The traditional Good Friday and Easter Monday showdowns headline NRL Round 7.  

Meanwhile, a host big names returning, Lachlan Galvin’s axing at the Tigers, and the Panthers’ desperate bid to steer out of a five-game skid has set the scene for a drama-charged weekend.  

Manly is striving to get back on track after consecutive losses, while St George Illawarra are searching for back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025 – and their first on the road.  

The 3-3 Sea Eagles’ rousing start to the campaign has fizzled in the wake of Daly Cherry-Evans’ contract bombshell and another Tom Trbojevic injury layoff, subsequently crashing to a 48-24 home loss to the Storm and a scrappy 24-18 defeat to the Sharks in Perth.  

The Saints bounced back from an agonising golden point loss to the Eels with a dominant 38-16 win over the Titans in Wollongong, with wingers Tyrell Sloan and Christian Tuipolotu scoring four tries between them, Jaydn Su’A starring again and rookie back-rower Dylan Egan enjoying a breakout game. 

The Sea Eagles’ only change sees Jason Saab return on the wing at the expense of Clayton Faulalo. There’s also a change on the flank for the Dragons, with Mat Feagai replacing the injured Tuipolotu.  

Neither side has managed consecutive wins in this rivalry since the Saints’ back-to-back wins in 2020-21. Last season the Dragons won 20-12 in Wollongong in Round 4, before the Sea Eagles responded in Round 15 with a 30-14 victory at 4 Pines Park – where the Red V haven’t won since 2017.  

The Brookvale factor, and DCE’s unwaveringly high level, should provide punters with enough confidence to get behind a Manly reversal. St George Illawarra are playing away for just the second time this season – and have won only four of their last 13 away from their two home bases.  

Tip: Back the Sea Eagles to Cover the Line (-3.5) @ $1.87 

SGM: SEA EAGLES BY 1-12 / OVER 48.5 TOTAL POINTS / HAUMOLE OLAKAU’ATU ANYTIME TRYSCORER / TYRELL SLOAN ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $19.70 

The Good Friday tradition between Canterbury and South Sydney extends to 12 years – and for the first time in recent memory, the unbeaten Bulldogs find themselves warm favourites in what shapes as a massive crowd at Accor Stadium.  

The Bulldogs also get a huge boost off the Round 6 bye with Matt Burton returning from a three-game layoff, while Sitili Tupouniua is back from suspension and Viliame Kikau is in the extended squad. Bailey Hayward goes back to the bench and Blake Taafe drops to 18th man. 

Canterbury has made a superb 5-0 start to the year, beating Cronulla (20-6) and Newcastle (20-0) into submission in its last two outings despite the absence of Burton and Kikau.  

Injury-hit Souths have been something of a surprise packet in winning four of their first six games, but after a courageous, Latrell Mitchell-inspired 20-14 comeback against Sydney Roosters in Round 5, they were overwhelmed 24-16 by the Cowboys in Perth last weekend.  

Cody Walker returns to partner Mitchell in the halves with Jayden Sullivan suspended, while English halfback Lewis Dodd is set for an NRL debut in the No.14. Campbell Graham comes back to replace injured Alex Johnston on the wing. 

Souths have won six of their last seven against Canterbury, and the last six Good Friday showdowns in a row. Last season the Rabbitohs held on for a 20-16 win over a Bulldogs side that subsequently charged up the ladder while Souths faltered.  

The Rabbitohs have not exactly been piling on the points – not aided by constant line-up changes, particularly in the backs – which makes for a daunting match-up against the NRL’s defensive benchmark, who are conceding less than 12 points a game.  

Expect the Bulldogs to rise to the big-match atmosphere and continue on their undefeated streak.  

Tip: Back the Bulldogs to Cover the Line (-10.5) @ $1.90 

SGM: BULLDOGS BY 11-20 / UNDER 44.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRONSON XERRI ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $14.24 

The Dolphins have recovered from a dismal start to record outstanding back-to-back wins, but overcoming the rampaging Melbourne Storm for the first time shapes as the biggest hurdle to date for Kristian Woolf’s resurgent outfit.  

The Dolphins have improved to 2-4 with big victories over the Titans (36-10) and the beleaguered Panthers (30-12). Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow bagged a trademark hat-trick against Penrith, while centres Jake Averillo and Herbie Farnworth tore the premiers to shreds.  

The 4-1 Storm are runaway title favourites, backing up a 48-24 romp over Manly on the road with a 36-0 first-half onslaught at home against the Warriors, before easing to a 42-14 win. Xavier Coates, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant terrorised a reshuffled Warriors line-up. 

Jahrome Hughes has been named despite exiting at halftime last week, while Moses Leo’s injury sees Grant Anderson go to centre and Sua Fa’alogo make his first top-grade appearance of the season on the wing.  

The Storm have won all three clashes with the Dolphins to date – 24-16 in 2023 and 30-24 in 2024 at Suncorp Stadium, and 48-6 at AAMI Park late last season with Faalogo scoring two tries from the wing. 

The Storm are 13.5-point favourites on the road and are hard to back against here with a full-strength spine. But the Dolphins’ key players’ improvement can’t be ignored, while they have a 10-10 record at Suncorp Stadium with six of their losses (including the last four) coming by eight points or less.  

Tip: Back the Dolphins to Cover the Line (+13.5) @ $1.90 

SGM: STORM BY 1-12 / UNDER 50.5 TOTAL POINTS / HAMISO TABUAI-FIDOW & XAVIER COATES TO HAVE 2+ TRIES COMBINED / CAMERON MUNSTER ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $64.02 

The Warriors are smarting from an all-too-familiar AAMI Park beatdown – and they are battling a heavy injury toll ahead of a crunch Auckland showdown with a similarly chastened Brisbane Broncos outfit.  

Heading into the Round 5 bye on an impressive three-match winning streak, the Warriors received a brutal reality check in sweltering Melbourne conditions last Sunday. They were swamped 36-0 in the first half, before showing some backbone to win the second half in a 42-14 result.  

The Warriors have been hit with a triple-blow with James Fisher-Harris (pec), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (concussion) and Rocco Berry (suspension) ruled out.  

Taine Tuaupiki moves to fullback, Ed Kosi comes back on the wing and Kurt Capewell will fill in at centre, which sees Leka Halasima get a second-row start. Jackson Ford moves into prop, and Jacob Laban and Te Maire Martin are the new faces on the bench.  

The 4-2 Broncos’ three-game winning run was also halted in Round 6, courtesy of a 26-16 defeat to a Roosters side they had put 50 points on five weeks earlier. Reece Walsh continues to struggle to find form in the Broncos’ No.1  

Jordan Riki returns from suspension for the Broncos in time to replace the suspended (and injured) Jack Gosiewski. Tyson Smoothy takes Martin Taupau’s place on the pine.  

The Warriors won their sole clash against the Broncos in 2024 – 32-16 at Mt Smart with the visitors missing Walsh, Reynolds, Haas, Carrigan and Riki – in a bounce-back from a 60-point loss on the Gold Coast a week earlier. The Broncos won their previous three on New Zealand soil.  

There has to be a question mark over the Warriors’ ability to match Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan up front with JFH sidelined, while fledgling halves pairing Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita were thoroughly outplayed by their top-tier opponents last week. 

But another Mt Smart sell-out should be worth a few points to the Warriors, particularly in light of their gritty wins over Manly and the Roosters there so far in 2025 – expect this to go down to the wire.   

Tip: Back the Broncos to Win by 1-12 Points @ $2.95 

SGM: WARRIORS +8.5 / UNDER 47.5 TOTAL POINTS / KOTONI STAGGS ANYTIME TRYSCORER / ALI LEIATAUA ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $30.58 

Sydney Roosters’ 38-32 victory over Penrith in Round 2 – ending an eight-match losing streak against the four-time premiers – was hailed as one of the biggest regular-season upsets of the modern era.  

That result may be viewed through a different lens as the teams come together again just five weeks later, with the Panthers’ dynasty under severe threat courtesy of five straight losses.   

Penrith has conceded 22-plus points in every game this season and hit a new 2025 low courtesy of a comprehensive 30-12 defat to the Dolphins, despite the return of influential fullback Dylan Edwards.  

The Roosters lost their next three games after toppling the Panthers, but they pulled off another boilover in Round 6 with a 26-16 defeat of the Broncos in a fiery Suncorp Stadium encounter.  

Hugo Savala shone after supplanting Chad Townsend in the No.7, while Billy Smith and James Tedesco were outstanding. Coming off a highly-publicised sideline confrontation last weekend, expect fireworks as Spener Leniu comes up against his former club.  

Mark Nawaqanitawase returns from injury at centre with Smith suspsended in the Roosters’ only change. The Panthers welcome hooker Mitch Kenny back, while Casey McLean and Luke Garner are the centres this week with Izack Tago going to the bench and Tom Jenkins to the wing.  

The Panthers are tentative $1.68 favourites to belatedly turn their campaign around. There’s a sense it has to happen eventually, but their defensive shortcomings have been getting increasingly glaring.  

Both teams’ recent matches have trended towards the under and this shapes as a low-scoring dogfight, in contrast to their freewheeling thriller in Round 2.  

Tip: Under 46.5 Total Points @ $1.90 

SGM: EITHER TEAM BY UNDER 10.5 / PANTHERS UNDER 24.5 TOTAL POINTS / DYLAN EDWARDS ANYTIME TRYSCORER / ROBERT TOIA ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.77 

Coming off consecutive heavy losses, Gold Coast Titans will look to recalibrate against a visiting Canberra Raiders side that is in ominous form.  

The Titans looked every bit the finals contender in their wins over the Knights and Roosters, but they barely fired a shot over the past fortnight in defeats to the Dolphins (36-10) and Dragons (38-16) – a concerning return to the threadbare defence that has plagued the club for years.  

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s return from suspension is a godsend, while Jojo Fifita and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui are back from injury. Phil Sami goes to centre and Beau Fermor to the second-row. Brock Gray, Arama Hau and Allan Fitzgibbon are the players to drop out of the Titans’ 17. 

The Raiders avoided three straight losses with a last-minute escape against Cronulla in Round 5 and parlayed that into a 50-12 Darwin romp against Parramatta, with Hudson Young in devastating touch and their outside-backs revelling in the platform laid by Joe Tapine and Corey Horsburgh.  

Zac Hosking is back from a four-game injury layoff, bumping Simi Sasagi out of the side in the Raiders’ only change.  

The Raiders have won nine of their last 10 against the Titans, though their current run of four straight victories were all by eight points or less (three by four points or less) – including a 21-20 result at GIO Stadium in Round 6 last year via of a golden point field goal from ex-Gold Coast halfback Jamal Fogarty. 

That rivalry disparity and the teams’ contrasting current momentum suggests the Raiders are excellent value as only a slight favourite.  

Tip: Back the Raiders to Win @ $1.75 

SGM: RAIDERS -3.5 / OVER 51.5 TOTAL POINTS / XAVIER SAVAGE TO SCORE 2 OR MORE TRIES / JAYLAN DE GROOT ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $24.99 

Newcastle is on the ropes, struggling for points and staring down the barrel of four straight losses for the first time since 2022 as Cronulla rolls into town.  

After winning their first two, the Knights have scored just 10 points total in going down to the Titans, Bulldogs and Tigers – the latter at home by 20-4, with only a late try to Fletcher Sharpe saving them from back-to-back scoreless outings.  

Tyson Gamble is in at halfback for his first game of 2025, which sees Phoenix Crossland revert to hooker. James Schiller (concussion) is back on the wing for Kyle McCarthy, while Tyrone Thompson drops to the reserves with Tyson Frizell named at prop.  

The jury is still out on the 3-3 Sharks, but after being humbled by the Bulldogs and being pipped at the post by the Raiders, Craig Fitzgibbon’s side grafted out a 24-18 win over Manly in Perth last week with Will Kennedy on fire and Braydon Trindall displaying some promising signs.  

Addin Fonua-Blake has been named despite picking up a groin problem in Perth, meaning the Sharks will run with the same 17 at this stage.  

The Sharks have won four of their last five against the Knights. Last season’s sole encounter – in the Shire in Round 24 – saw Daniel Atkinson sink the Knights 19-18 with a golden point field goal.  

Cronulla is one of the NRL’s more reliable defensive units, making this a difficult assignment for the Knights to unlock Ponga, Best and co. and get the scoreboard ticking over again. Another halves reshuffle is unlikely to help the hosts.  

Tip: Back the Knights to Score Under 15.5 Total Points @ $2.00 

SGM: SHARKS -9.5 / UNDER 42.5 TOTAL POINTS / RONALDO MULITALO ANYTIME TRYSCORER / WILLIAM KENNEDY ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $20.91 

The Lachlan Galvin furore at Wests Tigers has overshadowed the Easter Monday grudge match against Parramatta, which nevertheless sees the long-suffering joint venture in the rare position of favourites against a struggling Eels team welcoming back their linchpin. 

After informing the club he will not be there beyond 2026, the Tigers sensationally axed Galvin from the line-up altogether. It’s an unwelcome distraction after the Tigers banked their third win of the season in impressive style on Sunday, 20-4 on the road against Newcastle.  

Adam Doueihi will partner Luai in the halves, with Brent Naden returning from injury in Doueihi’s centre spot. Jeral Skelton is injured again, which gives Luke Laulilii another chance on the wing.  

The Eels’ relief at getting off the mark against St George Illawarra 23-22 in Round 5 was short-lived. A side missing golden point hero Zac Lomax was pumped 50-12 by the Raiders in Darwin – the second half-century they have conceded already this season.  

While he can’t solve all their problems – particularly defensively – Mitch Moses’ return from injury is a colossal boost.  

Jack Williams and Kelma Tuilagi also return in the pack, while Matt Doorey and Luca Moretti come onto the bench. Joe Ofahengaue, Ryan Matterson, Charlie Guymer and Dean Hawkins make way. 

The Eels have won 10 of their last 13 against their western rivals, but the struggling Tigers snatched memorable Eastern Monday victories at CommBank in 2022 (21-20) and 2024 (17-16) – as well as a 32-6 blowout at this venue in Round 2 this year.   

The Galvin situation should galvanise the Tigers, at least in the short term as the likes of Luai aim to make an on-field statement to go with their social media snipes, while Terrell May and Fonua Pole have been hailed in some quarters as the NRL’s best front-row pairing so far in 2025.  

Moses should inspire improvement across the board, but not enough to spark an upset.  

Tip: Back the Tigers to Cover the Line (-2.5) @ $1.90 

SGM: TIGERS WIN / UNDER 47.5 TOTAL POINTS / STARFORD TO’A ANYTIME TRYSCORER / ISAIAH IONGI ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $38.44 

2024

A heavyweight showdown gets NRL Round 7 underway on Thursday night, while Canberra and Wests Tigers are searching for repeats of their 2023 upsets in Brisbane and Bathurst, respectively.

Canterbury will have atonement on their minds when they host Newcastle and the pressure builds on North Queensland ahead of a Sydney road trip for the second straight week.

Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm are coming off two-point wins last week before kicking off Round 7 at Allianz Stadium.

The 3-3 Roosters eased the pressure of three losses from their previous four games with a 22-20 win at Newcastle, despite the absence of some injured big guns.

