Upset Round 10 NRL Tip: Warriors ($2.15) to defeat the Panthers on Saturday

First-up tonight the fans in Queensland are treated to a sunshine state derby with the Brisbane Broncos hosting ‘little brothers’ the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp.

The Broncs, despite being without Justin Hodges, are the $1.75 favourites over the Titans who actually sit one win over Brisbane this season.

On the ladder the Titans sit in sixth spot having enjoyed a gritty one-point win over the Dragons last Sunday while the Broncos are in eighth having lost by one to the Eels of all teams in round nine.

The second Friday night showdown features the blowout NRL odds of the week with the flying South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.06 to defeat the Wests Tigers who are at $10 – the juiciest price you’ll find any team for the season we think.

It has been a shocking season for Wests who sit at the bottom of the ladder. Things started on a sour note right back in Round 1 when they lost 42 – 10 to the Knights.

Things looked back on track when they won their round two and three matches but they have failed to post a victory since.

Can they pull a Raider-esque upset here and take down one of the premiership favourites in a massive boilover?

It would seem unlikely as the table-topping Bunnies shoot for another win after easily accounting for the Cowboys 28 – 10 last Friday night, but you just never know and at those odds it’s worth a sneaky dollar or two on the Tigers.

Other NRL Round 10 highlights include the North Queensland Cowboys v Sydney Roosters up in NQ on Saturday, the Newcastle Knights hosting the Canterbury Bulldogs Sunday arvo at Hunter Stadium and then of course the big one, the Melbourne Storm playing the Sea Eagles at AAMI Park.

Going back to the Cowboys and Chooks showdown, the Queensland club were embarrassed by Souths last Friday night and will be looking to bounce back in front of a big home crowd nice and fresh after a good turn around.

The Roosters of course will start the favourites though sitting second on the ladder following their awesome 16 – 4 victory over Manly.

The Sea Eagles meanwhile are $2.65 outsiders to hand the Melbourne Storm their third straight loss, something the reigning premiers will be doing everything in their power to stop.

As always when it comes to getting behind your team and showing your support make sure you lock in the best prices online at bookmaker.com.au – home of the famous $500 bonus sign-up offer!

2013 NRL Round 10 Draw

Friday May 17, 2013

Brisbane Broncos ($1.75) v Gold Coast Titans ($2.13)

Suncorp Stadium (7:35pm)

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.06) v Wests Tigers ($10)

ANZ Stadium (7:35pm)

Saturday May 18, 2013

St George Illawarra Dragons ($1.45) v Parramatta Eels ($2.80)

WIN Stadium (5:30pm)

Penrith Panthers ($1.72) v New Zealand Warriors ($2.15)

Centrebet Stadium (7:30pm)

North Queensland Cowboys ($1.98) v Sydney Roosters ($1.85)

1300SMILES Stadium (7:30pm)

Sunday May 19, 2013

Cronulla Sharks ($1.63) v Canberra Raiders ($2.30)

Sharks Stadium (2:00pm)

Newcastle Knights ($2.40) v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ($1.60)

Hunter Stadium (3:00pm)

Monday May 20, 2013

Melbourne Storm ($1.50) v Manly Sea Eagles ($2.65)

AAMI Park (7:00pm)

*All times quoted are local and odds are Head-to-Head from bookmaker.com.au – subject to change

Upset NRL Tip of Round 9: Newcastle Knights ($2.40) to defeat the Raiders on Sunday afternoon

Big NRL results from Round 8 last week included the high flying Bunnies getting the better of the Broncos 26 – 12 for a rare South Sydney win at Suncorp Stadium and the Canterbury Bulldogs running away with a 40 – 4 win over Tigers in the other Friday night clash.

But of course it was the upsets that had the punters talking (or screaming) including the Melbourne Storm’s flawless run coming to a surprise end at AAMI Park with the Canberra Raiders beating the defending premiers 24 – 20.

The other upsets went to the Sharks who beat the Knights by one on Sunday arvo and the Warriors one point win over the Gold Coast Titans in New Zealand.

Round 9 gets underway with a beauty of a match at ANZ Stadium where the Rabbitohs will jump short favourites over North Queensland Cowboys, the boys from NQ after another win to add to the 14 – 10 one they snared over the Eels last Saturday.

South Sydney are really going to be hard to beat here with seven wins from eight games played so far, the same as Melbourne, as they look to break a 42-year premiership drought.

Cowboys meanwhile are just hanging on to eighth spot on the NRL ladder playing very inconsistently despite their star-studded roster.

The other match tonight is between the Wests Tigers looking to bounce back after their horror loss seven nights ago who take on the Sharks, Cronulla likely to be fired up after re-signing star Todd Carney for another five-year deal.

