Origin II is in the rearview mirror, the Maroons are champions once more, and we have seven of the best to dive into this weekend.
BetDeluxe takes a look at each game, with the Dolphins and the Eels battling it out for a top-eight spot.
game of the week: Dolphins vs Eels
24th June 3:00pm
The Dolphins will be hoping for a swift return to form against the Eels, having lost three of their past four games and falling to 10th spot on the ladder.
It’s a far cry from the Dolphins outfit that won their first three matches of the season, with a 40-point loss to Manly two weeks ago giving them plenty to ponder during their bye weekend. As expected, Wayne Bennett wasn’t afraid to swing the axe with Felise Kaufusi, Jeremy Marshall-King, and Valynce Te Whare all coming into the starting line-up.
While the home side’s struggles are one thing, Parramatta has experienced an entirely different month of football with wins against Manly, Canterbury, North Queensland and Souths, launching them into the top eight. Origin representatives Mitchell Moses and Junior Paulo are set to return to Brad Arthur’s unit as they attempt to make it five wins on the trot.
It will be the first time these two sides have met, and a win for either could spell the difference between a finals berth or a spot on the couch during September. While the Dolphins should be nowhere near as bad as they were against the Sea Eagles, it’s hard to go past the Eels with their Origin pair returning.
Suggested Bet: Same Game Multi
- Leg 1: Eels to win
- Leg 2: Over 45.5 points
- Leg 3: M. Sivo 2+ tries
- Leg 4: H. Tibuai-Fidow score anytime
- Total: $13
Dragons vs. Warriors
23rd June 8:00pm
Despite sitting nine spots apart on the ladder, both the Dragons and Warriors have found form of late, with the latter needing victory to secure their position inside the top eight. It’s been a tumultuous week for the Dragons following Ben Hunt’s trade request, but they will be buoyed by Jack Bird and Jack de Belin’s inclusions. Warriors in a tight one.
Suggested Bet: Warriors to win @ $1.45
Panthers vs. Knights
24th June 5:30pm
Penrith will enter this one as a short-priced favourite following a disappointing loss to the Cowboys in golden point last Friday. Before that, however, they were hot to trot with four out of five wins at Blue Stadium and a seven-game winning streak over the Knights. Greg Marzhew returns on the wing for the Knights, but their challenging period of two wins from their last seven games looks set to continue.
Suggested Bet: D. Edwards anytime try scorer @ $2.20
Storm vs. Sea Eagles
24th June 7:35PM
The Melbourne Storm emphatically returned to form against Wests, running out 22-point winners at Campbelltown Stadium despite missing their Origin stars. Justin Olam is back for the first time since Round 14, while Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Xavier Coates have all been named following the Maroons’ victory on Wednesday. Devastating news for Manly with Tom Trbojevic tearing his peck in Origin II, giving them very little chance in this one.
Suggested Bet: Storm (-12.5) @ $1.90
Broncos vs. Titans
25th June 2:00PM
Fresh off the bye and back on top of the ladder, things are certainly going well for the Broncos. They’re currently on a three-game winning streak, their Origin stars seemingly got through Wednesday night’s game injury-free, and they’ve already beaten the Titans 43-26 earlier this season. Kieran Foran is back at five-eighth for the Titans, but this could be a challenge too steep as their season of inconsistency continues.
Suggested Bet: Broncos 1-12 @ $3.10
Rabbitohs vs. Cowboys
25th June 4:05PM
Can North Queensland back up from last week’s battle royale against the Panthers and snap a six-year drought against Souths? As you can see, history is against them. Having lost their past seven games to the Bunnies, the Cowboys must first overcome two periods of a bruising golden point performance. They’ve won two on the trot against the Panthers and Storm, but with the Bunnies relaxing during their bye round, we’re going with history and a return to form for the Souths.
Suggested Bet: C. Walker anytime try scorer @ $2.20
Roosters vs. Raiders
25th June 6:15PM
Are the Roosters back? Ok, we know it’s far too early to tell, but it all looked promising during their recent two-point victory over the Knights. It was a defensive masterclass late in the game, and they did it all without James Tedesco and Lindsay Collins. The Raiders had the bye after going down to the Warriors by 22, but they will take some confidence from their two-game winning streak prior.
Suggested Bet: Roosters to win @ $1.59