Like their upset loss to Canterbury a week earlier, the Tricolours again started slowly but found a three-try burst in the first half set up the victory.

James Tedesco returns from concussion, pushing Round 6 man-of-the-match Joey Manu back to centre and Joseph Suaalii to the wing and Junior Pauga out of the side.

Egan Butcher comes onto the bench for Sitili Tupouniua (head knock) while Sam Walker is listed in the reserves.

Brandon Smith enjoyed his best game of the season against the Knights on the back of a platform laid by Manu, Victor Radley and Terrell May.

The 4-1 Storm have a share of the competition lead but made hard work of a 16-14 eclipse of the Bulldogs last Friday.

After leading 10-0 at halftime, their right edge was torn apart in a 15-minute collapse – but the Storm were good enough to escape via Shawn Blore’s 75th-minute try.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been named for his long-awaited first NRL appearance of the season this week, replacing Tui Kamikamica (calf) and Joe Chan comes onto the bench for Tepai Moeroa.

The Storm have won eight of their last nine against the Roosters, including wins at home (28-8) and away (30-16) during the 2023 regular season – with Xavier Coates grabbing hat-tricks in both – and a last-gasp 18-13 semi-final victory at AAMI Park.

The Roosters boast an 8-3 record at Allianz Stadium since its 2022 reopening, meanwhile, the Storm have won only two of their last seven on the road – including a loss in their only away game of 2024 so far to the Knights.

Neither title contender has fully hit their straps yet, though the Storm have been the more consistent of the pair.

The average margin in Melbourne’s games this season is 3.6 points and another nail-biter looms on Thursday with the under also looking likely.

Tip: Back Either Team to Win by Less than 10.5 Points @ $1.75

SGM: STORM +1.5 / UNDER 39.5 TOTAL POINTS / XAVIER COATES ANYTIME TRYSCORER / DANIEL TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.53

St George Illawarra is unquestionably an improved unit under Shane Flanagan, but consistency has been elusive amid an encouraging 3-3 start.

The Dragons outlasted Wests Tigers 24-12 at Campbelltown last Sunday, on the back of an inspired display from exiting winger Zac Lomax.

That result added to wins over Gold Coast and Manly – but after both previous victories, the Saints suffered losses by 20-plus margins to mid-level teams.

The Dragons get a chance to prove their week-to-week mettle against one of the NRL’s most reliable outfits.

The Warriors are on a four-match unbeaten run, recovering from 16-0 down in the first half and an eight-point deficit with a minute left to salvage a 22-all draw with Manly last Saturday.

It was arguably the Warriors’ worst game of the year overall, but their performance floor remains high enough to beat most teams in the competition on any given day.

Shaun Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad kept them in the game, as did a monumental defensive workload from an indefatigable pack.

Tidying up the uncustomary defensive lapses on both edges and simple errors will be Andrew Webster’s work-ons this week.

The Dragons’ only change sees Lomax move to centre for the injured Jack Bird with Christian Tuipolotu the new face on the wing.

The Warriors’ middle forward stocks have been further depleted by Jazz Tevaga’s injury. Adam Pompey joins the bench in their only change but expect a late reshuffle.

After struggling in this rivalry for almost 20 years, the Warriors have won seven of their last 10 against the Dragons.

They prevailed 48-18 in Wollongong in Round 17 last year – including a four-try haul from Dallin-Watene Zelezniak – and grinded out an ugly 18-6 win at home in Round 26.

DWZ also collected two tries against Manly, his seventh brace in 24 games, the Warriors’ two most cohesive attacking performances of 2024 were in their two games in Australia – they’ll be confident of picking apart a Saints defence that has leaked 30-plus points on three occasions.

Tip: Back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to Score 2 or More Tries @ $4.20

SGM: WARRIORS -5.5 / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KURT CAPEWELL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $25.16

After securing their first win since Mitchell Moses entered the casualty ward, Parramatta is aiming to stay in touch with the NRL’s front-runner with back-to-back victories. Meanwhile, the injury-hit Dolphins are striving to avoid consecutive losses for the first time in 2024 on trip to Darwin.

A makeshit halves combination of Dylan Brown and Daejarn Asi was crucial to the Eels’ 27-20 home win over the Cowboys in Round 6, arresting a two-game slide. Clint Gutherson and J’Maine Hopgood were also key contributors.

Rookie back Blaize Talagi gets a bench recall for Kelma Tuilagi in the Eels’ sole change.

Already reeling from Herbie Farnworth’s injury, the Dolphins lost Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 20 minutes into last Friday’s derby against the Broncos as a narrow 6-4 deficit unravelled into a 28-4 scoreline before they grabbed a couple of garbage-time tries in a 28-14 loss – their first since Round 1.

Isaiya Katoa’s ongoing development in the No.7 was once again the biggest positive takeaway, while Mark Nicholls and Jarrod Wallace were good off the bench.

Queensland Cup star Trai Fuller replaces the ‘Hammer’ at fullback, while Max Plath is back from suspension at lock and Sean O’Sullivan replaces the suspended Anthony Milford on the bench.

The teams’ only clash during the Dolphins’ debut season saw Parramatta romp to a 48-20 win on the Sunshine Coast, with Clint Gutherson and Will Penisini grabbing doubles.

This is the 10th time the Eels have taken a game to Darwin, where they won six of the first seven but crashed to losses to Queensland teams in the last two – 35-4 to the Cowboys in 2022 and 26-16 to the Broncos in 2023.

The Dolphins made hay through a cruisy (by the NRL’s standards, at least) opening-month schedule but with some key outs, this is their acid test – and they’ve been installed as 7.5-point underdogs here.

The Eels should find a way on Friday night, but with only one of nine games in Darwin producing more than 42 points (and each of the Dolphins’ last seven night games going under) that’s the direction for punters to head in this one.

Tip: Back Under 45.5 Total Points @ $1.90

SGM: EELS BY 1-12 POINTS / DOLPHINS UNDER 17.5 TOTAL POINTS / DYLAN BROWN ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JAMAYNE ISAAKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $66.49

Wests Tigers will be aiming to channel their giant-killing efforts in Bathurst last year as they look to regroup from a disappointing home loss in this showdown with three-time premiers Penrith.

The Tigers snared a memorable 12-8 win in torrential rain at the same venue in the teams’ only 2023 clash, with rookie fullback Jahream Bula the star in his second NRL game.

The battling joint venture has won three of its last seven against the Panthers.

But the 2-3 Tigers will need to drastically improve on their 24-12 defeat to the Dragons at Campbelltown last Sunday, described by coach Benji Marshall as their worst effort of the season.

Lachie Galvin returns from a two-game suspension at five-eighth in a massive boost, while Brent Naden is in the centres.

John Bateman, Samuela Fainu and Latu Fainu are all back; Solomona Faataape, Jayden Sullivan, Justin Matamua, Asu Kepaoa and Jake Simpkin are the players to drop out.

Coming off the bye, the 3-2 Panthers will look to atone for a disappointing 32-18 loss at Manly in Round 5.

It was one of their sloppier performances without linchpin Nathan Cleary, who remains sidelined, and the equal-most points Penrith has conceded since the start of last season.

Scott Sorensen is back for the Panthers, pushing Luke Garner to the bench and Matt Eisenhuth out of the 17.

Eight of the last Panthers-Tigers clashes produced totals of 36 points or less. The champs should take this one by a 14.5-point line appears a bit steep.

Tip: Back Under 41.5 Total Points @ $1.90

SGM: PANTHERS WIN / TIGERS +14.5 / JUNIOR TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER / SCOTT SORENSEN ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.74

Des Hasler coaches against Manly for the first time since his second stint on the northern beaches ended, but his top Round 7 priority will be building on last week’s season-best performance from his winless Gold Coast side.

The Titans were awful across their first four outings, conceding over 30 points per game on average and scoring just 10, but as a distant underdog in Canberra, they rallied from 12-0 and 20-10 down, finding two tries in the dying stages to force golden point before losing 21-20.

A knee injury has ruled Jayden Campbell out, with Phil Sami to return from injury at fullback.

AJ Brimson remains in the halves after Hasler dropped the axe on Tanah Boyd late last week – the Titans looked better for the change.

The Sea Eagles have underlined their top-four credentials in the past fortnight, overwhelming Penrith 32-18 at home before unluckily being held to a 22-all draw by the Warriors in Auckland last Saturday.

Giving up a 16-0 lead – and an eight-point buffer with only a minute left – was disappointing, but in hostile conditions against a quality team it was another step forward for Anthony Seibold. Daly Cherry-Evans was magnificent again.

Manly welcome Reuben Garrick, Jason Saab, Nathan Brown and Matt Lodge back. Suspended Josh Aloiai and injured duo Ben Trbojevic and Toafofoa Sipley are missing from last week’s line-up.

The Titans have won their last two against the Sea Eagles – a 44-24 result at home in late-2022 and a 26-10 victory at Brookvale in Round 9 last year, with rookie winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira grabbing a double in the latter.

Manly has won just two of its last eight outside Sydney, while Gold Coast has won just two of its last eight at Cbus Super Stadium.

The Sea Eagles are clearly the better side at present, while their returning contingent outweighs their list of outs. That might not be enough to justify an 8.5-point start, but a loss would surprise.

Tip: Back the Sea Eagles to Win by 1-12 Points @ $2.95

SGM: UNDER 47.5 TOTAL POINTS / TITANS +8.5 / ALOFIANA KHAN-PEREIRA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / LUKE BROOKS ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.54

A game of the round contender as a premiership hopeful Brisbane hosts surprise packet Canberra on Saturday night.

Grappling with a succession of injuries to their big guns, the 3-3 Broncos bounced back from a high-scoring heartbreaker against the Storm to overpower the Dolphins 28-14 with a dominant second half display.

Forward leader Patrick Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo – a revelation at centre – and the returning Reece Walsh were the derby standouts. The Broncos are unchanged as Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas remain sidelined.

The past two Sunday nights at home have certainly been eventful for the 4-2 Raiders, demolishing the Eels 41-8 before escaping with a last-gasp 21-20 golden point win over the lowly Titans after blowing a late 10-point lead in regulation time.

Man-of-the-match Jamal Fogarty and boom five-eighth Ethan Strange got the Green Machine home late in extra time, while Hudson Young also starred. Zac Hosking’s shoulder injury sees Atta Mariota get a second-row start at Suncorp Stadium and Simi Sasagi join the Raiders’ interchange.

Honours were split between the clubs last season, the Raiders inflicted the Broncos’ first loss of 2023 in Round 6 via a 20-14 boilover in Brisbane, while the Broncos turned the tables 29-18 in Canberra in Round 26.

This has been a high-scoring fixture in recent years with seven of the past eight producing 42-plus points.

The Broncos, $1.36 favourites, have won their last five at Suncorp by double-digit margins.

But the Raiders are arguably the most accomplished visitors to the venue so far in 2024 and their gritty defensive approach and enterprise with the ball in hand can ensure a close contest against the depleted hosts.

Tip: Back the Raiders to Cover the Line (+7.5) @ $1.96

SGM: BRONCOS BY 1-12 POINTS / OVER 44.5 TOTAL POINTS / REECE WALSH ANYTIME TRYSCORER / MATTHEW TIMOKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.58

Canterbury Bulldogs have indicated they are heading in the right direction over the past month with two wins and two gusty losses, while Newcastle Knights are still striving to prove they can still be the force that stormed into the 2023 playoffs.

Both teams take 2-4 records into this Sunday afternoon showdown.

The Bulldogs almost blew a big lead after a blistering start against the Roosters in Round 5, eventually getting up 30-26 against a shorthanded opponent. There was more to like about their 16-14 loss in Melbourne, fighting back from a 10-point deficit to hit the lead before conceding a late try.

Viliame Kikau is in devastating touch, while the fresh left-side combination of Bronson Xerri and Josh Addo-Carr terrorised the Storm out wide. A maligned pack – stiffened by the likes of Josh Curran – is punching above its weight.

Connor Tracey will start at fullback with Blake Taafe returning from concussion on the interchange, where Kurtis Morrin is also back from suspension. Jake Turpin and Kitione Kautoga drop out.

The Knights followed up wins over a depleted Storm (14-12) and the Dragons (30-10 in a wet-weather masterclass) with losses to the Warriors (20-12) and the injury-hit Roosters (22-20), respectively.

Kalyn Ponga remains the Knights’ fulcrum, while the likes of Bradman Best are intermittently dangerous and Jackson Hastings has made the most of his No.7 reprieve – but the team looks a way off recapturing their late-2023 magic.

The Knights have won five of their last six against the Bulldogs – including a pair of blowouts during the last 10 rounds of 2023. The Bulldogs were annihilated 66-0 at Accor Stadium and 42-6 in Newcastle

Expect those results to provide an extra spur for the Bulldogs to continue their recent resurgence.

Tip: Back the Bulldogs to Win @ $1.95

SGM: EITHER TEAM BY UNDER 6.5 POINTS / OVER 41.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRONSON XERRI ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KAI PEARCE-PAUL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $45.25

Cronulla and North Queensland occupy top-four spots after six rounds, but the jury remains out on both teams’ credentials to be considered anything more than second- or third-tier title contenders.

The 4-1 Sharks sit in first place, recovering from a horrific 32-6 loss to the Tigers by overcoming an 18-point deficit in a 36-22 win over the Raiders and outlasting Souths 34-22 either side of the Round 5 bye.

Ronaldo Mulitalo was outstanding against the Rabbitohs, while Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey also shone and Kayal Iro is cementing a spot in the centres.

But the Sharks will be striving to tighten up defensive after leaking plenty of points in their last three games.

Sam Stonestreet will debut on the wing for the suspended Sione Katoa this week, while Braden Hamlin-Uele joins the bench for his first game of 2024.

The 4-2 Cowboys are in serious danger of acquiring the flat-track bully tag that hounded the Sharks through 2023.

They’ve lapped the Dolphins, Dragons and Titans so far this season, but the past three rounds have also included a 38-12 drubbing from the Broncos and a 27-20 defeat to the depleted Eels.

The Cowboys are heavily reliant on brilliant fullback Scott Drinkwater, while the team has a penchant for drifting out of games and an unwillingness to roll up their sleeves and dig in for the arm-wrestle.

Their only change sees Semi Valemei replace injured winger Murray Taulagi.

The Sharks have won 10 of their last 11 against the Cowboys – the only exception being the extra-time qualifying final at home in 2022.

Last season the Sharks exacted revenge with a 44-6 rout in Sydney and a 32-12 victory in Townsville, with Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring three tries across the two games.

The Cowboys have travelled poorly since the start of last season, while the Sharks are on an 8-3 run at home – with each victory coming by 10-plus points.

The visitors are getting too much credit in this market as only a 3.5-point underdog and they’ll need a vastly improved effort to avoid getting lapped.

Tip: Back the Sharks to Cover the Line (-3.5) @ $1.90

SGM: SHARKS BY 11-20 POINTS / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRITON NIKORA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JEREMIAH NANAI ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ 65.84

A heavyweight showdown gets NRL Round 7 underway on Thursday night, while Canberra and Wests Tigers are searching for repeats of their 2023 upsets in Brisbane and Bathurst, respectively. 

