NRL 2023 Round 9 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

After a lengthened ANZAC Round, there’ll be just a solitary day without any NRL action to tide you over. Round 9 kicks off on Thursday night with a big clash between the Sharks and the Cowboys, before perhaps the game of the round takes place the next evening when the Broncos host the Rabbitohs. Elsewhere, the Panthers host the Tigers in what looms as a difficult night for the league’s only remaining winless team, while the Warriors host the Roosters in a big game on Sunday. Check out all of our detailed previews and tips about what’s set to be a big round of NRL action.

Last year’s two biggest surprise packets, the Sharks and the Cowboys both leapt from the bottom half of the ladder to the top four in 2022, but with the likes of the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Storm all set to improve it was never going to be easy for them to repeat that effort. The Sharks have been solid enough so far, and their 33-20 win over the Bulldogs last weekend took their record to 4-3 and moved them to fifth. Their almost league-leading defence from last year, however, has been notably absent, and they’ve been a lot easier to put up points against in 2023. Fortunately for them, the Cowboys haven’t been particularly competent at scoring them. Their start to the year has been an unmitigated disaster, though last week they managed to avoid going 2-6; albeit with just a two-point win over the Knights. Still, it was a step in the right direction after a very testing start to the season, but despite their win it’s hard to imagine them coming away from Cronulla with the win. The Sharks can win their third game in a row with a solid victory over the Cowboys on Thursday night.

Predicted Squads

Cronulla Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi  9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Wade Graham 15. Jack Williams 16. Royce Hunt 17. Thomas Hazelton

North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Peta Hiku 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Coen Hess 11. Jack Gosiewski 12. Jeremiah Nanai 15. Jake Granville  13. Reuben Cotter 14. Tom Chester 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 17. Mitch Dunn

The Eels just can’t buy a win against a quality opponent this year. They’ve had a tough start to the season, no doubt, and their 3-5 record isn’t particularly reflective of how they’ve played at times. The fact remains, however, that they’ve continually lost close games to good sides in 2023, the notable exception coming when they beat the Panthers by a point. Last week the trend continued with a ten-point loss to the Broncos, though calling that close may be a stretch; they were down 22-6 at half-time, working their way back into the game with consecutive tries within the space of five minutes midway through the second half. While they’ve tumbled down the ladder after making the Grand Final last year, the Knights have shown vast improvement, and they could easily be sitting a lot prettier than the 3-1-4 record they find themselves with. That draw came a month ago, and after bouncing back with a win they lost to the Panthers by a point and then last week the Cowboys by two. Their form suggests they could be very competitive in this game against a top four team from last season, and while the Eels haven’t been super reliable so far this year they can get the job done on their home turf on Friday night.

Predicted Squads

Parramatta Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Will Penisini 4. Haze Dunster 5. Sean Russell 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Wiremu Greig 9. Josh Hodgson 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Ryan Matterson 14. J'maine Hopgood 15. Brendan Hands 16. Makahesi Makatoa 17. Matt Doorey 

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

The second Friday night game of Round 9 looks set to be one of the matches of the round, with the top of the table Broncos hosting a fellow contender in the Rabbitohs. Brisbane’s impressive start to the year just keeps getting better, with a strong ten-point win over the Eels last weekend further solidifying their status as a legitimate Premiership chance. But while they have beaten a handful of good teams they’ve also had a lot of easier matchups, and this Friday night’s game will provide a very stern test. The Rabbitohs are flying, having beaten the Panthers last weekend to make it three wins on the trot after a tough start to the season. They’re proving very difficult to score against, and it will be intriguing to see whether the might of the scoring machine that the Broncos have been so far this year is able to penetrate their defence with any sort of regularity. Having won seven of their first eight the Broncos couldn’t have done much more to prove themselves, but as is always the case when a team improves rapidly, cynicism surrounding whether they can continue as merrily as they have been will likely remain for much of the season. This should be an enthralling and likely very tight game, but the Bunnies have a lot more experience on the big stage and are in as good a patch of form as anyone. They can make it four in a row with a narrow victory on the road.

