Rugby League is a funny game. Last week saw an average winning margin of over 20 points, compared to this week, where six of the eight matches were decided by an average margin of just 5 points. As is coming to be expected of them, the Roosters and Panthers were once again the overachievers in Round 9, winning their matches by 22 and 30 points respectively. With the highly anticipated return of fourteen starting players across ten clubs this week, all signs are pointing towards must-see football this weekend. So with that being said, let’s dive into the tips and predictions for Round 10 of the NRL!
The first cab off the rank for Round 10, will see the Dolphins take on the Manly Sea Eagles in Thursday night footy. The Dolphins will welcome back Kenny Bromwich, while the third Trbojevic brother (Ben) is expected to return for Manly. Statistically, not much is separating these sides in 2024, however I’d expect the defence of the Dolphins, especially in a home game, to play the pivotal role here. The Phins have conceded 40 less points than Manly have so far, and where attack is concerned, will no doubt look to exploit some of the same key areas that the Raiders did in the second half last weekend. Manly have played well this year but have struggled to really ice a few games in the closing moments. For that reason, I’m going with the Dolphins by 4 points.
The first of two Friday night match ups is set to be must watch television. Penrith’s departed sons in Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau, Jaemon Salmon and Stephen Crichton, along with head coach Cameron Ciraldo will go up against the system that made them what they are today, as the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs head to the foot of the mountain to take on the Penrith Panthers.The Panthers are expected to welcome back golden boy Nathan Cleary, after being rested last weekend for their desolation of South Sydney. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs managed to shut out the Tigers in the second half to pull off a comeback victory, with Viliame Kikau accruing 5 Dally M votes and moving into 2nd position overall behind Dylan Edwards and Nicho Hynes (tied). I’d expect this game to be closer than the bookies expect. The Dogs have everything to play for in this match, and will more than likely come out barking, but ultimately the experience of the three-peat premiers will likely be too much. Penrith Panthers by 8 points.
Friday night’s main event will see the Parramatta Eels host the Brisbane Broncos. Both sides will be missing key players, with Clint Gutherson and Adam Reynolds both sidelined, on top of the already absent Mitchell Moses for the Eels. The Broncos have managed to maintain winning ways this season with Jock Madden in the halves, and with Ezra Mam coming off another great performance, I really can’t see this game being much of a hurdle for Brisbane. Granted, they were rocked by the Roosters last weekend, but I’d expect that to light a fire in their camp. The Eels will be coming off the bye, and if history is to repeat itself, that means they will go down on the scoreboard early. In every game so far this year, the side coming off the bye has conceded first in their following game. I’d expect Briabane to score first and get on a roll. The wheels seem to continue to fall off the wagon in Parramatta lately. Brisbane Broncos by 18 points.
Super Saturday will be kicking off with a road trip for both sides. The Wests Tigers will play host to the Newcastle Knights in Tamworth this weekend. Looking forward on the calender, I had initially picked this as a certain Tigers win two weeks ago. However, Newcastle seem to be unphased by the absence of Kalyn Ponga, and the ill-discipline of the Tigers last weekend will cost them halfback Aiden Sezer for the next four weeks (if he pleads guilty!) The Tigers played well in the first half against the Dogs, but seemed to stay in the sheds for the second half as they were shut out for the final forty. That should surely provide some motivation for coach Benji Marshall to work with this week, but ultimately with the return of Jacob Saifiti this week,I think Newcastle will take this one in a tight contest. Knights by 6 points.
The fixture that will no doubt draw the attention of Rugby League lovers across the globe… the second Super Saturday fixture will see the St George Illawarra Dragons take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs… but more importantly it will see the return of Latrell Mitchell. Will he return to fullback? Will he do the team thing and go into the centres. Only time will tell. Souths will also welcome back gun winger Alex Johnston, and the Dragons are expecting Luceino Leilua in their own right. This match could be a tremendous indicator for how the rest of season 2024 will play out for the Bunnies. If Latrell comes back ready to prove his worth, then the season could be salvageable. However, if he doesn’t look to lead from the front… it could be all over. Personally, I think Latrell is going to come out looking to silence his critics. I suspect this may be one of the great Trell Mit performances of all time this weekend, and Souths will get the win by 12 points.
Super Saturday will close out with the match of the round! The top of the ladder Cronulla Sharks travel down to AAMI Park to take on the Melbourne Storm. The Kings of the Close Game welcome back star winger Xavier Coates this weekend, but will be missing fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen. I’d expect Nick Meaney to slot back into that number 1 jersey, and the disruption to Melbourne’s attack and defence be very minimal. Cronulla have been criticized for beating up on what has been an easy draw so far in 2024, and this will be where their challenges start. As well as the Sharks have played, I don’t think anything can quite prepare them for the task of Melbourne in Melbourne. Nicho Hynes may be top of the Dally M’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his former club shut him down in this game. I’m going Melbourne Storm by 12 points.
The Sunday Ticket will open up with the Sydney Roosters taking on the New Zealand Warriors. The Roosters, who are coming off a dismantling of the Broncos in Brisbane will welcome back four key players this weekend; Victor ‘The Inflictor’ Radley, Brandon Smith, Daniel Tupou, and the long awaited return of off-season recruit Spencer Leniu. The Wahs, on the other hand, seem to be slipping back into reality after several losses, and are struggling to find form on the mainland. The Chooks have amassed 100 points in their last two games, and given the Wahs are coming off losses to the Titans, and Knights, I don’t see their defence being able to stop another Eastern Suburbs landslide. I’m going with the Sydney Roosters by 24 points.
Closing out Round 10 will be an all Queensland clash as the Gold Coast Titans go up against the North Queensland Cowboys. The Titans, despite some losses, are playing a really exciting brand of football and have only gone down by a handful of points to some genuinely quality sides in recent weeks. Whereas the Cowboys are coming off four consecutive losses, and while they are expecting Murray Tualagi to return this week, which will bolster their side, I really think things are starting to click for Des Hasler and his men. I’m going with the Titans by 8 points.
Lay it on me, what do you think of the predictions? There are some really exciting matches on the cards for this weekend, and I for one, won’t be missing a minute of the action.! I’ll be looking to improve upon last week’s efforts (5 from 8), and am tipping the Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Storm, Roosters and Titans all to walk away victorious. How many do you think I’ll get right this week? We will have to wait and see. As always, if you haven’t already got your fan gear for 2024, make sure to head into Jersey’s Megastore for All Things Footy!