Canterbury will have atonement on their minds when they host Newcastle and the pressure builds on North Queensland ahead of a Sydney road trip for the second straight week. 

Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm are coming off two-point wins last week before kicking off Round 7 at Allianz Stadium. 

The 3-3 Roosters eased the pressure of three losses from their previous four games with a 22-20 win at Newcastle, despite the absence of some injured big guns. Like their upset loss to Canterbury a week earlier, the Tricolours again started slowly but found a three-try burst in the first half set up the victory. 

James Tedesco returns from concussion, pushing Round 6 man-of-the-match Joey Manu back to centre and Joseph Suaalii to the wing and Junior Pauga out of the side. Egan Butcher comes onto the bench for Sitili Tupouniua (head knock) while Sam Walker is listed in the reserves. 

Brandon Smith enjoyed his best game of the season against the Knights on the back of a platform laid by Manu, Victor Radley and Terrell May. 

The 4-1 Storm have a share of the competition lead but made hard work of a 16-14 eclipse of the Bulldogs last Friday. After leading 10-0 at halftime, their right edge was torn apart in a 15-minute collapse – but the Storm were good enough to escape via Shawn Blore’s 75th-minute try. 

Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been named for his long-awaited first NRL appearance of the season this week, replacing Tui Kamikamica (calf). Joe Chan comes onto the bench for Tepai Moeroa. 

The Storm have won eight of their last nine against the Roosters, including wins at home (28-8) and away (30-16) during the 2023 regular season – with Xavier Coates grabbing hat-tricks in both – and a last-gasp 18-13 semi-final victory at AAMI Park. 

The Roosters boast an 8-3 record at Allianz Stadium since its 2022 reopening. Meanwhile, the Storm have won only two of their last seven on the road – including a loss in their only away game of 2024 so far to the Knights. 

Neither title contender has fully hit their straps yet, though the Storm have been the more consistent of the pair. The average margin in Melbourne’s games this season is 3.6 points and another nail-biter looms on Thursday with the under also looking likely. 

Tip: Back Either Team to Win by Less than 10.5 Points @ $1.75 

SGM: STORM +1.5 / UNDER 39.5 TOTAL POINTS / XAVIER COATES ANYTIME TRYSCORER / DANIEL TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.53 

St George Illawarra is unquestionably an improved unit under Shane Flanagan, but consistency has been elusive amid an encouraging 3-3 start. 

The Dragons outlasted Wests Tigers 24-12 at Campbelltown last Sunday, on the back of an inspired display from exiting winger Zac Lomax. The result added to wins over Gold Coast and Manly – but after both previous victories, the Saints suffered losses by 20-plus margins to mid-level teams. 

The Dragons get a chance to prove their week-to-week mettle against one of the NRL’s most reliable outfits. The Warriors are on a four-match unbeaten run, recovering from 16-0 down in the first half and an eight-point deficit with a minute left to salvage a 22-all draw with Manly last Saturday. 

It was arguably the Warriors’ worst game of the year overall, but their performance floor remains high enough to beat most teams in the competition on any given day. Shaun Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad kept them in the game, as did a monumental defensive workload from an indefatigable pack. 

Tidying up the uncustomary defensive lapses on both edges and simple errors will be Andrew Webster’s work-ons this week. 

The Dragons’ only change sees Lomax move to centre for the injured Jack Bird with Christian Tuipolotu the new face on the wing. 

The Warriors’ middle forward stocks have been further depleted by Jazz Tevaga’s injury. Adam Pompey joins the bench in their only change but expect a late reshuffle. 

After struggling in this rivalry for almost 20 years, the Warriors have won seven of their last 10 against the Dragons. They prevailed 48-18 in Wollongong in Round 17 last year – including a four-try haul from Dallin-Watene Zelezniak – and grinded out an ugly 18-6 win at home in Round 26. 

DWZ also collected two tries against Manly, his seventh brace in 24 games. The Warriors’ two most cohesive attacking performances of 2024 were in their two games in Australia – they’ll be confident of picking apart a Saints defence that has leaked 30-plus points on three occasions. 

Tip: Back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to Score 2 or More Tries @ $4.20 

SGM: WARRIORS -5.5 / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KURT CAPEWELL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $25.16 

After securing their first win since Mitchell Moses entered the casualty ward, Parramatta is aiming to stay in touch with the NRL’s front-runner with back-to-back victories. Meanwhile, the injury-hit Dolphins are striving to avoid consecutive losses for the first time in 2024 on trip to Darwin. 

A makeshit halves combination of Dylan Brown and Daejarn Asi was crucial to the Eels’ 27-20 home win over the Cowboys in Round 6, arresting a two-game slide. Clint Gutherson and J’Maine Hopgood were also key contributors. 

Rookie back Blaize Talagi gets a bench recall for Kelma Tuilagi in the Eels’ sole change. 

Already reeling from Herbie Farnworth’s injury, the Dolphins lost Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 20 minutes into last Friday’s derby against the Broncos as a narrow 6-4 deficit unravelled into a 28-4 scoreline before they grabbed a couple of garbage-time tries in a 28-14 loss – their first since Round 1. 

Isaiya Katoa’s ongoing development in the No.7 was once again the biggest positive takeaway, while Mark Nicholls and Jarrod Wallace were good off the bench. 

Queensland Cup star Trai Fuller replaces the ‘Hammer’ at fullback, while Max Plath is back from suspension at lock and Sean O’Sullivan replaces the suspended Anthony Milford on the bench. 

The teams’ only clash during the Dolphins’ debut season saw Parramatta romp to a 48-20 win on the Sunshine Coast, with Clint Gutherson and Will Penisini grabbing doubles. 

This is the 10th time the Eels have taken a game to Darwin. They won six of the first seven but crashed to losses to Queensland teams in the last two – 35-4 to the Cowboys in 2022 and 26-16 to the Broncos in 2023. 

The Dolphins made hay through a cruisy (by the NRL’s standards, at least) opening-month schedule. With some key outs, this is their acid test – and they’ve been installed as 7.5-point underdogs here. 

The Eels should find a way on Friday night, but with only one of nine games in Darwin producing more than 42 points (and each of the Dolphins’ last seven night games going under) that’s the direction for punters to head in this one. 

Tip: Back Under 45.5 Total Points @ $1.90 

SGM: EELS BY 1-12 POINTS / DOLPHINS UNDER 17.5 TOTAL POINTS / DYLAN BROWN ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JAMAYNE ISAAKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $66.49 

Wests Tigers will be aiming to channel their giant-killing efforts in Bathurst last year as they look to regroup from a disappointing home loss in this showdown with three-time premiers Penrith. 

The Tigers snared a memorable 12-8 win in torrential rain at the same venue in the teams’ only 2023 clash, with rookie fullback Jahream Bula the star in his second NRL game. The battling joint venture has won three of its last seven against the Panthers. 

But the 2-3 Tigers will need to drastically improve on their 24-12 defeat to the Dragons at Campbelltown last Sunday, described by coach Benji Marshall as their worst effort of the season. 

Lachie Galvin returns from a two-game suspension at five-eighth in a massive boost, while Brent Naden is in the centres. John Bateman, Samuela Fainu and Latu Fainu are all back; Solomona Faataape, Jayden Sullivan, Justin Matamua, Asu Kepaoa and Jake Simpkin are the players to drop out. 

Coming off the bye, the 3-2 Panthers will look to atone for a disappointing 32-18 loss at Manly in Round 5. It was one of their sloppier performances without linchpin Nathan Cleary, who remains sidelined, and the equal-most points Penrith has conceded since the start of last season. 

Scott Sorensen is back for the Panthers, pushing Luke Garner to the bench and Matt Eisenhuth out of the 17. 

Eight of the last Panthers-Tigers clashes produced totals of 36 points or less. The champs should take this one by a 14.5-point line appears a bit steep. 

Tip: Back Under 41.5 Total Points @ $1.90 

SGM: PANTHERS WIN / TIGERS +14.5 / JUNIOR TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER / SCOTT SORENSEN ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.74 

Des Hasler coaches against Manly for the first time since his second stint on the northern beaches ended, but his top Round 7 priority will be building on last week’s season-best performance from his winless Gold Coast side. 

The Titans were awful across their first four outings, conceding over 30 points per game on average and scoring just 10. But as a distant underdog in Canberra, they rallied from 12-0 and 20-10 down, finding two tries in the dying stages to force golden point before losing 21-20. 

A knee injury has ruled Jayden Campbell out, with Phil Sami to return from injury at fullback. AJ Brimson remains in the halves after Hasler dropped the axe on Tanah Boyd late last week – the Titans looked better for the change. 

The Sea Eagles have underlined their top-four credentials in the past fortnight, overwhelming Penrith 32-18 at home before unluckily being held to a 22-all draw by the Warriors in Auckland last Saturday. 

Giving up a 16-0 lead – and an eight-point buffer with only a minute left – was disappointing, but in hostile conditions against a quality team it was another step forward for Anthony Seibold. Daly Cherry-Evans was magnificent again. 

Manly welcome Reuben Garrick, Jason Saab, Nathan Brown and Matt Lodge back. Suspended Josh Aloiai and injured duo Ben Trbojevic and Toafofoa Sipley are missing from last week’s line-up. 

The Titans have won their last two against the Sea Eagles – a 44-24 result at home in late-2022 and a 26-10 victory at Brookvale in Round 9 last year, with rookie winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira grabbing a double in the latter. 

Manly has won just two of its last eight outside Sydney, while Gold Coast has won just two of its last eight at Cbus Super Stadium. 

The Sea Eagles are clearly the better side at present, while their returning contingent outweighs their list of outs. That might not be enough to justify an 8.5-point start, but a loss would surprise. 

Tip: Back the Sea Eagles to Win by 1-12 Points @ $2.95 

SGM: UNDER 47.5 TOTAL POINTS / TITANS +8.5 / ALOFIANA KHAN-PEREIRA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / LUKE BROOKS ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.54 

A game of the round contender as a premiership hopeful Brisbane hosts surprise packet Canberra on Saturday night. 

Grappling with a succession of injuries to their big guns, the 3-3 Broncos bounced back from a high-scoring heartbreaker against the Storm to overpower the Dolphins 28-14 with a dominant second half display. 

Forward leader Patrick Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo – a revelation at centre – and the returning Reece Walsh were the derby standouts. The Broncos are unchanged as Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas remain sidelined. 

The past two Sunday nights at home have certainly been eventful for the 4-2 Raiders, demolishing the Eels 41-8 before escaping with a last-gasp 21-20 golden point win over the lowly Titans after blowing a late 10-point lead in regulation time. 

Man-of-the-match Jamal Fogarty and boom five-eighth Ethan Strange got the Green Machine home late in extra time, while Hudson Young also starred. Zac Hosking’s shoulder injury sees Atta Mariota get a second-row start at Suncorp Stadium and Simi Sasagi join the Raiders’ interchange. 

Honours were split between the clubs last season. The Raiders inflicted the Broncos’ first loss of 2023 in Round 6 via a 20-14 boilover in Brisbane, while the Broncos turned the tables 29-18 in Canberra in Round 26. 

This has been a high-scoring fixture in recent years with seven of the past eight producing 42-plus points. 

The Broncos, $1.36 favourites, have won their last five at Suncorp by double-digit margins. 

But the Raiders are arguably the most accomplished visitors to the venue so far in 2024 and their gritty defensive approach and enterprise with the ball in hand can ensure a close contest against the depleted hosts. 

Tip: Back the Raiders to Cover the Line (+7.5) @ $1.96 

SGM: BRONCOS BY 1-12 POINTS / OVER 44.5 TOTAL POINTS / REECE WALSH ANYTIME TRYSCORER / MATTHEW TIMOKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.58 

Canterbury Bulldogs have indicated they are heading in the right direction over the past month with two wins and two gusty losses, while Newcastle Knights are still striving to prove they can still be the force that stormed into the 2023 playoffs. 

Both teams take 2-4 records into this Sunday afternoon showdown. 

The Bulldogs almost blew a big lead after a blistering start against the Roosters in Round 5, eventually getting up 30-26 against a shorthanded opponent. There was more to like about their 16-14 loss in Melbourne, fighting back from a 10-point deficit to hit the lead before conceding a late try. 

Viliame Kikau is in devastating touch, while the fresh left-side combination of Bronson Xerri and Josh Addo-Carr terrorised the Storm out wide. A maligned pack – stiffened by the likes of Josh Curran – is punching above its weight. 

Connor Tracey will start at fullback with Blake Taafe returning from concussion on the interchange, where Kurtis Morrin is also back from suspension. Jake Turpin and Kitione Kautoga drop out. 

The Knights followed up wins over a depleted Storm (14-12) and the Dragons (30-10 in a wet-weather masterclass) with losses to the Warriors (20-12) and the injury-hit Roosters (22-20), respectively. 

Kalyn Ponga remains the Knights’ fulcrum, while the likes of Bradman Best are intermittently dangerous and Jackson Hastings has made the most of his No.7 reprieve – but the team looks a way off recapturing their late-2023 magic. 

The Knights have won five of their last six against the Bulldogs – including a pair of blowouts during the last 10 rounds of 2023. The Bulldogs were annihilated 66-0 at Accor Stadium and 42-6 in Newcastle 

Expect those results to provide an extra spur for the Bulldogs to continue their recent resurgence. 

Tip: Back the Bulldogs to Win @ $1.95 

SGM: EITHER TEAM BY UNDER 6.5 POINTS / OVER 41.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRONSON XERRI ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KAI PEARCE-PAUL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $45.25 

Cronulla and North Queensland occupy top-four spots after six rounds, but the jury remains out on both teams’ credentials to be considered anything more than second- or third-tier title contenders. 

The 4-1 Sharks sit in first place, recovering from a horrific 32-6 loss to the Tigers by overcoming an 18-point deficit in a 36-22 win over the Raiders and outlasting Souths 34-22 either side of the Round 5 bye. 

Ronaldo Mulitalo was outstanding against the Rabbitohs, while Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey also shone and Kayal Iro is cementing a spot in the centres. But the Sharks will be striving to tighten up defensive after leaking plenty of points in their last three games. 

Sam Stonestreet will debut on the wing for the suspended Sione Katoa this week, while Braden Hamlin-Uele joins the bench for his first game of 2024. 

The 4-2 Cowboys are in serious danger of acquiring the flat-track bully tag that hounded the Sharks through 2023. They’ve lapped the Dolphins, Dragons and Titans so far this season, but the past three rounds have also included a 38-12 drubbing from the Broncos and a 27-20 defeat to the depleted Eels. 

The Cowboys are heavily reliant on brilliant fullback Scott Drinkwater, while the team has a penchant for drifting out of games and an unwillingness to roll up their sleeves and dig in for the arm-wrestle. Their only change sees Semi Valemei replace injured winger Murray Taulagi. 

The Sharks have won 10 of their last 11 against the Cowboys – the only exception being the extra-time qualifying final at home in 2022. Last season the Sharks exacted revenge with a 44-6 rout in Sydney and a 32-12 victory in Townsville, with Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring three tries across the two games. 

