We’ve arrived at the final week of the regular season and by Sunday night, we’ll know who will play who in Week 1 of the Finals and which eight clubs will kick off Mad Monday celebrations!
There are still teams that can win into or miss a spot in the eight, including the Rabbitohs and Roosters, who renew their historic rivalry on Friday night.
The Cowboys will have their hands full with a strong Panthers outfit, while the weekend concludes with an intriguing battle between the Finals-bound Sharks and Raiders.
With several clubs resting players and others at full strength, there looks to be plenty of value on offer in Round 27 of the NRL.
The final week is underway with a bang when the Broncos, chasing a minor Premiership, take on the ever-dangerous Storm, chasing a Top 4 finish.
We cannot forget that the Broncos missed the finals last season, and their rise to genuine Premiership threat this season really has been something to behold.
They will be without the likes of Reynolds, Carrigan and Staggs this week though, and that really does weaken their make-up.
The Storm will also rest key players this week, but Ryan Papenhuyzen will make his second-consecutive appearance, in what can only be a huge up for the Melbourne club.
I don’t have much between these sides at all and I am going to load-up with a Same Game Multi.
Same Game Multi selections:
- Storm (+3.5)
- Over 43.5 Points
- Total: $3.57
The first Round 27 clash with absolutely nothing on the line sees the Sea Eagles taking on the Tigers at Brookvale Oval.
The Eags have shown patches of above-average ability this season, but they’ve been let down by inconsistency and key injuries.
I’m keen to see what they can achieve next year, particularly with the signings they’ve made.
Wests, meanwhile, have been just horrific, and plenty needs to change for them to finish anywhere above 17th in 2023.
The Sea Eagles will win this well and enjoy a big Mad Monday.
Match of the round comes up between the Rabbitohs and the Roosters on Friday night.
It’s the oldest rivalry in the NRL, but there’s more than just bragging rights on the line this week.
I expected both of these clubs to finish in the Top 4 this season, but both are now in danger of missing the eight, and both simply need the win to keep their respective seasons alive.
Souths’ recent form has been their big issue after looking like a Finals certainty for a long time.
They’ve gone to water at the worst possible time, compounded by several unnecessary off-field dramas.
The Roosters meanwhile have been inconsistent all year, but to their credit, their form has improved recently, and they’ve won each of their last four.
I’m expecting that to continue through this week.
Same Game Multi selections:
- Roosters (+1.5)
- Under 45.5 Points
- Totals: $3.18
The ‘Phins have opened favourites in their bid for one final consolation in over the Warriors in the last game of their debut season.
It was a very strong start for Queensland’s fourth club, but the ‘Phins ended up falling away very quickly from around Magic Round and have since become one of the league’s easy-beats this season.
The Warriors’ emergence really has been something to behold this season and understandably, Andrew Webster is electing to rest plenty of his players in this game, which is obviously why they’ve opened outsiders.
I’m still not too concerned by that – the Warriors have a better team, and I think they can win.
It’s do-or-die for the Cowboys, but they face an uphill battle in a very strong Penrith outfit on Saturday evening.
Many pundits, this one included, expected coach Ivan Cleary to rest the lion’s share of his stars this week but hilariously, that is not the case.
Jarome Luai is out, but that was always going to be the case, and clearly, the Panthers are hungry for the minor Premiership.
The Cowboys sit outside the eight and must win this game for their season to continue.
Their incredible run of form since the Origin period has halted recently, and I think they’ll be kicking off their Mad Monday celebrations perhaps earlier than they previously expected.
8 clubs will make the #NRL Finals, but how many are a genuine Premiership threat? @JharalYowYeh5 thinks it could be up to 5, but @JaredTimms isn't convinced! pic.twitter.com/V493MZjnOw
— Neds (@NedsAus) August 28, 2023
Betting suggests one of the better matches of the round will materialise between a near full-strength Dragons outfit, and a Newcastle side that is resting key players ahead of their finals campaign.
Another forgettable year for the Red V, but prospects are a little brighter with a new coach, system and likely look all slated for 2024.
They can end their season on a high, but they’ll need to be at their best.
The Knights have returned one of the most incredible resurgence in the second-half of this season, and they will be a real headache for anyone that they meet in the finals.
I have nothing between them, so I am going to stay away from match betting and the line.
Another clash with nothing on the line sees the Titans take on the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon, and whichever way this one falls, I’m expecting plenty of points.
I’ve been quite impressed by passages of form produced by the Titans this year, and with Des Hasler coming in to steer the ship from 2024, I think that prospects are very, very bright on the Gold Coast.
They’ve held their own with some good teams, and they just need to find a little consistency.
In my opinion, the Bulldogs have actually been the worst side of 2023 and are lucky not to be finishing last.
Huge improvement is needed, and I think that 2024 will be extremely telling of just how good of a coach Cameron Ciraldo is, and just how mouldable the culture is at Belmore.
I can’t wait for Sunday afternoon’s clash between the Sharks and the Raiders in the Shire, I think that it is without doubt the most intriguing match of Round 27.
Both clubs will almost certainly play Finals footy, but after slipping to seventh in Round 26 and with such a poor for-and-against, the Raiders do need to win to assure themselves a finals berth.
The Sharks returned to form throughout August, but they came crashing back down to earth last week thanks to a ghastly second-half effort against the Knights.
The Raiders meanwhile just didn’t quite have enough to match it with the Broncos for the full eighty last weekend, but this is something of a drop in class.