Round 21 of the NRL boasts some of the most mouthwatering fixtures of the season so far!
That being said, the action kicks off with a clash between the lowly Dragons and Tigers on Thursday night, but improves tenfold on Friday when the Warriors host the Raiders, and the Bunnies do battle with the Broncos.
There is value to be found in betting for all eight games, and with the Dolphins on the bye, Round 21 really does have a nostalgic feel about it!
Check out my full preview and NRL Round 21 Tips below.
Probably not a game that anyone will remember, but betting suggests we might be in for a close contest when the Dragons take on the Tigers on Thursday night.
Both sides have been woeful in 2023 and quite frankly, the end of the season cannot arrive quickly enough.
The Tigers did fire a couple of shots against the Knights in Round 20 before ultimately going down 34-18, while the Dragons return refreshed from a bye.
I don’t have as much between them as the bookies seem to, so I am going to have something on the Tigers to cover the line as outsiders.
The match of the round could incredibly materialise across the ditch first-up on Friday when the Warriors host the Raiders.
The Warriors have been the real revelation of the 2023 NRL Premiership season, and they step out in Round 21 follow a demolition job of fellow Top 6 side Cronulla.
All the pieces finally appear to be falling into place, and they are fitting favourites again this week.
The Raiders have also far and away exceeded expectations in 2023, and they incredibly sit fourth on the ladder after 20 rounds.
They have rarely dropped a game, and while never flashy, they almost always do enough to win. That’s all that’s needed!
I’ve predicted the Warriors to play a Prelim this season, and they do need to win games like this one to give themselves every chance of doing that!
Another contender for match of the round also takes place on Friday night, and sees South Sydney take on Brisbane at home!
Souths have fallen to eighth on the ladder through the Origin period, but with focus now entirely locked on their run to the finals, I’m confident their ascent up the ladder will begin again (if not this week, then next).
The Broncos have certainly restored a bit of pride this year, but it really doesn’t count for anything unless they can convert the season into a deep finals run, if not a Premiership.
I think that the Broncos are real value head-to-head this week, and I’m having a crack at the upset!
The Titans return home to take on the Roosters in Round 21, and I’m starting to think that the bookies haven’t actually paid attention to Trent Robinson’s men this year, but they’ve gone up favourites again!
The Titans remain perched on the edge of the eight, and they were unlucky not to get the job done away to the Eels in Round 20.
The Roosters meanwhile suffered another disappointing loss which ultimately saw them drop to 14th on the ladder.
So much for my prediction at the beginning of them winning the comp at the beginning of the season!
The Titans can keep the pressure on clubs like Souths and Parra by winning this.
One of the bigger mismatches of the week looks likely to come up between the Knights and the Storm in the Hunter on Saturday evening.
The Knights did enough to see off a fair effort from the Tigers in Round 20, but this is obviously a completely different kettle of fish, and they’d need to muster a season-best performance.
The Storm meanwhile took another big step towards a Top 4 finish by beating the Roosters, and this shapes as a similarly winnable game for them.
The Cows are absolutely airborne, and this is almost certainly the most critical match slated for Round 21.
At the beginning of the Origin period, the Cowboys traded as long as triple figures in 2023 NRL Premiership betting, but they have been bullet proof and arguably the form team of the league throughout the last six weeks, and they now sit on the edge of the eight.
For a club that made last season’s decider, the Eels have been wildly mediocre all season, and they were lucky to scrape away with a single-point win over the Titans last week.
I’m expecting the Cowboys to make a real statement and climb up into the eight.
The penultimate clash of Round 21 sees reigning premiers Penrith take on the 15th-placed Bulldogs, and the market (at publish) sits at $1.02 vs $14 head-to-head.
I think that this is a great opportunity to pump up our odds with a Same Game Multi!
Same Game Multi selections:
- Panthers (-25.5)
- Over 46.5 Points
- Tago Anytime Try
- To’o Anytime Try
Regardless of form, the Battle of the Beaches is almost always a quality contest, and this is a great way to draw the curtain on Round 21.
Are the Sharks the biggest posers in the NRL?
They are still yet to defeat another top eight side in 2023, and they are given a real touch up by the Warriors in Round 20.
That being said, they still sit in the Top 8 themselves, but they face a very difficult run home.
The Sea Eagles were competitive with an in-form Cowboys side in Round 20, and they are close enough to the eight to cause the Sharks serious headaches, in my opinion.