The Cowboys have travelled poorly since the start of last season, while the Sharks are on an 8-3 run at home – with each victory coming by 10-plus points. The visitors are getting too much credit in this market as only a 3.5-point underdog and they’ll need a vastly improved effort to avoid getting lapped. 

Tip: Back the Sharks to Cover the Line (-3.5) @ $1.90 

SGM: SHARKS BY 11-20 POINTS / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRITON NIKORA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JEREMIAH NANAI ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ 65.84 

A heavyweight showdown gets NRL Round 7 underway on Thursday night, while Canberra and Wests Tigers are searching for repeats of their 2023 upsets in Brisbane and Bathurst, respectively.

Canterbury will have atonement on their minds when they host Newcastle and the pressure builds on North Queensland ahead of a Sydney road trip for the second straight week.

Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm are coming off two-point wins last week before kicking off Round 7 at Allianz Stadium.

The 3-3 Roosters eased the pressure of three losses from their previous four games with a 22-20 win at Newcastle, despite the absence of some injured big guns. Like their upset loss to Canterbury a week earlier, the Tricolours again started slowly but found a three-try burst in the first half set up the victory.

James Tedesco returns from concussion, pushing Round 6 man-of-the-match Joey Manu back to centre and Joseph Suaalii to the wing and Junior Pauga out of the side. Egan Butcher comes onto the bench for Sitili Tupouniua (head knock) while Sam Walker is listed in the reserves.

Brandon Smith enjoyed his best game of the season against the Knights on the back of a platform laid by Manu, Victor Radley and Terrell May.

The 4-1 Storm have a share of the competition lead but made hard work of a 16-14 eclipse of the Bulldogs last Friday. After leading 10-0 at halftime, their right edge was torn apart in a 15-minute collapse – but the Storm were good enough to escape via Shawn Blore’s 75th-minute try.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been named for his long-awaited first NRL appearance of the season this week, replacing Tui Kamikamica (calf). Joe Chan comes onto the bench for Tepai Moeroa.

The Storm have won eight of their last nine against the Roosters, including wins at home (28-8) and away (30-16) during the 2023 regular season – with Xavier Coates grabbing hat-tricks in both – and a last-gasp 18-13 semi-final victory at AAMI Park.

The Roosters boast an 8-3 record at Allianz Stadium since its 2022 reopening. Meanwhile, the Storm have won only two of their last seven on the road – including a loss in their only away game of 2024 so far to the Knights.

Neither title contender has fully hit their straps yet, though the Storm have been the more consistent of the pair. The average margin in Melbourne’s games this season is 3.6 points and another nail-biter looms on Thursday with the under also looking likely.

Tip: Back Either Team to Win by Less than 10.5 Points @ $1.75

SGM: STORM +1.5 / UNDER 39.5 TOTAL POINTS / XAVIER COATES ANYTIME TRYSCORER / DANIEL TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.53

St George Illawarra is unquestionably an improved unit under Shane Flanagan, but consistency has been elusive amid an encouraging 3-3 start.

The Dragons outlasted Wests Tigers 24-12 at Campbelltown last Sunday, on the back of an inspired display from exiting winger Zac Lomax. The result added to wins over Gold Coast and Manly – but after both previous victories, the Saints suffered losses by 20-plus margins to mid-level teams.

The Dragons get a chance to prove their week-to-week mettle against one of the NRL’s most reliable outfits. The Warriors are on a four-match unbeaten run, recovering from 16-0 down in the first half and an eight-point deficit with a minute left to salvage a 22-all draw with Manly last Saturday.

It was arguably the Warriors’ worst game of the year overall, but their performance floor remains high enough to beat most teams in the competition on any given day. Shaun Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad kept them in the game, as did a monumental defensive workload from an indefatigable pack.

Tidying up the uncustomary defensive lapses on both edges and simple errors will be Andrew Webster’s work-ons this week.

The Dragons’ only change sees Lomax move to centre for the injured Jack Bird with Christian Tuipolotu the new face on the wing.

The Warriors’ middle forward stocks have been further depleted by Jazz Tevaga’s injury. Adam Pompey joins the bench in their only change but expect a late reshuffle.

After struggling in this rivalry for almost 20 years, the Warriors have won seven of their last 10 against the Dragons. They prevailed 48-18 in Wollongong in Round 17 last year – including a four-try haul from Dallin-Watene Zelezniak – and grinded out an ugly 18-6 win at home in Round 26.

DWZ also collected two tries against Manly, his seventh brace in 24 games. The Warriors’ two most cohesive attacking performances of 2024 were in their two games in Australia – they’ll be confident of picking apart a Saints defence that has leaked 30-plus points on three occasions.

Tip: Back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to Score 2 or More Tries @ $4.20

SGM: WARRIORS -5.5 / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KURT CAPEWELL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $25.16

After securing their first win since Mitchell Moses entered the casualty ward, Parramatta is aiming to stay in touch with the NRL’s front-runner with back-to-back victories. Meanwhile, the injury-hit Dolphins are striving to avoid consecutive losses for the first time in 2024 on trip to Darwin.

A makeshit halves combination of Dylan Brown and Daejarn Asi was crucial to the Eels’ 27-20 home win over the Cowboys in Round 6, arresting a two-game slide. Clint Gutherson and J’Maine Hopgood were also key contributors.

Rookie back Blaize Talagi gets a bench recall for Kelma Tuilagi in the Eels’ sole change.

Already reeling from Herbie Farnworth’s injury, the Dolphins lost Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 20 minutes into last Friday’s derby against the Broncos as a narrow 6-4 deficit unravelled into a 28-4 scoreline before they grabbed a couple of garbage-time tries in a 28-14 loss – their first since Round 1.

Isaiya Katoa’s ongoing development in the No.7 was once again the biggest positive takeaway, while Mark Nicholls and Jarrod Wallace were good off the bench.

Queensland Cup star Trai Fuller replaces the ‘Hammer’ at fullback, while Max Plath is back from suspension at lock and Sean O’Sullivan replaces the suspended Anthony Milford on the bench.

The teams’ only clash during the Dolphins’ debut season saw Parramatta romp to a 48-20 win on the Sunshine Coast, with Clint Gutherson and Will Penisini grabbing doubles.

This is the 10th time the Eels have taken a game to Darwin. They won six of the first seven but crashed to losses to Queensland teams in the last two – 35-4 to the Cowboys in 2022 and 26-16 to the Broncos in 2023.

The Dolphins made hay through a cruisy (by the NRL’s standards, at least) opening-month schedule. With some key outs, this is their acid test – and they’ve been installed as 7.5-point underdogs here.

The Eels should find a way on Friday night, but with only one of nine games in Darwin producing more than 42 points (and each of the Dolphins’ last seven night games going under) that’s the direction for punters to head in this one.

Tip: Back Under 45.5 Total Points @ $1.90

SGM: EELS BY 1-12 POINTS / DOLPHINS UNDER 17.5 TOTAL POINTS / DYLAN BROWN ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JAMAYNE ISAAKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $66.49

Wests Tigers will be aiming to channel their giant-killing efforts in Bathurst last year as they look to regroup from a disappointing home loss in this showdown with three-time premiers Penrith.

The Tigers snared a memorable 12-8 win in torrential rain at the same venue in the teams’ only 2023 clash, with rookie fullback Jahream Bula the star in his second NRL game. The battling joint venture has won three of its last seven against the Panthers.

But the 2-3 Tigers will need to drastically improve on their 24-12 defeat to the Dragons at Campbelltown last Sunday, described by coach Benji Marshall as their worst effort of the season.

Lachie Galvin returns from a two-game suspension at five-eighth in a massive boost, while Brent Naden is in the centres. John Bateman, Samuela Fainu and Latu Fainu are all back; Solomona Faataape, Jayden Sullivan, Justin Matamua, Asu Kepaoa and Jake Simpkin are the players to drop out.

Coming off the bye, the 3-2 Panthers will look to atone for a disappointing 32-18 loss at Manly in Round 5. It was one of their sloppier performances without linchpin Nathan Cleary, who remains sidelined, and the equal-most points Penrith has conceded since the start of last season.

Scott Sorensen is back for the Panthers, pushing Luke Garner to the bench and Matt Eisenhuth out of the 17.

Eight of the last Panthers-Tigers clashes produced totals of 36 points or less. The champs should take this one by a 14.5-point line appears a bit steep.

Tip: Back Under 41.5 Total Points @ $1.90

SGM: PANTHERS WIN / TIGERS +14.5 / JUNIOR TUPOU ANYTIME TRYSCORER / SCOTT SORENSEN ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.74

Des Hasler coaches against Manly for the first time since his second stint on the northern beaches ended, but his top Round 7 priority will be building on last week’s season-best performance from his winless Gold Coast side.

The Titans were awful across their first four outings, conceding over 30 points per game on average and scoring just 10. But as a distant underdog in Canberra, they rallied from 12-0 and 20-10 down, finding two tries in the dying stages to force golden point before losing 21-20.

A knee injury has ruled Jayden Campbell out, with Phil Sami to return from injury at fullback. AJ Brimson remains in the halves after Hasler dropped the axe on Tanah Boyd late last week – the Titans looked better for the change.

The Sea Eagles have underlined their top-four credentials in the past fortnight, overwhelming Penrith 32-18 at home before unluckily being held to a 22-all draw by the Warriors in Auckland last Saturday.

Giving up a 16-0 lead – and an eight-point buffer with only a minute left – was disappointing, but in hostile conditions against a quality team it was another step forward for Anthony Seibold. Daly Cherry-Evans was magnificent again.

Manly welcome Reuben Garrick, Jason Saab, Nathan Brown and Matt Lodge back. Suspended Josh Aloiai and injured duo Ben Trbojevic and Toafofoa Sipley are missing from last week’s line-up.

The Titans have won their last two against the Sea Eagles – a 44-24 result at home in late-2022 and a 26-10 victory at Brookvale in Round 9 last year, with rookie winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira grabbing a double in the latter.

Manly has won just two of its last eight outside Sydney, while Gold Coast has won just two of its last eight at Cbus Super Stadium.

The Sea Eagles are clearly the better side at present, while their returning contingent outweighs their list of outs. That might not be enough to justify an 8.5-point start, but a loss would surprise.

Tip: Back the Sea Eagles to Win by 1-12 Points @ $2.95

SGM: UNDER 47.5 TOTAL POINTS / TITANS +8.5 / ALOFIANA KHAN-PEREIRA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / LUKE BROOKS ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $35.54

A game of the round contender as a premiership hopeful Brisbane hosts surprise packet Canberra on Saturday night.

Grappling with a succession of injuries to their big guns, the 3-3 Broncos bounced back from a high-scoring heartbreaker against the Storm to overpower the Dolphins 28-14 with a dominant second half display.

Forward leader Patrick Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo – a revelation at centre – and the returning Reece Walsh were the derby standouts. The Broncos are unchanged as Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas remain sidelined.

The past two Sunday nights at home have certainly been eventful for the 4-2 Raiders, demolishing the Eels 41-8 before escaping with a last-gasp 21-20 golden point win over the lowly Titans after blowing a late 10-point lead in regulation time.

Man-of-the-match Jamal Fogarty and boom five-eighth Ethan Strange got the Green Machine home late in extra time, while Hudson Young also starred. Zac Hosking’s shoulder injury sees Atta Mariota get a second-row start at Suncorp Stadium and Simi Sasagi join the Raiders’ interchange.

Honours were split between the clubs last season. The Raiders inflicted the Broncos’ first loss of 2023 in Round 6 via a 20-14 boilover in Brisbane, while the Broncos turned the tables 29-18 in Canberra in Round 26.

This has been a high-scoring fixture in recent years with seven of the past eight producing 42-plus points.

The Broncos, $1.36 favourites, have won their last five at Suncorp by double-digit margins.

But the Raiders are arguably the most accomplished visitors to the venue so far in 2024 and their gritty defensive approach and enterprise with the ball in hand can ensure a close contest against the depleted hosts.

Tip: Back the Raiders to Cover the Line (+7.5) @ $1.96

SGM: BRONCOS BY 1-12 POINTS / OVER 44.5 TOTAL POINTS / REECE WALSH ANYTIME TRYSCORER / MATTHEW TIMOKO ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $27.58

Canterbury Bulldogs have indicated they are heading in the right direction over the past month with two wins and two gusty losses, while Newcastle Knights are still striving to prove they can still be the force that stormed into the 2023 playoffs.

Both teams take 2-4 records into this Sunday afternoon showdown.

The Bulldogs almost blew a big lead after a blistering start against the Roosters in Round 5, eventually getting up 30-26 against a shorthanded opponent. There was more to like about their 16-14 loss in Melbourne, fighting back from a 10-point deficit to hit the lead before conceding a late try.

Viliame Kikau is in devastating touch, while the fresh left-side combination of Bronson Xerri and Josh Addo-Carr terrorised the Storm out wide. A maligned pack – stiffened by the likes of Josh Curran – is punching above its weight.

Connor Tracey will start at fullback with Blake Taafe returning from concussion on the interchange, where Kurtis Morrin is also back from suspension. Jake Turpin and Kitione Kautoga drop out.

The Knights followed up wins over a depleted Storm (14-12) and the Dragons (30-10 in a wet-weather masterclass) with losses to the Warriors (20-12) and the injury-hit Roosters (22-20), respectively.

Kalyn Ponga remains the Knights’ fulcrum, while the likes of Bradman Best are intermittently dangerous and Jackson Hastings has made the most of his No.7 reprieve – but the team looks a way off recapturing their late-2023 magic.

The Knights have won five of their last six against the Bulldogs – including a pair of blowouts during the last 10 rounds of 2023. The Bulldogs were annihilated 66-0 at Accor Stadium and 42-6 in Newcastle

Expect those results to provide an extra spur for the Bulldogs to continue their recent resurgence.

Tip: Back the Bulldogs to Win @ $1.95

SGM: EITHER TEAM BY UNDER 6.5 POINTS / OVER 41.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRONSON XERRI ANYTIME TRYSCORER / KAI PEARCE-PAUL ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ $45.25

Cronulla and North Queensland occupy top-four spots after six rounds, but the jury remains out on both teams’ credentials to be considered anything more than second- or third-tier title contenders.

The 4-1 Sharks sit in first place, recovering from a horrific 32-6 loss to the Tigers by overcoming an 18-point deficit in a 36-22 win over the Raiders and outlasting Souths 34-22 either side of the Round 5 bye.

Ronaldo Mulitalo was outstanding against the Rabbitohs, while Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey also shone and Kayal Iro is cementing a spot in the centres. But the Sharks will be striving to tighten up defensive after leaking plenty of points in their last three games.

Sam Stonestreet will debut on the wing for the suspended Sione Katoa this week, while Braden Hamlin-Uele joins the bench for his first game of 2024.

The 4-2 Cowboys are in serious danger of acquiring the flat-track bully tag that hounded the Sharks through 2023. They’ve lapped the Dolphins, Dragons and Titans so far this season, but the past three rounds have also included a 38-12 drubbing from the Broncos and a 27-20 defeat to the depleted Eels.

The Cowboys are heavily reliant on brilliant fullback Scott Drinkwater, while the team has a penchant for drifting out of games and an unwillingness to roll up their sleeves and dig in for the arm-wrestle. Their only change sees Semi Valemei replace injured winger Murray Taulagi.