Saturday’s game between the Eels and Broncos at Parramatta will be another interesting one with Brisbane looking for a win to retain their seventh spot on the ladder while the Eels battle with Wests for bottom spot.

On Sunday the ninth-placed Green Machine will back-up from their shock win over the Storm playing the fifth-placed Knights at Canberra Stadium and really this is anyone’s game based on what we saw last week.

Melbourne meanwhile will look to reassert their authority and forget last week’s blunder when they take on the Panthers, 30 – 6 losers to the Roosters last week, in what should be an easy confidence boosting comeback at Centrebet Stadium.

But the real blockbuster is last on the NRL line-up this round with Monday’s Brookvale Oval clash between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Sydney Roosters shaping up as cracker when fourth and third on the ladder face off.

Manly sit one under the Tri-Colours on the leaderboard after their 24 – 18 win over the Dragons last Monday night at WIN Jubilee.

Rooseters meanwhile have won their past three on the trot and will look to keep their spot in the Top 4 firmly secured here.

So will it be an easy run for the favourites this week? Or is there a few more NRL upsets due for Round 9 of the greatest Rugby League competition in the world?

As always whichever teams you’re backing on the weekend make sure you lock in the best NRL odds online now at bookmaker.com.au – the country’s go to bookie for all your sports and horse racing needs – no gimmicks or guys in suits just great odds.

2013 NRL Round 9 Draw & Odds

Friday May 10, 2013

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.29) v North Queensland Cowboys ($3.70)

ANZ Stadium (7:35pm)

Wests Tigers ($2.60) v Cronulla Sharks ($1.52)

Allianz Stadium (7:35pm)

Saturday May 11, 2013

New Zealand Warriors ($2.50) v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ($1.55)

Westpac Stadium (7:30pm)

Parramatta Eels ($2.70) v Brisbane Broncos ($1.48)

Parramatta Stadium (7:30pm)

Sunday May 12, 2013

Canberra Raiders ($1.60) v Newcastle Knights ($2.40)

Canberra Stadium (2:00pm)

Gold Coast Titans ($1.52) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.60)

Skilled Park (3:00pm)

Penrith Panthers ($5.70) v Melbourne Storm ($1.15)

Centrebet Stadium (6:30pm)

Monday May 13, 2013

Manly Sea Eagles ($2.08) v Sydney Roosters ($1.77)

Brookvale Oval (7:00pm)

*All times quote are local and odds head-to-head from bookmaker.com.au – subject to change

This weekend we are treated to another eight clashes for Round 8 starting with a cracker at Suncorp Stadium tonight with the in-form Brisbane Broncos hosting the second best team in the competition – the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Upset Tip of the Week: Titans ($2.60) to beat Warriors ($1.52) in New Zealand on Sunday

Brisbane have won their past three on the trot, including their 20-10 win over Wests last Saturday, moving themselves into sixth place on the NRL Ladder, have the home ground advantage and boast an impressive 9-2 advantage at the old Lang Park over the Bunnies.

But there’s a downside for the Queensland crew here as they lost both Justin Hodges (groin) and strong forward Josh McGuire (calf) this week.

Souths meanwhile have lost just one game this time in when the reigning Premiers the Melbourne Storm got the better of them in round six and will be brimful of confidence after running away with a 20 – 12 win over Manly at Brookvale last Friday night scoring all of their tries in the second half.

So do you go with the stats and the Broncos’ heart? Probably not with those recent withdrawals.

There’s no other real block buster on this week’s card with no other two from the Top 8 facing off this week.

Melbourne, easy 28 – 18 winners over the Warriors last week, look set to tighten their stranglehold over the title playing the 10th placed Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park on Saturday night, the Green Machine coming off a devastating 30 – 12 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys seven days prior.

The Cowboys meanwhile are just hanging onto eighth position thanks to that win after their narrow loss the previous round (six) to their big brothers in Brisbane going down by just two points in a 12 – 10 blockbuster.

This week they take on the out of form Parramatta Eels, 15th at the moment and looking like scoring a second straight Wooden Spoon, who were thrashed by the Panthers on Monday night.

Penrith are one of this season’s most unimpressive outfits even after posting 44 points on the Eels in Round 7 and will likely struggle to stay in touch with the Sydney Roosters on Sunday arvo with the Chooks sitting pretty in third spot overall after thrashing the Dragons 34 – 10 in the Anzac Day clash last Thursday.

The only other real game of note involves St George this week with the Red V’s hosting Manly on Monday night, Dragons desperate to get their season back on track.

The full NRL Round 8 draw is listed below complete with match times, locations and head-to-head odds on all the teams so you know who to back and who to sack this week.

When you’re ready to get behind your footy tips head over to bookmaker.com.au and bet online with the best enjoying a $500 bonus sign-up this season as a new depositing customer!

