[NRL] FRIDAY FOOTY PREVIEW – NRL ROUND 13
Here at EIUOO SPORTS we’ll do our best to give you a leg up in your respective tipping competitions with some quick predictions for the weekend’s football in both codes. Here is the NRL Preview for Round 13.
NRL ROUND 13 PREVIEW
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
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PENRITH PANTHERS
Who I’m Tipping… Rabbitohs by 7
Why… The Bunnies are really struggling to score points and their halfback Jeremy Smith isn’t a great playmaker. But his kicking game isn’t terrible and the South Sydney forwards are as consistent a group as any in the competition, so if Smith can give the Bunnies decent field position off the back of his pack – Penrith will have a real fight on their hands for the 2 competition points. For Penrith they need their big name forwards to play to their reputations just to match the South Sydney go-forward and although the Panthers have the superior backs they will be relatively useless if Souths gain the ascendancy in the middle of the field. The wet weather today in Sydney has me going with the Bunnies by 1-12.
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PENRITH PANTHERS
Who I’m Tipping… Rabbitohs by 7
Why… The Bunnies are really struggling to score points and their halfback Jeremy Smith isn’t a great playmaker. But his kicking game isn’t terrible and the South Sydney forwards are as consistent a group as any in the competition, so if Smith can give the Bunnies decent field position off the back of his pack – Penrith will have a real fight on their hands for the 2 competition points. For Penrith they need their big name forwards to play to their reputations just to match the South Sydney go-forward and although the Panthers have the superior backs they will be relatively useless if Souths gain the ascendancy in the middle of the field. The wet weather today in Sydney has me going with the Bunnies by 1-12.
CANBERRA RAIDERS
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PARRAMATTA EELS
Who I’m Tipping… Eels by 12
Why… Despite playing at home the Raiders can’t be picked based solely on the way they played in the second half against the Gold Coast Titans last weekend. Quality field position, possession, repeat sets and opposition turnovers – the Raiders had everything going their way but they never looked like turning those factors into points against a Titans team that was there for the taking (despite the Titans leading 28-0 at halftime). Whereas the Eels were brilliant against the Tigers and despite losing their Origin representatives Nathan Hindmarsh and Jarryd Hayne for this match – they should be too good and too creative for a Canberra team that ‘boasts’ one of the most inexperienced three-quarter lines in recent memory (David Milne, Marshall Chalk, Brad Cross and Bronx Goodwin – you’d be doing well to have heard of Chalk if you didn’t follow Canberra). Eels will overcome the cold and win.
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PARRAMATTA EELS
Who I’m Tipping… Eels by 12
Why… Despite playing at home the Raiders can’t be picked based solely on the way they played in the second half against the Gold Coast Titans last weekend. Quality field position, possession, repeat sets and opposition turnovers – the Raiders had everything going their way but they never looked like turning those factors into points against a Titans team that was there for the taking (despite the Titans leading 28-0 at halftime). Whereas the Eels were brilliant against the Tigers and despite losing their Origin representatives Nathan Hindmarsh and Jarryd Hayne for this match – they should be too good and too creative for a Canberra team that ‘boasts’ one of the most inexperienced three-quarter lines in recent memory (David Milne, Marshall Chalk, Brad Cross and Bronx Goodwin – you’d be doing well to have heard of Chalk if you didn’t follow Canberra). Eels will overcome the cold and win.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS
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NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Who I’m Tipping… Roosters by 4
Why… Because despite both teams lacking their best players (although the Cowboys still have Matt Bowen) the Roosters have actually played decent football in recent weeks around the rucks and as I mentioned Wednesday – Mitchell Pearce should be feeling more comfortable in the halfback role with his two backups Jamie Soward and Josh Lewis no longer at the club and Pearce having his best game of the season last week against the Knights. Don’t count out Matt Bowen having one of those special games when he plays every attacking role in the one match (like he did against the Broncos in Round 20 last year when Johnathan Thurston was injured in the first 5 mins of the game) but I just think the Roosters pack will be too strong on the night and Pearce will shine again… maybe.
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NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Who I’m Tipping… Roosters by 4
Why… Because despite both teams lacking their best players (although the Cowboys still have Matt Bowen) the Roosters have actually played decent football in recent weeks around the rucks and as I mentioned Wednesday – Mitchell Pearce should be feeling more comfortable in the halfback role with his two backups Jamie Soward and Josh Lewis no longer at the club and Pearce having his best game of the season last week against the Knights. Don’t count out Matt Bowen having one of those special games when he plays every attacking role in the one match (like he did against the Broncos in Round 20 last year when Johnathan Thurston was injured in the first 5 mins of the game) but I just think the Roosters pack will be too strong on the night and Pearce will shine again… maybe.