The Sharks have won 10 of their last 11 against the Cowboys – the only exception being the extra-time qualifying final at home in 2022. Last season the Sharks exacted revenge with a 44-6 rout in Sydney and a 32-12 victory in Townsville, with Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring three tries across the two games.

The Cowboys have travelled poorly since the start of last season, while the Sharks are on an 8-3 run at home – with each victory coming by 10-plus points. The visitors are getting too much credit in this market as only a 3.5-point underdog and they’ll need a vastly improved effort to avoid getting lapped.

Tip: Back the Sharks to Cover the Line (-3.5) @ $1.90

SGM: SHARKS BY 11-20 POINTS / OVER 43.5 TOTAL POINTS / BRITON NIKORA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JEREMIAH NANAI ANYTIME TRYSCORER @ 65.84

2022

NRL Round 7 dishes up a smorgasbord of mouth-watering showdowns over five days.

The ‘Battle of the Beaches’, a clash between two sides on lengthy losing runs, a mid-table Queensland derby and Wests Tigers’ bid to back up the upset of the season lead into one of the great days on the NRL schedule: the traditional Anzac Day clashes in Sydney and Melbourne.

Beach-dwelling rivals Cronulla and Manly head into the Round 7 opener with identical 4-2 records.

The Sharks have earned far more plaudits in 2022 so far but are coming off a 34-18 loss to the benchmark Storm. The Sea Eagles have crafted a four-match winning streak with a minimum of fuss – including their last two games without marquee fullback Tom Trbojevic – after a slow start.

The Sharks lost few admirers on Saturday night in a high-quality clash. Nicho Hynes and Will Kennedy continue to shine in the spine, while Siosifa Talakai has been an absolute revelation at centre, scoring a try at AAMI Park and laying on both of winger Ronaldo Mulitalo’s.

Manly fell away in the second half against Gold Coast last week after leading 24-4 at the break but still did enough to win 26-18. Second-rower Haumole Olakau’atu starred with two tries and Daly Cherry-Evans’ purple patch of form continued, while Kieran Foran was at his potent, digging-into-the-line best.

Reuben Garrick may not be as explosive at ‘Turbo’, but there’s no question the goalkicking winger is an NRL-quality fullback.

The Sharks have lost key forwards Dale Finucane (HIA) and Braden Hamlin-Uele (pec) to injury, with Cameron McInnes and Aiden Tolman set to start and Royce Hunt joining the bench. Sione Katoa and Briton Nikora return from a week off.

Morgan Harper returns for Manly from a COVID break, pushing Tolutau Koula to the reserves. Josh Aloiai and Sean Keppie have been ruled out, which sees Taniela Paseka promoted to start and Ethan Bullemor and Kurt De Luis join the bench.

The Sea Eagles have won 18 of their last 21 against the Sharks, including a 40-22 late-season win in Brisbane in 2021 featuring a Tom Trbojevic hat-trick and a Jason Saab double. The clubs’ last six clashes averaged 54 points.

Cronulla’s engine-room absentees open the door for a Manly upset in what shapes as an absorbing duel. The Sharks’ potent three-quarter line is a trump card but expect this one to be decided by a converted try or less in the Shire.

Tip: Back the Sea Eagles to Cover the Line (+6 Points) @ $2.00

SGM: EITHER TEAM BY LESS THAN 6.5 POINTS / SEA EAGLES OVER 14.5 POINTS / RONALDO MULITALO TO SCORE 1ST OR 2ND TRY @ $23.03

Brisbane and Canterbury square off for the second time this season. The Broncos grafted out a 16-10 victory at Accor Stadium in Round 2 with two-try hero Herbie Farnworth a clear man-of-the-match and Matt Burton impressive for the Bulldogs.

Neither team has won a game since. But both were better than big Round 6 scorelines against high-profile teams suggested.

The 2-4 Broncos were overrun by the pace-setting Panthers 40-12 last week, with Payne Haas’ absence palpable and Tesi Niu succumbing to injury. Revitalised Kotoni Staggs’ performance was a big positive.

The 1-5 Bulldogs have slipped into last spot. After a strong start, they fell apart against the Rabbitohs on Friday after conceding three tries while in-form hooker Jeremy Marshall-King was in the sin-bin – eventually going down 36-16.

Big changes to the Broncos’ spine this week. Te Maire Martin makes a stunning return to the NRL for the first time since 2019 at fullback with Niu out for 10 weeks. Meanwhile, Tyson Gamble has been picked at five-eighth with Billy Walters dropping to the bench, and Cory Paix replaces injured rake Jake Turpin.

Payne Haas and Thomas Flegler both return from suspension to bolster the Brisbane pack. Braidon Burns and Chris Patolo have both been ruled out, replaced by Aaron Schoupp and Corey Waddell, respectively.

The Broncos have won their last six straight against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium, including the last three by margins of 18-plus. Last season the Dogs were blanked 24-0 in Brisbane – though there are only a handful of survivors from either side.

The Bulldogs’ lack of attacking potency is their Achilles heel, but they scored three tries for the first time in 2022 against Souths and should get a bit of leeway from a Broncos defence that has conceded 30.5 points on average in their last four games.

The disruption to the Broncos’ spine is a concern, but Adam Reynolds and Haas should lead the hosts to another hard-earned win over the Dogs.

Tip: Back the Broncos to win by 1-12 @ $2.70

SGM: BRONCOS WIN / OVER 38.5 POINTS / SELWYN COBBO ANYTIME TRY SCORER / JOSH ADDO-CARR ANYTIME TRY SCORER @ $23.31

North Queensland has sneaked into the Top 8 on the back of an 18-12 comeback victory in Canberra last Thursday. Jason Taumalolo turned in a vintage display with 255 metres while Valentine Holmes continues to be one of the NRL’s form centres.

The 3-3 Cowboys rank in the competition’s top three for possession, completions and running metres, while only the Panthers have conceded less points.

Despite winning only two games, Gold Coast has scored the sixth-most points in the league. But their exciting offence is countered by inconsistency on both sides of the ball and questionable defensive resolve, leaking 22 points per game.

It was four tries apiece as the Titans went down 26-18 to Manly in Round 6, but they never genuinely threatened to win the game after falling behind by 20 points at halftime.

Griffin Neame is back from concussion for the Cowboys, with Connelly Lemuelu the player dropping out. The Titans are unchanged. First-choice fullbacks Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Jayden Campbell are among the reserves for their respective teams as they work their way back from injury.

After losing their previous 10 against the Cowboys, the Titans have won the teams’ last three encounters by 20-plus margins. Last season the Titans won a Round 3 clash in Townsville 44-8 and prevailed 36-14 in Townsville in Round 21, with AJ Brimson and David Fifita both scoring in both games.

This is a fascinating litmus test to judge where both teams are at – and it’s not surprising to see them almost at even money head-to-head. The Titans are on a five-match losing streak on the road, however, and the Cowboys have shown a greater capacity to keep their head in the game for 80 minutes.

Tip: Back the Cowboys to Win @ $1.87

SGM: 1ST HALF POINTS OVER 20.5 / COWBOYS -3.5 / KYLE FELDT ANYTIME TRY SCORER / AJ BRIMSON ANYTIME TRY SCORER @ $23.51

Embattled Wests Tigers got off the mark for 2022 in magnificent style on Easter Monday – but they need to back it up on a five-day turnaround against a South Sydney outfit that is building nicely.

The Tigers stunned Parramatta 21-20 with Jackson Hastings’ return at the heart of the turnaround. The feisty No.7 had a hand in all four tries and nailed the last-second field goal to win the game. Daine Laurie and Luke Brooks produced their best performances of the campaign so far, while David Nofoaluma and Luciano Leilua were also superb.

The 3-3 Rabbitohs followed up their 24-12 win over the Dragons with a 36-16 Good Friday victory over the Bulldogs, weathering an early storm to blow the cellar dwellers away on the back of a Damien Cook hat-trick. It was an encouraging display with marquee fullback Latrell Mitchell out, while Lachlan Ilias is developing at halfback impressively.

The Tigers have named the same 17. The Rabbitohs’ only change sees Davvy Moale return to the bench for Round 6 debutant Isaiah Tass.

Souths have won their last four against Wests Tigers, though three of those were by eight points or less. In 2021 the Rabbitohs won their Round 6 encounter 18-14 in a dramatic golden point thriller, before cruising to a 38-22 victory in Round 16 with Alex Johnston and Campbell Graham both posting doubles.

Since Round 19 of 2020, South Sydney has only lost one game outside of its matches against Penrith and Melbourne: the season-opening ambush against Brisbane. The Tigers are getting a generous start here, but with three less days’ rest they are set for a bit of a comedown from Monday’s euphoric result.

Tip: Back the Rabbitohs to Cover the Line (-11.5 Points) @ $1.90

SGM: RABBITOHS WIN / 1ST HALF RABBITOHS -5.5 / ALEX JOHNSTON TO SCORE 2 OR MORE TRIES / OVER 41.5 POINTS @ $7.70

Newcastle’s bid to halt a four-game slide has not been made any easier by Parramatta’s shock loss on Monday.

The Knights would have been confident of rediscovering their form of the opening fortnight in Round 6 after losing three straight to big guns Penrith, Cronulla and Manly. But they were rolled 21-16 late by the out-of-sorts Dragons and are looking more like also-rans with each passing week.

Kalyn Ponga exploded back to form in Wollongong with a dynamic, super-involved display, but his contract saga continues to weigh on the club. Late Round 6 withdrawal Adam Clune returns to the Knights’ halves in a key boost this week – but it’s their forward pack that needs to lift.

The Eels weren’t overly poor in getting pipped by the Tigers, but they weren’t willing enough to get into the grind with a team playing out of their skin – instead relying on their superior talent to stay in the game.

Junior Paulo is back from suspension for the Eels, while Marata Niukore’s absence sees Will Penisini move to centre and Hayze Perham start on the wing. Jakob Arthur has been named on the interchange at the expense of Mitch Rein.

Parramatta is on a four-match winning streak against Newcastle, including a hard-fought 28-20 qualifying final victory in Rockhampton last September. Enari Tuala bagged a hat-trick in a losing Knights effort.

The Eels’ Round 6 loss was something of an outlier – in recent seasons they have generally been good at accounting for the NRL’s lesser lights. The Knights certainly fall into that category at present and should be bracing to feel the full brunt of the chastened blue-and-golds’ frustration.

Tip: Back the Eels to Cover the Line (-8.5 Points) @ $1.90

SGM: EELS/EELS HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME / SHAUN LANE ANYTIME TRY SCORER / MITCHELL MOSES ANYTIME TRY SCORER @ $18.77

It’s difficult to see Penrith suffering the first loss of its title defence to anyone bar Melbourne. The Panthers have steamrolled all comers on their way to a 6-0 record, going 5-1 against the line with five victories by 14 points or more.

Perhaps lucky to escape with a fine for an ugly tackle, Nathan Cleary absolutely sparkled in the Panthers’ 40-12 defeat of the Broncos’ last Friday. Rookies Taylan May (seven tries in four games) and Izack Tago (five tries in six games) are having a field day out wide in this Penrith machine.

At the other end of the spectrum, where to now for Canberra? The Raiders are 2-4 and coming off a dismal 18-12 home loss to the Cowboys after leading by 12. There’s pockets of positivity but the Raiders have struggled to play more than 40 minutes of decent footy in any game this year.

Ricky Stuart has reshuffled his misfiring backline, with Xavier Savage coming onto the wing, Jordan Rapana moving to fullback and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad reverting to the bench. Potential debutant Harry Rushton has been named on the interchange with Hudson Young and Emre Guler among the reserves.

Penrith has won six of its last eight against Canberra, including convincing results at home in the teams’ sole clashes in 2020 (28-12) and 2021 (30-10).

The Raiders’ pack, on the whole, is performing nowhere near its reputation in 2022. That doesn’t bode well for a road trip to face the most relentless batch of forwards in the comp. Neither does the mismatch in the No.7 jumper and the cohesion of the respective teams’ backlines. A blowout looms.

Tip: Back the Panthers to Cover the Line (-18.5 Points) and Over 41.5 Points @ $4.75

SGM: PANTHERS BY 21-30 / PANTHERS OVER 28.5 / IZACK TAGO ANYTIME TRY SCORER @ $2.05

One the grandest occasions on the rugby league calendar, the traditional Anzac Day fixture between St George Illawarra and Sydney Roosters, shapes as being especially vital in the context of both clubs’ campaigns.

The 4-2 Roosters have won three straight, but they struggled to put away the Broncos and Warriors in narrow victories in the past two rounds – and they got plenty of help from the officials last Sunday. Some big moments from Sam Walker and an authoritative forward-pack display were the positive takeaways.

The Dragons arrested a four-game slide with a thrilling 21-16 win over the Knights in Wollongong, with Zac Lomax snapping a 78th-minute field goal before Max Feagai’s second try sealed it. Five-star performances from Ben Hunt – who has been superb in 2022 – and Moses Suli underpinned the victory.

The Dragons’ 17 is unchanged with Anthony Griffin persisting with Moses Mbye and Jack Bird in the spine. In the Roosters’ line-up, Paul Momirovski and Sio Siua Taukeiaho return at the expense of Kevin Naiqama and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.

The Roosters have won their last seven straight against the Dragons, including a 34-10 victory in last season’s Anzac Day showdown. The overall Anzac Day tally stands at 11-8 in the Saints’ favour; eight of those matches have been decided by margins of four points or less.

Last week was a step forward for the Dragons after being outscored 108-38 in the previous three rounds, but they have battled against the better teams and look to be significantly outmatched in the middle of the park and through the spine.

Tip: Back the Roosters to win by 13+ @ $1.90

SGM: ROOSTERS OVER 24.5 / DRAGONS OVER 11.5 POINTS / NAT BUTHCER ANYTIME TRY SCORER / JAMES TEDESCO ANYTIME TRY SCORER @ $17.88

The Warriors’ proud status as a bogey team for the all-conquering Storm has faded significantly over the past six seasons. The Storm have won the last 11 straight between the archrivals – including the last four by margins of 22-plus.

But the nomadic Kiwis have proven themselves as a side of real substance in recent weeks, following up a golden point win over the Cowboys with a 22-14 loss to the Roosters plagued by tough refereeing and Bunker calls.

The Warriors were gritty – particularly in defence – and Addin Fonua-Blake and Reece Walsh were outstanding. Strike out wide remains an issue and Shaun Johnson failed to put his stamp on the game in attack, but they are shaping as a genuine Top 8 chance.

Matt Lodge returns for the Warriors after pulling out during the lead-up to the Roosters clash, with Taniela Otukolo dropping out. Available again after serving a two-week ban, Jazz Tevaga shapes as a late bench inclusion after being named in the reserves.

The 5-1 Storm produced arguably their best performance so far last weekend, overwhelming an in-form Sharks 34-18 on the back of a scintillating Cameron Munster display, authority up front in a depleted pack from Nelson Asofa-Solomona and game-breaking moments from the likes of Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes.

Ryan Papenhuyzen has been named despite an ankle injury. Jesse and Kenny Bromwich return from a COVID-enforced break, with Chris Lewis and Alec MacDonald the players to drop out of the 17.