2013 NRL Round 8 Draw & Odds

Friday May 3, 2013

Brisbane Broncos ($2.80) v South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.46

Suncorp Stadium (7:35pm)

Canterbury Bulldogs ($1.16) v Wests Tigers ($5.50)

ANZ Stadium (7:35pm)

Saturday May 4, 2013

Melbourne Storm ($1.14) v Canberra Raiders ($6)

AAMI Park (5:30pm)

Parramatta Eels ($2.88) v North Queensland Cowboys ($1.42)

Parramatta Stadium (7:30pm)

Sunday May 5, 2013

New Zealand Warriors ($1.52) v Gold Coast Titans ($2.60)

Mt. Smart Stadium (2:00pm)

Newcastle Knights ($1.37) v Cronulla Sharks ($3.20)

Hunter Stadium (2:00pm)

Sydney Roosters ($1.13) v Penrith Panthers ($6.50)

Allianz Stadium (3:00pm)

Monday May 6, 2013

St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.60) v Manly Sea Eagles ($1.52)

WIN Jubilee Oval (7:00pm)

*All times quoted are local

*All odds quoted are provided by bookmaker.com.au and subject to change

The traditional Friday night footy double-shot is back and things couldn’t get any hotter than an explosive Queensland derby to kick things off at Suncorp Stadium where the Brisbane Broncos host the North Queensland Cowboys.

NRL Tip of the Round: Take Melbourne Storm at their juicy $2.11 to beat the Bunnies ($1.76) on Saturday night

Brisbane will start the favourites here after their impressive 32 – 12 win over fellow sunshine state rivals the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Park a week ago on the back of a gutsy loss to Melbourne.

The Cowboys may have been on fire last week when pulling it all out in both attack and defense to keep the Panthers scoreless (30-0) but they hadn’t done much this year before that and will need to bring it against a progressive Broncos outfit.

The other Friday night treat sees the Sydney Roosters, who were just defeated by Canberra 24 – 22 in an upset last Sunday, play the disappointing Canterbury Doggies.

Expect a fiery clash here too as big boy Sonny Bill Williams with the Chooks this year takes on the club he up and left back in 2008 for the first time.

The other headliner of Round 6 is then on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium where the two best teams of the season so far will come head-to-head with one to suffer their first loss of the season when the South Sydney Rabbithos take on the reigning premiers.

With Souths coming off their first winning five-round-opener since 1971, when they went on to take out the Premiership, they are being tipped to win this clash opening surprise shorties in the NRL odds over Melbourne.

Really juicy odds on Melbourne considering they are the competition’s most consistent crew and that they have won 17 from 20 played against the Rabbitohs including seven of the past nine.

The Bunnies have been scrapping through by the fluff of their tails but are five-from-five after a close result (24 – 22) over the Warriors last week while the Melbourne Storm remain hot favourites to go back-to-back in the Premiership betting markets having easily accounted for the Wests Tigers last Monday night (26 – 12).

Surprisingly the

Other notable fixtures will see the Manly Sea Eagles come off a good 20 – 6 win over the Bulldogs last Friday night and play the Sharks at Brookvale Oval on Sunday arvo, Cronulla having suffered an ego-bruising loss to the Eels at Parramatta last weekend; and the Dragons looking for their third when they play the Wests Tigers at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Check out the complete NRL Round 6 match line-up complete with the latest Rugby League odds for each team below, all prices available online at our preferred bookie bookmaker.com.au.

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2013 NRL Round 6 Draw

Friday April 12, 2013

Brisbane Broncos ($1.85) v North Queensland Cowboys ($1.98)

Suncorp Stadium (7:35pm)

Sydney Roosters ($1.65) v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ($2.30)

Allianz Stadium (7:35pm)

Saturday April 13, 2013

Newcastle Knights ($1.17) v Penrith Panthers ($5.20)

Hunter Stadium (5:30pm)

Canberra Raiders ($1.50) v New Zealand Warriors ($2.66)

Canberra Stadium (7:30pm)

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.76) v Melbourne Storm ($2.11)

ANZ Stadium (7:30pm)

Sunday April 14, 2013

Manly Sea Eagles ($1.19) v Cronulla Sharks ($5)

Brookvale Oval (2:00pm)

Wests Tigers ($2.55) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($1.54)

Sydney Cricket Ground (3:00pm)

Gold Coast Titans ($1.73) v Parramatta Eels ($2.16)

Skilled Park (6:30pm)

*All times are local and all head-to-head odds quoted are provided by bookmaker.com.au

There were some real thrillers played out in Round 4 last week including the Brisbane Broncos fighting back after a shocker first 15 to give Melbourne a rattle-up going down 26 – 32 in a really tight showdown.

The reigning Premiers should have a much easier time this week enjoying a nice long break to play Monday night against the Wests Tigers who failed to post any points last Thursday night when going down 26 – 0 to last year’s Minor Premiers the Manly Sea Eagles.