Predicted Squads

Brisbane Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Jock Madden 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Tom Flegler  9. Billy Walters 10. Martin Taupau 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Cory Paix 15. Corey Jensen 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Keenan Palasia

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 5. Izaac Thompson 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Hame Sele 11. Jai Arrow 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron Murray 14. Michael Chee Kam 15. Daniel Suluka-Fifita  16. Thomas Burgess 17. Davvy Moale

• The Eels have won their last five games against the Knights, and the last three by an average of 27 points.
• The Sea Eagles have won three of their last four against the Titans, with those wins coming by an average of over 25 points.
• The Roosters have won six games in a row against the Warriors.

Multi of the Week

These two sides started the season off in completely contrasting fashions, with the Raiders losing four of their last five after making a semi last year, and the Dolphins winning their first three after entering the season as the raging Wooden Spoon favourite. However, normality has slowly begun to be restored. The Raiders have won their last two games 20-14, first against the Broncos and then against the Dragons, before enjoying a week off last week, and have jumped to within a game of the top eight as a result. The team sitting in eighth is the Dolphins; they’d dropped three of four heading into last weekend and were quickly tumbling down the ladder, and when they found themselves down 26-0 to the Titans in Round 8 that trend looked set to continue. The NRL’s newest team, however, had other plans. They scored the last try of the first half and then four to none in the second to storm back, incredibly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat 28-26. An indictment on the Titans that may have been, but it was also a very impressive effort from the Dolphins and indicated their intention not to just roll over after a strong start to the season. They’ll be competitive against the Raiders, but Canberra is beginning to hit their straps and should be too strong.

Predicted Squads

Canberra Raiders: 1. Sebastian Kris  2. Nick Cotric 3. Jarrod Croker  4. Matt Timoko 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joe Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Corey Harawira-Naera

The Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Euan Aitken 4. Brenko Lee 5. Tesi Niu6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Herman Ese'ese 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Tom Gilbert 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Ray Stone 17. Kurt Donoghoe

The Sea Eagles made it two wins in a row in Round 8, holding off a plucky Wests Tigers team to win 22-16, but the win was soured by an injury to superstar Tom Trbojevic. That is the last thing they need and a long-term injury to the star has the potential to derail their strong start to the season, but fortunately scans revealed that he has avoided serious injury. Trbojevic has reportedly ‘twinged’ his groin, but is a 50/50 chance of lining up this weekend. Important as he may be to the Sea Eagles, however, they would be expecting to win this one regardless of whether he plays or not. The Titans have had their moments this season, but they re-established their status as one of the most unreliable teams in the league last weekend by giving up a 26-0 lead against the newest team in the NRL to eventually go down 28-26 to the Dolphins. That was an unmitigated disaster for the Titans, and their inability to defend with any sort of consistency is continuing to prove a thorn in their side. There are plenty of teams able to capitalise on that fact more than the Sea Eagles, who haven’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut this year despite being second on the ladder, but regardless, on their home turf Manly should be able to win this one. 

Predicted Squads

Manly Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic  2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker  4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Jake Trbojevic 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. Josh Aloiai 14. Ethan Bullemor 15. Sean Keppie 16. Aaron Woods 17. Toafofoa Sipley

Gold Coast Titans: 1. AJ Brimson  2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Kieran Foran 7. Tanah Boyd 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Chris Randall 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. David Fifita 12. Joe Stimson 13. Isaac Liu 14. Kruise Leeming 15. Erin Clark 16. Thomas Mikaele 17. Jayden Campbell

This might be the most lopsided potential matchup in the league. The Panthers haven’t exactly been at their unstoppable best so far this season, boasting just a 4-3 record after seven games, but those three losses have come by a combined total of four points, so it could easily have been very different. They’ve been nigh on impossible to score against, conceding 99 points in seven games; the second lowest points against total in the league is 132. The Tigers, meanwhile, have scored the lowest number of points in the league by a fair margin with just 106, and are still winless after seven games. They’ve been competitive at times, but even for the best of the best a trip to Penrith is an incredibly difficult task. The Tigers would do well to walk away from this game with a defeat by less than 20 points. The Panthers could win this one with their eyes closed, and while they won’t likely flex their muscle any more than they need to in order to gain the points, they should still be able to win big on Saturday night.

