Welcome back to our NRL predictions and tips for Round 7 of the NRL. Last week proved to be trickier than originally anticipated, with 2024 proving to be a year where anyone can beat anyone. There’s a few hard contests scheduled for this weekend, which should make for a ripping weekend of footy.
Thursday night kicks off Round 7 of the NRL with the Sydney Roosters playing host to the Melbourne Storm. The Chooks will welcome back their skipper James Tedesco, after his HIA garnered at the paws of the Dogs enforcer Viliame Kikau, and the Storm are starting Nelson Asofa-Solomona for the first time this season. I’m expecting big things from Nelson after being sidelined for the first six weeks of the comp. Both sides only just escaped with 2 point wins last weekend, and will no doubt be out to reassert their dominance on the competition. However, the word on the street seems to be that the coaching style of Trent Robinson might be getting a bit stale in Bondi, while no one delivers a spray quite like Bellyache. Melbourne have been underwhelming in their last two games despite winning and attracting the moniker “kings of the close game”, and I’m sure Bellamy will be demanding an increase in standards from his side. Melbourne Storm by 12 points.
Friday night’s curtain raiser will see the New Zealand Warriors travel to Wollongong to take on the St George Illawarra Dragons. The Red V looked decent last week against a lackluster Wests Tigers side and the Wahs only just held on for an exciting draw thanks to a controversial penalty goal late in their match with the Sea Eagles. Admittedly New Zealand have looked dominant all year and are a potential dark horse for the minor premiership given they won’t be affected by State of Origin the way other top 8 sides will be. Despite agreeing to terms with Parramatta this week, I suspect Zac Lomax will be ordinary this weekend with his move back to the centers, which will substantially inhibit the Dragons point scoring ability. The New Zealand Warriors should get the win by 18 points.
Friday’s main event will see the Dolphins traveling down to the western suburbs to take on the Parramatta Eels. The Phins had a return to form last week against the top 4 Cowboys, while Parramatta were outplayed by the Brisbane Broncos in their 28-14 loss. I’d expect the Phins to be looking to prove their worth without Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow this Friday, and will be firing on all cylinders, and Parra are yet to impress against a quality side without Mitchell Moses. Phins Up by 8 points.
Super Saturday is set to open with the Penrith Panthers hosting the Wests Tigers down in Bathurst- the same ground that the Tigers shocked the country and beat the three-peat premiers at last year in a near tsunami. However with warm and dry conditions forecast, and as much as the Tigers have improved in the off season, it’s hard to see the Panthers getting outclassed again, especially coming in fresh off a bye. The Tigers will welcome back Lachlan Galvin from suspension, but I’m not sure that will be enough. Penrith Panthers by 16 points.
The second game in the Super Saturday line-up is the Gold Coast Titans hosting the Manly Sea Eagles. The Titans looked much improved on Sunday night, unlucky to go down to the Raiders in a golden point thriller, and Manly seemed to look a little complacent last week after getting an early lead in New Zealand. As the saying goes, “chase your losses, they can’t run forever”. The Titans are well overdue for a win, and while Manly are welcoming back some key players, I’m hopeful that the Mad Scientist that is Des Hasler can concoct something special to take down the club he spent so many years serving. Gold Coast Titans by 10 points.
Super Saturday will close out with the Brisbane Broncos hosting the Canberra Raiders. The Broncos are still slightly under strength this week after being hit and miss for the last 6 weeks, and after escaping a near embarrassing loss on Sunday night, I’m sure the Raiders were likely to have been read the riot act by Ricky Stuart. The Green Machine have a knack of finding a way to win when they travel north to Suncorp Stadium, and while Adam Reynolds is still out, I don’t suspect this weekend will be any different. I’m tipping the Canberra Raiders by 8 points.
The Sunday ticket will open up with one of two match of the round contenders with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs playing host to the Newcastle Knights. The Knights were far too strong for the Dogs in 2023, winning their two matchups by a combined score of 108-6. However, this new look Dogs outfit stood toe-to-toe with Melbourne in Melbourne, and were minutes away from a win, after knocking off the Chooks the week before. Coach Cameron Ciraldo has tried to instill a simple value in the kennel over the off-season; you don’t lose at home. So far in 2024, the Dogs are undefeated at home and they will be in for a fight to protect that record on Sunday. The match up between Bradman Best and Stephen Crichton will be one to watch very closely, as these two battle out for a State of Origin jersey! Keep your eye on this game, as anything could happen, but I’ll be going with the Bulldogs by 4 points.
Closing out the Sunday Ticket will see the Cronulla Sharks take on the North Queensland Cowboys. This top 4 clash is our other match of the round contender, with both sides looking to establish themselves in the top quarter of the ladder. Pound for pound, I think the Cowboys probably have the edge in this game, with the exception of a couple of position matchups. The Cowboys are coming off a hard fought loss against Parra, whereas the Sharks haven’t had what would be called a difficult opponent in a month. Cronulla have struggled against top 8 sides in the last eighteen months, and this could prove to be the same here. Cowboys by 14 points.
There you have it, it’s a tremendous weekend of footy coming up and there’s definitely a few head-to-heads to keep your eye on! I’m tipping the Storm, Warriors, Dolphins, Panthers, Titans, Raiders, Bulldogs and Cowboys to all walk away victorious. How many do you think we’ll get right this week? I’m feeling confident. As always, if you haven’t already got your supporter gear for 2024, make sure to head into Jersey’s Megastore for All Things Footy!
