NRL 2023 Round 16 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

Round 16 of the NRL season will be the second State of Origin affected round of the season, with just five games being played as a number of the league’s best players gear up for Wednesday’s big game. But whoever the ten teams playing this weekend send out onto the park, the games are worth the same amount of points, and with just a couple of months to go in the home and away season the jostling for spots is getting increasingly frantic. Check out our previews of each game set to take place this weekend below.

Last year, this would have shaped up as a blockbuster to kick off Round 16, but not so this year. The Cowboys attempts to back up their breakout season in 2022 have been a complete failure to date, with last year’s Preliminary Finalists sitting in 14th place more than halfway into the season. As bad as they’ve been, however, they’re still just a couple of games out of the eight, and are coming off a thumping win against the Storm the week before their bye – probably their best win of the season. But while that was an improved showing, they’ll be hard-pressed to make it two wins from two games against the Panthers. After an indifferent start to the year Penrith have well and truly kicked into gear, establishing themselves as clearly the best team in the league and sitting on top of the NRL ladder. Their latest result was a dominant 30-6 win over another team expected to be competing for the Premiership this season in the Roosters, a result which made it five wins in a row for the two-time reigning champs. Unfortunately both teams will be without a number of their stars due to Origin, but despite that the Panthers look like being too strong. The Cowboys have been an entirely different team at home as compared to away this year (they’re 5-2 at home and 1-6 away) but the Panthers have been brilliant of late and should be able to come away from Townsville with the points.

Predicted Squads

North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Robert Derby 4. PetaHiku 5. Semi Valemei 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Coen Hess 11. Luciano Leilua 12. HeilumLuki 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Jake Granville 15. JamayneTaunoa-Brown 16. Griffin Neame 17. Mitch Dunn

Penrith Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. SuniaTuruva 3. IzackTago 4. Tyrone Peachey 5. Jesse McLean 6. Jaeman Salmon 7. Jack Cogger 8. Lindsay Smith 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Zac Hosking 13. Matt Eisenhuth 14. Soni Luke 15. Eddie Blacker 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Luke Garner

The Knights looked for all money like they were set for an impressive win over the Broncos last weekend; a win which would have made it two on the trot and put them right on the edge of the top eight. Unfortunately, they gave up two late tries and watched an eight-point lead wither into a four-point deficit, and were resigned to seventh straight loss. Still, given where they’ve been over the past couple of years their performance so far in 2023 is hardly a disaster; unlike the team sitting right alongside them on the ladder. The Roosters had Premiership hopes heading into the year and maybe the most ardent fans still do, but with every passing week it’s looking increasingly hard to envision them even getting close, and with just a couple of months to go in the season even their spot in the top eight is well and truly in jeopardy. Last week they had a chance to turn things around against the best team in the league but failed miserably, going down 30-6 to the Panthers. The Knights have been really good at home this year while the Roosters have been terrible on the road, but for everything going against them, it still feels like the Roosters are good value in this one.

Predicted Squads

Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson  11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jack Johns 13. Adam Elliott 14. Kurt Mann
15. Jacob Saifiti  16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mat Croker 

Sydney Roosters: 1. Joseph Manu 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Corey Allan 4. Jaxson Paulo 5. Junior Pauga 6. Sandon Smith 7. Luke Keary 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Turpin 10. Matt Lodge 11. Egan Butcher 12. Nat Butcher 13. Sitili Tupouniua 14. Drew Hutchison 15. Nathan Brown 16. Angus Crichton 17. Fletcher Baker

The Eels march towards the top eight continued on King’s Birthday, with their traditional Monday clash with the Bulldogs resulting in a dominant 34-12 win for last year’s Grand Finalists. Clint Gutherson was the first half hero with three tries in the first 24 minutes of the game, helping them to a 24-6 lead at the half which they only lengthened in the second. That squared up their win-loss record at 7-7 after a terrible start to the season, at least from a winning perspective, and puts them right on the edge of the top eight. The team sitting directly ahead of them in eighth is the team they will face this weekend, but the Sea Eagles have only won a game less than Parramatta and their ladder position has benefited from two byes to this point in the season. In contrast to the Eels, Manly have been tumbling down the ladder after a strong start to the season, though they’ve put in a couple of belting performances over their past three games. Having beaten the Raiders 42-14 they suffered a disappointing loss to the Knights, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion last week with a 58-18 win over the typically competitive Dolphins. They looked set to fall out of the eight and likely stay there, but those two wins have breathed new life into the Sea Eagles’ season. As impressive as those wins have been, however, there is still an issue of consistency, and that’s not one the Eels have been struggling with all that much of late. Even without some players due to Origin this week, Parramatta looks almost certain to jump into the top eight at some point and even challenge for the top four the way they’re playing, and they can continue their march up the ladder with another win this weekend.

