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2012 NRL Preview Round 11

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Round 11 of the NRL kicks off tonight and we have a shortened version this week due to State of Origin on Wednesday night with 6 teams having the bye. We’ll preview Origin 1 in a couple of days so keep an eye out for that one. In the meantime check out our preview of round 11 of the NRL below and be sure to let us know your thoughts on this week in the comments.

2012 NRL Preview - Round 11

Wests Tigers vs Warriors – 2012 NRL Round 11
Leichhardt Oval, Friday 18 May, 7.45pm (EST)

This round 11 clash has all the earmarks of a classic knowing the styles of both sides usually give us an entertaining brand of football. The Tigers on a Friday night usually throw up some interesting performances and the Warriors are a team that you don’t see much of on Friday night football these days.

The Tigers are coming off a bye last week while the Warriors are coming off a 30-26 win over the Roosters across the Tasman. Before the bye though, the Tigers escaped with a 15-14 win over the Titans in golden point thanks to a Robbie Farah field goal. They will be without their skipper for this one as he lines up for the Maroons on Wednesday night, for the first time since 2009. He is replaced, in a somewhat bold move by Tim Sheens, with Tom Humble.

The Warriors were fortunate to come away with a victory in that match against the Roosters with the lead changing several times before the Warriors looked to have put the game to bed. The Roosters didn’t give up though and scored with about 5 minutes remaining to set up an exciting finish. They held on for the win but that was soured by a season ending knee injury to Jerome Ropati. He was dropped in a shoulder charge by Boyd Cordner which was put on report, in the process Ropati did his ACL while falling to the ground. A massive blow to the Warriors and they’ll need someone to step up in his place for the rest of the season.

This should be a cracker if previous matchups are anything to go by, most notably last season’s semi final where the Warriors scored a last minute try through Krisnan Inu in controversial circumstances. The Tigers will be looking for revenge after that disappointment and will be looking to continue on their winning ways tonight. The home crowd at Leichardt should be enough to get the Tigers over the line.

Sports Banter Tip – Tigers

North Queensland Cowboys vs Penrith Panthers – 2012 NRL Round 11
Dairy Farmers Stadium, Saturday 19 May, 7.30pm (EST)

This match has been hit quite hard by Origin with Thurston, Tamou, Scott and Tate missing for the Cowboys, while the Panthers are without Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings (who probably would have been missing anyway). The Cowboys can count themselves lucky that they still have the services of Tariq Sims though as he was somehow left out of the Blues side for game 1.

The Cowboys are in the top 4 and are coming off the back of a solid 32-12 win over the Knights last weekend. That win was basically set up by some individual brilliance from captain Jonathan Thurston so they will be needing Ray Thompson and Matty Bowen to step up in the creative department this week. In a bit of a reshuffle, Neil Henry has promoted Michael Morgan from the bench to wear Thurston’s No.6 jersey, with Antonio Winterstein moving from wing to centre to cover for Tate. Faifai Loa takes Winterstein’s wing position.

The Panthers will miss the experience of Luke Lewis who was superb in their 13-12 golden point win over the Dragons on Monday night. They’ll need that same intensity if they are thinking of coming back from Townsville with the 2 points.On the plus side, the Panthers have won 9 from 14 matches played at Dairy Farmers Stadium, a good record and one they will rather focus on then the 30-18 in the corresponding fixture last season.

This should be an entertaining game and the Cowboys actually have a fair amount of depth now to cope with the loss of their superstars, something that could not be said of previous seasons. For this reason I think the Cowboys will have too much for the Panthers, I feel the loss of Lewis will outweigh the loss of Thurston here.

Sports Banter Tip – Cowboys

Manly Sea Eagles v Sydney Roosters

Brookvale Oval, Sunday 2.00pm

Sunday afternoon sees to classic all-Sydney clashes, the first of which is the Sea Eagles taking on the Sydney Roosters.

The Sea Eagles come into this clash with the team starting to click. Its been a slow start to the year for Manly, however recently they have fought hard to get some wins on the board. Their challenge here is how well they adapt to the origin period, with the Stewart brothers, Buhrer and Williams all called into the New South Wales side. Cherry-Evans is also in the extended Queensland squad, however he will play here.

The Roosters are only missing Mitchell Pearce, coming off fairly lightly as far as origin disruptions go. Their recruit of Daniel Mortimer will pay dividends here, slotting into the halfback role. However the issue I see it is not that Mortimer is a poor replacement, it is that Braith Anasta is likely to play an increased role for the Chooks. This can only be bad.

I see this game as a battle between the halves, and I think the combination of Cherry-Evans, Foran and Balling will be too strong. I expect Manly to come away with the points, and I’m very tempted to take them 13+.

Sports Banter Tip – Sea Eagles

St George-Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

WIN Jubilee Oval, Sunday 3.00pm

For an in-depth review of this game, check out the preview our friends at Reading The Play have done here.

Sports Banter Tip – Rabbitohs

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Cronulla Sharks

ANZ Stadium, Monday 7.00pm

Monday Night Football features the high flying Sharks taking on the Bulldogs, and with the Sharks proving the surprise packet of the year, this game should be a cracker.

The biggest issue here though will be how well Cronulla go without Gallen and Carney. Last week they showed they can win without their inspirational captain, over Melbourne no less, however the loss of both him and Carney could well be a different matter. Robson has re-invigorated his career, moving to the Sharks – this though is going be a test for him, leading the team around on his own. Graham will slot into 5/8, however he wont bring the same spark Carney has.

The Bulldogs last week suffered an embarrassing loss to the Titans, and will want to make amends here this week. No wonder Dessie needed a hair cut during the week, he probably pulled half of it out at Suncorp last Friday. With Morris called up to State of Origin, they lose a bit of strike power out wide.

However the strength of the Bulldogs is their forward pack, a group of hard workers that win the battle up the middle. This should be a great clash against the Sharkies pack, however I think in the end, the dogs will be able to capitalize on an understrength Sharks.

Sports Banter Tip – Bulldogs

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 10

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Round 10 of the NRL kicks off this week, and with the last chance for players to impress State of Origin selectors, players will be keen for a big one. Here is Sports Banters 2012 NRL Preview for round 10, complete with tips!

2012 NRL Preview - Round 10

Brisbane Broncos v Manly Sea Eagles
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 7.00pm

This round is always a cracker, with a double header featured at Suncorp Stadium. The first game on the menu sees the highflying Broncos taking on defending premiers the Sea Eagles.

The Broncos are sitting in second place on the ladder, and although they come into this game after a loss last round, they have generally impressed this year. Their young blokes have really fired this year, and although they come into this game missing Peter Wallace, and with Justin Hodges suffering a mild injury at training during the week, they will fancy their chances here at home.

The Sea Eagles last week narrowly got up over the Canberra Raiders. It was a solid performance, but not the awe-inspiring feats of seasons gone by. They will need to continue their recent improvement if they want to knock the Broncos off.  They will also miss the services of Foran once again, he failed a late fitness test on his dodgy hamstring. While his brother has proved an able replacement, particularly with his big hits in defence, he doesn’t have the same flair in attack. This may just tip the scales in favour of the Broncos.

All in all, this should be a cracking game, in front of a packed Suncorp Stadium. Both teams have big match experience, and I think this one will go down to the wire, with the Broncos getting up in a close one.

