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2017 NRL Round 6 preview and expert tips

Posted on 04/04 by Joe Gann

2017 NRL Round 6 preview and expert tips

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 NRL Round 6 expert tips and best bets - 2017

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Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters betting
Team Odds
Brisbane Broncos $1.84 Bet Now
Sydney Roosters $1.97 Bet Now

With a meagre total of 78, the Broncos are the third lowest scoring team in the competition. The Bulldogs’ capacity to neutralise the effectiveness of Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt will be a matter of concern; the bulk of the Broncos’ creativity was lost with no obvious alternative options.

A difficult start to the campaign has seen the Queenslanders face all of the top 4 from last season and this week they face one of the form teams of the new season. They may be without both James Roberts and Benji Marshall this week who have picked up a hamstring and wrist injury respectively. Both teams are coming off the back of surprising Round 5 losses and this will be a crucial game that neither team can afford to lose.

The Roosters came unstuck against a fired-up Manly side in last weekend’s local derby and the added headache of an ankle injury to Dylan Napa which could keep the key forward out of action for up to a month has added to coach Trent Robinson’s woes. In a top quality match-up, in which the Chooks narrowly came away second best, there were still plenty of encouraging signs that they will maintain their cracking start to the new campaign.

Recommended Bet
Broncos to win @ $1.84 $501 Bonus Bet*




Newcastle Knights v Canterbury Bulldogs betting
Team Odds
Newcastle Knights $2.66 Bet Now
Canterbury Bulldogs $1.48 Bet Now

It was another gutsy offering by Nathan Brown’s men against Cronulla on Saturday, with the Knights giving the Premiers a huge fright. Newcastle have delivered courageous performances in the majority of their games this season and are a completely different proposition to the side that won just one game in 2016. With 15 of their 24 man roster off-contract this year, most are playing to secure their futures – and it shows. The present displays are full of heart but, as Brown lamented, their game management remains an Achilles’ heel.

The Bulldogs recorded a badly-needed victory against the Roosters last week to relieve some of the pressure on beleaguered coach Des Hasler. David Klemmer, Sam Kasiano and James Graham in particular delivered monumental performances, topped off by Josh Reynolds who provided the inspirational spark to secure the win which could prove to be a huge result for the Doggies in the context of their season.

The introduction of Matt Frawley, in for the suspended Moses Mbye, may inadvertently change the direction of the Bulldogs’ season and instigate a positional change for Mbye to either hooker or full-back. Frawley’s highly effective kicking game – he secured more repeat sets than either Reynolds or Mbye have managed all season – paved the way for his halfback partner to sway the match in Canterbury’s favour. The nature of the win over the Broncos, which included a near perfect second half, must surely act as a stimulus to their season and provide a massive confidence boost going into another must-win fixture this weekend.

Recommended Bet
Bulldogs to win @ $1.48 $501 Bonus Bet*




Penrith Panthers v South Sydney Rabbitohs betting
Team Odds
Penrith Panthers $1.25 Bet Now
South Sydney Rabbitohs $4.00 Bet Now

The Panthers were handed a lesson in how to win the important matches of the season by the Storm last weekend. It was a result that can act as a guide in terms of what they need to do in order to break through and become one of the top sides in the competition.

For spells, a youthful Panthers looked capable of doing just that before a lack of experience at this level allowed the seasoned Storm players to kill the game off. It will serve the Panthers’ players well though as they look to get back on track this week against a struggling Rabbitohs outfit. They could be boosted by the return of Bryce Cartwright and James Fisher-Harris who are likely to be fit after recovering from respective ankle and facial injuries.

A resounding defeat in trying weather conditions in Townsville last week for the Rabbitohs saw them slip to 11th on the ladder with a 2-3 record. Final execution of play is proving problematic at present with the Souths struggling to convert territorial dominance into points; they have scored a solitary try in each of the last 2 matches. Robbie Farrah is likely to miss this one with a back complaint, with Damien Cook likely to continue in the hooker role. A difficult game here against a Panthers side looking to rebound from last week’s chastening loss in Melbourne, indeed it’s hard to see where the next victory is coming from for the Bunnies.

Recommended Bet
Panthers to win @ $1.25 $501 Bonus Bet*




Manly Sea Eagles v St George Illawarra Dragons betting
Team Odds
Manly Sea Eagles $1.52 Bet Now
St George Illawarra Dragons $2.54 Bet Now

A poor start to the season has been well and truly rectified and the Sea Eagles are now one of the teams to fear. Their fine recent form has seen the Silvertails win three on the bounce culminating in Saturday’s terrific triumph over the Roosters and make a fleeting appearance in the top four places. This is a match-up of two of the competition’s in-form sides, and the cross-city rivalry adds an extra facet to what is a captivating fixture.

The Dragons were the first team to reach 100 points this season – a clear answer to the critics who accused them of lacking ability in offense. It was another strong display against the Tigers at the weekend and a mixture of defensive steel and attributes in attack is helping to propel the Dragons in their customary good early season form. Their ability to identify and exploit weaknesses in their opponents came to the fore in a blistering first half spell that saw Gareth Widdop provide the ammunition for Jason Nightingale to bag a hat-trick.

Widdop in particular is on fire at present and is responsible for almost 50% of all the Red Vs’ points so far. In their first win at ANZ Stadium since 2015, a controlled showing was only tainted by the hamstring injury to Josh Dugan which will see the full-back miss the next 2 rounds.

