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2017 NRL Round 5 preview and expert tips

Posted on 28/03 by Joe Gann

2017 NRL Round 5 preview and expert tips

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 NRL Round 5 expert tips and best bets - 2017

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Another profitable weekend for followers with 6 our of 8 tips getting the job done - Our Round 5 previews are below and begin with the Brisbane Broncos travelling south to play the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night...


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Canterbury Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos betting
Team Odds
Canterbury Bulldogs $3.06 Bet Now
Brisbane Broncos $1.38 Bet Now

It will have been a refreshing change for the Broncos to be on the right side of a single point win last week as they overcame the Raiders in a tough encounter. Jordan Tahu was the hero of the hour as he slotted over the first field goal of his career and has now assumed the responsibility in those situations from Anthony Milford, who is looking out of sorts following recent events.

The stories circulating at present surround Benji Marshall who allegedly labelled the star half- back a ‘lazy trainer’ who cuts corners. Despite that, the Broncos are now 2/2 after a tough opening set of fixtures and will be confident of a win against a mediocre looking Bulldogs.

The Sea Eagles’ demolition job on the Dogs at the weekend would have been a deflating experience for Des Hasler’s men after their solid win in Dunedin in the previous round. The game was over by half time following a five try blitz from a revitalised Sea Eagles side, the timing of the defeat doing nothing to strengthen Hasler’s hand in his on-going contract negotiations.

Rumours have emerged this week of an audacious swoop for Wests’ Big 4 – James Tadesco, Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks and Aaron Woods – it would be an incredible coup if they can pull it off, although it remains to be seen how feasible that would be under salary cap limitations.

Recommended Bet
Broncos to win @ $1.38 $501 Bonus Bet*




Sydney Roosters v Manly Sea Eagles betting
Team Odds
Sydney Roosters $1.40 Bet Now
Manly Sea Eagles $2.97 Bet Now

The Roosters achieved three minor Premierships in a row before last year’s implosion and still retain a lot of the same personnel from that era, therefore their 100% opening to 2017 shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

They are a momentum team and for periods of the game, look extremely difficult to handle. Fortunately for their opponents, they are still not controlling the match for the full 80 minutes though but are doing enough during their periods of control to sew up the match. Against the Rabbitohs on Thursday, they looked as though they were able to move up a gear should the situation require it. They are 4/4 for the first time since 1996 but will be tested in a city derby this weekend.

An unyielding defence showing again at the weekend for a Sea Eagles team who have enjoyed a pleasing couple of weeks. In great shape coming off the back of a six try demolition of the Bulldogs, results have certainly picked recently. Daly Cherry-Evans has been in inspired form of late and the captain produced another masterclass to fire the Sea Eagles to a 38-0 victory with five try assists. 2-2 and sitting in sixth on the ladder makes happy reading for a club that had a difficult beginning to the campaign.

Recommended Bet
Roosters to win @ $1.40 $501 Bonus Bet*




Nth Queensland Cowboys v South Sydney Rabbitohs betting
Team Odds
Nth Queensland Cowboys $1.28 Bet Now
South Sydney Rabbitohs $3.70 Bet Now

The Cowboys achieved their first win of the season without the need of a golden point on Saturday night as they overcame a brave Titans side. The youthful Cowboys line-up sparked a fantastic win for the injury ravaged club. With Lachlan Coote, Matt Scott, Justin O’Neill, Antonio Winterstein and Jason Taumalolo all on the sidelines, it was left to the academy graduates to fill in, and they didn’t disappoint.

Coen Hess, Kalyn Ponga and Gideon Gela–Mosby gladly seized the opportunity of first grade football, with all three crossing the whitewash. The debut try from Gela-Mosby saw him become the eighth player to do so in the competition this season. Backrower Hess ultimately made the difference though and now has 9 tries in 13; a try scoring phenomenon at the age of just 20. He proved unstoppable near the line and is already being tipped for an Origin berth after just 5 NRL starts. This weekend, the Cowboys welcome back Jason Taumololo from suspension; the reigning Dally M winner has just agreed a staggering 10 year contract at the club, the longest deal in NRL history.

The Rabbitohs are extremely patchy at present, although they enjoyed good possession in the 2nd half last time out, they always looked susceptible to a Roosters score. The awful completion rate of 10 from 18 sowed the seeds for the 20-6 loss and Sam Burgess’s withdrawal following his second concussions in a week didn’t help their situation. A huge improvement required from the Bunnies this weekend against a team looking to reinforce their top four credentials.

Recommended Bet
Cowboys to win @ $1.28 $501 Bonus Bet*





Cronulla Sharks v Newcastle Knights betting
Team Odds
Cronulla Sharks $1.15 Bet Now
Newcastle Knights $5.50 Bet Now

The reigning Premiers looked solid if not spectacular in their win over the Eels in the last round. Valentine Holmes looked commanding at full back and with James Segeyaro making his return to the NRL, the options open to coach Shane Flanagan are increasing; the 2014 Dally M hooker of the year’s move back will intensify the competition for the number 9 jersey alongside young gun Jayden Brailey.

The Round 4 win was important for the Sharks, who now exhibit figures of 2/2 rather than slipping below a 50% win ratio.