A similar result rounded things rounded up with last year’s Wooden Spooners, the Eels, putting in a shocker when failing to post any points as the Sydney Roosters ran off with a 50 – nil victory despite Parra’s earlier good form.

Expect the Eels, who get the home ground advantage, to improve on Saturday when they play the Sharks who looked really shaky in their 25 – 12 loss to the Dragons last week.

This week the Thursday night match has been abandoned in favour of back-to-back Friday night clashes and they are two beauties with a Queensland Derby between the Broncos and the Titans at Skilled Park followed by the Sea Eagles taking on Canterbury in Sydney.

Titans have been in really nice form early in and last week they enjoyed a 28 – 10 victory over Penrith.

Brisbane will be a little tougher but Gold Coast are at home and on a roll whereas the Broncs could be feeling the effects of a tough battle with the Storm.

Manly meanwhile look the pick against the Doggies are their easy win a week back, Canterbury failing to finish off against the Bunnies last week when losing 17 – 12.

Other highlights of the round include the Dragons v Knights at Win Jubilee on Sunday arvo where Newcastle will look for another win after a victory over the Raiders, and the Storm hosting the Tigers at AAMI Park on Monday night.

See below for the complete 2013 NRL Round 5 draw complete with match times, venues and the all-important NRL odds so you can see who are the favourites and the underdogs for the week.

When you’re ready to get behind your rugby league selections this week at the best prices head over to bookmaker.com.au and bet with the bookie rewarding you better starting with a $500 bonus bet for new customers!

2013 NRL Round 5 Draw

Friday April 5, 2013

Canterbury Bulldogs ($2.07) v Manly Sea Eagles ($1.79)

ANZ Stadium – 7:35pm (local)

Gold Coast Titans ($1.51) v Brisbane Broncos ($2.64)

Skilled Park – 7:35pm (local)

Saturday April 6, 2013

Parramatta Eels ($2.58) v Cronulla Sharks ($1.53)

Parramatta Stadium – 5:30pm (local)

North Queensland Cowboys ($1.22) v Penrith Panthers ($4.50)

1300SMILES Stadium – 6:30pm (local)

Sunday April 7, 2013

St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.26) v Newcastle Knights ($1.67)

WIN Jubilee Oval – 3:00pm (local)

New Zealand Warriors ($3.35) v South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.35)

Mt Smart Stadium – 4:00pm (local)

Canberra Raiders ($2.63) v Sydney Roosters ($1.51)

Canberra Stadium – 6:30pm (local)

Monday April 8, 2013

Melbourne Storm ($1.16) v Wests Tigers ($5.60)

AAMI Park – 7:00pm (local)

*All odds quoted are Head-to-Head from bookmaker.com.au and subject to change

While punters, bookies and the fans are still trying to sort the contenders from the pretenders at this tentative stage of the competition there is something everyone agrees on – Melbourne Storm are the ones to beat this season.

Kick off Round 3 with a win and back the Storm to continue their assault on the competition with a Thursday night win over the Doggies at bookmaker.com.au!

They are the outright $4.20 favourites in the early NRL Premiership Overall Winners odds at bookmakers around the country, the reigning premiers having destroyed the Cowboys last week in what was meant to be a much closer affair.

This week Melbourne is up right away for Thursday night’s NRL Grand Final rematch between the Storm and the Canterbury Bulldogs.

See below for the full Round 3 preview and match odds so you know who is playing where and when and which teams the bookies are tipping for the win.

2013 NRL Round 3 Draw

Thursday March 21, 2013

Melbourne Storm ($1.25) v Canterbury Bulldogs ($4.10)

AAMI Park – 8:05pm (local)

This is the easiest to pick of the round for sure with the team to beat in the competition taking on the minor premiers in a grand final rematch at AAMI Park. Bulldogs had to really work to beat the Eels this time last week and will be low on confidence after watching Melbourne’s breezy win over the Cowboys. Barba isn’t back for at least another week and even though Storm are sweating on the fitness of Billy Slater, in Melbourne Canterbury almost never win.

Friday March 22, 2013

Wests Tigers ($1.71) v Parramatta Eels ($2.19)

Leichardt Oval – 8:05pm (local)

Two teams that are hard to really get a gauge on for the season, but one thing is for sure, the Eels will give it everything not to get the Spoon again. They are showing good signs of improvement and were far from disgraced when beaten by four by the Doggies last Thursday night. Tigers meanwhile beat Penrith on Sunday arvo having been flogged in Round 1 by the Knights. If Farah and Marshall bring it again they’ll be very hard to beat especially with that home ground advantage at their beloved Leichardt.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Gold Coast Titans ($2.40) v Manly Sea Eagles ($1.60)

Skilled Park – 4:30pm (local)

This one should actually be a lot closer than those odds suggest. Titans have shown some really nice stuff this season, a far cry from the shadow of a club they presented to their dwindling fan base last season. They were just nudged out by two in Round 1 against the Sharks and last week enjoyed a confidence boosting leaving the Raiders scoreless with a big 36 – 0 effort. They also get the home ground advantage so don’t discount completely. Still, Manly are big strong and committed and were able to run away with a 32 – 0 whitewash over the Knights even with a big injury list last week and are likely to win again here.

