2016 NRL Finals Week 2 Betting Tips
Massive couple of games coming up as the 2016 NRL Finals continue this weekend! Read on for our Semi-Finals betting tips
North Queensland Cowboys Vs Brisbane Broncos (Friday Night)
Almost a year ago we watched the North Queensland Cowboys defeat the Brisbane Broncos with a golden point field goal after a brutal Grand Final. Now were going to watch them battle it out for a spot in the prelims.
Last week the Cowboys were downed by a tough Melbourne Storm line up. It was a slow start for both teams with the first points only coming in the 30th minute. For the Cowboys the game was lost on the back of undisciplined play. They conceded 6 penalties, 3 of which resulted in Cameron Smith goals and an additional 6 points on the scoreboard.
With the exception of the penalties, the Cowboys were more or less equally matched against the Premiership favourites the Melbourne Storm. Playing at home this week, we can expect the Cowboys to be more composed and with their season on the line, we are certainly in for a show. Kane Linnett has been omitted Javid Bowen will line up in the centres.
The Broncos were swift in their removal of the Titans from this season’s competition. After conceding the first try, they backed themselves in and came out firing. Between the 10-minute mark and the 30-minute mark, the football being played by the broncos was electrifying. Jordan Kahu and Corey Oates both scored doubles. The Biggest impact, however, came from Alex Glenn. He started on the bench, but quickly notched up 94 metres, 16 tackles and a line break on his way to scoring a double.
The game will be fantastic. The Cowboys at home are virtually unstoppable and the Broncos are bucking to be the team to do it. Its do or die in this one, one team will go on to face the Sharks in the prelims, while the other will be picking what they’ll be wearing on Monday.
We are predicting this one will be excruciatingly close.
Tip: Either Team By Under 6.5 – $2.50 at CrownBet
Canberra Raiders Vs Penrith Panthers (Saturday Night)
The first half of the Raider’s game last week looked like a training session for Canberra. The Sharks may as well have not been there. In the back 40, however, the Sharks turned up and the Raiders weren’t ready. When the Sharks tied things up, within only a few minutes the game became the race for a field goal. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they couldn’t get it done and now here they are this week.
The Raiders will bring in Blake Austin at five-eighth this week with Sam Williams missing the cut.
Josh Hodgson has been named but its unlikely he will play the entire 80 minutes. The Raiders attacking game has gotten them this far and defensively they are one of the best teams at holding the line together.
When the Panthers and Bulldogs took the field on Sunday, some people noticed, but most didn’t care. Sure, its finals football, but these two teams were just making up numbers. While I still believe the Panthers are a long way off winning a Premiership they were very convincing in their 28-12 victory over the Bulldogs. They took their time finding their rhythm, but it wasn’t long before they were on an unanswered five-try streak. This was more than enough to knock the Bulldogs out of the finals and set themselves up for a clash with the Raiders.
Defensively, the Panthers aren’t overly creative. They tend to sit back which gives the attacking sides like the Raiders plenty of room to run the ball. They will need to watch their line formation if they want any chance of winning against one of the most potent attacking sides in the competition.
The Panthers are sticking with the winning formula and making no changes to their line up.
Saturday night will be cold and wet in Canberra and the Raiders will make the most of the home field advantage and we expect them to win in a close one.
Tip: Canberra Raiders 1-12 – $3.00 at CrownBet
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