Melbourne Storm and Manly lead us into Round 12 of the NRL premiership season.
The BetDeluxe NRL analysts find all the best bets ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.
melbourne vs. manly
may 26th 7:50pm
Melbourne will try to rectify a two-game losing streak when it faces Manly to open up Round 12 of the NRL season.
Both teams have had their fair share of injury crises’ this season, and the news does not get any better this weekend.
Manly will be without its champion fullback Tom Trbojevic for the rest of the season after he injured his shoulder last week.
Turbo Tom is so important to how this Manly team functions, and his omission almost certainly hands the Storm a win.
Suggested Bet: Melbourne Storm -11.5 at $1.94
penrith vs. north queensland
may 27th 6:00pm
You would have been looked at like a madman had you predicted this game to be a battle between two potential premiership chances.
Reigning premier Penrith will face the in-form Cowboys on Friday night in a game that pits first against third.
North Queensland boasted a five-game winning run heading into this match and announced itself as a contender when flogging the Storm last weekend.
This is the second big test for the Cowboys in as many weeks, but it is hard to tip against Penrith.
With Jarome Luai in good try-scoring form after a brace against Sydney, you must be with the premiership favourite.
Suggested Bet: Penrith -13.5 at $1.90
brisbane vs. gold coast
may 27th 7:55pm
The South East Queensland Derby is on for young and old when Brisbane hosts Gold Coast at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
The Broncos hunt for six wins when they face the 13th place Titans, who are 1-4 from their last five fixtures.
Adam Reynolds has been part of the significant cultural shift at the Broncos in the offseason and shown in the win-loss tally.
His absence through a hamstring injury will be felt, but a 36-12 win against Newcastle without him highlights how well the Broncos are going.
Titans are in for a tough one.
Suggested Bet: Brisbane -7.5 at $1.90
new zealand vs. newcastle
may 28th 3:00pm
New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights come head to head to get their seasons back on track.
Sitting with unfavourable win-loss records, the Warriors (4-7) sit a win above the Knights (3-8) on the table, and it is hard to get a gauge on the form of both teams.
Last weekend, the Warriors were staved off by St George, and the Knights could not go with Brisbane.
Errors and turnovers proved costly for New Zealand, so if it can clean that aspect up, it can find its fifth win.
Keep a keen eye on Reece Walsh.
He is the type of player who can rip apart the Knights’ defence if he can find some of that 2021 form.
Suggested Bet: New Zealand -1.5 at $1.86
south sydney vs. wests tigers
may 28th 5:30pm
South Sydney will be out to find a way to victory when it faces Wests Tigers at Accor Stadium.
It has been a struggle for the Rabbitohs on the winning front this season, with injuries Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray throwing a spanner into the works.
New coach Jason Demetriou has struggled to find his team’s best formation and style as it sits 5-6.
Even though the Tigers sit 14th at 3-8, they have shown they can cause massive upsets this season with wins against Parramatta and their opponents this weekend.
The Tigers will take solace in their 23-22 win over South Sydney, dating to April 23.
Suggested Bet: Wests Tigers +7.5 at $1.90
canterbury vs. st george illawarra
may 29th 2:00pm
Josh Addo-Carr will be ready to return when his Canterbury Bulldogs take on St. George Illawarra.
Addo-Carr missed the loss against West’s Tigers last weekend due to illness, but his return here could not be more timely against an opponent the Bulldogs have had recent success over.
The Dragons were handed a 28-6 loss in Round 14 of the 2021 season, but they enter this game on the back of a 24-18 win against New Zealand.
I am going with the Bulldogs to win this based on what Addo-Carr will provide in the offence.
Suggested Bet: Canterbury head to head at $2.50
canberra vs. parramatta
may 29th 4:05pm
The final game of the NRL round comes to fruition when Canberra hosts Parramatta at GIO Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Raiders showed their respect to Josh Pappalii as they revered his 250th NRL game with a dominant 32-12 win over South Sydney.
A dog fight for the top eight looks likely to ensure Canberra as it sits outside finals by point differential, and coming against the Eels will only test their credentials again.
The Eels were made to battle hard for their win against Manly last weekend and are playing the better rugby, but we know the Raiders are capable of big spikes in their form.
Conversely, Canberra’s inconsistency has been its bug-bear all season, so you take them on trust rather than substance.
Eels to get it done.
Suggested Bet: Parramatta Eels -5.5 at $1.90
