It’s a shortened Round 12 in the NRL this week as Origin Game 1 gets closer. Here is a preview of each game, starting with the Doggies up against the Dolphins in Sydney on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs are flying high at the top of the ladder and come into this clash against the Dolphins in red-hot form. They’ve been rock solid at home with a perfect 4-0 record and are 9-1 overall this season. Last time out, they edged past the Roosters 24-20 in a tight one at Stadium Australia. Offensively, they’re one of the best in the NRL – ranking third for both points and tries scored. They’ve also been strong on the road, going 5-1 away from home, and have picked up four wins from their last five games. With three wins on the trot, the Bulldogs are definitely the team to beat right now.<\/p>\n
The Dolphins have had a tough run this season, sitting down in 14th spot on the ladder with a 4-7 record. They\u2019re coming off a close 4-point loss to the Warriors at Lang Park and have struggled to find consistency both home and away. Their home record stands at 2-3, while they\u2019ve gone 2-4 on the road. Over their last five games, they’ve picked up just two wins, and they\u2019re currently on a one-game losing streak. They’ll need to lift big time if they\u2019re going to challenge the in-form Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Canterbury are 7-3 in their last 10 games at Stadium Australia. The Dolphins are yet to play here.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bulldogs are 2-0 against the Dolphins.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n The Doggies look too good in this matchup. They love playing here and the Dolphins are missing a few of their best players due to Origin. They’re also 0-4 ATS when playing away on a rest disadvantage.<\/p>\n Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs -7.5 = $1.90<\/a><\/p>\n Same Game Multi<\/strong><\/p>\n The Doggies skipper (Kikau) has scored in back-to-back games and offers great value to make it 3 straight. The Dolphins have allowed 2 or more tries to edge forwards in 50% of their last 6 games too. The Dogs are 7-3 at Stadium Australia and should get the win. The Under is also 4-1 when the Dolphins travel interstate.<\/p>\n Bulldogs Win \/ Under 41.5 pts \/ Kikau Anytime Tryscorer = $8.50<\/a><\/p>\n The Eels haven\u2019t had the best season so far, sitting down in 16th spot on the ladder with just three wins from ten games. They\u2019ve been patchy lately, going 2-3 in their last five, but are coming off a strong 28-6 win over the Knights in Round 11. That result snapped a losing run and gave them a bit of a boost heading into this clash with the Sea Eagles. Away from home, they\u2019re 2-3, but their home form has been rough with just one win from five. Offensively, they’ve struggled all year – ranking second last in both points and tries scored, and they\u2019re also up there for handling errors. They’ll need to tidy things up if they want to build on last week’s win.<\/p>\n The Sea Eagles head into this clash with the Eels sitting in 6th spot on the ladder and holding a 5-5 record for the season. They bounced back nicely in Round 11 with a solid 24-6 win over the Cowboys, snapping a bit of a rough patch where they\u2019d only won two of their last five. Their form has been pretty balanced – 3-3 at home and 2-2 on the road – so they\u2019ve shown they can compete wherever they play. With a bit of momentum from last week\u2019s win, they\u2019ll be looking to build on that against a struggling Eels outfit.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Parramatta are 3-7 in their last 10 games at CommBank Stadium. Manly are 2-3 in their last 5 games at this venue.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10, the Sea Eagles are 6-4 against the Eels.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n Moses and DCE are out so I like the chances of a low scoring game, the Under is also 5-0 in Manly’s last 5.<\/p>\n Under 46.5 = $1.85<\/a><\/p>\n The Panthers have had a bit of a mixed season so far, sitting 13th on the ladder with a 3-6 record. Last round, they played out a wild 30-all draw with the Cowboys up in North Queensland, which sums up their up-and-down form lately. They\u2019ve gone 2-1-2 in their last five and are coming off that draw, so it\u2019s hard to know exactly where they\u2019re at. Away from home, they\u2019ve struggled a bit with just one win from five, and their home form hasn\u2019t been much better at 2-3. One area they\u2019ll need to fix is their handling – ranking third in the comp for errors made. They\u2019ll be hoping to clean things up and bounce back against the Knights.<\/p>\n The Knights are doing it tough this season, sitting 15th on the ladder with a 3-7 record and coming off a heavy 22-point loss to the Eels at home. They’ve only managed one win from their last five and are currently on a two-game losing streak. Their home form has been especially rough, winning just one of five at Newcastle, while they\u2019ve gone 2-3 on the road. Offensively, they\u2019ve really struggled – ranking dead last in both points and tries scored – and to make matters worse, they lead the league in errors. They’ll need a massive turnaround if they\u2019re going to trouble the Panthers.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Penrith are 3-3 at this venue since 2018. Newcastle are 0-1 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Since 2018, the Panthers are 10-1 (1 draw) against the Knights.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n We know the Knights scoring troubles and now they face the Panthers without a host of Origin players. So the Under looks like the best bet, it’s 8-0 in the Knights last 8 at night too.<\/p>\n Under 43.5 = $1.90<\/a><\/p>\n The Roosters head into this clash with the Sharks sitting 11th on the ladder and holding a 4-6 record for the season. They went down 24-20 to the Bulldogs last week in a tight one at Stadium Australia, snapping a decent run where they’d won three of their previous five. Their form has been pretty even both home and away, with a 2-3 record in each. One area that continues to hurt them is ball control – they rank 4th in the league for errors made. They’ll need to tidy that up if they want to bounce back and get the win here.<\/p>\n The Sharks are in strong form heading into their clash with the Roosters, sitting 5th on the ladder with a solid 7-4 record. They\u2019ve won three on the trot and four of their last five, including a gutsy 31-26 win over the Storm at home last week. They\u2019ve been tough to beat at Sharks Stadium with a 4-1 home record, and they\u2019ve held their own on the road at 3-3. In attack, they\u2019ve been one of the better sides in the comp – ranking 5th for points scored and 4th for tries. With momentum on their side, the Sharks will be confident heading into this one.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Sydney are 5-0 in their last 5 games at this venue. Cronulla are 2-0 at this venue since 2018.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n The Roosters are 3-2 against the Sharks in the last 5.<\/p>\nParramatta Eels (16th) vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (6th)<\/h3>\n
Penrith Panthers (13th) vs Newcastle Knights (15th)<\/h3>\n
Sydney Roosters (11th) vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (5th)<\/h3>\n