The Warriors’ last Anzac Day win was in 2014; Reimis Smith and Josh Addo-Carr notched doubles as the Storm won the traditional showdown 42-20 last year, while Walsh’s eye-catching debut was the highlight for the Warriors.

The Warriors are 4-2 against the start and they are getting a massive 19.5 points at the line here. The Storm have covered in their last three after going 0-3 ATS and are red-hot…but with a healthy share of crowd support down in Melbourne, the Warriors will give a good account of themselves on Monday night.

Tip: Back the Warriors to Cover the Line (+19.5 Points) @ $1.90

SGM: WARRIORS/STORM HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME / JUSTIN OLAM ANYTIME TRY-SCORER / ALTERNATE HANDICAP WARRIORS +13.5 / UNDER 40.5 POINTS @ $59.04

2021

Three top eight blockbusters make up another mouth-watering round of NRL action.

Friday night kicks off with a bang between the Titans and the Rabbitohs, followed by another game between the Eels and the Broncos from Darwin.

The traditional Anzac Day clash between the Roosters and Dragons returns to the fixture with both sides looking to rebound from respective losses, while we’ve also got an intriguing battle between the Storm and the Warriors from Melbourne to close things out.

With four teams vying for a spot in the eight, we’re really beginning to enter the nitty gritty part of the season.

For our best bets ahead of each and every game, check out our NRL Round 7 Preview below!

The Panthers and Knights were unable to be separated when they met last May in Campbelltown, and there’s a good chance Thursday’s game turns out almost as close.

Still undefeated, the Panthers head into Round 7 as the heavy favourites after coming from 12 points down to defeat the Broncos last week.

Although the Panthers’ second-half response was impressive, there’s no doubt Ivan Cleary’s side will need to turn up at the opening whistle against this dangerous Knights team.

Newcastle kept its top eight hopes alive last week with a rousing last-second win over the Sharks – a performance the Knights can certainly build upon as they begin to add some troops back into the fold.

Hymel Hunt looks set to miss this clash after suffering a hamstring last week, but after Kalyn Ponga’s heroics against Cronulla, there’s certainly a chance the Knights give this a shake.

In the last two weeks we’ve seen the Panthers fall behind early against the Raiders and Broncos, only to come storming home in the second half.

If the Knights can get their share of the ball early and also limit the mistakes, they are a much better chance of at least keeping this game close than the line suggests.

Tip: Back the Knights to Cover the Line (+17.5 Points) @ $2.00

The Rabbitohs are shooting for six straight on Friday night when they take to the Gold Coast to face the Titans.

South Sydney has enjoyed a comfortable three weeks with games against the lowly Bulldogs, Broncos and Tigers, but this does shape as a much tougher task against a Titans side looking to bounce-back from last week’s disappointment against Manly.

After pounding the Knights a week earlier, it was all one-way traffic in Mudgee as Manly cruised to a comfortable 36-0 victory from the nine minute mark.

The Titans could be granted some reprieve this week with Anthony Don and Phillip Sami both a chance at playing, but their recent track record against the Bunnies still makes for tough reading.

Gold Coast has lost four straight to South Sydney dating back to 2017, with the most recent meeting resulting in a 20-point blowout.

That said, all of the above could bring added to motivation to the Titans’ locker room this week.

The Titans have played to a very strong 9-3 record on the back of a loss this year, a number they can certainly add to with home-field advantage and a couple of key players potentially returning.

Tip: Back the Titans to Cover the Line (+6.5 Points) @ $2.00

The Eels and the Broncos will meet in Darwin on Friday night following a thrilling opening round encounter to begin the season.

Parramatta overcame a large first-half deficit to win by eight, a performance Brad Arthur will be hoping his side can learn from as the Eels look to further cement their spot in the top four.

Similar to Round 1, Brisbane put a first half scare into the Panthers last week before failing to score a single point in the final 40 minutes.

There have been some strong signs of improvement under new coach Kevin Walters, but the fact Brisbane hasn’t won a game on the road since Round 1 last year is obviously a huge sign for concern.

On the injury front, the Broncos could potentially see Jesse Arthars and Herbie Farnworth back into the side, while the Eels will also welcome back three of their key playmakers in Ryan Matterson, Dylan Brown and Waqa Blake.

The Eels have struggled to string together two consistent halves dating back to last season, but it’s very difficult to get on board with a Broncos upset based on Brisbane’s own struggles in the second half.

Having lost each of their last five road games by double digits, this shapes up as another tough week for the Baby Broncs.

Tip: Back the Eels to Cover the Line (-14 Points) @ $2.00

The Sharks will be hungry to get back to business this week after suffering a second heartbreaking loss against the Knights in Newcastle.

Despite giving up a last-second try to Kalyn Ponga, there was a lot to like about Cronulla’s gutsy performance in the second half after trailing by two tries heading into the sheds.

Canterbury, meanwhile, is still searching for its first win of the season after losing by 12 to the Cowboys last week in Townsville.

On the plus side, the Dogs seem to have figured out their attack after failing to score a single point in three consecutive matches, but this is still a very difficult assignment going up against a Sharks side that has won each of its last three games against Canterbury as the home favourite.

Given the Dogs are losing by an average margin of 25 points, the Sharks at the line is seemingly one of the safest bets of the round.

Tip: Back the Sharks to Cover the Line (-14.5) @ $1.90

The Raiders have fallen out of the eight following back-to-back losses to the Panthers and Eels and it is fair to say Saturday’s trip to Townsville is far from a given.

Remaining at home for the second week in a row, the Cowboys will be looking to build on the momentum of last week’s big win over the Bulldogs as they now shoot for three in a row.

While Jason Taumalolo still looks a week or two away from returning, Todd Payten can rest a little easier knowing the Raiders head to North Queensland with their own growing list of injury concerns.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad suffered a neck injury last week in the loss to Paramatta, while Bailey Simonsson is set to miss Round 7 after failing his HIA.

The loss of both players couldn’t have come at a worse time for head coach Ricky Stuart with his side suddenly struggling to score points.

Canberra has combined for only 20 points over the last fortnight – a worrying sign with the Raiders also struggling on the defensive end, particularly during the second half.

With all that in mind, the Cowboys do look an enticing bet as the underdog at the line to at least keep things tight.

Tip: Back the Cowboys to Cover the Line (+11.5 Points) @ $1.90

An intriguing battle awaits at Bankwest on Sunday as Manly looks to keep the ball rolling against the Tigers.

As expected, the inclusion of Tom Trbojevic made a world of difference last week in the 36-0 drubbing over the Titans, although the Sea Eagles will have to wait a little longer for Dylan Walker and Jack Gosiewski to return to the fold.

Although they’ve lost three straight since their memorable win in Newcastle a month ago, the Tigers have still managed to string together a decent patch of footy, losing by four to the Cowboys a fortnight ago prior to last week’s agonising overtime loss to Souths.

To add further spice to this game, the Tigers also won a thriller over Manly when these two sides met back in September.

Playing at Bankwest could help Wests’ cause this week, but it really feels as though the Sea Eagles have received a shot in the arm with Trbojevic back on the field.

Aside from the score, Manly did a fantastic job of controlling possession in the second half last week against the Titans, while they also did well to force 14 errors.

Manly should win this, but overall, this is still a game between two sides that rank Top 5 in points allowed.

With the last two contests going Over the Total, it’s worth backing a similar result.

Tip: Over 43.5 Total Points @ $1.90

The traditional Anzac Day clash is back on the calendar and there is no shortage of storylines worth focusing on.

Aside from the fact both the Roosters and St George are looking to bounce-back from respective losses, this is also a critical game between fifth and sixth on the ladder.

The Roosters have done well to hang on the fringe of the top four despite a slew of recent injuries, but it was clear last week that the tri-colours were missing their usual knockout punch in the 20-4 loss to the Storm.

The Dragons, meanwhile, received a reality check as their four-game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Warriors.

Recent history tells us that the Roosters have enjoyed the better part of this matchup over the last three years, but their long list of outs does leave the Dragons looking great value at the current $2.35 quote.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has joined Boyd Cordner and Luke Keary on the sidelines with a shoulder injury – a worrying sign for Trent Robinson after his side missed a boatload of tackles last week in the loss to Melbourne.

The jury might still be out on the Dragons, but with a 6-2 record as the away underdog at the line over the last 12 months – and a chance to snap their five-game losing streak against the Roosters – the Saints look a good bet.

Tip: Back the Dragons to Cover the Line (+4 Points) @ $1.90

It’s safe to say the Storm hold the wood over the Warriors as they shoot for 10 wins in a row over New Zealand on Sunday afternoon.

Melbourne remains at home for another week after dismantling the Roosters last week, although this does set up as a potential trap game for punters after the Warriors took care of the Dragons at Jubilee.

New Zealand has plenty to feel confident about after snapping St George’s winning streak, but like always, it’s difficult to trust the Warriors making it two in a row.

Peta Hiku has joined the likes of Addin Fonua-Blake and Euan Aitken on the sidelines after suffering a shoulder injury last week, while there’s also concern for Adam Pompey’s ankle.

The Storm, on the other hand, are one of the healthiest sides in the competition and it’s very difficult to see them losing this game based on how easily they’ve come across points over the last few weeks.

After defeating the Warriors 50-6 when they last met, thanks in large part to a Ryan Papenhuyzen double, the Storm look a safe bet to add to their outstanding 5-1 record at the line this year.

Tip: Back the Storm to Cover the Line (-16.5 Points) @ $1.90

2020

Round 7 of the NRL kicks off on Thursday night and we are once again offering $2.00 lines on all eight games!

Two top eight battles headline the slate, setting up another unpredictable week as the ladder starts to take shape.

Like we do every week, we’ve analysed all the numbers and trends and offer our best bets in our 2020 NRL Round 7 Preview below!

The Rabbitohs can make it three in a row on Thursday night, but they’ll have to dig deep against a relentless Penrith side eyeing the top spot on the ladder.

South Sydney has turned its form around in the last two weeks with a pair of blowout wins over the Titans and Warriors.

Following a heartbreaking loss to the Eels in Round 5, the Panthers were big winners themselves last week in a 21-14 victory over the Storm, setting up another riveting top eight battle.

It’s worth noting this game was originally scheduled to be played in Campbelltown, but concerns around the surface has seen it moved to Jubilee Oval.

Whether or not that favours either side remains to be seen, but on the injury front, both teams remain unchanged with only James Roberts replacing fill-in centre Tom Amone on the Rabbitohs’ bench.

We should learn a lot about these two sides on Thursday night, but the Bunnies do appeal at the current quote.

Souths have won eight of their last 12 against Penrith and have also looked a different team since Cody Walker returned.

Latrell Mitchell, who has been the subject of conversation all week, is only improving with more game time at fullback, so with the $2.00 line matching the same value as we’d be getting head-to-head, it’s worth taking the +2.5 insurance.

Tip: Back the Rabbitohs to Cover the Line (+2.5 Points) @ $2.00

Melbourne are short-priced favourites on Friday night as they look to put last week’s uncharacteristic loss to the Panthers behind them.

The Storm found themselves on the back foot for most of the night with a lack of possession and an abundance of errors getting in the way. Likewise, the Warriors put in a similar effort against the Rabbitohs, one they’d probably like to have back following an impressive performance against the Cowboys a week earlier.

We’ve said it time and time before, but the Storm almost never lose two games in a row.

On the back of a loss to the Raiders in Round 3, Melbourne went on to hand South Sydney a 22-8 defeat the very next week – a story that could unfold again at Jubilee on Friday.

Again, it is worth noting this game was originally scheduled to be played at AAMI Park, but it’s doubtful a minor change to the venue will affect an experienced side like the Storm.

Melbourne are winners of their last eight games against the Warriors, and with Josh Addo-Carr returning to the side, they should make it nine quite comfortably.

Tip: Back the Storm to Cover the Line (-14.5 Points) @ $2.00

The Roosters are looking to make it five in a row on Saturday after confirming what we already knew last week in their win over Parramatta.

Just when it looked as though the Eels might have them beat, the Chooks took it up a gear to remind everyone why they are still the team to beat.

While a win here would certainly shock, the Dragons are also shooting for three in a row following a pair of comfortable wins over the Sharks and Titans.

Obviously, this is a much tougher class of opponent though – one the Dragons have historically struggled against in recent memory.

The Roosters have won three straight over St George dating back to 2018, two of which have come by 13 points or more.

Things only look worse for the Dragons when you factor in James Graham’s departure back to the Super League and Jordan Pereira’s suspension.

As for Sydney, James Tedesco has been named to play despite last week’s vicious concussion, while the addition of Lindsay Collins is also a big plus.

All in all, Roosters by plenty.

Tip: Roosters to Win & Under 42.5 Total Points @ $2.05

A win this week for the Knights is crucial if they hope to keep the pressure on the first-place Eels.

Newcastle comes in well-rested following last week’s Thursday night win over the Broncos, and they should feel pretty good about their chances after pummelling the Cowboys 42-6 last year in Round 22.

The Knights should also fancy themselves based on how poorly the Cowboys played last week against the Tigers.

North Queensland allowed six unanswered first-half tries in the 36-20 loss, but if you’re searching for positive signs, it was nice to see the Cowboys respond in the final 40-minutes following Paul Green’s lecture.

Also on the plus side is Jake Granville and Jordan McLean returning to the side, which should help enormously considering the long list of injuries the Cowboys have had to deal with.

Newcastle will go without try-scoring machine Bradman Best, who serves a suspension for breaking the COVID-19 regulations – a big out for a team that has struggled to come up with points from time to time.

This is also the first time the Cowboys have opened as the home underdog against the Knights, so there’s certainly a few reasons to believe North Queensland can keep this close.

Tip: Back the Cowboys to Cover the Line (+7.5 Points) @ $2.00

Four losses on the trot leaves the Broncos fighting for life at the bottom of the ladder as they prepare to face a Gold Coast side equally desperate to avoid the wooden spoon.

There’s been no shortage of criticism over the last fortnight when it comes to the state of Queensland rugby league and it’s safe to say both teams will be looking to prove their doubters wrong.

The Broncos have been embarrassed on the primetime stage since the season restarted, so maybe a return to the Saturday time slot will actually help their cause after being torn apart by the Knights last Thursday.

Jamayne Isaako has been named to the bench this week for the Broncos, while the Titans have made a few changes to the bench themselves.

Out of the eight games on offer this weekend, this is by far one of the toughest to tip, but considering four of Brisbane’s last five wins over the Titans have come by 13 or more points, this could just be the game that gets the Broncos back on track.

Tip: Back the Broncos 13+ @ $2.50

This is the second of the two top eight battles on offer with both the Eels and the Raiders looking to bounce-back from previous defeats.

Parramatta can hold their heads high after taking the Roosters to the brink last week, a performance that taught us plenty about the merit of the Eels moving forward.

As for the Raiders, the glass has looked a little half-empty ever since their brilliant win over the Storm back in Round 3.

After failing to show up against the Knights a week later, the Raiders turned in a sloppy first-half performance against the Tigers, before going down to Manly in quiet fashion last week 14-6.

The Green Machine are obviously capable of much more, but as the odds suggest, it’s very difficult to see them pulling this game out against an Eels side that only continues to improve.

