Two of the most exciting teams in the competition kick off a massive ANZAC weekend of NRL action, with the Canberra Raiders hosting the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night.<\/p>\n
The Eagles were touted as a potential competition dark-horse after a gutsy win over the Roosters in Round 5, but are now coming off back-to-back losses against the Dragons and Melbourne Storm. In their loss to the 2012 premiers on Saturday, they showed significant attacking prowess as they crossed for five tries, however it exposed an array of defensive lapses which is cause of concern for Coach Trent Barrett.<\/p>\n
They welcome back Kiwi enforcer Martin Taupau to their starting line-up this week, who re-joins a brutal forward pack that has been led by Jake Trbojevic, who together with his brother, Tom, have been the two best performers for the Eagles this season.<\/p>\n
While they will be looking to re-gain their winning form after two tough losses, the Raiders will be searching for their fourth successive victory after an inconsistent start to the season. Arguably the most exciting team in the competition, their average of 26 points per game as been complemented by their recent defensive efforts in their three victories with just 14 points conceded per game.<\/p>\n
Ricky Stuart has named an unchanged 17 for the highly anticipated clash, and will be relying on another dominant performance from BJ Leilua, who is coming off a strong two-try performance and is knocking on the door of representative honours. Together with winger Jordan Rapana, the pair have scored 13 tries this season – the most of any centre-wing combination in the NRL this season.<\/p>\n
Tip: <\/strong>While the Raiders have won five of the last six games at GIO Stadium against Manly, a win won\u2019t come easy as Manly will be determined to get their season back on track. Expect a high scoring game and some great attacking football, and the Raiders to record another gutsy victory. Raiders by 12. It\u2019s been a tough season so the South Sydney Rabbitohs so far and they face another tough encounter against the Brisbane Broncos. They are coming off a poor performance against the Bulldogs on Good Friday, and have been inconsistent with three losses in their past four games.<\/p>\n Their lacklustre efforts defensively is a worrying sign for the 2014 premiers, having the fourth worst defensive record in the competition. Luckily enough, Sam Burgess has escaped a two week suspension for a shoulder charge, and will be free to play against the Broncos. In a massive loss for the Rabbitohs, incumbent NSW halfback Adam Reynolds has been ruled out with a hip injury which will see Cody Walker move to halfback and John Sutton to five-eight.<\/p>\n The Broncos, on the other hand, have recorded back-to-back wins over the Roosters and Titans but will disappointed with their polar opposite performances. Their forwards rolled through the Roosters pack in Round 6 with some barnstorming runs, but had less of an impact last weekend and it showed in their attacking execution.<\/p>\n In their 24-22 win, James Roberts had one of his career-best performances with a hat-trick of tries, while also recording 182 running metres, 11 tackle breaks and 2 line breaks.<\/p>\n Their two victories sets the Broncos in sixth place, but another win could see them climb into the Top Four and give them a huge advantage heading into the Origin period.<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>These two teams will be battling for a desperate two points as they fight for a top four and top eight spot, respectively. The Rabbitohs have the home ground advantage but lack the strike power that the Broncos possess. Broncos by 16. The Western Sydney Derby ventures to mutual ground as the Eels host the Panthers in a must-win game for both sides. With both teams showing glimpsed of their potential early in the season, poor performances in recent weeks has them sitting outside the Top Eight and in desperate need of another two points.<\/p>\n The Eels broke a four-game losing streak in their 26-22 victory over the Tigers on Easter Monday, and will be searching for back-to-back victories for second time this season. Despite an improved performance, they have averaged nearly 26 points against them in their last five games.<\/p>\n They will be happy with the delivery of their attacking raids from the weekend, but will be hoping for greater consistency in the absence of speedster Bevan French who is still out with a knee injury.<\/p>\n For the Panthers, they will be looking to turn their season around as soon as possible after they have recorded three consecutive losses.<\/p>\n Their performance last week against the defending premiers showed worrying signs for the pre-season favourites, conceding two first half tries to trail 12-2 at the break, only for their afternoon to worsen in the second half conceding three unanswered tries.