Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Thursday March 17 | AAMI Park | 8.05pm AEDT
It was the typical gutsy Storm when they came-from-behind to beat the Tigers in round one. They return to AAMI Park for the first time since round 8 last year and they’ll be keen to please their home fans. The Rabbitohs have a poor record against the Storm and it’s hard to see them bringing much opposition, especially without Adam Reynolds and Wayne Bennett at the helm. Last week’s loss to the Broncos sounded alarm bells for the Rabbitohs and I doubt there’s a quick fix. Origin duo Harry Grant and Cameron Munster are also back into the Storm line-up, however losing big man Christian Welch to injury is hard to replace. The Rabbitohs regain Latrell Mitchell but I’m tipping he’ll take some time to readjust,
Suggested bet: 1.5u Storm -8.5 at $1.90
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Penrith Panthers
Friday March 18 | Jubilee Stadium | 6.00pm AEDT
Both teams come off opening round wins, with the Panthers sublime in beating Manly, even without Nathan Cleary. The Dragons were tradesman-like beating the Warriors and there’s a bit to like about the make-up of their side in 2022. But here comes a stern early season test for the Dragons as they face the reigning premiers, and they’ll have to do it without big man Aaron Woods. These two teams dominated possession like no other club in round one, with Penrith holding the most ball of any side in round one with 59% and the Dragons equal-best of the rest with 57% possession against the Warriors. It shows poise and patience early on in the season, a strong sign of disciplined sides who should be in the finals mix. I like that the Dragons had a strong hit-out in round one, while in contrast the Panthers barely got out of second hear against a Manly side which had nothing go right.
Suggested bet: 1u Dragons +10.5 at $1.90
Sydney Roosters vs Manly Sea Eagles
Friday March 18 | SCG | 8.05pm AEDT
Important match as one of these heavyweights will be 0-2 to start the season. Both sides were disappointing in round one losses, with the Roosters shocked at home to the Knights, while Manly couldn’t put a foot right in losing to the Panthers. It’s mighty difficult to find a bet in this game as both sides were simply without any rhythm or cohesion in the season opener. Let’s watch this one with a view to the future.
No suggested bet
Gold Coast Titans vs New Zealand Warriors
Saturday March 19 | Cbus Super Stadium | 3.00pm AEDT
There was a lot to like about the Gold Coast when they went down 32-28 to the Eels on Sunday, while the Warriors failed to incite much enthusiasm about the year ahead with a lacklustre second half on going down to the Dragons. It gets worse for the Warriors’ losing Shaun Johnson, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Viliami Vailea to injury. However, they do regain Reece Walsh as he spearheads a new-look backline with Ash Taylor. I think the Titans are a touch short at the $1.45 mark, but I presume that factors in their 44-0 drubbing of the Warriors last time they met. This clash might be another match-up where it pays to watch and learn.
No suggested bet
Cronulla Sharks vs Parramatta Eels
Saturday March 19 | PointsBet Stadium | 5.30pm AEDT
The Eels have won three of the last four meetings with the Sharks and go into this slight favourites. There’s high hopes for the Sharks this year, but losing the season opener to the Raiders has raised some question marks. New coach Craig Fitzgibbon has keep the same personnel for this tussle with the Eels, which has the makings of a blockbuster. While the Eels have the wood over their opponents in recent outings, it’s actually the Sharks who have the ascendency over the Eels at this particular venue, winning six of their last seven here. I’m tipping the Sharks will be fired up after losing in round one and won’t let another slip away here.
Suggested bet – 1.5u win Sharks at $2.15
North Queensland Cowboys vs Canberra Raiders
Saturday March 19 | Queensland County Bank Stadium | 7.35pm AEDT
The Cowboys get another crack on home turf after losing narrowly to the Bulldogs in a low-scoring affair last week. There was plenty to like about the Cowboys’ defence, despite not having the offensive firepower to grab the points. Last time they met the Raiders at this venue, it was the Cowboys victorious 26-24. However, the Cowboys have now lost their past five games here. Tricky game this one, but happy to have a small bet on the home side at the odds.
Suggested bet: 0.5 Cowboys win at $2.50
Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers
Sunday March 20 | McDonald Jones Stadium | 4.05pm AEDT
Two sides coming off solid efforts in round one, with the Knights upsetting the Roosters and the Tigers taking it to the Storm until the final minutes. The Knights go into this unchanged, while James Tamou adds some grunt to the Tigers side. Both sides were solid defensively in round one, and a repeat of that should see a close tussle. I think the Knights are a touch too short in this market, with an overreaction to their win over a Roosters side which looked out of sorts.
Suggested bets: 1u Tigers win at $3, 1u Tigers 7.5 at $1.90
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Brisbane Broncos
Sunday March 20 | Accor Stadium | 6.15pm AEDT
These two sides have struggled over the last few seasons, however managed to score upset wins to open their 2022 season. This is a golden opportunity for one of these sides to start the season 2-0. The Broncos have blasted the Bulldogs at their past two encounters, winning by big margins. It’s hard to gauge the Bulldogs’ improvement just yet, but it seems they will be much more competitive with some strong additions. Not overly keen here but happy to have something small on the Dogs at home.
Suggested bet: 0.5u Bulldogs win at $2.25
Week 1 result: -2.52u (Cowboys losing to the Bulldogs hurt, so did the unexpected defeat of the Roosters, Sharks and Manly)