Recommended Bet
Sea Eagles to win @ $1.52 $501 Bonus Bet*




Gold Coast Titans v Canberra Raiders betting
Team Odds
Gold Coast Titans $2.84 Bet Now
Canberra Raiders $1.43 Bet Now

The Titans are another side with plenty of attacking talent, their 118 points belies their lowly league positon of 14th. They continue to be blighted with an injury curse that this week saw Tyrone Roberts struck down with a potentially serious knee injury. Roberts’ cousin Tyrone Roberts-Davis looks set to replace his relative and become the fourth player to wear the number 1 jersey following on from Jarryd Hayne, Tyler Cornish and Roberts.

It has been an incredible catalogue of misfortune for the club with three players failing to finish the match at Mt Smart last time out and it’s a credit to Neil Henry’s side that they remain competitive throughout this horror period.

The Raiders remain a potent attacking unit, with 120 points on the scoreboard already this term despite the current unsatisfactory 2-3 record. Down 7th, the Green Machine have struggled to unlock their frightening potential on a weekly basis despite looking unstoppable at times. An enormous pack is matched by a back-line as good as any in the league and it is surely a matter of time before the team from the capital gels consistently. As it is, the Vikings remain capable of blitzing most sides if the mood takes them and Saturday’s victory over the Eels may have laid a marker for an upturn in results in the following weeks.

Recommended Bet
Raiders to win @ $1.43 $501 Bonus Bet*




Nth Queensland Cowboys v Wests Tigers betting
Team Odds
Nth Queensland Cowboys $1.13 Bet Now
Wests Tigers $6.05 Bet Now

The Cowboys have been quietly going about their business this year despite a crippling injury list at times. The 2015 Premiers have eased into fourth spot after doing enough to see off the Rabbitohs last week without being at their best. With Lachlan Coote and Jason Taumalolo returning to the line-up, the Cowboys are in good shape and the addition of newcomers such as Coen Hess, Kalyn Ponga and Gideon Gela-Mosby has provided an extra dimension in terms of the strength of the roster.

They should have no problems here against a Tigers side in disarray.
Wests are currently lying at the foot of the ladder as the various distractions surrounding the club conspire to affect on-field fortunes. James Tedesco continues to provide a beacon of hope for the hapless Tigers, although the poor results may have a bearing on his willingness to agree a new contract at the club. An alarming lack of fitness seems apparent in the second half of games, a problem that expected incoming coach Ivan Cleary will be eager to resolve upon his arrival at the club.

The last 3 matches have seen a lack of concentration resulting in the middle of the defence opening up to gift opposition runners the chance to score with minimal resistance and is indicative of a side that is struggling to remain competitive for the 80 minutes.

Recommended Bet
Cowboys to win @ $1.13 $501 Bonus Bet*




New Zealand Warriors v Parramatta Eels betting
Team Odds
New Zealand Warriors $1.71 Bet Now
Parramatta Eels $2.15 Bet Now

The Warriors finally put on a display that their fans have been crying out for in the thrilling 28-22 comeback victory over the Titans. The long awaited debut of Kieron Foran was every bit as spectacular as they hoped for with the ex-Kiwi international scoring 307 days after his last NRL appearance.

The expensive spine of big names: Isaac Luke, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Johnson and Foran all delivered in their first outing together and provided a mouth-watering glimpse of what may be in store for the supporters at Mt Smart. The mesmeric play with the ball in hand is countered by some ridiculous defensive mistakes at times but it will surely provide an entertaining mix as the Warriors attempt to belatedly get their season up and running.

The Eels have stalled in recent weeks following an extremely encouraging beginning to 2017. A substandard first half was at least succeeded by a gritty second 40 but the Raiders superior firepower ultimately proved too much for Brad Arthur’s men. Maintaining concentration and staying competitive for the full 80 minutes is proving to be a difficult challenge to numerous teams across the competition and the Blue and Golds are certainly suffering from the problem.

After initial back to back successes, the Eels are now coming off the back of 3 consecutive defeats and it will be a test of their character this week against a Warriors side who enjoyed a much-needed win of their own at the weekend.

Recommended Bet
Warriors to win @ $1.71 $501 Bonus Bet*




Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks betting
Team Odds
Melbourne Storm $1.43 Bet Now
Cronulla Sharks $2.86 Bet Now

The Storm dispatched the Panthers to continue their perfect start to the season and following the Roosters’ loss to Manly, last year’s Minor Premiers remain the only side with a 100% record in 2017. In a commanding display, Craig Bellamy’s side yet again exhibited an impregnable defence which completed a 2nd half shutout for the 4th time this season and remains the competition’s meanest.

With the ‘big three’ back in action combined with Bellamy’s shrewd off-season recruitment, the Storm look as good as ever and it will take a special team to deny them Premiership glory this term. They will relish the opportunity to exact revenge for last year’s Grand Final loss to a Sharks team that are yet to reach last season’s level.

The Sharks got out of jail last week against the Knights in a match that they were expected to win more comfortably than the tense 19-18 margin they achieved. The form of Valentine Holmes is a big plus for the reigning Premiers and the club are hoping to make the full-back the lynchpin of the club in the upcoming years. Strangely, home advantage has not been beneficial to the Sharks so far with impressive wins over the Eels and Raiders both coming away from the Southern Cross Group Stadium, however AAMI Park may be a different proposition.

Recommended Bet
Storm to win @ $1.43 $501 Bonus Bet*




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