Sydney Roosters ($1.57) v Brisbane Broncos ($2.48)

Allianz Stadium – 7:30pm (local)

Roosters are getting used to all those big new sign-ups and starting to show a bit having held off the Warriors last week. Still they led 16 – nil at one stage so to have just a two point gap in the end isn’t exactly encouraging. Brisbane meanwhile showed some genuine defense to get the better of the Dragons 22 – 6 last week. They are still being slammed by the critics and aren’t fancied in this especially down in Sydney especially with Justin “Hamstring” Hodges in doubt. Tri-colours should be able to hold off the Queenslanders but aren’t known for their consistency so upset wouldn’t surprise.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Cronulla Sharks ($1.43) v New Zealand Warriors ($2.93)

Sharks Stadium – 2:00pm (local)

Who shows up here is key. Sharks are starting to show some signs of all the controversy and drug investigations getting to them having lost to Souths last Monday night. Still they should get a big home crowd here and their home record is a good one. Warriors, back em or sack em? It’s never an easy decision. Write them off, they win. Back them, they lose. Last week they fought back to come within two of the Roosters but really that margin was flattering to a flawed performance by the Kiwis. New Zealand have talent, they just don’t always use it. Going to stick with the Sharks here.

Penrith Panthers ($4.50) v South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.22)

Centrebet Stadium – 3:00pm (local)

Odds on Penrith are long, but it’s for a reason. They are without Lachlan Coote for the rest of the season now and that’s a big blow. They couldn’t keep it together last week and went down in the battle of the big cats and really don’t fancy their chances here against one of the most genuine Top 4 contenders. Souths just beat Sharks last week, but the key is they won. They are full of class and will be looking to get a bigger win on the board here.

Canberra Raiders ($1.64) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.32)

Canberra Stadium – 6:30pm (local)

There are some big cracks starting to show in this Raiders outfit as shown by their 36 – 0 annihilation at the hands of the Titans last week. They are at home this time but will that be any real help? One thing in their favour however is they face their bunny team here with the Dragons unable to beat Canberra at home since 2000. Can St George beat the hoodoo this time? Their 22 – 6 loss to the Broncos doesn’t help them out but the Red V’s have the ability to rise.

Monday March 25, 2013

Newcastle Knights ($2.02) v North Queensland Cowboys ($1.83)

Hunter Stadium – 7:00pm (local)

Round 3 finishes up on Monday night with the Knights, smashed 32 – 0 last week by the Sea Eagles, hosting an ego-bruised Cowboys outfit who despite lots of backing from the punters couldn’t even get close to presenting a danger to Melbourne when going down 32 – 10 in Round 2. North Queensland travel this week but will still start narrow favourites based on what they are capable of when they’re not playing the Storm.

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*All odds quoted are Win and subject to change – see bookmaker.com.au for updates and to bet now

Round 2 NRL Tip: This is the week to stick with the favourites so get the best NRL odds on the shorties online at bookmaker.com.au now!

Round 1 was a cracker and got things cooking in the kitchen at a high heat with upsets a plenty and value to be had at with your footy bets.

Major NRL Results from the opening round included Manly’s upset 22 – 14 thrashing of a fast-fading Brisbane Broncos on Friday night, last year’s Wooden Spooners Parramatta coming out with a bang to defeat the Warriors 40 – 10 and the Storm showing why they are the ones to beat yet again with an easy 30 – 10 victory over the Dragons.

There’s plenty on the cards again this week so check out the NRL Round 2 draw and odds below before heading to our preferred online bookie bookmaker.com.au to place your bets on the greatest game on earth.

2013 NRL Round 2 Draw

Thursday March 14, 2013

Parramatta Eels ($2.23) v Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs ($1.69)

ANZ Stadium – 8:05pm (local)

From the basement to the penthouse? Not quite, but the Eels showed they weren’t going to land back-to-back wooden spoons with a big 40 – 10 win over the Warriors in round one. The Bulldogs meanwhile could only post half as many points as the exciting Cowboys outfit going down 12 – 24. So who wins this? Bulldogs are the better team and the Eels don’t usually back up well.