Predicted Squads

Penrith Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Tom Jenkins 3. Jesse McLean 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o  6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Matthew Eisenhuth 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Zac Hosking 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon

Wests Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Charlie Staines 3. Starford To'a  4. Asu Kepaoa 5. Junior Tupou 6. Brandon Wakeham 7. Luke Brooks 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. David Klemmer11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Fonua Pole 14. Jake Simpkin  15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Alex Twal 17. Tommy Talau

The Warriors are a better side this year than they were last year, and last week was yet another indication of that, despite the fact that they ultimately went down. They went toe-to-toe with the Storm at AAMI Park – no mean feat – and 44 minutes in held a 22-12 lead. The Storm subsequently flicked a switch and mowed them down, with a 75th minute Harry Grant try securing the 30-22 win, but nonetheless it was a strong performance for a team which looks legitimately capable of competing for a spot in the top eight this season. Unfortunately, that performance also yielded a couple of key injuries and a potential suspension, and they will be up against it to avoid losing two on the trot this weekend against the Roosters. Sydney have hardly been at their best; they’d lost two in a row heading into Round 8 before staving off the Dragons by just a solitary point. Still, they’ll get rolling at some point, and with an injury-ravaged Warriors side awaiting them this weekend they can win what should be an entertaining arm wrestle in New Zealand. 

Predicted Squads

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Marcelo Montoya 4. Adam Pompey 5. Edward Kosi 6. Dylan Walker 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Freddy Lussick 10. Jazz Tevaga 11. Jackson Ford 12. Marata Niukore 13. Tohu Harris 14. Bayley Sironen 15. Josh Curran 16. Bunty Afoa 17. Tom Ale

Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph Suaalii 4. Paul Momirovski 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Joey Manu 7. Luke Keary 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Nat Butcher 12. Angus Crichton 13. Victor Radley 14. Drew Hutchison 15. Egan Butcher 16. Sitili Tupouniua 17. Matt Lodge

Round 9 concludes with what looms as a relatively uninspiring clash between the Dragons and the Bulldogs, neither of whom looks likely to bother the top eight this season. The Dragons find themselves in 14th having lost five of their last six following an opening round victory, though they were very competitive last week against the Roosters. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have been very disappointing in a season in which improvement was expected, and have now lost three in a row. During that stretch they’ve conceded at least 30 points per game with opponents averaging nearly 38 per game, and while they should be able to avoid a similar outcome against the Dragons, it’s certainly not a good sign for the club. But while they’re sitting in 16th with a 3-5 record and the worst points differential in the league, they do at least have some talent, and the lure of that talent is enough to lean us towards tipping them to end the round with an upset victory on the road.

Predicted Squads

St. George Illawarra Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Mat Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Talatau Amone 7. Ben Hunt 8. Zane Musgrove 9. Moses Mbye 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Ben Murdoch-Masila 12. Jack Bird 13. Jack De Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Michael Molo 16. Toby Couchman 17. Josh Kerr

Canterbury Bulldogs: 1. Hayze Perham 2. Declan Casey 3. Jake Averillo 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Braidon Burns 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Matt Burton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Tevita Pangai Junior  11. Corey Waddell 12. Jacob Preston 13. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 14. Karl Oloapu 15. Jayden Okunbor 16. Andrew Davey 17. Ryan Sutton

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