With State of Origin game two done and dusted, we turn our attention to the best best for Round 15.
It all starts when Sydney welcomes Melbourne to McDonald Jones Stadium.
Sydney vs. Melbourne
July 1st 7:50pm
It seems as though this Melbourne Storm surge is unstoppable at the moment but Sydney Roosters will attempt to put a halt to Melbourne’s 12-game winning streak tonight.
Craig Bellamy’s men have stormed to the top of the NRL table with a 13-2 record, while Sydney has bravely limped its way to fifth despite a shocking injury toll this season.
The two teams met in Round 6 this season with the Storm recording a 20-4 win, but the Roosters will field a stronger squad this time.
Expecting Sydney to bounce back after a disappointing 38-12 loss in Round 15 against Penrith.
It’s tough to side against the Storm at the moment but the line for the Roosters looks attractive.
Suggested Bets: Sydney +12.5 at $1.82
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Melbourne Storm head to head (SGM SPECIAL)
Leg 2: Sydney Roosters +12.5
Leg 3: J. Tedesco anytime tryscorer
Combined odds = $6.75
New Zealand vs. St George Illawarra
July 2nd 6:00pm
The race for the final top eight positions heats up when New Zealand host St George Illawarra at Central Coast Stadium.
St George lifted itself to seventh position after a 22-20 win over Canberra in Round 15 as the Warriors found itself a game and percentage outside the top eight after a 10-6 loss to Newcastle.
Despite the defeat, New Zealand should fancy itself against a Dragons team it has already defeated one this year thanks to a 20-14 win in Round 6.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck proved the hero on that night with this 66th minute try being the difference.
Suggested Bet: New Zealand Warriors -2.5 at $1.91
Penrith vs. Parramatta
July 2nd 7:55pm
Arguably the game of the round when Penrith meets Parramatta for a top four clash between two premiership fancies.
Premiership favourite Penrith Panthers hit Round 16 following a comfortable for 38-12 win in Round 15 over Sydney.
Parramatta, meanwhile, produced a second-half riot against Canterbury to come away with a 36-10 win after trailing at half time.
With both teams bringing in winning form, it would seem the Panthers win has much more substance to it.
The Eels struggled to score in the opening 40 minutes against the league’s worst team last week and, despite the winning result, that has to be some cause for concern.
Suggested Bets: Penrith Panthers -5.5 at $1.90
Canterbury vs. Manly
July 3rd 3:00pm
Manly and Canterbury meet for the first time this season when the pair exchange pleasantries at Bankwest Stadium.
The Bulldogs put its best foot forward against a much classier Parramatta Eels outfit last weekend but faded late in the match to go down 36-10.
Despite the loss, it was the most dangerous the Bulldogs have looked all season but now comes time to deal with ‘Turbo’ Tom Trbojevic and his Sea Eagles.
Manly produced a stunning second-half against Gold Coast to runaway with a 56-24 victory as Reuben Garrick went berserk on his way to five tries.
Garrick contributed 28 points and his influence must be quelled if the Bulldogs want to keep this respectable.
Suggested Bets: Manly Sea Eagles -25.5 at $1.89
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Manly Sea Eagles head to head (SGM SPECIAL)
Leg 2: R. Garrick 2+ tries
Leg 3: T. Trbojevic anytime tryscorer
Leg 4: Total points scored over 51.5
Combined odds = $4.5
Canberra vs. Gold Coast
July 3rd 5:30pm
Ricky Stuart will attempt to turn down the pressure gauge on Canberra when his men host Gold Coast on Saturday night at GIO Stadium.
Canberra was handed a 22-20 loss against St George last week as it missed the opportunity to creep into the top eight.
Gold Coast, meanwhile, was not much chop against Manly as a second-half collapse meant it would go down 56-24.
Defence has been a big issue for both teams this season so expect a high-scoring affair in this one.
Home ground advantage should help the Raiders here as will the confidence of knowing it accounted for the Titans with a 20-4 win earlier this year.
Suggested Bets: Canberra Raiders -6.5 at $1.96
Newcastle vs. North Queensland
July 3rd 7:35pm
This is a must win clash for Newcastle and North Queensland when they go head to head at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
With both sides finding themselves locked away in a battle with four other teams for those final spots inside the top eight, a win is crucial to keeping those dreams of finals alive.
Despite the close loss to Cronulla last week, the Cowboys should walk a little bit taller into this game knowing it produced a 36-20 win over the Knights just over a month ago.
Valentine Holmes was the standout that night with 12 points which included a try and 185 metres of territory gained.
The Knights do bring winning form into this game but the value looks to be with the undervalued Cowboys.
Suggested Bets: North Queensland head to head at $2.56
Wests Tigers vs. South Sydney
July 4th 4:05pm
The Wests Tigers will look to stitch up the jugular blow on its season against South Sydney after being belted to the tune of 50 points against a rampaging Melbourne Storm.
Michael Maguire’s men were behind 60-0 at one stage in the Round 15 loss after conceding 40 points against Parramatta in Round 14.
There was some pride added back to the with improved defence and three consolation tries late in the game.
The problem for the Tigers is that it will not get any easier against South Sydney who are hot off a 46-0 drubbing of Brisbane.
Usually it’s a Tiger a circling around its prey, but the roles are reversed in this game.
This is a case of how far South Sydney will win by rather than the Wests Tigers producing an upset.
Suggested Bets: South Sydney -20.5 at $1.89
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: South Sydney head to head (SGM SPECIAL)
Leg 2: A. Johnston 2+ tries
Leg 3: Total points scored under 53.5
Combined odds = $6.75
Brisbane vs. Cronulla
July 4th 2:00pm
Cronulla seeks to solidify its spot inside the top eight when it takes on the embattled Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
The Sharks held on for a narrow 26-24 win over North Queensland a fortnight ago to hold fort in eighth spot in the table.
Earlier in round 15, The bottom of the table is what was assigned to Brisbane after being held scoreless in its 46-0 loss against South Sydney.
The market is giving Brisbane some sort of hope in this game given we do not have a form line between these two teams thus far in 2021.
Round 12 2020 was the last time the teams met and it was the Sharks who prevailed with a 36-26 win.
If the Sharks a fair dinkum about finals this just had to be a win.
Suggested Bets: Cronulla -9.5 at $1.89
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Cronulla Sharks head to head (SGM SPECIAL)
Leg 2: Total points scored over 52.5
Leg 3: R. Mulitalo 2+ tries
Combined odds = $5.25