Friday March 14, 2013

St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.10) v Brisbane Broncos ($1.77)

WIN Stadium – 8:05pm (local)

Dragons faced the best in the comp last week and were thrashed 30 – 10 by Melbourne but this will be easier. They get the home ground advantage over a Brisbane Broncos outfit that started really strong against Manly in their Friday night opener but who lost the plot in the second half giving away the game. Dragons on the short back-up while Brisbane have had a full week to work out what went wrong. Could be the Queenslanders chance to atone and win back some fans here.

Saturday March 16, 2013

North Queensland Cowboys ($1.91) v Melbourne Storm ($1.93)

1300SMILES Stadium – 6:30pm (local)

Cowboys look a real shot at the Premiership in these early stages having shown their professionalism and team work to beat the Bulldogs last week. They play in front of a big (happy) home crowd this week to celebrate the resigning of JT who will see out his career at the club. All that’s great but they do play the Storm. Melbourne are clinical but exciting – two opposites that just work for this club. Can the Cowboys manage a big upset here? Why not!

New Zealand Warriors ($2.19) v Sydney Roosters ($1.71)

Eden Park – 7:30pm (local)

Well after showing such promise in their trial matches the always frustrating New Zealanders just didn’t show up last week and their complacency cost them big time with a massive 40 – 10 loss to the Eels. The Roosters were also well beaten when 28 – 10 in the season’s first game a week ago. Sydney have a full week between matches so get that freshness edge but they need to work better if they are going to be in it for more than the five minutes they were last round. Still couldn’t back the Warriors based on what they showed last week.

Sunday March 17, 2013

Gold Coast Titans ($1.46) v Canberra Raiders ($2.80)

Skilled Park – 1:00pm (local)

Gold Coast look in trouble again this season, no surprises there. They only just went down to the controversy-ridden Cronulla at Shark Park and get the home ground advantage here. Will anyone show up to watch but? Probably not. The Raiders meanwhile lost 32 – 10 to the Panthers in the first and there’s also problems going on here following the sacking of fullback Josh Dugan today. On that going to have to say the Gold Coast but this definitely isn’t the match of the round by any means.

Wests Tigers ($1.69) v Penrith Panthers ($2.23)

Campbelltown Stadium – 3:00pm (local)

Battle of the big cats. Panthers surprised quite a few critics with their big win over the Green Machine last Sunday and will be out to keep their good start to the season going riding on the momentum here. Tigers played last Monday night so are disadvantaged here straight away. They also lost, by a lot, with Newcastle handing it to them 42 – 10. Tigers can be entertaining and post the points when they want to and have a feeling they will be out for revenge this week. Going to stick with the stripes.

Manly Sea Eagles ($1.72) v Newcastle Knights ($2.18)

Brookvale Oval – 6:30pm (local)

Sea Eagles didn’t start great last Friday night at Lang Park but quickly gained the upper hand over Brisbane and ran away with a 22 – 14 win. They are back at their beloved Brookie this week and have a big break between games so will be fresh and ready to rip it up. Yes Newcastle won by over 30 points last week but it’s not that they played great, it’s that Wests Tigers put up little to no defense. Don’t be fooled by that victory, Sea Eagles are the ones to beat here.

Monday March 18, 2013

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.30) v Cronulla Sharks ($3.70)

ANZ Stadium – 7:00pm (local)

Rabbitohs will be loving this Thursday – Monday turnaround giving them a huge recovery period. Not that they really looked like needing it having easily destroyed the Chooks 28 – 10 in the year’s first match. They have the skills on that roster and it showed on the field. Sharks are battling many demons both on and off the field and even though they narrowly held off the Titans last week, don’t fancy them to do anything like that against the Bunnies.

Get behind your team or bet strategically using the above Round 1 NRL betting preview online now at bookmaker.com.au – home of the famous $400 bonus welcome bet for new depositing players that quote the code BONUSBET!

Upsets a plenty look to be on the cards for Round 1 including the Sea Eagles over the Broncos on Friday night

There may have been a lot of controversy surrounding the NRL and AFL leading up to this year’s opening fixtures but fans are putting all that aside and gearing up for another supercharged season.

Below we take a quick look at the eight games scheduled to light up stadiums and screens around the country including the NRL odds for each match that you can lock in online at the country’s best bookie for the footy – bookmaker.com.au.

NRL Round 1 Draw

Thursday March 7, 2013

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.68) v Sydney Roosters ($2.24)

Allianz Stadium – 8:05pm (local)

Things kick off with a scintillating Sydney derby between two of the game’s biggest rivals. This opener last year was a cracker with the Roosters scoring twice in the last two minutes for a narrow win and fans will be hoping for a similarly tight clash here. Roosters have a shiny new line-up including dual international Sonny Bill Williams on the bench while the Rabbitohs have all the usual suspects including GI ready to rip it up.

