Round 7 of the NRL season is here and we kick off things with a crucial battle between the Sea Eagles and Dragons at Brooky on Thursday night footy.<\/p>\n
The Sea Eagles head into this clash against the Dragons sitting right on the edge of the top eight, holding onto 8th spot. They\u2019ve got the firepower in attack \u2014 ranked 4th in the comp for total points and 3rd for tries \u2014 but scoring is an issue without Tommy Turbo at fullback. But ball control definitely is, with the team ranked 16th for errors, which has cost them big in recent weeks. They\u2019re coming off a close 24-18 loss to the Sharks over in Perth and are now on a two-game skid.<\/p>\n
The Dragons are sitting just outside the top eight in 10th and will be looking to build on last week\u2019s big 38-16 win over the Titans in Wollongong. That result snapped a bit of a rough patch after losing to the lowly Eels, and they\u2019ll be hoping to keep the momentum going. Their season record is 2-3, with both wins coming at home, while they\u2019ve only played once on the road \u2014 a loss. In attack, they\u2019ve scored 118 points this season and conceded 100, so they\u2019ve been competitive, but discipline is still an issue, sitting 5th in the league for most errors. Still, with a bit of confidence behind them and playing a Sea Eagles side that\u2019s been shaky, the Dragons might just fancy their chances here.<\/p>\n
Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Manly are 8-2 in their last 10 games at Brookvale. St. George are 0-2 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10, the Dragons are 6-4 against the Sea Eagles.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings and the Sea Eagles are missing Tommy Turbo in attack.<\/p>\n Under 45.5 = $2.24<\/a><\/p>\n Same Game Multi<\/strong><\/p>\n I think the Dragons can surprise the Sea Eagles, they’ve beaten the Storm in recent weeks and smashed the Titans last week.<\/p>\n Under 48.5 pts \/ Dragons +5.5 = $3.00<\/a><\/p>\n The Bulldogs are absolutely flying right now \u2014 unbeaten after five rounds and sitting pretty at the top of the ladder. They’ve been dominant on both ends of the field, racking up 124 points while only conceding 58. Their most recent performance was a statement win, shutting out the Knights 20-0 at Stadium Australia. They’re on a five-game win streak and have looked solid no matter where they play, with a perfect 3-0 record on the road and 2-0 at home. With the Rabbitohs up next, the Bulldogs are in red-hot form and showing no signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n The Rabbitohs head into this one sitting 5th on the ladder with a solid 4-2 record, but they’re coming off a tough 8-point loss to the Cowboys in Perth. Overall, they’ve been pretty consistent, winning 3 of their last 5 and showing strong form at home with a 3-0-1 record. Away from home, they’re 1-0-1, so not too bad on the road either. While they\u2019ve conceded slightly more points than they\u2019ve scored this season, one of their biggest strengths has been ball control \u2014 they rank 15th in the NRL for errors, which is a good sign heading into a tough clash with the in-form Bulldogs. They\u2019ll need to be sharp to bounce back and hand the ladder leaders their first loss.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Canterbury are 7-3 in their last 10 games at this venue. South Sydney are 5-5 in their last 10 games at Stadium Australia.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10, the Rabbitohs are 8-2 against the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Dogs are strong defensively and Souths are 6-0 against the Under.<\/p>\n Under 44.5 = $1.87<\/a><\/p>\n The Dolphins are starting to find their groove after a slow start, coming into this clash with the Storm on a two-game winning streak. They\u2019re sitting 14th on the ladder with a 2-4 record, but recent form has been promising \u2014 especially their big 30-12 win over the Panthers at Lang Park last week. They\u2019ve scored 122 points this season and conceded 114, so they\u2019re keeping things competitive on both ends. Home and away, they\u2019ve been a bit up and down, but back-to-back wins suggest they’re building some momentum. Taking on the Storm won\u2019t be easy, but the Dolphins might just be a smoky if they can keep this form going.<\/p>\n The Storm are rolling into this matchup against the Dolphins in red-hot form, sitting 2nd on the ladder with a 4-1 record and riding a two-game win streak. They absolutely dismantled the Warriors last week with a 42-14 win at home, and it\u2019s no surprise considering they\u2019re ranked 1st in the NRL for both points and tries scored. With 184 points already this season and just 94 conceded, they\u2019re dominating on both sides of the ball. They\u2019ve been flawless at home and solid on the road, and with four wins from their last five, the Storm are looking like serious title contenders. The Dolphins are showing signs of life, but Melbourne\u2019s firepower will be a serious test.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n The Dolphins are 5-5 in their last 10 games at Suncorp. Melbourne are 4-1 in their last 5 games at this venue.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n The Storm are 3-0 against the Dolphins since 2018.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Dolphins had a huge win over the Panthers at home last time and I think they can keep it close against the Storm. At home as underdogs, the Fins are 4-0 ATS.<\/p>\n Dolphins +13.5 = $1.95<\/a><\/p>\n The Warriors are sitting 6th on the ladder with a 3-2 record heading into their clash with the Broncos, but they\u2019ll be looking to bounce back after a tough 42-14 loss to the Storm in Melbourne. That result snapped a decent run of form where they\u2019d picked up three wins from their last five. They’ve been solid at home and a bit shaky on the road, but one big positive is their discipline \u2014 they rank 17th in the NRL for errors made, which is a major strength. With 98 points scored and 118 conceded, they\u2019ll need to tighten things up defensively if they want to hold their spot in the top eight and take down a dangerous Broncos side.<\/p>\n The Broncos roll into this one sitting 3rd on the ladder with a 4-2 record, despite coming off a 10-point loss to the Roosters at Lang Park. That result snapped a decent run of form, but overall they\u2019ve been one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the comp \u2014 ranked 2nd for both points and tries scored, with 180 points already this season. They\u2019ve been consistent both at home and away, with 2-0-1 records in each. Defensively, there\u2019s room to improve after conceding 124 points so far, but their ability to pile on tries keeps them in games. Up against a Warriors side that\u2019s tidy with the ball but just got rolled by the Storm, the Broncos will back themselves to bounce back strong.