The form of Kalyn Ponga at the Cowboys will be causing a stir at Hunter Stadium; the talented full-back is making the switch down south for next season and has been delivering outstanding displays in the absence of Lachlan Coote. Although the early season signs have been good, results have tailed off lately and they were comprehensively beaten by a formidable Panthers side at the weekend.

Recommended Bet
Sharks to win @ $1.15 $501 Bonus Bet*




Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels betting
Team Odds
Canberra Raiders $1.33 Bet Now
Parramatta Eels $3.35 Bet Now

There was more misery in Brisbane at the weekend for the Green Machine; they have now lost 9 from 10 in the Queensland capital. It was another frustrating loss by a solitary point for the Raiders and the games against the Cowboys and the Broncos could easily have yielded 4 points for the Vikings.

Despite efforts to combat the effects of a 5 day turn-around with the aid of ice baths and cryotherapy, they managed just a single training session between Rounds 3 and 4 which is far from ideal. Having said that, they seemed determined to sabotage their own game with numerous unforced errors and the Broncos punished them for it .

Josh Hodgson is an injury concern this week with a bruised sternum, they will be hoping the medical team continue to work the magic the likes of which produced an early return to action of Joe Tapine, just 3 weeks after a broken finger that had required surgery.

It was a sloppy display from the Eels last week, littered with mistakes. A ragged performance with an inadequate completion rate combined with poor discipline helped contribute to their own downfall, conceding unnecessary territory to a grateful Sharks outfit. It’s a case of back to the drawing board for Brad Arthur after a fine start to the season.

Recommended Bet
Raiders to win @ $1.33 $501 Bonus Bet*




Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers betting
Team Odds
Melbourne Storm $1.56 Bet Now
Penrith Panthers $2.46 Bet Now

The Storm showed a rare defensive vulnerability in their hard fought victory at Leichardt Oval on Sunday. A slow start saw the visitors fall 14 points behind before they staged a stirring fightback and for the third time this season, they kept their opponents scoreless in the second half.

The Minor Premiers looked a shadow of their usual selves with a litany of errors blighting their performance. After a ten day turnaround, the Victorians looked surprisingly fatigued and appeared to be running on empty at the conclusion of a game in which they were expected to win comfortably. Still, it was two valuable points earned and they can now look forward to three home fixtures from the next five. Sunday’s game saw of Cameron Smith draw level with Darren Lockyer with 237 first grade wins apiece, and Craig Bellamy reach 250 wins as a coach.

The Panthers were in dominant mood last week as they swept aside the Knights in a display that saw them keep their opponents scoreless at home for the first time in eighteen years. The blank scoresheet emphasised their superiority as Anthony Griffin’s men finally clicked into gear. It was a record win over a Knights side that had, up until now, been competitive in each round. A powerful display in which Nathan Cleary and Te Maine Martin orchestrated a devastating variety of attacks, play was continually switched to either side of the paddock, was backed up by another solid defensive showing.

It is an area that has been highlighted as having plenty of room for improvement and with just three tries conceded in the last three games, it seems that the problem has been remedied. Having begun the year as joint favourites, these two will be out to prove a point this weekend in what will be the blockbuster of Round five.


Recommended Bet
Panthers to win @ $2.46 $501 Bonus Bet*




New Zealand Warriors v Gold Coast Titans betting
Team Odds
New Zealand Warriors $1.47 Bet Now
Gold Coast Titans $2.70 Bet Now

For the Warriors, the return of Kieron Foran cannot come quickly enough; the former Kiwi international pulled out of Sunday’s loss to the Dragons just five minutes before kick-off with a hamstring injury, further delaying his debut for the club. Over thirty missed tackles and twenty one errors committed make grim reading for Warriors coach Stephen Kearney, it’s not difficult to see where the problems lie. Another difficult game against a stubborn Titans line-up lies ahead but home advantage should at least give the New Zealanders hope of improving on a poor 1-3 start.

The Titans need to rectify the tendency they have to start games slowly. At the minute, they are handing their opponents a head start, giving themselves a mountain to climb in order to get anything from games. Despite this, the tenacity shown by the Titans is fantastic and they refuse to throw the towel in.

Still with key men out, the club were dealt another blow this week with news that former Origin forward Chris McQueen has agreed an offer from Wests after the Titans board refused to budge on their original offer.

Recommended Bet
Titans to win @ $2.70 $501 Bonus Bet*




Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra Dragons betting
Team Odds
Wests Tigers $1.91 Bet Now
St George Illawarra Dragons $1.89 Bet Now

The limitations of Wests were exposed in a disappointing second half against the Storm after building up a 14 point lead in the first half before surrendering twenty two unanswered points. Conceding a try just before half-time was a hammer blow that they failed to recover from as the Storm staged a spirited comeback.

Huge gaps in the defensive line appeared for the second time in consecutive weeks as both Josh Addo-Carr and Cheyse Blair broke away to score length of the field tries.

Quietly going about their business, the Dragons have now moved up to third on the ladder. New recruit Paul Vaughan delivered a man of the match performance in which he amassed 186 metres and 38 tackles, and the acquisition of the former Raiders man is proving to be an astute piece of business. Another man continually performing for the Red V is Gareth Widdop who notched his 500th point for the club at the weekend, placing him third on the club’s all-time scoring list. On the back of a much improved defence, the Dragons are 3-1, their best start to a campaign since 2014 and are a good bet for another two points here.

Recommended Bet
Dragons to win @ $1.89 $501 Bonus Bet*




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