Friday March 8, 2013

Brisbane Broncos ($1.61) v Manly Sea Eagles ($2.38)

Suncorp Stadium – 7:05pm (local)

Manly are at juicy odds here and the 2011 Premiers hold no fears at Lang Park so could prove the value bet. Brisbane lost the plot a bit last season without the great Darren Lockyer to guide them and their trial was a disaster, can new recruit Scott Prince help them out here?

Saturday March 9, 2013

Parramatta Eels ($1.78) v New Zealand Warriors ($2.09)

Parramatta Stadium – 5:30pm (local)

Eels have the home ground advantage but can’t see why they are top of the odds. Last year’s worst team, officially, lost a number of their greats to retirement at the end of that horror season so will have to pull out all the stops here especially after the Warriors nice form in the trials.

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs ($1.94) v North Queensland Cowboys ($1.90)

Bluetounge Stadium – 7:30pm (local)

This is going to come down to the wire and be one of the round’s highlights. Cowboys were the best of the Queenslanders last year and showed their usual tenacity until the very (controversial) end. The Bulldogs meanwhile went all the way to the Grand Final going down to Melbourne and would be the hot favourites here bar the loss of the troubled Ben Barbara. Can they get the job done without their leading try-scorer?

Sunday March 10, 2013

Penrith Panthers ($1.91) v Canberra Raiders ($1.93)

Centrebet Stadium – 2:00pm (local)

Panthers really were pretty pitiful last season and have lots to prove to their fans this year. Canberra meanwhile showed some real glimpses of magic and this powerful pack can really feature in the competition if they stay focused. However the Raiders have player loss a plenty to make up for here with Josh Dugan out with a virus and Jarrod Crocker also missing with a knee injury which evens things up.

Melbourne Storm ($1.24) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($4.28)

AAMI Park – 3:00pm (local)

Easiest to pick of the round by far. Reigning premiers were all but unbeatable for the best part of last season and based on their clinical trial effort are again the ones to beat. Dragons will find this a tough way to kick things off especially without the home ground advantage.

Cronulla Sharks ($1.47) v Gold Coast Titans ($2.70)

Sharks Stadium – 6:30pm (local)

Sharkies are the deserved favourites here and should do it easy at home with a star line-up that includes the returning Todd Carney as well as ex-Penrith players Michael Gordon and Luke Lewis. Titans were rubbish last season and now Prince has jumped ship the wooden spoon could be calling especially with decisions like putting new recruit Dave Taylor on the bench.

Monday March 11, 2013

Newcastle Knights ($1.51) v Wests Tigers ($2.64)

Hunter Stadium – 7:00pm (local)

Knights get to play at home first-up which will aid their cause. But the Tigers’ odds are way over looking at their strong back-row that could be signaling an upset here.

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Any number of things can happen at the end of the eight matches played over the next few days, with nothing for certain bar this is a round of footy not to miss!

NRL Round 26 Upset Tip: Cowboys to beat Shars on Sunday @ $2.37 through bookmaker.com.au

Things kick off on Friday night with a must-win match for the Brisbane Broncos who are hanging onto the eighth rank by the skin of their teeth.

Tonight they have the home ground advantage against the Penrith Panthers for retiring warhorse Petero Civoniceva’s last game, and if they lose this it is bye bye finals.

They don’t have the moment coming into the game having lost their last six consecutive games and will be down on confidence playing a Panthers outfit that won 36 – 22 over the Titans last week.

There’s a log-jam of teams or vying for that important eighth spot this week with the Broncos equal completion points with the Wests Tigers (9^th) who have a really tough test playing the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night at Leichardt Oval.

The Tigers suffered a bad loss when going down 44 – 20 to the Roosters last Sunday while Melbourne miraculously fought back to win 20 – 18 over the Sharks on Monday night in a match they really didn’t deserve to come away with.

Meanwhile it would also help the Broncos’ case if the currently seventh-ranked Canberra Raiders failed to beat the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday arvo across the ditch.

But the Green Machine are on a role having defeated the Doggies 34 – 6 last Friday night while the Warriors have been very disappointing over the past couple of months including their 38 – 6 loss at WIN Stadium to the Dragons last Saturday.

The other Friday night clash tonight meanwhile sees the third-ranked South Sydney Rabbitohs play the 11^th-ranked Newcastle Knights at Hunter Stadium, the Bunnies looking for another win after an easy go beating the Eels 38 – 6 last Sunday to stay inside that top four.

It is also a huge round for the Manly Sea Eagles who play the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Park this Saturday and the Cowboys.

Manly are in fourth spot and want to stay there to secure a home ground final next week, and even though they comprehensively beat the Broncos 16 – 6 last Friday night they didn’t impress in the second 40 minutes failing to post any points.

The North Queensland Cowboys played much better when they won 22 – 14 over the Knights up in Dairy Farmers and they will be praying the Sea Eagles go down, and that they can defeat the Cronulla Sharks at Toyota Stadium on Father’s Day to sneak inside that top four.

