutely vital to the slim finals hopes of each.
To be fair, the Sea Eagles have been dealing with some pretty enormous injuries to key players for much of the 2023 season, while the Roosters have been just plain bad more often than not.
I genuinely think that both clubs have claims on winning this, and with that in mind, I’m backing the Sea Eagles to win as outsiders. My confidence is further enhanced by it being played at Brookie.