Sports Banter Tip – Broncos

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 8.45pm

Round 2 in the Friday night double header at Suncorp sees the Bulldogs taking their home game north, up against the Gold Coast Titans.

Des Hasler’s Bulldogs have had a solid start to the season, sitting 5th on the table with 5 wins and 4 losses. One of those wins came last week, when the Bulldogs trounced the Eels. The game started out looking as if the Eels had turned up to play, but in the 10 minutes either side of half time, the doggies put the Eels to the sword, and scored 42 unanswered points.

The Titans are having another year to forget, languishing towards the bottom of the table. In saying that though, they were very unlucky last week against the Tigers, with the Wests boys coming away with one of their trademarks wins against the grain.

Somehow, I don’t think the Titans have another game like that in them this week, and I think the Bulldogs will be way too strong. 13+ on the dogs will be where the smart money is.

Sports Banter Tip – Bulldogs

New Zealand Warriors v Sydney Roosters
Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday 5.30pm

With a few byes this weekend, there are only two games on Super Saturday, with the first kicking off in New Zealand, the Warriors taking on the Sydney Roosters.

The Warriors scored a good win last week over the Brisbane Broncos, who are sitting high on the NRL Ladder. They’ll be keen to build on that momentum this week against the chooks. I love watching the Warriors play, you never know what you are going to get. They have so many exciting players all over the park, including Maloney and Johnson in the halves.

Maloney will also be playing his new club, and I’m sure he’ll be keen to put on a good show to impress his future team mates and coach.

The Roosters last week scored a good win over the Knights. After a stack of possession early in the game without points, the flood gates opened in the second half. The chooks have been a bit of surprise packet this year, with such a young squad I thought this might be a consolidation year for them, before giving finals football a full crack next year. However they have got the points on the board, and are sitting in the 8. Consistancy though is still a problem, and Brian Smith has no tougher challenge here than a NZ trip to test that out.

Mitchell Pearce will be one player to keep an eye on – he has been hitting good form leading up to Origin, and will be keen to put the final stamp on his selection for this years series.

The Roosters don’t have a particularly good record travelling to NZ however, and with this in mind, I can’t go past the Warriors. It’ll definitely be a high scoring affair, so get on the overs if you can, otherwise the Kiwi’s are specials for a 13+ win.

Sports Banter Tip – Warriors

Newcastle Knights v North Queensland Cowboys
Hunter Stadium, Saturday 7.30pm

Game two on Saturday comes to us from Hunter Stadium, with the Newcastle Knights taking on the North Queensland Cowboys.

The 2012 season for the Knights has not gone to expectation, with the side struggling and failing to make an impact in the premiership. Coach Wayne Bennett does not yet have the squad he wants up there, and with a few injuries in crucial positions, this is a danger period in the season for them. They need some wins on the board, otherwise they may as well book the end of season trip.

The loss of Gidley and Buderus is a big blow, and with Darius Boyd crying his way through the season at fullback, the pressure falls on Mullen to take control of the team. Their forward pack has also struggled, and you need look no further than last week’s loss to the Roosters as proof of that. New signing Willie Mason was meant to add a bit of muscle, but after having his lights punched twice by Boyd Cordner, you can see there is still a bit of rust in the old boys legs.

The Cowboys have been in red hot form lately, with their attack clicking into gear, and their big men hitting hard. Matt Bowen looks to be playing as well as he ever has, and Thurston is his usual self, although his goal kicking boots must have some lead weights in them. Thurston is under a bit of an injury cloud however, and that could skew this game if he is out.

An area of strength for the Cows this year has been their roll forward – their forwards are making good metres and are getting fast play-the-balls. This allows Thurston and the like time and space to run amok.

The Cowboys will be too strong in this one I think, although I think the Knights will come out firing early. Get on the Knights/Cowboys half-time/full-time double for some value.

Sports Banter Tip – Cowboys

Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels
Canberra Stadium, Sunday 2.00pm

This match-up looms as do-or-die for both clubs if finals football is on the agenda. The Eels sit in last place after 9 rounds, and although the Raiders have flirted with the Top 8 at various stages, three losses in a row means that a win is now essential to stay in touch with the pack.

Although they suffered an unlucky loss against the Sea Eagles last week, the Green Machine looked good for the majority of the match. The Eels are in crisis, but have played better recently, a win here is a must for the club as they look to rebuild from a horror start to 2012.

The Raiders are about as close to full strength as they can get with the return of Bronson Harrison from injury. The promising comebacks of Josh Dugan and Shaun Fensom have added plenty of spark in attack and defence, as the Canberra men look to bounce back in front of their home fans.

The Eels welcome Chris Sandow back into the starting side as they look for some more punch in their attacking raids. If the unpredictable halfback can combine well with Jarryd Hayne, it could spell trouble for the Raiders who have struggled against teams going wide.

How Hayne performs in this clash will go a long way in determining the Eels chances. There’s no doubt the fullback can win games on his own, and with many experts leaving him out of their possible Origin squads, he’s going to have a lot to prove on Sunday.

In other Eels news, live-wire Ben Roberts has been dropped with Casey McGuire moving to five-eighth. Cheyse Blair will also shift to the centres from the wing to cover for the injured Willie Tonga.

This match is the Raiders to lose, they should be too strong going off their performance last week, but never discount the Eels, they’ve got plenty of upset victories in them this year.

Sports Banter Tip – Raiders

 

Cronulla Sharks v Melbourne Storm
Toyota Stadium, Sunday 3.00pm

This is the clash that all NRL fans have been looking forward to. Both sides have been excellent this year, and many feel that the Cronulla men are the only team that can bother the undefeated Storm.

It has been a terrific start thus far for the Sharkies, but after a surprise 34-28 loss to the Rabbitohs last week, they will be out for redemption against a Storm side that has destroyed everything in its path.

In fantastic news for Cronulla and NSW, captain Paul Gallen has been cleared of a dangerous contact charge and a serious knee injury. Gallen picked up the injury against Souths last weekend, and whist he’s not a certain starter against the Storm, it will take a lot to keep the superstar from playing this key game in some way, shape or form.

The Storm have named the same side that pummelled the Panthers last week, and with the likes of Cronk, Slater and and Smith all at the top of their game, the Sharks will need to be at their best to come close to the competition heavyweights.

The Storm have shown a tendency to throw the ball wide early in recent weeks, scoring plenty of tries from within their own half. With speed to burn out wide, any defensive lapse will cost the Sharks dearly.

This is certainly the match to watch in Round 10. Both sides will come out firing, and with the Sharks determined to be the first to knock the Storm over this season – expect an early taste of the Origin vibe on Sunday afternoon.

Sports Banter Tip – Storm

More to come…

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 9

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With our good friends at Reading the Play and Fantasy NRL Blog chiming in with their thoughts on this weeks matches, we’ve gone for a more condensed version of our 2012 NRL preview for round 9. Check out who we have tipped and our selection of best bets for each match below. Be sure to check out Reading the Play’s free tip for tonight’s Eels v Bulldogs match and Fantasy NRL Blog’s round 9 preview while you are here!

