North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks

Friday July 15 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium | 6.00pm AEST

A cracking Friday night clash, with the low-flying Cowboys taking on a Sharks side looking for five straight wins. The Cowboys have stormed into outright second spot on the ladder and are also aiming for five on the trot. But they’ve lost their past seven to the Sharks, and will attempt to reverse that trend without Origin star Tom Dearden. The Sharks get Nicho Hynes and Toby Rudolf back, and the pair will further complement the side’s strong line break attack which is led by Mulitalo and Katoa. There’s so much to like about the Cowboys but the loss of Dearden is tricky to assess. Happy to watch this one without an investment.

No suggested bet

Parramatta Eels vs New Zealand Warriors

Friday July 15 | CommBank Stadium | 7.55pm AEST

The Warriors snapped a seven-game losing streak last week and gave their home fans a much-needed win after two years on the road. They beat the Tigers convincingly, but now face a much stiffer opponent here – an Eels side with hometown advantage. The Eels continue to struggle to string together consecutive wins, but with an unchanged line-up come into this with a golden opportunity to gain some momentum for the latter stage of the season. However, I certainly don’t want to take such a short quote about an inconsistent Eels side against an opponent which can deliver an upset.

Suggested bet: 1u Warriors +17.5 at $1.90

Sydney Roosters vs St George Illawarra Dragons

Saturday July 16 | Central Coast Stadium | 3.00pm AEST

Important game for both sides as they both sit just outside the top eight. The Roosters below-par season has gotten worse after losing their last four games, while the Dragons’ resurgence hit a snag with a poor loss to a depleted Broncos side last weekend. The Dragons won this fixture earlier in the season, taking out a highly-entertaining Anzac Day contest. The Roosters will be without Lindsay Collins but the rest of the Origin contingent are ready to go. These two sides lead an unwanted stat – missed tackles – so this could be a try-fest. The Dragons should be in this contest for a while and the Roosters are far too short for how poorly they are playing.

Suggested bet: 1u Dragons +8.5 at $1.90

Manly Sea Eagles vs Newcastle Knights

Saturday July 16 | 4 Pines Park | 5.30pm AEST

Manly is back in form after winning three of their last four games, and they now look a serious chance of making finals even without Tom Trbojevic. But this is a must-win as they face the lowly Knights who continue leaking big points in losses this year. Manly took the points 30-6 in this fixture back in Round 5, however the Knights had won the three previous meetings prior. But it’s hard to see Manly dropping this contest and it’s a good opportunity to boost their for/against.

Suggested bet: 1u Manly -8.5 at $1.90

Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos

Saturday July 16 | Cbus Super Stadium | 7.35pm AEST

It’s been a tale of two seasons for the two south east Queensland sides, with the Titans enduring a horror season with just three wins. In contrast, the Broncos are in the premiership conversation and took the points last week over the Dragons despite missing several key players. This week the Broncos are further missing Capewell and Cobbo, but it’s still hard to see the Titans offering much resistance.

Suggested bet: 1.5u Broncos -7.5 at $1.90

Wests Tigers vs Penrith Panthers

Sunday July 17 | CommBank Stadium | 2.00pm AEST

A complete mismatch with first taking on last. Penrith will be without Nathan Cleary and a string of other Origin reps, while the Tigers regain a couple of handy players. The question remains if the Tigers have the class necessary to take advantage of the Penrith personnel issues? The Tigers may well get closer than most expect, but it’s still hard to take them in any market, even with a significant head start.

No suggested bet

Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders

Sunday July 17 | AAMI Park | 4.05pm AEST

It’ll be interesting to see how Melbourne responds after their poor last start performance going down to Manly. Coach Craig Bellamy will be expecting a response after what was a dismal showing, and if they lose this one, it’s three defeats in a row. Concerningly, the Storm have conceded 64 points in the past two weeks and they’ll want to clamp down in defence here. The Storm have prevailed in their last five meetings with the Raiders, who have been inconsistent but have reignited their season to be in the hunt for a finals spot. The Storm should bounce back here with Munster fresh.

Suggested bet: 1u Storm -12.5 at $1.90

Canterbury Bulldogs vs South Sydney Rabbitohs

Sunday July 17 | Accor Stadium | 6.15pm AEST

The Bulldogs have shown to be a much better team since new coach Mick Potter took the reins, with a focus on attacking flair and taking risks. Neither side seems too affected by Origin, with Rabbitohs pair Damian Cook and Cameron Murray having limited game time and ready to play. While the Rabbitohs are yet to find top gear this season, they’ve managed to lift in recent weeks and won four of their past five. The resurrection has coincided with Latrell Mitchell’s return and he’s really installed a new level of intensity to the side.

Suggested bet: 1u Rabbitohs -8.5 at $1.90