NRL Round 11 Previews and Betting Tips

The following are previews with betting tips for Round 11 of the 2022 NRL season. Best bets for the round are also provided.

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Knights

Knights v Broncos

Thursday, May 19, 7:50pm AEST
McDonald Jones Stadium

Form guide for Knights vs Broncos

Broncos

Brisbane produced their most dominant performance under coach Kevin Walters with a massive 38-0 victory over Manly last week. While the Broncos have been building an impressive run of wins, looking for their fifth against Newcastle, the Knights snapped a seven-game losing streak last week, albeit in a dour contest against a struggling Canterbury outfit.

Mid-season signing and former Bronco Anthony Milford will face his old club for the first time in a welcome boost to Newcastle’s limited halves depth. Tyson Frizell will make his return from injury in the second-row, while Dane Gagai and Jake Clifford could also be late call-ups after they were included in the reserves. Meanwhile, Brisbane are unchanged heading into this clash.

On recent form, the Broncos will enter this match as firm favourites but should be highly cautious of a Knights outfit desperate to lift themselves off the bottom of the competition ladder. Expect another controlled performance by Brisbane, spearheaded by star halfback and captain Adam Reynolds. Broncos to get the points.

Betting Tip: Broncos -6.5 @ $1.95 (Bluebet)

 

Tigers

Tigers v Bulldogs

Friday, May 20, 6:00pm AEST
Leichhardt Oval

Form guide for Tigers vs Bulldogs

Bulldogs
A poor last-start loss to the Knights was the last straw for former Canterbury coach Trent Barrett, with Michael Potter named as interim coach while the club search for a long-term replacement. They will face a Tigers outfit who have lost three consecutive games since their inspirational field-goal victories over the Eels and Rabbitohs in a disappointing result for the club.
Brent Naden’s mid-season departure will see Jake Averillo recalled to centre for the Bulldogs with Jackson Topine also joining the second-row. There are a number of other players reportedly battling illness so expect further changes to be announced. Naden was included in the Tigers’ reserves and could be a late addition. Jock Madden will replace the injured Luke Brooks at five-eighth. Asu Kepaoa and Jacob Liddle will also join the team at centre and hooker respectively.
The Tigers will be highly aware that a loss to the Bulldogs so close to losing their coach will heap enormous pressure on coach Michael Maguire. Canterbury may struggle for cohesion under a new head-coach and the disruption to their roster. Expect the Tigers to get the win.

Betting Tip: Tigers -5.5 @ $1.95 (Bet365)

 

Eels

Eels v Sea Eagles

Friday, May 20, 7:55pm AEST
CommBank Stadium

Form guide for Eels vs Sea Eagles

Sea Eagles

The Eels were left frustrated by a narrow last start loss after a second-half comeback was stifled by the Roosters. They will face a Manly outfit humbled in a huge 38-0 loss at the hands of a resurgent Broncos outfit in concerning signs for the northern beaches club heading into the Origin period.

Marata Niukore will replace Bryce Cartwright on the Eels’ bench in an otherwise unchanged squad. Manly’s only changes will be Morgan Harper replacing the injured Ben Trbojevic at centre with Josh Schuster also joining the interchange.

Parramatta have set a very high standard this season, particularly impressive given their back-line injury woes. Manly mentor Des Hasler will be desperate to arrest a form slump heading into what will likely be a taxing Origin period for the club. Expect a response from this dangerous Eels outfit after a disappointing loss last week, while Manly’s form struggles continue. Parramatta to get the win.

Betting Tip: Eels -7.5 @ $1.91 (Bet365)

 

Dragons

Dragons v Warriors

Saturday, May 21, 3:00pm AEST
Netsrata Jubilee Stadium

Form guide for Dragons vs Warriors

Warriors

St George were left heartbroken after a narrow golden-point loss to the Titans in magic round. Their opposition in the Warriors suffered their own disheartening loss last week, falling just short of an impressive comeback win after a woeful first half in which they conceded five tries.

St George have dropped rookie custodian Tyrell Sloan in favour of Cody Ramsey, with Jack Gosiewski shifting to the second-row to cover the injured Josh McGuire and Michael Molo named to make his NRL debut off the bench. For the Warriors, captain Tohu Harris has been promoted to the starting side after coming off the bench in his long-awaited injury return last week. Euan Aitken will also return from injury to join his skipper in the second-row in an otherwise unchanged squad.

St George will head into this match as firm favourites given the form of their opposition. The Warriors are under pressure for results, particularly given they have struggled for consistency across 80 minutes of football. Warriors mentor Nathan Brown will be desperate for his squad to start the game well but St George should get the points.