2012 NRL Preview - Round 9

Sports Banter’s Tips - 2012 NRL Round 9

Eels v Bulldogs – Bulldogs
Cowboys v Dragons – Cowboys
Warriors v Broncos – Broncos
Titans v Tigers – Tigers
Panthers v Storm – Storm
Sea Eagles v Raiders – Sea Eagles
Roosters v Knights – Roosters
Rabbitohs v Sharks – Sharks

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 NRL Round 9

Eels v Bulldogs – Eels +12.5 @ $1.48
Cowboys v Dragons - Cowboys -3.5 @ $1.91 
Warriors v Broncos – Broncos @ $1.74
Titans v Tigers – HT/NT Double Tigers/Tigers @ $1.65
Panthers v Storm – Storm 13+ @ $1.72
Sea Eagles v Raiders – Sea Eagles -6.0 @ $1.47
Roosters v Knights – Roosters -4.0 @ $1.91
Rabbitohs v Sharks – Sharks @ $1.91

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Reading The Play – Round 9 Free Game Preview NRL 2012

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Eels v Bulldogs

Homebush : Friday 7.30pm

This looks a tricky game. If the Bulldogs and their recent form stands up then they should be winning but there are a few issues that concern me: they come off two major games / opponents where they have risen to the occasion (Storm, Eagles) but not been able to secure a win and there must be some risk of a let down. The reality is that their recent form lines reads just the same as their opponent with just one win form their last five. Importantly, they are not turning any good form or positive play into scoreboard points having not been able to manage more than 10 points at 4 of their last 5 games.

The Eels are starting to look very much like a basket case but if they were to throw some caution to the wind and attempt some ad lib play off the back of their final 13 minutes last week then the Bulldogs may well be roped into game style and points chase that doesn’t suit them, let alone consider us conceding a line points advantage. Add to this the intrigue of the Eels positive recent record winning 8 of their last 11 games H2H then I think this a game best left alone. 

Reading The Play NRL 2012 Preview

On face value the Bulldogs do look to have come through some quality form, and off their recent defeats will be keen to get themselves winning again. One wonders what really is going on at the Eels and certainly some of their selection moves and game tactics make little sense to me, but given the unpleasant media focus that they have been under this week this and their positive record against this opponent this might well be the week that they rebound. The Bulldogs have to be selected on form but let’s wait and see them stamp some authority on an opponent before we do anything more with them.

Tip – Bulldogs

Last Word: Bulldogs should be winning, but stranger things have happened between these two.   

Betting Interest: Don’t even entertain the thought.

Reading The Play : The Winning Edge on NRL. Expert analysis and betting advice for the serious NRL follower.

The full Round 9 Preview and Betting Advice is now online, including 9 bet recommendations for this coming weekend.

www.readingtheplay.com

Twitter @ReadingThePlay                                                                                            

©Copyright Reading The Play 

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2012 NRL Round 8 Preview – ANZAC Day Round

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This week we had 2 early NRL matches for round 8 to whet our appetites. Dragons v Roosters followed by the new ANZAC Day tradition of the Storm v Warriors.

The Action continues from Friday night with the grudge match of the season between the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles, Des Hasler versus his understudy in Geoff Toovey! This is followed up by the Broncos up against Queensland rivals the Gold Coast Titans from Suncorp Stadium.

Check out our preview of round 8 below, including our tips and best bets if you’re looking at having a punt this weekend.

2012 NRL Preview - Round 8 - ANZAC Day

St George Illawarra Dragons v Sydney Roosters
Allianz Stadium, Wednesday 25 April, 4pm

This traditional ANZAC Day match has gone in favour of the Dragons since 2007, the Roosters last ANZAC Day win. Since then, the Dragons have been one of the most dominant sides in the NRL and the Roosters have come back to the pack somewhat. They’ll be looking to break this hoodoo and prove that they belong in the top 8 despite some not so impressive performance this season.

The Roosters are coming off the back of a 50-12 thrashing at the hands of the Cowboys in Darwin 10 days ago, the break, no doubt, will have done them well. The Dragons are coming off a 12-4 win over the Knights and old coach Wayne Bennett, they’ve won 4 of their first seven matches to be on 8 points alongside the Roosters.

This match has produced many highlights in recent years, despite the Dragons dominance the Roosters usually turn up for this clash and I can’t see this one being any different. Many players will have points to prove with Origin selections just a couple of weeks away. Mitchell Pearce hasn’t locked down the No.7 jersey just yet and will need to show Ricky Stuart why he should retain his jumper. He went along way to doing that in the City v Country match but Peter Wallace is also in contention when he returns from injury this week.

Jamie Soward is another with a point to prove but in a different way. He has basically been overlooked for Origin despite being the incumbant No. 6 and Pearce’s halves partner for all 3 matches last season. His form hasn’t been the best but not so bad that he didn’t warrant at least a chance in City v Country to prove himself. He’ll be looking to show Ricky why he was there last year and what he could be missing out on.

The Roosters forwards will need to muscle up in this one, they were completely overpowered by the Cowboys in Darwin and will need to up their game here against the likes of Merrin, Weyman and Hunt.

With rumours of Minichiello following Anasta to the Tigers next season and looking to keep his Blues jumper from game 3 last year, expect a fired up Count for this clash!

I think the Roosters can actually win this one and end the 5 year dominance of ANZAC Day clashes by the Dragons.

Melbourne Storm v New Zealand Warriors
AAMI Park, Wednesday 25 April, 7pm

Melbourne head into this one in unbelievable form, they’ve won 7 on the trot and sit atop the NRL ladder on their own. The Warriors have had a rough start to the season and have been up and down with their form, they have 3 wins and 4 losses but are coming off their best performance of the season so far against the Rabbitohs.

A side with Slater, Crock and Smith is always going to have a huge advantage, they are quality players and that was show again on Friday night when all 3 donned the green and gold for the ANZAC Test. Slater had been in blistering form so far this year, Cronk has been outstanding signing a new deal to remain at the Storm for life, and Smith well, he’s just been his industrious self. Named the new Kangaroos captain last week, he’ll have a further spring in his step now and the Warriors will be first cab off the rank.

Last year, the Storm were ambushed by the Warriors in the Grand Final qualifier, with the Warriors prevailing and going through to the Grand Final only to be beaten by the Sea Eagles. the Storm will be seeking revenge, knowing that they could have taken down the Sea Eagles had they got through that last match. What a turn around that would have been considering the year before they were awarded the wooden spoon for the Salary Cap Scandal!

The Warriors will need to be on their game for this one, they were good against the Rabbitohs but they will need to up their game even further here. To be honest though, I see the Warriors as one of the teams who can actually take the Storm down on their day, however I just don’t see that happening at this stage of the season. Storm should be too strong and remain unbeaten going into round 9 of the season.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Manly Sea Eagles
ANZ Stadium, Friday 27 April, 7.35pm

Round 8 of the NRL continues on Friday night with the Bulldogs hosting the Sea Eagles at ANZ Stadium in what is shaping up to be the grudge match of the season so far. The Bulldogs have profited from the Sea Eagles off field boardroom struggles with the pick up of coach Des Hasler and most of his coaching staff in the off season. Not only that, Dessie has made no secret of the fact that he would like Kieran Foran at the club next season, something Manly are understandably not too happy about.

Both clubs come into this one on the back of losses prior to the representative weekend. The Bulldogs going down in a close one to the undefeated Storm, while the Sea Eagles went down 26-14 to the Titans in one of the upsets of the season so far. What made it more of an upset was the fact that Brookvale Oval is usually a fortress for Manly, not so against the Titans in a display that would have even the Manly faithful worried going into this one.