Round 26 comes to a close on Sunday night with a big match between this year’s Wooden Spooners, the Parramatta Eels, and the Dragons.

While both teams have said good-bye to the finals they will now prepare to say goodbye to a plethora of retiring players including Eels’ veterans Luke Burt and Nathan Hindmarsh.

There won’t be much between these ones in the odds, so skip the bet on this one maybe and just kick back and enjoy what is sure to be an emotion charged finish to the round and the careers of some true champions.

The full 2012 NRL Round 26 draw, odds and tips are detailed below.

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2012 NRL Round 26

Friday August 31, 2012 (7:35pm) – Hunter Stadium

• Newcastle Knights ($2.42) v South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.57)

Friday August 31, 2012 (7:35pm) – Suncorp Stadium

• Brisbane Broncos ($1.20) v Penrith Panthers ($4.60)

Saturday September 1, 2012 (5:30pm) – Skilled Park

• Gold Coast Titans ($4.45) v Manly Sea Eagles ($1.21)

Saturday September 1, 2012 (7:30pm) – Leichardt Oval

• Wests Tigers ($2.21) v Melbourne Storm ($1.67)

Saturday September 1, 2012 (7:30pm) – ANZ Stadium

• Canterbury Bulldogs ($1.17) v Sydney Roosters ($5.10)

Sunday September 2, 2012 (3:00pm) – Toyota Stadium

• Cronulla Sharks ($1.59) v North Queensland Cowboys ($2.37)

Sunday September 2, 2012 (4:00pm) – Mt Smart Stadium

• New Zealand Warriors ($2.50) v Canberra Raiders ($1.53)

Sunday September 2, 2012 (6:30pm)

• Parramatta Eels ($1.98) v St George Illawarra Dragons ($1.83)

The Canterbury Bulldogs have secured the minor premiership despite going down in a big 34 – 6 defeat to the Canberra Raiders, the Green Machine having snuck into seventh spot, on Friday night which was our upset tip of the week here at NRLleague.com.au.

The Doggies play the Sydney Roosters in the final round and it is anyone’s guess how that one will turn out after the Tri-Colours, 13^th on the NRL Ladder, surprised everyone with their 44  – 20 annihilation of the Wests Tigers on Sunday arvo.

Wests are now in real trouble having dropped to ninth position with a tough game over the Melbourne Storm this Saturday night at home to see out the regular season.

Melbourne meanwhile are sure to finish second on the ladder after their incredible fight-back victory on Monday night when they scored twice in the final three minutes to defeat the Cronulla Sharks 20 – 18 at AAMI Park.

So how does the rest of the Top 4 look after the end of NRL Round 25?

Well the South Sydney Rabbitohs occupy the third rank after their easy 38 – 6 victory over the sure-to-be wooden spoon Eels on Sunday, while in fourth spot are the Manly Sea Eagles.

Manly played on Friday night and got the better of a disappointing Brisbane Broncos 16 – 6.

Despite their dominant first half performance the Sea Eagles failed to score in the second half, and while their defense was good, they need to work on putting in a full 80 minutes with most finals matches traditionally won in the second half.

As for Brisbane, they are only inside the top eight because of the Tigers big loss.

They have lost their past six on the trot and must win against the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium this Friday night to keep the finals dream alive.

The big cats won’t just roll over without a fight however as shown by their 36 – 22 win over the Gold Coast Titans in Round 25.

Check out the complete 2012 NRL Round 25 results and scores below.

Make sure you stay tuned for our insider match previews and tips for the final round of the regular season later in the week.

Don’t forget to also check out the latest NRL odds available on the weekly games and the futures premiership winners’ markets now at bookmaker.com.au.

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2012 NRL Round 25 Results

Friday August 24, 2012 (Brookvale Oval)

• Manly Sea Eagles 16 v 6 Brisbane Broncos

Friday August 24, 2012 (Canberra Stadium)

• Canberra Raiders 34 v 6 Canterbury Bulldogs

Saturday August 25, 2012 (Centrebet Stadium)

• Penrith Panthers 36 v 22 Gold Coast Titans

Saturday August 25, 2012 (WIN Stadium)

• St George Illawarra Dragons 38 v 6 New Zealand Warriors

Saturday August 25, 2012 (Dairy Farmers Stadium)

• North Queensland Cowboys 22 v 14 Newcastle Knights

Sunday August 26, 2012 (Allianz Stadium)

• Sydney Roosters 44 v 22 Wests Tigers

Sunday August 26, 2012 (ANZ Stadium)

• South Sydney Rabbitohs 38 v 6 Parramatta Eels

Monday August 27, 2012 (AAMI Park)

• Melbourne Storm 20 v 18 Cronulla Sharks