Predicted Squads

Parramatta Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Will Penisini 4. Bailey Simonsson 5. Sean Russell 6. Daejarn Asi 7. Jordan Rankin 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Josh Hodgson
10. Ofahiki Ogden 11. Bryce Cartwright 12. Andrew Davey 13. J'maine Hopgood 14. Ryan Matterson 15. Brendan Hands 16. Matt Doorey 17. MakahesiMakatoa

Manly Sea Eagles: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolu Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Josh Schuster 7. Jake Arthur 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. ToafofoaSipley 11. HaumoleOlakau’atu 12. Ethan Bullemor 13. Sean Keppie 14. Karl Lawton 15. Josh Aloiai 16. Samuela Fainu 17. Ben Condon

• The Panthers have conceded three tries in just one of their past six games.
• The Eels have won three games on the trot by an average of 16.7 points
• Six of the Bulldogs’ nine losses this year have been by ten points or more, and when they last played Cronulla they lost by 13 points at home.

Multi of the Week

After a much improved few weeks, the Tigers put in a disappointing performance against the Titans last weekend, failing to give much of a whimper en route to a 28-12 loss. It doesn’t get much easier for them this weekend as they welcome a Melbourne Storm side coming off a terrific win to Campbelltown Sports Stadium. The Storm bounced back from a surprise heavy defeat to the Cowboys with a dominant display against the Cronulla Sharks, demolishing them 54-10 in one of the most emphatic performances of the season. Their at-times inconsistent form will perhaps give the Tigers some hope that if things go their way in this one they can be competitive, but last week’s was a performance which is very hard to ignore for the Storm. That showed what they are capable of at their best, form which is absolutely good enough to compete for a top four spot and a flag. The Storm will be influenced by Origin Game 2, but if they play even close to what they showed last weekend in this game they will have no problems notching up another comfortable win.

Predicted Squads

Wests Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. David Nofoaluma 3. StarfordTo'a  4. Tommy Talau 5. Junior Tupou 6. Daine Laurie 7. Brandon Wakeham 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Jake Simpkin
10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Fonua Pole 14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Shawn Blore 16. Alex Twal 17. Asu Kepaoa

Melbourne Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. Will Warbrick 3. Justin Olam 4. Marion Seve 5. Xavier Coates 6. Jayden Nikorima 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Tyran Wishart 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Josh King 14. Bronson Garlick
15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Tom Eisenhuth 17. Tariq Sims

After re-establishing themselves as a potential top four side and legitimate Premiership contender, it’s been a forgettable couple of weeks for the Cronulla Sharks. A home loss to the Broncos a fortnight ago was disappointing, but they were at least in that game for an extended period of time. Not so last week against the Storm. The Sharks conceded a try in the third minute of the game, and it turned out that was a sign of things to come as five more were piled on prior to half-time to open up a 34-6 lead for the Storm. In the second half it only got worse, and by game’s end that scoreline read 54-10. That pushed them out of the top four and the Storm into it, but a winnable game this weekend gives them a chance to potentially jump right back in. The Bulldogs’ disappointing season continued on King’s Birthday after a more competitive couple of weeks, with a 34-12 loss taking their record to 5-9 and their points difference to -116 – the second worst is -90, and the Tigers and Dragons, widely regarded as the worst two teams in the league, are at -59 and -61 respectively. They are one of a small group of teams whose finals hopes are already extinguished, and that will be further consolidated by a comfortable defeat in Cronulla this Sunday.

Predicted Squads

Cronulla Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. SiosifaTalakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi  9. BlaykeBrailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Dale Finucane 14. Cam McInnes
15. Wade Graham 16. Jack Williams17. Tom Hazelton

Canterbury Bulldogs: 1. Hayze Perham 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Josh Addo-Carr 5. Karl Oloapu 6. Matt Burton 7. Tevita Pangai Junior 8. Reed Mahoney 9. Chris Patolo 10. Jayden Okunbor 11. Jacob Preston 12. Harrison Edwards 13. Max King 14. Khaled Rajab 15. Kurtis Morrin 16. Corey Waddell

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