The Bulldogs started out as one of the most consistent teams in the competition but have lost their way a bit over the last few weeks with losses to the Rabbitohs and Storm. While the Sea Eagles started the season slowly, they looked to be getting back on track with a 30-0 demolition of the Panthers, however last weeks loss has many thinking that maybe they aren’t the real deal this season.

This should be a cracker and one of those toss of the coin matches. I’m going to go with the Dogs in this one due to the Des factor and home ground advantage!

Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 27 April, 7.35pm

The Broncos come into this match on a winning streak which currently stands at 6 matches and also welcome back Peter Wallace who has been a key to their success so far this season. The Titans come into this match as massive underdogs but their win against the Sea Eagles away from home last week should give them plenty of confidence going into this match against their “big brothers”.

The Broncos were outstanding against the Raiders in the second half last week, the Raiders opened the scoring early before the Broncos piled on 30 unanswered points for a comfortable 30-6 win. They come into this match as the form team alongside the Storm, with just the one loss in round 1 against the Cowboys which they led until the last minute.

The Titans were on fire last week albeit against a massively disappointing Sea Eagles side. They’ll head into this one in second last spot on the ladder, 2 points ahead of the Eels courtesy of last weeks win.

I can’t see this one going any other way then a Broncos win to be honest. The Titans should put up a good fight early, but like the Storm yesterday, their class should shine through in the end. Another Friday night home game at Suncorp doesn’t hurt their chances either!

South Sydney Rabbitohs v North Queensland Cowboys
ANZ Stadium, Saturday 28 April, 7.30pm

The Rabbitohs head into this match on the back of a 44-22 loss at the hands of the Warriors and will be thankful that the weeks break came when it did. The Cowboys, on the other hand, they had a 50-12 point win over the Roosters up in Darwin and would have liked to keep the momentum going, the break may not have been as useful for them.

The Rabbitohs have been up and down all season, they currently sit in 12th position with 3 wins and 4 losses from their first 7 games. They’ll head into this one as underdogs but the Cowboys do not have a great record in the recent Sydney matches. In fact, of their last 30 matches in Sydney they have won just 5, and they have not won a match at ANZ Stadium since 2006. Ironically that was a 34-12 win over the Rabbitohs.

On form, this one will be high scoring. Both sides have been quite woeful in defence recently and with the referees cracking down on the 10m this week, tries will be in the offing. Both sides have plenty of firepower out wide, Rabbitohs winger Andrew Everingham is actually going for a record that has been unmatched since the competition began back in 1908. In 1908, Eastern Suburbs’ Horrie Miller scored at least one try in each of his first 6 matches, a feat that Everingham will equal should he score a try on Saturday night.

I have a feeling the underdogs may just get up in this one, everything is pointing to a Rabbitohs win for me. Expect a high scoring match so the overs may be a good option if you’re having a punt.

Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks
Canberra Stadium, Sunday 29 April, 2pm

The form of both of these sides could not be any different, the Raiders coming into this one on the back of a 30-6 loss to the Broncos and the loss of key playmaker Terry Campese for the rest of the season. The Sharks on the other hand, they’re coming off a 10 day break, 5 wins on the trot and their reformed playmaker Todd Carney is in Origin contention. 

The Sharks, led by Paul Gallen, have been one of the surprises of the season so far sitting in 3rd place on the ladder going into the weekends matches. This season is so close though, that a win to the Raiders here could see them just 2 points behind the in form Sharks and grab a place inside the top 8.

Recent history suggests that the Sharks will come up trumps in this one, they’ve won 5 of their last 7 at this ground and the Raiders have only won 1 of their last 5 matches at home. Not a great record and it will be even harder now without Campese to lead them around the park, they’ll have to rely on Sam Williams to step up and help out Josh McCrone if they are to be any chance of a win in this one, and a finals spot this season.

I just can’t see the Raiders getting past the Sharks in this one, with Origin spots on the line, expect Carney to come out firing and lead the team to a solid win here.

Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers
Parramatta Stadium, Sunday 29 April, 3pm

Both of these sides have picked their games up over recent weeks with the Eels narrowly going down to the in form Sharks, while the Tigers smashed the Panthers 30-0 at Centerbet Stadium. This week the Eels have sent Chris Sandow to NSW Cup duties for him to try and regain some form, with Casey McGuire coming into the starting side to provide assistance in the halves alongside Ben Roberts.

The Tigers finally hit some form just before the representative weekend and they probably could have done without the week off, whereas the Eels needed to do some soul searching and the week off may have been a blessing for them.

With Hayne looking to play his way into a Blues Origin jumper, and Farah looking to do the same, this should be a cracking contest. Both sides actually have a few players looking to grab Origin spots with Lawrence and Galloway also looking to impress for the Tigers, while the Eels have Mannah for the Blues and Tonga for the Maroons looking to hold on to their places from last year.

I can’t see anything other than a Tigers win in this one, Hayne can’t do everything on his own and without Sandow, out of form or not, they will lack that bit of creative spark that could see them home. The Tigers have learned how to win again and should make it two in a row here.

Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers
Hunter Stadium, Monday 30 April, 7pm

The Knights have been playing exactly the way Wayne Bennett described the NRL last week, boring. Before the representative weekend they lost a dour match against the Dragons 12-4 and prior to that they weren’t much more exciting to be honest. The Panthers, they haven’t scored a point in over 200 minutes of football, going down 30-0 in consecutive weeks to the Sea Eagles and then the Tigers, two teams that weren’t in form themselves.

Coming into this one, the break will have done both sides the world of good, The Knights will have welcomed the rest to hooker Danny Buderus despite the controversy surrounding his knock back of City v Country duties due to “injury”. While the Panthers had a number of niggles that will no doubt have healed with the extra week off.

The big news surrounds the return to NRL action for Willie Mason, who has been named on the Knights bench to make his debut for his hometown club on Monday night. The Knights also welcome back Kurt Gidley to the starting side who will provide more assistance to Jarrod Mullen than he has been receiving in recent weeks.

In good news for the Panthers, they welcome back Origin certainty Michael Jennings who has recovered from a pectoral injury just in time to get the Panthers back on track. They have missed his pace and power out wide and his absence is a major contributor to the their lack of points in recent weeks.

Despite the poor form of both sides, I think this will acually be an entertaining match. I think there will be points on offer for both sides and wouldn’t be surprised if the overs gets up in this one. Knights should be too strong at home here.

Sports Banter Tips – 2012 NRL Round 8

Dragons v Roosters – Roosters
Storm v Warriors – Storm
Bulldogs v Sea Eagles – Bulldogs
Broncos v Titans – Broncos
Rabbitohs v Cowboys – Rabbitohs
Raiders v Sharks – Sharks
Eels v Tigers – Tigers
Knights v Panthers – Knights

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 NRL Round 8

Dragons v Roosters – Roosters +6.5 @ $1.91 
Storm v Warriors – Storm -6.5 @ $1.91
Bulldogs v Sea Eagles – Bulldogs +2.0 @ $1.91
Broncos v Titans – Broncos – 8.0 @ $1.65
Rabbitohs v Cowboys - Take the overs, odds released on matchday
Raiders v Sharks - Sharks -2.0 @ $2.15
Eels v Tigers - Tigers -6.0 @ $1.91
Knights v Panthers – Take the overs, odds released on matchday

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 7

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Round 7 of the 2012 NRL season kicks off on Friday night. The evenness of the competition has shown itself over the last 6 weeks, with tipping becoming a nightmare. Despite this, here is Sports Banters 2012 NRL Preview for round 7, complete with tips and best bets for each match!