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n New Zealand are 5-4 (1 draw) in their last 10 games at Mount Smart. Brisbane are 2-1 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 5 meetings, the Warriors hold a 3-2 record against the Broncos.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Warriors love playing at home and I think that advantage should give them a good chance of an upset. Brisbane are just 4-16 ATS in their last 20 and were poor against Sydney last week.<\/p>\n New Zealand Warriors +8.5 = $1.90<\/a><\/p>\n The Roosters finally got back on the winners list in Round 6 with a solid 26-16 upset over the Broncos, snapping a rough patch and giving them a bit of a confidence boost heading into this clash with the Panthers. They\u2019re still sitting down at 15th on the ladder with a 2-4 record and have struggled to find consistency, especially at home where they\u2019re yet to grab a win. Offensively, they\u2019ve been one of the lower-scoring teams in the comp, and discipline has been a major issue \u2014 they rank 3rd for most errors made. That said, both of their wins have come away from home, so they\u2019ve shown they can grind out results on the road. It\u2019ll take a big effort to knock off the Panthers, but the Roosters have shown they\u2019ve still got some fight in them.<\/p>\n The Panthers are in a tough spot heading into their match against the Roosters, sitting at 16th on the ladder with just one win from six games. Their recent form has been dismal, on a five-game losing streak and coming off a 30-12 loss to the Dolphins at Lang Park. They\u2019ve had problems with both attack and defence, scoring 132 points but conceding 170 so far this season. At home, they\u2019ve been slightly better with a 1-0-2 record, but their away form has been a concern. One of their biggest weaknesses has been discipline, as they\u2019re ranked 2nd in the league for errors made, which has put them under pressure in games. It\u2019s been a rough stretch for the Panthers, but they’ll need to turn things around quickly if they\u2019re to stay in the finals hunt.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Sydney are 6-4 in their last 10 games at SFS. Penrith are 2-2 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Since 2018, the Panthers are 11-3 against the Roosters.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n Both sides are struggling but I think the Roosters deserve to be favourites at home. So it wouldn’t surprise me if the Chooks continue the Panthers woes.<\/p>\n Sydney Roosters +3.5 = $1.95<\/a><\/p>\n The Titans are coming into their clash with the Raiders looking to bounce back from a tough 38-16 loss to the Dragons in Wollongong. Sitting 11th on the ladder with a 2-3 record, they\u2019ve been a bit up and down this season. They\u2019ve managed to grab one win each at home and away, but they\u2019re currently on a two-game losing streak. With just 106 points scored and 132 conceded, their attack has been struggling, and defensively, they\u2019ve been leaking points. They\u2019ll need to find some consistency in both areas if they want to challenge the Raiders and stay in touch with the top eight.<\/p>\n The Raiders are sitting comfortably in 4th place on the ladder with a 4-2 record and come into this game on a two-game winning streak. Their attack has been one of the best in the league, ranked 3rd for both points and tries scored, with a total of 168 points so far this season. They\u2019ve been dominant at home with a perfect 3-0 record, although they\u2019ve been a bit less consistent on the road. Their most recent performance was a stunning 50-12 victory over the Eels, showing just how dangerous they can be when they click. With their high-powered attack and solid form, the Raiders will be heavy favourites against the Titans, who have struggled to find their rhythm this season.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Gold Coast are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue. Canberra are 7-1 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10 meetings, the Raiders have won 8 games against the Titans.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Raiders like playing here and come off a 50 point haul against the Eels, this should be high scoring.<\/p>\n Over 50.5 = $1.87<\/a><\/p>\n The Knights are struggling to find form, sitting in 12th place on the ladder with a 2-3 record and currently on a 3-game losing streak. Their attack has been their biggest issue, ranking 17th in both points and tries scored, with only 46 points to show for their efforts this season. They’ve also been plagued by errors, ranking 1st in the league for most mistakes. Despite conceding just 86 points, their lack of offensive output has been a major hindrance. They\u2019ve been slightly better at home compared to their away form, but they\u2019ll need a major improvement in both discipline and attack if they want to turn things around against the Sharks.<\/p>\n The Sharks come into this matchup against the Knights with a 3-3 record and are coming off a hard-fought 24-18 win over the Sea Eagles in Perth. They\u2019ve been solid overall, winning 3 of their last 5 games, but consistency has been an issue, especially with ball control \u2014 they rank 5th in the NRL for errors made. They\u2019ve been slightly better at home compared to their away form. Offensively, they\u2019ve scored 135 points, while conceding 114, so their attack is keeping them in games, but they\u2019ll need to clean up their errors and tighten up defensively. With the Knights struggling to score, the Sharks will be confident they can build on their recent win and push for a solid result here.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Newcastle are 6-4 in their last 10 games at this venue. Cronulla are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10 meetings, the Raiders have won 8 games against the Titans.<\/p>\nCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (1st) vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (5th)<\/h3>\n
Dolphins (14th) vs Melbourne Storm (2nd)<\/h3>\n
New Zealand Warriors (6th) vs Brisbane Broncos (3rd)<\/h3>\n
Sydney Roosters (15th) vs Penrith Panthers (16th)<\/h3>\n
Gold Coast Titans (11th) vs Canberra Raiders (4th)<\/h3>\n
Newcastle Knights (12th) vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (9th)<\/h3>\n