Betting Tip: Dragons -4.5 @ $1.95 (Playup)

 

Cowboys

Cowboys v Storm

Saturday, May 21, 5:30pm AEST
QCB Stadium

Form guide for Cowboys vs Storm

Storm

Fans and critics of the Cowboys alike would have been shocked in the pre-season to discover their upcoming clash with Melbourne shapes as a mouth-watering top-four clash and a potential sneak-preview of the finals series. The Cowboys did little to harm their growing reputation with a comfortable win over the Tigers last week, while an undermanned Melbourne outfit were humbled by Penrith in a disappointing loss.

Off the back of a five-game winning streak, North Queensland have again named an unchanged squad with no injuries. Meanwhile, Jahrome Hughes will return at halfback for the Storm in a welcome boost, while Brandon Smith shifts to prop to cover the injured Nelson Asofa-Solomona. Alec MacDonald and Dean Ieremia will also join the bench in an otherwise unchanged line-up.

Their reputation will see them enter this match as favourites but Melbourne should be on high-alert for an upset against a resurgent Cowboys squad quickly proving they can more than match the competition’s best. The Storm struggled last week in the absence of key players and coach Craig Bellamy will be hoping the return of Hughes can add some much-needed attacking spark back into his squad. The Cowboys will be looking to emulate the up-tempo defensive game Penrith utilised so effectively against Melbourne last week. This match could go either way but expect a massive game from the Queenslanders to cause an upset.

Betting Tip: Cowboys +5.5 @ $2.00 (bet365)

 

Roosters

Roosters v Panthers

Saturday, May 21, 7:35pm AEST
Sydney Cricket Ground

Form guide for Roosters vs Panthers

Panthers

After struggling in recent seasons to perform consistently against the competition’s best, the Roosters’ composed 31-24 win over a red-hot Eels outfit bodes well for their development as a team this season. They will face a Penrith outfit who dominated the Storm last week and with a full-strength squad with no injuries, this Panthers machine shows no signs of slowing down.

An injury to Victor Radley will see Nat Butcher shift to lock with Lindsay Collins to make a timely return from suspension on the bench. While named to start at hooker, Connor Watson will likely swap with Drew Hutchison on the bench as they did against Parramatta.

With the likes of Sam Walker and Joseph Suaalii having breakout seasons in first-grade, the Roosters painstaking development process looks to be paying off as the team look to be developing a harder-edge at the perfect time of the season. While the progress of Trent Robinson’s troops this season has been impressive, expect the Penrith juggernaut to get the win.

Betting Tip: Panthers -9.5 @ $1.90 (Unibet)

 

Rabbitohs

Rabbitohs v Raiders

Sunday, May 22, 2:00pm AEST
Apex Oval, Dubbo

Form guide for Rabbitohs vs Raiders

Raiders

Souths notched an unconvincing win over the Warriors last week, staving off a comeback in the last quarter for a narrow victory. Their opposition in the Raiders produced a dominant victory of their own against a highly-rated Cronulla outfit in a hugely important result for the club’s season.

An injury to Jacob Host will see Trent Peoples join Souths’ starting second-row in an otherwise unchanged squad. Meanwhile, Jack Wighton’s return will be a massive boost for Canberra at the expense of Brad Schneider in an otherwise unchanged squad with rookie Zac Woolford retaining the hooking role.

Souths will enter this match as clear favourites but with inconsistent form in recent times and the Raiders looking for their third consecutive win, an upset could be on the cards. Jack Wighton’s return will certainly aid the Raiders’ cause but with the game-management of Cody Walker and Damien Cook, Canberra will be looking to dominate the ruck and limit their opportunities. This match could go either way but expect Souths to get the win.

Betting Tip: Rabbitohs -4.5 @ $1.94 (Unibet)

 

Titans

Titans v Sharks

Sunday, May 22, 4:05pm AEST
Cbus Super Stadium

Form guide for Titans vs Sharks

Sharks

The Gold Coast produced a vital golden-point victory over St George last week to lift themselves off the bottom of the competition ladder but they face a massive test against the Sharks. Cronulla were humbled in a disappointing 30-10 loss to the Raiders as the club’s frustrating inconsistency continues after last notching consecutive wins in round five.

The Gold Coast have named an unchanged squad from last week in welcome signs for the Queensland club. For Cronulla, Nicho Hynes will return to halfback with rugby sevens import Lachlan Miller set to make his NRL debut at fullback. Dale Finucane will be absent with injury with Andrew Fifita set to join the bench as cover.

Sharks mentor Craig Fitzgibbon will be hoping Nicho Hynes’ return to the halfback jersey as the team’s primary playmaker will spark the early-season form that saw the club surge into the top-four. The Titans will be desperate for a win but they will struggle to compete with Cronulla’s class and experience across the field. Sharks to get the points.

Betting Tip: Sharks -6.5 @ $1.95 (Bluebet)

 


Best Bet

Rabbitohs -4.5 @ $1.94 (Unibet)


 

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