2012 NRL Preview - Round 7

St George-Illawarra Dragons v Newcastle Knights
Win Jubilee Oval, Friday 13 April, 7.30pm

The Dragons come in to this game after suffering somewhat of a form slump over the last couple of weeks. 2 weeks ago they went down to the Broncos and last week were kept scoreless against the Sharks.

The Broncos and the Sharks are two of the form teams in the competition at the moment, and with both these games away from home, I can forgive the Dragons for dropping two in a row. However with them now sitting outside the out, they badly need to win this one at home.

The Knights last week came away with 2 points in an uninspiring victory over the Eels last week. They’ll need to improve on that performance – if it was any other side, they would have beaten the Eels by 30. The Knights should also be keen to extract a bit of revenge, after the Dragons beat them in golden point in Round 1, on Knights home soil.

This is a tough game to tip, with neither team jumping out at me to be outright favourite. With the home ground advantage, I have to lean towards the Dragons. The game should definitely be low scoring, so get on the unders as a safer option!

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter Tip – Dragons
Banter’s Best Bet – Unders TBA

Brisbane Broncos v Canberra Raiders
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 13 April, 7.30pm

The Broncos come in to this game with 4 wins on the trot under their belt. Last week they survived a scare from the fast finishing Tigers, however for the main part of the game they looked the better. With Melbourne jumping out to an early lead in the 2012 NRL season, the Broncos will want to keep their run going to stay in touch.

The Raiders have had an up and down season, with plenty of early injuries hampering their progress, as well as wild swings in form. They were horrible against the Cowboys two weeks ago, before bouncing back with an impressive win over the Warriors.

If both teams come in to this game with their A games, it could be a cracker. Both teams have big forwards, and speed out wide. There could be plenty of points on offer. The Broncos should get the cash, but it will be interesting viewing!

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter Tip – Broncos
Banter’s Best Bet – Overs TBA

Melbourne Storm v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
AAMI Park, Saturday 14 April, 5.30pm

The Melbourne Storm are in ominous form this year, coming in to round 7 unbeaten. They have been playing some fantastic football, but the results come down to the big 3. Cooper Cronk is in the form of his life, and is head and shoulders above any other half in the game at the moment. Slater is on fire at the back, and Smith is his usual self out of dummy half. With these 3 all firing, its hard to see the Storm losing many games.

The Bulldogs suffered a stumble last week, going down to the Rabbitohs, however apart form that, their form hasn’t been too bad. Des Hasler is starting to make an impact on the club, and is getting better performances from his players.

This could be a danger game for the Storm – they will need to lose eventually – however I can’t see it in this one. I’d be taking the Storm giving away the 11.5 start to the Bulldogs.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter Tip – Storm
Banter’s Best Bet – Storm -11.5 @ $2.10

Sydney Roosters v North Queensland Cowboys
TIO Stadium, Saturday 14 April, 7.30pm

Football comes to the top-end in this one, with the Roosters shifting their home game to Darwin. The Roosters have strung a couple of wins together, and have shown guts in getting some of their results this year. They haven’t been pretty wins, but they are getting the two points, and in a competition this close, those points are going to come in handy at the end of the year.

The Cowboys come in to this game after copping a pasting at the hands of the Storm last week. You could forgive them for this, as the Storm are at a whole other level compared to the rest of the comp. Their form has been up and down, with 3 wins from 6 starts.

This will feel like more of a home game for the Cowboys, and you’d think they’d handle the heat of the top-end better than the Roosters. With that in mind, I’ll be going the Cowboys, although not with much confidence.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter Tip – Cowboys
Banter’s Best Bet – Cowboys 1-12 @ $3.10

Manly Sea Eagles v Gold Coast Titans
Brookvale Oval, Saturday 14 April, 7.30pm

The Sea Eagles snapped a losing streak last week when the pumped the Panthers 30-nil at Brookvale Oval, and will be turning up on Sunday hoping for a repeat performance. The Sea Eagles have named both Foran and Stewart, however the late mail is that both won’t play. This could skew the odds a bit, however you would think the Sea Eagles should still be too strong.

The Titans are not a happy club at the moment, and have also struggled to field a consistent side. This week features the 3rd halves pairing for Scott Prince of the season. Consistency is hard to get when you have that many changes in 7 rounds of footy. With 5 straight losses on the board, the Titans will be starting to get desperate, and this could be their chance. If Manly come in to this game over confident, there is a risk they could switch off. Although they have points scoring potential all over the park, I feel Manly’s greatest threat in this one is themselves.

Manly, by plenty.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter tip – Manly
Best bet – Manly 13+ @ $1.91

Cronulla Sharks v Parramatta Eels
Toyota Stadium, Sunday 15 April, 2.00pm

Cronulla come in to this game as one of the form sides in the competition, having strung together 4 wins on the trot.

The Sharks defence has been one of the best in the league, last week holding the Dragons to nil. With their attack at the hands of Todd Carney starting to hit its stride as well, they are shaping up as a genuine top 4 team. Over-confidence could be the killer here, coming up against the lowly Eels.

The Eels have had a disaster of a season to date, with just the one win over Manly in round 5. The combination between Sandow and Roberts still looks like it needs work, and Hayne has been hit and miss since his return from injury. I’m still not sure he has the confidence in his leg to make a dramatic impact. If the Eels are to win, Hayne and Sandow need to stand up have crackers.

The Sharks should be too strong, and in front of what could be another sell-out at Shark Park, should get the cash.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter tip – Sharks
Best bet – Sharks/Sharks @ $1.90

New Zealand Warriors v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Mt Smart Stadium, Sunday 15 April, 2.00pm

The Warriors head into this match with a 2 and 4 record and have not looked like the side that made last years NRL Grand Final. Last week they were shocking against an on fire Raiders side that should have put more on them with Croker’s goal kicking radar broken. Defence is an issue for the Warriors with the halves performances particularly concerning, both Maloney and Johnson top the missed tackle counts in the NRL.

The Rabbitohs had a solid win over the Bulldogs on Good Friday and will want to try and get some consistency into their game which had been missing, well since I can remember really. They have uncovered a gem in Andrew Everingham, a player who at 25 has just burst on to the scene after being cut by Manly a few years back. The Rabbitohs are still missing a bit of grunt up front with Burgess and Asotasi missing, and against the Warriors big forwards that could be the difference.

Despite the lack of firepower up front, I think the Rabbitohs can get the points here against a struggling Warriors outfit.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter tip – Rabbitohs
Best bet – Rabbitohs +4.0 @ $1.91

Penrith Panthers v Wests Tigers
Centrebet Stadium, Sunday 15 April, 3.00pm

The Panthers come into this match on the back of a demoralising 30-0 thrashing at the hands of a struggling Sea Eagles outfit. They are one of the most inconsistent teams in the competition and currently have just 2 wins to their name after 6 matches. They’ll need to improve significantly against a Tigers side that is struggling for form themselves and have lost 5 in a row.

The Tigers were much improved in the second half against the Broncos and will need to take that into this match if they are to be any chance. They’ve really struggled getting good go forward for Benji to work off and this has been the main reason for their lack of points and subsequent losses. It will be interesting to see whether big Ray Cashmere has any impact after his move last week from the Cutters in NSW Cup. He had a run out against the Broncos but a full week of training would have done him the world of good.

