NRL Round 24 Preview

The Panthers versus the Storm is arguably the biggest game in modern NRL history, and this one promises to be a classic. The top two sides will battle it out at the BlueBet Stadium, with both teams in search of finishing in top spot in the NRL ladder.

Both teams are in great form at the moment, and picking a winner is extremely tricky. However, while they have both picked up plenty of wins, it’s been the men from Melbourne who have been more impressive. They have defeated stiffer opposition as of late, and they have also looked a lot more convincing. Therefore, I’m going to take them with the handicap to win this one as I think there could be very little in it.

Bet – Storm +5.5 Points

Friday’s doubleheader kicks off with the Sea Eagles hosting the Warriors at 4 Pines Park. Both teams come into this one in contrasting form, with the home side winning four of their last five and the visitors losing four of their previous five. Manly has also won their last four straight at home, while the Warriors lost their previous four on their travels.

Therefore, it’s easy to see why the hosts are short-priced favourites. However, that said, the handicap offering of 15.5 seems to be extreme overkill, and I’m not convinced they will cover it. Especially seeing as in the Warriors last four defeats, they lost by a combined total of less than that. 

I think the smart play is to take the Warriors to go over the team total set in this one. The Sea Eagles have shipped 58 points in their last two games, and despite their poor form, the Warriors have gone over the total set here in their previous four games.

Bet – Warriors Over 16.5 Points

The Roosters versus the Eels looks like a straightforward pick for the home side, and the question appears to be not whether they will win but how much they will win by and whether they will cover the handicap. My guess is they probably won’t cover it, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to stake money on it.

Despite not winning much, the Eels have looked resurgent of late. They put up a fantastic fight against the Panthers last time out and beat the Warriors prior to that in New Zealand. During those matches, there was one key denominator, and that was Clint Gutherson getting over the try line. He’s scored three in his last two and has scored three in his last four games against the Roosters, including on his last visit to the Sydney Football Stadium.

Bet – Clint Gutherson To Score a Try

The Bulldogs versus the Dolphins is another huge game in week 24. The one and only time these two teams met, just a single point separated them, and this one could easily follow suit. Despite the Dolphins edging out the Warriors last week, it’s the home side that comes into this one in the best form, having won their previous three in a row.

They’ve won all nine of their home fixtures this season, and given their impenetrable defence that has seen them ship just 126 points, it’s hard to see how the Dolphins can take this one. The visitors have lost three of their previous four away games, and I think that record is set to extend to four in five after this one.

Bet – Bulldogs To Win

The Cowboys were brought back down to earth last week following a crushing defeat to the Broncos. However, given they have beaten the Raiders on the previous six occasions they have faced them, they will be hopeful of getting back to winning ways here.

You’d have to put last week’s defeat down to overconfidence, and it was certainly a lesson learnt. Their opponents this week have lost their last two and their previous three away fixtures. This includes losing to the Tigers, who are bottom of the standings. I’m backing New Queensland to take this one and get things back on track.

Bet – Cowboys To Win

The Tigers and the Rabbitohs are both currently in dreadful form. The Tigers have lost their last seven straight, while the Rabbitohs have won just once in their previous five.

However, that one win came in the form of a 14-point victory over today’s opponents, and I think they can replicate that win here. They’ve beaten the Tigers on the last four occasions they have met by margins of 14, 14, 20, and 26. They have also won three of their last four away fixtures against them too.

Bet – Rabbitohs To Win

The Dragons against the Titans is a hard game to predict, as both teams are very inconsistent. St. George has alternated wins with losses in their last eight games, highlighting that point. However, they will be hoping that sequence continues here as that puts them back in the win column.

The Titans had won three of their last four before getting destroyed 44-0 against the Sharks last week, and it’s hard to know what that crushing defeat will do to their confidence. Therefore, I’m not going to even attempt to pick a winner in this one.

Instead, I’m going to opt for a try scorer, and I’m going with Tyrell Sloan to get over the paint for the home side. He scored in his last two and took just two minutes to get on the scoreboard against the Titans last time out. He followed up that try with an additional two in the same game and will be relishing coming up against a fragile Gold Coast defence.

Bet – Tyrell Sloan To Score A Try

Round 24 ends with a rejuvenated Cronulla hosting the Knights at the PointsBet Stadium. The Sharks are in great form right now, having won three of their last four, and when they have their opponents on the ropes, they are certainly sniffing blood and putting them to the sword.

Although Newcastle won last time out, I think they could suffer a similar fate here, having lost their previous three by comfortable margins. They also have a poor record against the Sharks away from home, having lost on six of their last seven visits. The Sharks are quite a short price, and ordinarily, I wouldn’t tip up a team at such short odds, but hopefully, by now you will have made a few quid over the weekend, and you can stick your winnings on them. Either that or double them up as your banker with something else.

Bet – Sharks To Win

Bet of the Week – Warriors Over 16.5 Points (Versus Sea Eagles)

Value of the Week – Tyrell Sloan To Score A Try (Dragons/Titans)