If there has been one constant about Canberra though, it’s been the Under.

The Total has gone Under in their last 13 games, and after the Parramatta’s surprisingly low-scoring affair against the Roosters last week, we could be headed that way once again.

Tip: Under 34.5 Total Points @ $1.90

Manly won the battle last week against the Raiders, but they may have lost the war in the process.

The Sea Eagles could be without star playmaker Tom Trbojevic for as many as eight weeks following a hamstring injury – a frustrating result for a club that suffered setback after setback towards the end of last season.

To their credit, coach Des Hasler did a great job rallying the troops while the chips were down, so a spirited performance against the Sharks wouldn’t come as a surprise on Sunday.

Cronulla had their hands full last week with the Bulldogs in what turned out to be a thriller, but a hat-trick from Sione Katoa was enough to see the Sharks over the line for their second win of the season.

It’s always a big occasion when these two rivals meet in the “Battle of the Beaches”, but it’s still hard to go past Manly here, even if the price is a little short.

The Sea Eagles have won four straight over Cronulla dating back to 2017, and even with Trbojevic and Dylan Walker on the sidelines, they still have plenty of depth to rely on against a hit and miss Sharks side.

Tip: Back Manly to Win @ $1.60

A win on Sunday for the Tigers could see them back into the top eight following last week’s brilliant performance against the Cowboys.

Despite a sloppy second half, Wests piled on six unanswered tries in the blowout victory, but the question remains: can we trust them going forward?

The Bulldogs have held the wood over the Tigers recently with three straight wins dating back to 2018, and they look good value to add a fourth with Robert Jennings listed as our for Wests.

Last year only two points separated these two sides when they met in Round 21, so with a +5.5 line to play with at time of publish, it’s worth taking the Dogs to keep this one tight.

Tip: Back the Bulldogs to Cover the Line (+5.5 Points) @ $2.00

2019

With just two days between Round’s 6 and 7, footy is back on Thursday with an action-packed Anzac Day doubleheader.

This week it’s all about the Roosters and the Dragons in the traditional Anzac Day Cup match, while there’s also two huge Friday night and Saturday night games to choose from. With four teams vying for the outright spot atop the ladder, a win this weekend could go a long way to ensuring a spot in the finals.

Backing winners continues to prove tough, but we’re confident we’ve found plenty in this week’s 2019 NRL Round 7 Preview. Be sure to read on below.

A thrilling golden point victory over the Storm last week sees the Roosters as the favourites to win their second straight Anzac Day Cup.

Sydney was arguably the poorer side last week in Melbourne, struggling for possession and committing plenty of errors defensively. Somehow though, Trent Robinson’s side managed to squeak out the narrow win largely thanks to the play of Latrell Mitchell.

The Dragons are also feeling confident following their 12-10 victory over Manly in Wollongong last week. St. George found themselves on the back foot with under 10 minutes to play, but a crafty, and fortunate, Mikale Ravalawa try earned the Dragons their fourth straight win.

Last year’s Anzac Day Cup clash was a bit of a non-event as the Roosters failed to show up. The Dragons got to work early scoring in the opening minute, storming home to win 24-8.

This time around, it’s safe to expect a bit of a nail-biter. The Roosters lead the competition in points, tries and goals, while the Dragons rank second in set completion and first in kicking metres.

Considering the Roosters are at such a short price, the Points market might be the play this week. These two have combined for 30-points or more in four of their last five meetings, and considering Sydney’s last two home games have gone Over, this looks safe.

Tip: Back Over 38.5 Total Points @ $1.88

Melbourne were left with a sour taste in their mouth after losing to the Roosters in golden point last week. By all accounts, the Storm didn’t do a whole lot wrong, especially on the stat sheet where they dominated possession for most of the game.

The Warriors have a lot more to be worried about after losing to the Cowboys at home. New Zealand struggled to find any sort of tempo on attack during the second half, which placed enormous strain on the defence to eventually allow Justin O’Neill to score North Queensland’s game-winning try.

With the Storm now preparing to host their second straight game at home, it’s no surprise to learn Melbourne are the heavy favourites on Anzac Day. Melbourne have won six straight over the Warriors dating back to 2016, while the last time New Zealand won in Melbourne came two years prior.

Since the Warriors are yet to win on the road this year, there’s no way you can back an upset this week. The Storm are 9-3 as the home favourite over the last 12 months and 6-4 as the line favourite against the Warriors. This shapes up to be the perfect bounce-back game for Craig Bellamy’s side.

Tip: Back the Storm to Cover the Line (-12.5 Points) @ $1.90

Three straight losses see Canterbury on the bottom of the ladder, but Dean Pay’s side will fancy themselves this week against an understrength Cowboys side.

North Queensland earned their second win of the season over the Warriors in Auckland last week, an impressive result considering how poorly the defence played. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, fell apart in a 12-6 loss to the Rabbitohs, although the defence certainly stood tall in the second half.

It’s tough to get a feel for this game, and it does look as though the Cowboys are a little over the odds at this price. North Queensland have won four of their last five meetings against the Warriors and are also 9-7 as the line underdog over the last 12 months.

For Canterbury, they need to find a way to make the Cowboys pay for their sloppy defence. Unfortunately, Canterbury’s offence has managed only two tries over their last two games, which makes the Cowboys a nice play at the line.

Tip: Back the Cowboys to Cover the Line (+2.5 Points) @ $1.85

Are we in for a Friday night thriller between these two? Four of the last five meetings between the Panthers and Rabbitohs have been decided by four points or less, and given the importance of this game for Penrith, you can expect Ivan Cleary’s side to be up for the test at home.

The Rabbitohs also have a lot to play for tied on points with the Raiders, Roosters and Storm. Despite the scoresheet, South Sydney dominated the Bulldogs last week, controlling possession and completing over 80% of their sets.

South Sydney are backable at this price, and their 5-1 record as the favourite against the Panthers instils plenty of confidence. Considering the Rabbitohs lead the league in possession percentage and running metres, they should have no trouble pulling apart the Panthers, who lead the league in missed tackles.

Tip: Back the Rabbitohs to Win @ $1.70

These two sides found themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum last week. The Titans annihilated the Knights at home to earn their second win of the season, while the Tigers were on the opposite end of a blowout losing 51-6 against the Eels.

After a rough start to the season, it certainly feels as though we’ve underestimated the Titans. Gold Coast were brilliant in all areas, but their kicking game was by far the standout as they pinned the Knights deep inside their own territory.

As for the Tigers, the wheels fell completely off on Easter Monday. It’s not the first time Wests have failed to show up this season, and with a complete lack of effort on both sides of the ball, trusting the Tigers week to week looks to be a tough ask.

Gold Coast are yet to win on the road this year, but the Titans are 3-0 as the line underdog on the road against the Tigers. If the forward line can apply the pressure early, Gold Coast should be up for the fight.

Tip: Back the Titans to Cover the Line (+3.5 Points) @ $1.90

If it’s anything like last year’s Broncos-Sharks meeting at Suncorp, we should be in for a close one on Saturday night.

The Broncos held on for a narrow 12-10 win during Round 20 last year, earning Brisbane their fourth straight win over Cronulla. Good luck finding any confidence in the Broncos right now though, as last week’s defeat to the Raiders in Canberra highlighted just how poor this side is defensively.

Speaking of defence, the Sharks shut down the Panthers last week to earn a gutsy 24-20 victory at home. For the first time this season it was Cronulla’s attack that stole the show though, as the Sharks piled on four tries in the second half after going scoreless in the first.

Cronulla’s last win at Suncorp came way back in 2014, and with critics swarming Broncos coach Anthony Seibold, now is as good a time as any to back against Brisbane. Despite their losing streak, the Sharks are 2-1 as the line underdog on the road against the Broncos, so take the Sharks to keep this close, or of course, hand Brisbane their sixth loss.

Tip: Back the Sharks to Cover the Line (+2.5 Points) @ $1.85

Manly have plenty to feel dirty about following last week’s loss to the Dragons. Even so, Des Hasler’s side also have plenty to feel proud of after yet another gallant effort without Tom Trbojevic.

As for Canberra, the Raiders are flying high after securing their fourth straight win against the Broncos. The Raiders surrendered an early lead, but Joseph Leilua’s brilliant two try effort was enough to see the Green Machine over the line.

Looking forward, the Raiders need to approach this game just like they did the last. Ricky Stuart made sure his side never overlooked the out of form Broncos and considering how dangerous the Sea Eagles have looked over the last month, he’ll need to prepare for Manly in similar fashion.

The Raiders will likely reflect on last year’s narrow one-point win over Manly at home. Prior to that, the Sea Eagles had won three straight over Canberra, giving reason to the even money on offer for both sides.

Canberra can win this game if they hold Manly inside their own half, just like the Dragons did last week. It took the better part of 20 minutes for the Sea Eagles to find any rhythm on attack, while the Dragons completed set after set thanks to penalties and Manly errors.

With the Raiders possessing one of the most dangerous forward lines in the league as well as explosive fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, back the Raiders to cause some damage.

Tip: Back the Raiders to Win @ $1.90

Newcastle look destined for the wooden spoon if they continue to play this way. The Knights were woeful defensively last week against the Titans, surrendering three unanswered tries in the first half to lose 38-14.

That hardly spells good news this week as the Knights prepare for one of the hottest sides in the competition. Parramatta belted the Tigers 51-6 on Easter Monday in a huge performance from Mitchell Moses.

The Eels look every bit a finals contender this year, while the Knights look a step behind. Newcastle have won three straight over Parramatta, but there’s no getting around the litany of questions surrounding some of the Knights’ biggest stars.

Parramatta are 4-4 as the favourite over the last 12 months, but it’s already clear this is a different looking Eels side compared to last year’s wooden spoon outfit. It all comes down to the forward battle, and if Parra can handle the early onslaught from the Knights, they should win a close one.

Tip: Back the Eels 1-12 @ $3.00

2018

The upsets continued in the NRL last weekend and incredibly is the St George Illawarra Dragons, Penrith Panthers, New Zealand Warriors and Wests Tigers that currently occupy the top four.

Will it be another round of upsets or will favourite backers bounce back?

We have analysed every game set to take place in the NRL this weekend and our complete 2018 NRL Round 7 tips can be found below.

https://vimeo.com/265129391

The Sydney Roosters suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs last weekend, but they will still go into this clash with the Canterbury Bulldogs as favourites.

Consistency has been an issue for the Roosters this season, but they have won six of their past eight games on the back of a loss and they have won 15 of their past 21 games as favourites.

In saying that, their record against the line in that scenario is poor and they have covered in only seven of their past 21 games when they give away a start.

The Bulldogs returned to winning form with a comfortable win over the North Queensland Cowboys and they were able to score over 20 points for the first time this season.

They have won seven of their past 20 games as underdogs for a profit, but they are only a middling 10-10 against the line.

Recent games played between these two sides have generally been high-scoring affairs and the Over has saluted in ten of the past 12 meetings between these sides.

The Roosters are capable of scoring plenty of points on their day and the Total Points line of 42.5 will not be enough.

Back Over 42.5 Points

https://vimeo.com/265130031

The St George Illawarra Dragons remain unbeaten and they will go into this clash with the New Zealand Warriors as narrow favourites.

St George Illawarra recorded another impressive win over the Cronulla Sharks and there really is a lot to like about the way they have played so far this season.

This will be another big test for the Dragons and they have won only one of their past four games as away favourites.

The Warriors had their winning streak ended by the Brisbane Broncos and the way they respond to that disappointment will be an excellent insight into the character of this side.

They have won only one of their past four games as home underdogs and they are a middling 2-2 against the line in this scenario.

This is another game where the value does look to be in the Total Points betting market.

The Under has saluted in nine of the past 11 away games played by the Dragons as well as five of the past seven games played between these two sides.

Back Under 42.5 Points

https://vimeo.com/265130510

The Melbourne Storm have an excellent record at Suncorp Stadium and they will go into this clash as favourites.

Melbourne returned to winning form with a comprehensive win over the Newcastle Knights and played easily their best football of the season to date.

The Storm have won seven of their past nine games as away favourites and they are 5-4 against the line in this scenario.

The Brisbane Broncos ended their own horror run of form with a strong win over the New Zealand Warriors, but their recent against the Storm does leave something to be desired.

They have won only two of their past 12 games against the Storm and the Storm have won seven of the past eight games played between the two sides at Suncorp Stadium.

Melbourne can make it two wins on the trot and cover the line of 4.5 points in the process.

Back Storm To Cover The Line (-4.5 Points)

https://vimeo.com/265131060

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have taken their home game to Central Coast Stadium in Gosford and they will start as clear favourites.

South Sydney produced their best performance of the season to beat the Sydney Roosters last Thursday night and they have now won three of their past four games.

The Rabbitohs have won five of their past nine games as favourites and they have covered the line in each of these wins.

The Canberra Raiders made it two wins on the trot with a comfortable victory over the Parramatta Eels and they now have some momentum after their very poor start to the year.

They have won only two of their past six games as underdogs and they are a middling 3-3 against the line when being given a start,

Recent clashes between these two teams have generally been high-scoring affairs – five of the past six games played between the two sides has gone over the Total Points line – and that could be the case again this weekend.

Back Over 44.5 Points

https://vimeo.com/265131584

This game between the Wests Tigers and the Newcastle Knights will be played at Scully Park in Tamworth.

The Tigers have had their best start to a season in their history and they were nothing short of outstanding against the Manly Sea Eagles last weekend.

They have lost only one game this season – against the Brisbane Broncos in controversial fashion – and what Ivan Cleary has done with this side has been truly remarkable.

The Tigers have won their past two games as favourites and they have covered the line in each of these wins.

There is no doubt that the Knights have made big improvement this season, but consistency continues to be an issue and they were poor against the Melbourne Storm last weekend.

Newcastle have won only two of their past 13 games as away underdogs and they are 5-8 against the line in this scenario.

The Tigers have finally made a believer out of me and they can continue on their winning ways.

Back Tigers To Cover The Line (-5.5 Points)

https://vimeo.com/265132252

The time for panic is here for the North Queensland Cowboys and they go into this clash with the Gold Coast Titans on the back of five straight losses.

The Cowboys looked nothing short of disinterested against the Canterbury Bulldogs last weekend and they aren’t playing like the side that were so exciting to watch during the NRL Finals last year.

North Queensland have won their past five games against the Titans and they will start this clash as favourites, but they are a tough side to back with any real confidence.

The Titans had their winning run ended by the Penrith Panthers last weekend and their recent record on the road has been poor.

Gold Coast have won three of their past 11 games as away underdogs and their record against the line isn’t much better.

This is another game where the value does lie in the Total Points betting market.

The Under has saluted in nine of the past 11 games played by the Cowboys at 1300SMILES Stadium and has also been a profitable betting play in Titans games over the past 12 months.

Back Under 43.5 Points

https://vimeo.com/265132996

Things keep going from bad to worse for the Parramatta Eels.

Not only have lost all six games this season, but they have scored a pathetic 46 points in the process.

They will go into this clash as clear underdogs and it should not be forgotten that the Manly Sea Eagles beat them 54-0 earlier this season.