With both teams struggling, this is a toss of the coin job, I’ll go with the home team in this one and a Panthers win, but I’m not confident at all.

2012 NRL Preview – Round 7
Sports Banter tip – Panthers
Best bet – Panthers +10.0 @ $1.50

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 6

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Round 6 of the 2012 NRL season kicks off Friday afternoon. The evenness of the competition has shown itself over the last 5 weeks, with tipping becoming a nightmare. Despite this, here is Sports Banters 2012 NRL Preview for round 6, complete with tips!

2012 NRL Preview
Rabbitohs v Bulldogs – 2012 NRL Preview Round 6
ANZ Stadium, Friday 6 April, 4.00pm

South Sydney pulled a rabbit out of the hat when they miraculously scored two tries in the final five minutes, before going on to win in golden point off the back of a wonky field goal from Greg Inglis last week against the luckless Tigers. Whilst it was a win that will be remembered for some time, it’s worth noting that the Rabbits did only score 4 points in the previous 75 minutes before their breathtaking jailbreak. The Rabbitohs are struggling to string together impressive performances in consecutive weeks and if their concentration wavers this week, I doubt that the Bulldogs will give them a single second to think about it.

The Bulldogs were pitted against the Titans last week and would certainly have been given a run for their money had it not been for two stunning individual efforts from fullback Ben Barba, one in attack and a try saver in defence.

A decent crowd should turn out for this matchup and the extra atmosphere may be conducive to another close game for the two sides. Based on their superior ability so far to play out the full 80 minutes, I have to tip the Bulldogs again but I’m very wary of the pumped up Rabbitohs.

Sports Banter Tip – Bulldogs

Tigers v Broncos – 2012 NRL Preview Round 6
Allianz Stadium, Friday 6 April, 7.30pm

The Tigers have just been touched on in my previous preview and as much as I like talking about it, I’ll skip past it.

The Tigers are under heavy pressure from everywhere now that the pre-season premiership favourites have only recorded one dodgy win from their opening 5 matches. Not helpful to their campaign was the loss of Gareth Ellis to a leg injury, which could keep him out for up to 12 weeks. Prop Keith Galloway has been named in the side to make his return from injury but is still no guarantee to play.

The Broncos were very impressive last Friday against the Dragons and their first half of footy was flawless. They let the Dragons right back into the game for a short time but I’m more than happy to overlook that going into Round 6.

I’d like to think that the Tigers can bounce back in this one but it’s hard to go with them based on simple form and the fact that they will have only had 5 days rest since their last game whereas the Broncos will get a full week.

Sports Banter Tip – Broncos

Titans v Roosters – 2012 NRL Preview Round 6
Skilled Park, Saturday 7 April, 5.30pm

The Roosters last week turned up to play, showing an impressive reversal of form, after their loss to Melbourne. Coach Smith will be trying to make sure they keep the intensity coming in to this one.

The Titans will be easy to underestimate, with fairly ordinary performances so far this year. However, the Roosters would do well to approach this game with a degree of caution. The Titans have taken the first step in getting their off field woes sorted, with the sale of the Centre of Excellence.

Prince is carrying an injury, and below his best, but can still pose a risk. Personally, I can’t split these two in this one, so I’ve gone the Titans at home

Sports Banter Tip – Titans

Sharks v Dragons – 2012 NRL Preview Round 6
Toyota Stadium, Saturday 7 April, 7.30pm

The Cronulla Sharks are the talk of the NRL, after stringing 3 wins together in a row, and with Todd Carney hitting form. Momentum is definitely with the Sharks in this one, and they’ll be looking to ride it all the way home to another win.

I like the change Flanagan has made to the halves combination. Carney at 5/8, Robson at Halfback and Graham at lock has proved to be a winning combination.

The Dragons come in to this game after losing to the Broncos last week, however they finished that game a lot stronger than they started it.

This local derby should be a cracker, with a large crowd tipped to turn out at Shark Park. I’m on the Sharkies bandwagon for this one.

Sports Banter Tip – Sharks

Raiders v Warriors – 2012 NRL Preview Round 6
Canberra Stadium, Sunday 8 April, 2.00pm

Preview to follow…

Sports Banter Tip – Warriors

Knights v Eels
Hunter Stadium, Sunday 3.00pm

Preview to follow…

Sports Banter Tip – Knights

Cowboys v Storm
Dairy Farmers Stadium, Sunday 7.00pm

Preview to follow….

Sports Banter Tip – Storm

Sea Eagles v Panthers
Brookvale Oval, Monday 7.00pm

Preview to follow….

Sports Banter Tip – Sea Eagles

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 5

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Round 5 of the 2012 NRL season kicks off tonight and what a weeekend this promises to be, Men of League Heritage Round. Each club will don a special jersey for the occasion and the action kicks off with the highly anticipated clash between the Storm and Newcastle from AAMI Park.

Check out our preview below, including our tips for each match. 

2012 NRL Preview

Storm v Knights – 2012 NRL Preview – Round 5
AAMI Park, Friday 30 March, 7.35pm

This is a cracker of a match to get round 5 started. The top of the table Storm up against a Knights side that disposed of the Bulldogs easily last week. Craig Bellamy up against his old mentor, Wayne Bennett, who is still adjusting to life at a new club. We’ll get a good idea of just how far the Knights have progressed under Bennett when they take on the NRL’s benchmark.

The Storm are on fire at the moment, last week disposing of a young Roosters side 44-4 at this same ground. In their last 16 matches at AAMI Park, they have won 13 and lost just 3, all of those losses by less than 8 points. They are hard to play at any ground but more so at home where they have a huge supporter base now.

The Knights have been up and down so far this season, a golden point loss in round 1, followed by a solid win over the Sharks, and a disappointing loss to the Broncos. Last week they kept that trend going with a 20-6 win over the Bulldogs, they should have won by more though as the Dogs were never in the match.

I see the Storm keeping their unbeaten record in tact here, but if anyone knows Craig Bellamy’s game it is Wayne Bennett. Problem is it also works the other way around and with a spine of Slater, Cronk and Smith, I can’t see the Knights getting this one.

Sports Banter Tip: Storm

Broncos v Dragons – 2012 NRL Preview – Round 5
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 30 March, 8.35pm

Here we have the Broncos playing their 5th Friday night match in a row to start the 2012 NRL season, and they have another 5 to come in the next 7 rounds. To say this is an advantage is a massive understatement. While it is important that we have a match involving a Queensland side each Friday night, surely this is just too much of an advantage to be giving to one side. The Broncos have the advantage of playing night matches every week, having the same amount of recovery time each week, and this has shown in their results so far.

The Broncos have won 3 of their first 4 matches and that would have been 4 wins had they not gone down late to the Cowboys and a piece of Matty Bowen magic. Anthony Griffin has done a great job with his young charges and it doesn’t look like they are suffering any hangovers from the retirement of the legend, Darren Lockyer.

The Dragons have been impressive so far this season under new coach Steve Price, who would have thought they could continue this form with both Bennett and Darius Boyd departing? Last week they were clinical against the Sea Eagles and they will be looking to improve on that here against the Broncos. 3rd v 4th on the ladder and this should be a beauty!

Being a Friday night, at Suncorp Stadium, I can’t go past the Broncos in this one.

Sports Banter Tip: Broncos

More to follow…..