<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>This game could potentially be the Match of the Round as both teams look relatively similar in their performances, but i\u2019m expecting a big response from the Panthers after their dismal performance last week. Panthers by 6. It’s usually considered one-way traffic when these two teams have met in recent fixtures, but considering the injury toll of the Cowboys\u00a0\u00a0and the gutsy efforts of the Knights this year, this fixture lines up as a possible blockbuster\u00a0for NRL fans this weekend.<\/p>\n The Cowboys\u00a0are coming off consecutive defeats at the hands of the Tigers and Dragons\u00a0but last weeks result was rather expected following the absence of three of the four spine players. \u00a0With injuries to Coote, Granville and Thurston, the Cowboys have lost over 600 games of experience and it showed in their execution in the dying stages of the contest. Despite a valiant second half which saw them come within six points of the\u00a0ladder leaders, the Cowboys were unable to run away with remarkable victory.<\/p>\n Their clash against the Knights will be without the reliable Lachlan Coote and maestro\u00a0Jonathan Thurston once again, who are still battling with calf and ankle\u00a0injuries. As a result, teenage prodigy Kalyn Ponga will reclaim the fullback role,\u00a0and forward John Asiata holds down the vacant number 7 jersey after starring with two try assists last Saturday.<\/p>\n In the middle of their re-building phase, Knights fans can be proud of the consistent efforts of their team considering the odds that are stacked against them. They held their own against an experienced Roosters outfit last weekend, with the game in the balance for 60 minutes before the class of Mitchell Pearce and Luke Keary stood tall and delivered in the closing stages.<\/p>\n Their glimpses of strong attacking footy are promising signs for the struggling club, with the likes of Nathan Ross and Dane Gagai leading by example with some starring performances. Expect a big performance from rookie Mitch Barnett, who lines up against Jason Taumalolo who has been instrumental in the absence of co-captain\u00a0Matt Scott this season.<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>This game will be closer than expected considering the depleted Cowboys line-up taking the park, but they will desperate for their second home win of the season and will take confidence from their second half last week. Cowboys by 10. As one of the most in-form teams in the competition at the moment, the Cronulla Sharks play host for an under performing\u00a0Titans outfit to cap off Super Saturday. The Sharks will be searching for their fifth straight victory and are coming off a resounding win over the Panthers, while the Titans nearly pulled off one of the upsets of the season in their 24-22 defeat to the Brisbane Broncos.<\/p>\n After a less than convincing start to their 2017 campaign, the Sharks have certainly hit their straps over the last two weeks having\u00a0kept the Storm and Panthers tryless. As they now boast the second best defence in the competition, they have remarkably\u00a0conceded the least amount of tries this year (13) which averages less than two tries per game.<\/p>\n The experiment with Valentine Holmes at fullback is definitely a case of rocks and diamonds, with the dynamic fullback showcasing his pure speed and evasiveness, only to be riddled with some costly handling errors over the last two weeks.<\/p>\n In comparison, the Titans sit last in the competition with 37 tries conceded across their seven fixtures, but with the crafty halves combination of Ashley Taylor and Kane Elgey they have crossed for 37 tries so far this season.<\/p>\n History says the Titans haven’t had their fare share of luck at Southern Cross Stadium with just three wins in their last nine fixtures, and despite welcoming back Nathan Peats last week, they may struggle considering they are still so depleted with injuries.<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>Having the home ground advantage will be crucial for the Sharks in a potential danger game, but\u00a0the Titans certainly lack to the strike power to deliver any serious blows against a competition heavyweight. Sharks by 14.
\nBest bet: <\/strong>Total points over 42.5 $1.90<\/a>
\nOdds: <\/strong>Raiders $1.23 Eagles $4.20<\/p>\nSouth Sydney Rabbitohs vs. Brisbane Broncos<\/a>
\nANZ Stadium
\nFriday 21 April 7.50pm LOCAL<\/h4>\n
\nBest bet: <\/strong>Brisbane Broncos -8.5 handicap $1.90<\/a>
\nOdds: <\/strong>Rabbitohs $2.75 Broncos $1.45<\/p>\nParramatta Eels vs. Penrith Panthers<\/a>
\nANZ Stadium
\nSaturday 22 April 3.00pm LOCAL<\/h4>\n
\nBest bet: <\/strong>Panthers margin 1-12 $2.80<\/a>
\nOdds: <\/strong>Eels $2.30 Panthers $1.62<\/p>\nNorth Queensland Cowboys vs. Newcastle Knights<\/a>
\n1300SMILES Stadium
\nSaturday 22 April 5.30pm LOCAL<\/h4>\n
\nBest bet: <\/strong>Cowboys margin 1-12 $3.10<\/a>
\nOdds: <\/strong>Cowboys $1.35 Knights $3.20<\/p>\nCronulla Sharks vs. Gold Coast Titans<\/a>
\nSouthern Cross Stadium
\nSaturday 22 April 7.40pm LOCAL<\/h4>\n
\nBest bet: <\/strong>Sharks handicap -10 $1.90<\/a>
\nOdds: <\/strong>Sharks $1.28 Titans $3.75<\/p>\n