WARRIORS
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MELBOURNE STORM
Who I’m Tipping… Warriors by 14
Why… I honestly think the Warriors are the specials of the weekend. I know Melbourne get called a great team because of their ability to cover multiple positions and roles within the side with different players but their lineup is really weak for the visit to Mt. Smart Stadium and the Warriors have brought back a few players who will make a big difference to their attack. Grant Rovelli is back running the show from halfback and Ruben Wiki’s return will help off-set the loss of Steven Price to Origin. Cooper Cronk is the dangerman for the Storm if his forwards can give him a platform but the Warriors will be too good on home soil.
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MELBOURNE STORM
Who I’m Tipping… Warriors by 14
Why… I honestly think the Warriors are the specials of the weekend. I know Melbourne get called a great team because of their ability to cover multiple positions and roles within the side with different players but their lineup is really weak for the visit to Mt. Smart Stadium and the Warriors have brought back a few players who will make a big difference to their attack. Grant Rovelli is back running the show from halfback and Ruben Wiki’s return will help off-set the loss of Steven Price to Origin. Cooper Cronk is the dangerman for the Storm if his forwards can give him a platform but the Warriors will be too good on home soil.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
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WESTS TIGERS
Who I’m Tipping… Tigers by 16
Why… Despite not having Benji Marshall or Brett Hodgson in the lineup the Tigers simply have the class of Robbie Farah at the helm and the Knights don’t have a player who can match the influence Farah will have on the game. Luke Walsh made an encouraging debut last weekend but he has no creativity around him with two converted backrowers in Chris Bailey and Riley Brown at the key positions of five-eighth and hooker. Newcastle’s pack might also lose stand in skipper Adam Woolnough before kickoff but even with him in the lineup the Tigers forwards should have an easier time containing the home side’s go-forward than they had with the Eels on Monday night. Tigers to run over the Knights in the second half.
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WESTS TIGERS
Who I’m Tipping… Tigers by 16
Why… Despite not having Benji Marshall or Brett Hodgson in the lineup the Tigers simply have the class of Robbie Farah at the helm and the Knights don’t have a player who can match the influence Farah will have on the game. Luke Walsh made an encouraging debut last weekend but he has no creativity around him with two converted backrowers in Chris Bailey and Riley Brown at the key positions of five-eighth and hooker. Newcastle’s pack might also lose stand in skipper Adam Woolnough before kickoff but even with him in the lineup the Tigers forwards should have an easier time containing the home side’s go-forward than they had with the Eels on Monday night. Tigers to run over the Knights in the second half.
ST.GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
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CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Who I’m Tipping… Dragons by 6
Why… Both teams have key players missing through injury and Origin duty but the Sharks have been hit the hardest in the latter category with Brett Kimmorley and Greg Bird – their two in-form players – both missing. The Dragons played well enough to beat a Darren Lockyer-less Broncos side last Friday night but they didn’t play particularly well and as a result should not be considered good things in this one. Whereas the Sharks should have beaten the Cowboys in Townsville if not for Bird’s brain-snap in the closing minutes when he tried to lay out big Ray Cashmere instead of staying on Jason Smith who used the extra space created to put Ty Williams over and in doing so hand the Sharks their second straight loss. In the end my gut feeling says the Dragons can build on last week’s much needed win easier than the Sharks can adapt to losing Kimmorley and Bird – so the home team in what could be a dour affair at Oki Jubilee Stadium on Monday.
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CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Who I’m Tipping… Dragons by 6
Why… Both teams have key players missing through injury and Origin duty but the Sharks have been hit the hardest in the latter category with Brett Kimmorley and Greg Bird – their two in-form players – both missing. The Dragons played well enough to beat a Darren Lockyer-less Broncos side last Friday night but they didn’t play particularly well and as a result should not be considered good things in this one. Whereas the Sharks should have beaten the Cowboys in Townsville if not for Bird’s brain-snap in the closing minutes when he tried to lay out big Ray Cashmere instead of staying on Jason Smith who used the extra space created to put Ty Williams over and in doing so hand the Sharks their second straight loss. In the end my gut feeling says the Dragons can build on last week’s much needed win easier than the Sharks can adapt to losing Kimmorley and Bird – so the home team in what could be a dour affair at Oki Jubilee Stadium on Monday.
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