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 4

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Round 4 of the 2012 NRL season kicks off tonight, we look at each match in detail and give our predictions for this weeks matches. Hopefully this helps you out with your footy tips for this week, but don’t blame me if it goes pear shaped!

2012 NRL Preview

Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers – 2012 NRL Preview
Parramatta Stadium, Friday 23 March, 7.30pm

First up on Friday night, the game that has been built up as the battle of the west. The timing based purely to draw attention away from the AFL 2012 kick off with the Swans v GWS tomorrow night. However unfortunately for the NRL, both these teams are struggling so far in the 2012 NRL season.

Parramatta’s problems have been well documented this week, with the club yet to win a game from 3 starts, and pressure building on both the coach and the players to get a result. How well they have been able to handle this attention will be the question.

Jarryd Hayne has been floated as a possible started, depending on how his injury pulls up from a full training session yesterday. Kearney will wait until the last moment before deciding. His inclusion changes the game dramatically, with the Eels a much better side with him on the park. I feel they have been unfairly crucified this week in the press. They have a new halves combination, and their best player off the park. They are 3 games into a long season, and they are being hammered. Their forwards, however, do need to lift. They have been poor in the last few weeks, and need to lift.

The Panthers have had an up and down start to the season, and are still finding their feet with a raft of changes in the off season. Unfortunately injury has struck as well, with Flash Gordon out for an extended period. They still have plenty of weapons in attack, and some solid, if unexciting, forwards.

The panthers come in to this game as favourites, and on form, it’s their game to lose, however I wouldn’t discount the Eels. They need to win, and this could be their chance.

Sports Banter Tip – Eels

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos – 2012 NRL Preview
nib Stadium, Perth, Friday 23 March, 9.00pm

Next up on Friday night, the South Sydney Rabbitohs take their home game to Perth to tackle the Brisbane Broncos.

The bunnies opened 2012 NRL account last week with 40-24 win over the Panthers. That game also saw Greg Inglis make the move to fullback, which in my opinion is long overdue. The strength of the rabbits lies in their forwards, with Sam Burgess and Dave Taylor doing the damage up the middle – this is allowing Reynolds the time he needs to stamp his influence on the game, with a good kicking boot gaining plenty of metres.

It’s a simple formula for the Rabbitohs, but one that should work – Win the battle of field possession, then allow the likes of Sutton and Inglis to roam free in attack. The Brisbane forwards are going to need to be at their peak stop the furry-tailed juggernaut.

Brisbane overcame Newcastle last week, despite having to snuff out a potential Knights comeback. They come in to this game with an unchanged line-up. The Broncos are playing in a different style this year, looking to throw the ball around a bit more, and capitalise on their young and exciting backline. That will get them points on the board, but the Rabbitohs have points in them as well, and to win here they’ll need to make sure their defence is rock-solid.

Sports Banter Tip – Rabbitohs.

New Zealand Warriors v Gold Coast Titans – 2012 NRL Preview
Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday 24 March, 5.30pm

In the first of a Super Saturday triple header, the New Zealand Warriors take on the Gold Coast Titans.

The Titans have been in the news all week, for good and bad reasons. The news Dave Taylor has signed for 2013 onwards is great news for the club, however the news the club is in shitter financially must have players wondering if there will be a club for Taylor to join, and when their paycheques are going to stop coming…

The Titans have 2 points under the belt so far this year, however I think everyone can agree that they were lucky to get them – I still think they are going to struggle in the majority of their games this year, and this one is no different.

I feel that Scott Prince is still nowhere near his best, and it is showing the Titans results. On paper they have a strong side, and a strong forward pack, but I don’t think have enough points on offer to trouble the warriors. In a big milestone for Luke Douglas, he will play is 150th straight game since his debut – an absolute machine he is. How long is Cartwright going to hold off moving him to a starting position, and benching either Myles or Bailey?

The Warriors lost last week against the Bulldogs, however they are a fantastic footy team. Johnson is going from strength to strength, and Kevin Locke is marking himself as one of the game’s best fullbacks. With a big forward pack, and some outstanding talent in the backline, the Warriors should be too strong.

Sports Banter Tip – Warriors

St George-Illawarra Dragons v Manly Sea Eagles – 2012 NRL Preview
WIN Jubiliee Oval, Saturday 24 March, 7.30pm

The second game on Super Saturday features the St George-Illawarra Dragons against the Manly Sea Eagles.

The Dragons recovered from a poor showing against the Bulldogs to smoke the Tigers last week. The attack of the Dragons was on-song, and Brett Morris proved a revelation at fullback. This week Price has elected to leave Morris at fullback, and the match-up between him and Brett Stewart should prove interesting. Morris is a slippery character, and the more he gets his hands on the ball, the better.

Mitch Rein has also proved to be a solid component of the Dragons side, with his scoots out of dummy half causing problems for the Tigers last week. The Sea Eagles marker defence will need to be on their game in this one.

The Sea Eagles last week went down to a firing Sharks side. Although Manly were the overwhelming favourites going into the match, the Sharks have not performed too badly this year. They turned in a top notch performance in the first half, which set up their win. The Sea Eagles fought back in the second half, showing how dangerous they can be when they get an even share of possession and field position. If Jamie Lyon had landed is kicks, the game would have been a whole different story.

In a big loss however, that game featured big T-Rex suffering a brain explosion, with him trying to throw De Gois out of Shark Park. He has subsequently been rubbed out for 7 weeks, and Manly will feel his loss. Jamie Buhrer comes into the starting side to cover, with Toovey naming an extended bench of no-names.

In a topsy-turvy premiership, it’s hard to pick a winner in this one, however I think the home ground advantage will be enough to get the Dragons over the line.

Sports Banter Tip – Dragons

North Queensland Cowboys v Cronulla Sharks – 2012 NRL Preview
Dairy Farmers Stadium, Saturday 24 March, 9.30pm

The final game of Super Saturday comes to us from Dairy Farmers Stadium, with the North Queensland Cowboys taking on the Cronulla Sharks.

The Cowboys have posted 2 wins in a row, over the Broncos, and then an absolute pantsing of the Eels last week. In wet and slippery conditions, the Cowboys put on points with ease, with their attack clicking. Graham in particular hit a purple patch, bagging 3 tries.

The Sharks have a shorter turn around, after playing on Monday night – and they’ll need every minute of it for this game. The Sharks were on their game last week, and completely out played Manly in the first half. The Sea Eagles bounced back in the second half, however the Sharks held on for the win, their first of the season.

Coach Flanagan’s task is to make sure they get their heads right for this game, however they are a decent football team, and Monday’s result might give them a bit of self-belief. In reality, they are unlucky to be only 1 from 3.

I liked the look of the Sharks structure last week, with Carney at 6, Robson at 7 and Graham at 13. With Gallen putting in massive numbers in the front row, Cronulla are a real chance here. I think the Cowboys will get the cash, but it’ll be close.

Sports Banter Tip – Cowboys

More to follow……

 

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 3

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Round 3 of the 2012 NRL kicks off tonight. The evenness of the competition has shown itself over the last 2 weeks, with tipping becoming a nightmare. Despite this, here is Sports Banters NRL Preview for round 3, complete with tips!