Defence has been a big issue for Manly in recent weeks and they are another side that are tough to trust from a betting perspective.

The Sea Eagles have won only two of their past six games as away favourites and they are a poor 1-5 against the line in this scenario.

Both these teams are going poorly and this is a game that I am more than happy to stay out of.

No Bet

https://vimeo.com/265133668

The Penrith Panthers have flown under the radar somewhat this season, but they currently sit on top of the ladder with a 5-1 record.

They produced a professional effort to account for the Gold Coast Titans last weekend and they are a touch unlucky not to be 6-0 heading into this weekend.

Penrith have won three of their past six games as away favourites and they are a poor 2-4 against the line in this scenario.

The Cronulla Sharks will go into this clash with a heavy injury toll and they will be without the likes of Paul Gallen and Andrew Fifita, who were both injured in their defeat at the hands of the St George Illawarra Dragons last weekend.

Cronulla have won the past three games played between these two sides and they have covered the line in two of their past three games as home underdogs.

Their isn’t as much between these two teams as the current betting market suggests and the Sharks can cover the line with the start.

Back Sharks To Cover The Line (+5.5 Points)

2017

The Easter Weekend is always packed full of rugby league action and 2017 is set to be no exception.

There are three games on Good Friday before Monday Rugby League returns when the Parramatta Eels host the Wests Tigers in what is set to be a spiteful clash.

Our complete 2017 NRL Round 7 tips can be found below and we are confident that we in for some big returns this weekend.

The Good Friday clash  between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs have developed into one of the most anticipated clashes on the NRL calendar.

There really is not a great deal between these two teams and it is the Canterbury Bulldogs that will start this clash as narrow favourites.

The Bulldogs made it two wins on the trot with their fighting effort against the Newcastle Knights and they are a side that generally get the job done as favourites.

They have won 11 of their past 13 games as the punter’s elect for a clear profit and they are 7-6 against the line when giving away a start.

South Sydney returned to winning form with a last-grasp victory over an under-strength Penrith Panthers and it will be interesting to see whether they can back that performance up.

The Rabbitohs have won six of their past 17 games as underdogs for a narrow loss and they are 8-9 against the line in this scenario.

This should be another nail-biter between these two sides, but Canterbury should prove too good in the  pivotal stages.

Back Canterbury To Win @ $1.80

The Sydney Roosters head into this clash off the back of two losses, but they will still start this clash as favourites.

The Roosters made a very strong start to the season, but they could hardly have been more disappointing against the Brisbane Broncos last weekend.

Winning away from home has been something of an issue for the Sydney Roosters over the past 12 months and they have won only three of their past six games as home favourites.

There is no doubt that the Newcastle Knights have improved this season and they were unlucky not to come away with the two points against the Bulldogs last weekend.

The Knights have still won only one of their past 13 games as home underdogs and their record against the line in this scenario is a very poor 3-10.

This is a game that the market looks to have got just about right and I am happy to stay out from a betting standpoint.

No Bet

It has been a very tough start to the season for the Gold Coast Titans and it is no surprise that the Brisbane Broncos will start this clash as clear favourites.

Brisbane have an excellent record against the Titans historically and they have won seven of the past eight games played against their rivals.

The Broncos returned to their best form with an excellent performance against the Sydney Roosters and a repeat would make them fairly tough to beat.

Brisbane have won nine of their past 13 games at Suncorp Stadium, but they are only 6-7 against the line in this scenario.

Gold Coast produced their worst performance of the season to go down to the Canberra Raiders last weekend and they have recorded just the one win this season.

Defence really has been an issue for the Titans and they will need to improve their toughness up the middle to have any chance against the Broncos.

The Titans have won only two of their past seven games as away underdogs for a narrow loss, but they are 5-2 against the line in this scenario.

The Gold Coast aren’t playing as badly as their current record suggests and they are a good bet to cover the line with a start of 12.5 points.

Back Gold Coast To Beat The Line (+12.5 Points)

The rivalry between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm was the fiercest in the NRL not that long ago and it should be an interesting clash at Brookvale Oval on Saturday.

The Melbourne Storm suffered their first defeat of the season when they went down to the Cronulla Sharks last weekend, but they will still go into this clash as favourites.

Melbourne have an outstanding record away from home over the past 12 months and they have won 10 of their past 11 games as away favourites, while they are 8-3 against the line in this scenario.

Manly had their winning run ended by the St George Illawarra Dragons last weekend and it does not get any easier against the Storm.

The Sea Eagles have won just one of their past seven games as away underdogs for a big loss and their record against the line is no better.

Melbourne simply do not lose back-to-back games and they are an outstanding bet to cover the line.

Back Melbourne To Beat The Line (-4.5 Points)

The Canberra Raiders made it two wins on the trot with their stellar victory over the Gold Coast and they will go into this clash as clear favourites.

Canberra have returned to a semblance of the form that saw them narrowly miss out on the 2016 NRL Grand Final and they really should be able to make it three wins on the trot.

The Raiders have won ten of their past 12 games as home favourites for a clear profit and they are 7-5 against the line in this scenario.

New Zealand have got their season back on track with two wins over the Gold Coast Titans and the Parramatta Eels, but obviously face a tougher challenge against the Canberra Raiders this weekend.

The Warriors have showed renewed commitment over the past fortnight, but they continue to be a tough team to trust from a betting standpoint.

New Zealand have won just one of their past seven games as away underdogs for a clear loss and they are 3-4 against the line in this scenario.

Canberra should be able to continue their winning ways and the line of 8.5 points does not look like enough.

Back Canberra To Beat The Line (-8.5 Points)

The North Queensland Cowboys will go into this clash without star half-back Johnathan Thurston and it is the St George Illawarra Dragons that will start this clash as clear favourites.

St George Illawarra went to the top of the NRL ladder with their impressive win over Manly and they continue to be the surprise packages of the season.

The Dragons have proven to be a very tough team to trust as home favourites over the past 12 months and they have won their past four games in this scenario, while they are 3-1 against the line.

The injury crisis at the North Queensland Cowboys hit its lowest point last Saturday when Thurston went off with a calf injury that will keep him out of action for at least a month.

Cowboys coach Paul Green has elected to pick Ben Hampton as the replacement half-back and I am really not sure that he is the answer.

Without Thurston, Jake Granville and Lachlan Coote the Cowboys are missing the majority of their premiership winning spine and any team in that position would struggle.

Winning away from home has been an issue for the Cowboys and they are 1-3 against the line in their past four games as away underdogs.

The Dragons meet the Cowboys at the perfect time and really should be able to continue their winning run.

Back St George Illawarra Dragons To Beat The Line (-10.5 Points)

This is one of the biggest games of the weekend and it is the Penrith Panthers that will go into this clash as narrow favourites.

The Panthers clearly missed Matt Moylan, Peta Hiku and Waqa Blake last Friday night against South Sydney and all three are expected to make their return this weekend.

Penrith have proved very tough to beat at Pepper Stadium over the past 12 months and they have won nine of their past 12 games as home favourites, but they are 6-6 against the line in this situation.

Cronulla made it three wins on the trot with their excellent performance against the Melbourne Storm and they improved what is already an outstanding record as away underdogs.

The Sharks have now won six of their past seven games as away underdogs for a huge profit and they continue to be one of the best betting teams in the NRL.

This should be another close clash and I am keen to back the Sharks with the insurance of a 2.5 points start.

Back Cronulla To Beat The Line (+2.5 Points)

The Parramatta Eels have lost four games on the trot, but they will still go into this clash with the Wests Tigers as clear favourites.

Parramatta have offered very little with the ball in hand in their past three NRL games and they are a team that are incredibly tough to trust from a betting standpoint.

They have won just one of their past three games as home favourites and their record against the Tigers is very poor.

Wests put a week of turmoil behind them to start the Ivan Cleary era with an upset win over the North Queensland Cowboys and they played some quality football in the process.

The Tigers have won eight of their past 20 games as underdogs for a clear profit and their record away from home has been particularly strong in this scenario.

I am very keen to take on the Eels this weekend and the Tigers are genuine value at their current price of $2.25.

Back Wests Tigers To Win @ $2.25

2016

Round 7 of the 2016 NRL season gets underway with what is always an intriguing clash between the Parramatta Eels and Manly Sea Eagles before the North Queensland Cowboys take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Friday Night Football.

The Canterbury Bulldogs have taken their home game against the New Zealand Warriors to Wellington and a big crowd is expected to pack into ‘The Cake Tin’, while the Brisbane Broncos host the Newcastle Knights in a rare Saturday night fixture.

The round concludes on Monday Night when the Sydney Roosters tackle the Penrith Panthers in a rematch of the 2003 NRL Grand Final.

There has been no love lost between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Parramatta Eels since both sides entered the NSWRL in 1947 and the Kieran Foran factor adds extra spice to this clash.

Both Manly and Parramatta are coming off impressive victories last weekend and will take plenty of confidence into what could be a season defining match.

The Eels will start this game as favourites and they got the job done in this scenario last weekend, while they are an impressive 3-0 in both head to head and line betting in the past 12 months.

The injection of Apisaio Koroisau to the halves has been them play much better in recent weeks and they have been a profitable betting proposition as underdogs in recent times.

In favour of the Sea Eagles is the fact that they have won five of their past seven games against the Eels at Brookvale Oval, but the organisation they will lose without Cherry-Evans in the side could prove costly.

This is sure to be a very interesting fixture, but the market appears to have got the game just about right and I don’t think that there is an edge in the price of either side.

Recommended Bet: No Bet

The North Queensland Cowboys proved too strong for the Penrith Panthers last week, while the South Sydney Rabbitohs suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of the Sydney Roosters.

The return of Adam Reynolds is a massive plus for South Sydney, but they are still clear outsiders in this fixture and they are $3.30 to record an upset win.

South Sydney have won just one of their past six games as underdogs in the past 12 months and their record against the line in this scenario is not a great deal better.

The Cowboys have won 11 of their past 13 games at 1300 Smiles Stadium and they are very hard to beat in front of their home fans, but their record against the line in this scenario is far from impressive.

It would not surprise to see South Sydney get out to a hot start before the Cowboys run them down late and the $6.50 on offer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs/North Queensland Cowboys Half-Time/Full-Time double is excellent value.

Recommended Bet: Back The South Sydney Rabbitohs/North Queensland Cowboys Half-Time/Full-Time Double @ $6.50

The St George Illawarra Dragons have been nothing short of disgraceful in recent weeks and their attack now appears to consist of only a single play – pass the ball to Josh Dugan and hope for the best.

It is no surprise that the Dragons go into this game as underdogs, but the fact that they are not at a much longer prices indicates that the market is still underrating the Gold Coast Titans.

The Titans have suffered back-to-back losses to the Sharks and Broncos, but they were still gallant in defeat and there is plenty to suggest they will return to winning form this weekend.

Gold Coast are 3-1 as home favourites in both head to head betting and line betting in the past 12 months, while the Dragons have won just one of their past 11 games as away underdogs and are 4-7 against the line in this scenario.

The Gold Coast Titans are easily the team to beat here and they are probably the safest bet of the weekend.

Recommended Bet: Back The Gold Coast Titans To Win @ $1.70

The Canterbury Bulldogs have a large fan base in New Zealand and they have elected to take their home game to Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

The Bulldogs bounced back from their defeat to the Raiders to score a grinding victory over the Melbourne Storm last weekend, but they are still underdogs in this clash.

Canterbury have won five of their last nine games as underdogs and their record against the line in this scenario is also excellent.

The New Zealand Warriors have been an awful betting team for a number of seasons now and it should come as no surprise that they have been a losing betting proposition as favourites in the past 12 months.

Their record against the line in this scenario is a poor 5-7 and there is nothing in their recent form that suggests they should be favourites here.

The move of Tuimoala Lolohea to five-eight might be the spark that they need, but it is the Bulldogs that clearly represent the best value in this fixture.

Recommended Bet: Back The Canterbury Bulldogs To Win @ $2

The Brisbane Broncos were far from impressive against the St George Illawarra Dragons, but they were still able to get the job done and remain on top of the ladder at this stage of the season.

Brisbane have been a very safe betting proposition as favourites and they are 11-3 as the punter’s elect in the past 12 months, while they are a highly profitable 9-5  against the line in this scenario.

The Knights finally recorded their first win of the season against the Wests Tigers last weekend and there is no doubt that they have improved, but they face a much stiffer challenge against the Broncos on Saturday night.

Newcastle are 2-9 in the past 12 months as away underdogs and they have been a very poor 4-7 against line in this situation.

The line of 16 points does not appear as though it will be enough here and the Broncos will be able to record a very comfortable victory.

Recommended Bet: Back The Brisbane Broncos To Cover The Line (-16 Points)

This should be one of the closest games of the round and the market suggests as much.

The Canberra Raiders produced their worst performance of the season to date against the Parramatta Eels last weekend, but they are still set to start this game as narrow favourites.

Canberra have been far from convincing as favourites in recent times and their 5-6 record as home favourites is a very big concern heading into this fixture.

Cronulla have flown under the radar during the 2016 NRL season to date, but they have now won three games on the trot and have been a highly profitable betting tea,.

The Sharks have won nine of their past 14 games as underdogs and that record is just as impressive away from home, while they are 7-4 against the line as away underdogs.

It would not surprise to see this market flipped on its head later in the week and I would be locking in the $2 that is currently available for the Sharks to make it four wins on the trot.

Recommended Bet: Back The Cronulla Sharks To Win @ $2

The Melbourne Storm suffered a narrow loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs last Monday night, but they have an excellent opportunity to return to winning form against the struggling Tigers.

The Tigers started the season with a bang, but they have been extremely poor in the past month and they have now loss four games on the trot.

A factor in their favor this weekend is the return to Leichhardt Oval and their record as away underdogs in the past 12 months is a profitable 4-4, while they have the same record against the line is this scenario.

The Storm are always a fairly safe bet as favourites and they have won three of their past four games as away favourites, with their record against the line just as impressive.

Melbourne are always quick to bounce back from a loss and they are 6-4 against the line on the back of a loss, while the Tigers are 5-12 against the line on the back of a loss.

The Leichhardt Oval factor is the reason that we are getting such a good price for the Storm and they are a great bet to cover the line of 3.5 points.

Recommended Bet: Back The Melbourne Storm To Beat The Line (-3.5 Points)

The Sydney Roosters have won five of their last six games with the Penrith Panthers, but the Panthers are set to start this game as favourites following an impressive performance against the North Queensland Cowboys last weekend.

Penrith have only won two games this season, but they have played much better football than that and they have not lost a game this season by more than eight points.

Their record as favourites is a slight concern as they are 0-2 as away favourites in the past 12 months and 1-4 as favourites over that sime time period.

The Roosters finally scored their first win of the season against the South Sydney Rabbitohs last Friday night and they have definitely shown signs of improvement since their very poor start to the season.

Sydney are 5-2 against the line as underdogs in the past 12 months, but it is still tough to have a great deal of faith in this side, particularly with a line of just two points.

The betting market that does stand out here is the total points and under 37.5 points is a great bet.

The Roosters have been a narrow unders team in the past 12 months, while the under is 7-4 in Panthers away games in the same time period.

Recommended Bet: Back The Under (37.5 Points)