St George-Illawarra Dragons v Wests Tigers – 2012 NRL Preview
WIN Jubilee Oval, Friday 7.30pm, #NRLstiwst

The Dragons last week were atrocious against the Bulldogs, going down 30 points to 4. The question is, surely they can’t be that bad this week? At least the Dragons get a home game this week, however will their minds be on the job – once again the Dragons have dominated the headlines during the week, with Scott’s defection to the Knights, as well as the upcoming clash of Moltzen against the team he snubbed.

The Tigers last week threw away a lead against the Sea Eagles, and couldn’t get the job done. With a scratchy win in round 1, the Tigers should be sitting on none from 2. Notoriously slow starters, they’ll need to be on their game if they are a chance to topple the dragons in front of what will be a packed house.

Interestingly, I wonder which side will win the penalty count, with both sides normally favored by the refs…in a head to head battle, I’m tipping the crowds at Kogorah will get the Dragons over the line.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Dragons

Newcastle Knights v Brisbane Broncos - 2012 NRL Preview
Hunter Stadium, Friday 7.30pm, #NRLnewbri

The Knights come into this game with a win under their belt, knocking of the Cronulla Sharks last week. The Sharks were woeful, so I’m not sure how much I can read in to the Knights performance, however you can definitely tell that Bennett is starting to have an influence on the way they play.

The loss of Gidley with a shoulder injury will hurt them; their record without their captain is not great. However this year they also have Boyd and Buderus, who will still provide the touches they need.

The Broncos last week were a victim of the bounce-back factor. The cowboys in week 1 were abysmal, and couldn’t possibly follow that form up in round 2. As I was on the beers last Friday and missed the game, I don’t have too much else to offer.

This week, the Broncos have to go without Parker – anyone who has ever had a dream team/super coach side knows how much of a loss this is. The question is, can the Broncos cover Parker more than the Knights can cover Gidley? I think so…

This will be a game won in the forwards, and I think the Broncos have the edge here.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Broncos

Gold Coast Titans v Melbourne Storm - 2012 NRL Preview
Skilled Park, Saturday 5.30pm, #NRLgldmel

The Titans have failed to impress so far this year, and their big name buys over the off-season have failed to make a large impact, as yet. Although playing a far superior Raiders side*, the Titans didn’t look like winning. I put there win in round 1 down to how bad the Cowboys played, not how well the Titans did.

The Storm haven’t faltered so far this year, although their win in round 1 was scratchy. Disposing of the Rabbitohs at home last week in comprehensive fashion, the Storm will come into the game with confidence.

The classy skill in the halves at the Storm should be enough to see them come away with the points here. Get on the Storm to win 13+.

* Disclaimer: I’m a Raiders supporter

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Storm

North Queensland Cowboys v Parramatta Eels - 2012 NRL Preview
Dairy Farmers Stadium, Saturday 7.30pm, #NRLnqlpar

The real question in this game is which Cowboys side is going to turn up?  Is it going to be the side that showed class in toppling the Broncos last week, or the side that put in a Barry Crocker against the Titans.

Chris Sandow for the Eels has put in some solid performances so far this year, and all signs point to him being a decent buy for the Eels. Last week the Eels welcomed back Jarryd Hayne into the side, only to suffer a mild heart attack when he went down with another knee injury. They really are a much better side when he is playing, and they will miss him here again.

Although the Eels haven’t won a game so far this year, they aren’t far away – however I’m not sure this is going to be their week. I think that they still need to do some work on their defence, and their halves combo, although improving, is still lacking the fluency they’ll be looking for, especially with Hayne off the field.

With the Cowboys at home, I think they’ll be too strong and should come out on top.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Cowboys

2012 NRL Preview

Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders - 2012 NRL Preview
Sydney Football Stadium, Sunday 2.00pm, #NRLsydcan

The Sydney Roosters are coming in to this game after a horror performance against the Penrith Panthers last week. The big danger for the Raiders here is if the Roosters can capitalize on the bounce-back factor, which has become the norm in this competition.

In further bad news for the Roosters, Captain Canasta failed to pick up an injury last week, and will once again take the field. The sooner this liability’s contract finishes, the better for the Roosters.

The Raiders suffered a heart-breaking loss in round 1, and bounced back strongly against the Titans. Will basically have a full strength team on the park, other than Dane Tilse, who picked up a rib injury, the Raiders are primed for a big season. Josh Dugan is on fire at the back, and if he can keep that form going, the Raiders will continue to go well.

Typically, games between these two sides are entertaining, however the score can tend to blow out. Get on the overs if you can, there will be plenty of points on offer.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Raiders

Warriors v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs  - 2012 NRL Preview
Mt Smart Stadium, Sunday 12.00pm, #NRLwarcby

Both the Bulldogs and Warriors have been in good form this year despite the Warriors going down in their first match. They look like they want to go one step further this year and with halves in Maloney and Johnson they should come close. Last week they were pushed all the way by the Eels but came out on top in the final 10-15 minutes to blow the scoreline out.

The Bulldogs blew the scoreline out right from the kick-off, not giving the Dragons even the slightest sniff of victory. It seems Dessie may have actually turned the Doggies into contenders right from the get go. A bit of discipline is probably all they needed to turn a talented playing group into world beaters.

At home, I can’t see this one going any way other than a Warriors victory to be honest.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Warriors

Penrith Panthers v South Sydney Rabbitohs – 2012 NRL Preview
Centrebet Stadium, Sunday 3.00pm, #NRLpensou

The Panthers were outstanding against the Roosters last weekend, especially in defence. Defence has never usually been the Panthers strong suit but it seems that Ivan Cleary is having a real influence in that department. In attack they could still do with some improving this season, but with Jennings you know there are always going to be points on offer. It will be interesting to see how he goes with his heavily bruised knee this weekend.

The Rabbitohs have started the season just like any other, promising so much and failing to deliver. They were unlucky to lose in round 1, but they clocked off and you just can’t do that in the NRL with even a monster lead. Last week they couldn’t match it with the Storm going down 24-10.

I think the Rabbitohs will bounce back here, despite this a Panthers home game, I’m looking at the Bunnies to improve.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Rabbitohs

Cronulla Sharks v Manly Sea Eagles – 2012 NRL Preview
Toyota Stadium, Monday 7.00pm, #NRLcroman

The Sharks stood out to me as one of the biggest disappointments of the round. Home ground for the first time, massive crowd and the performance just did not match up to it. This week Flanagan has wielded the axe, with the first to go being Wade Graham. His partnership with Carney in the halves just did not click so Carney moves to the No 6 and in comes Jeff Robson.

The Sea Eagles, while not spectacular this week, were solid against a strong Tigers outfit. This week’s Daly Cherry-Evans mess could be an unwanted distraction and they will be hoping it doesn’t derail their preparations for this one. In my opinion, it’s Cherry-Evans’ manager’s job to get him the best deal and he failed to do that. He needs to suck it up and play under the contract that he willingly signed.

Despite the drama, I can’t see the Sea Eagles getting beaten by the Sharks. They are going through early season teething problems with new combinations and it will take them time to get it right.

2012 NRL Preview – Sports Banter Tip – Sea Eagles

Summary – sportsbanter.com.au Tips:

Dragons v Tigers – Dragons
Knights v Broncos – Broncos
Titans v Storm – Storm
Cowboys v Eels – Cowboys
Roosters v Raiders – Raiders
Warriors v Bulldogs – Warriors
Panthers v Rabbitohs – Rabbitohs
Sharks v Sea Eagles – Sea Eagles

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