The NRL is back for another season, and it’s already begun with a hiss and a roar. Several title contenders suffered early losses in round one, while a few underdogs stood tall and showed they’ll be competitive this year. How will this weekend unfold? Here are our predictions for each game in round two of the NRL 2024, based on the latest odds from the best betting sites.
NRL 2024 Round 2
Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Round two of the NRL 2024 kicks off with a battle of the Las Vegas losers. Both sides were tipped to win their round one clashes but fell short and will be eager to make amends this week. The good news for Brisbane is Adam Reynold’s knee injury suffered against the Roosters wasn’t serious. The halfback will be back in action against his old club and looking to notch their first victory of the year.
Bookies are picking this to be a bit of a blow out in favour of the Broncos, but we think it will be tighter than expected. With only 10 points scored in their opening game, Brisbane has some improving to do if they’re to get back to last year’s level. We say they’ll win, but only just.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
 | Broncos to win | $1.37 |
 | Rabbitohs +1.85 | $1.80 |
 | Broncos 1-12 | $3.10 |
Official Squads
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Deine Mariner 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Fletcher Baker 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Martin Taupau.
Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Richard Kennar 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Cameron Murray 14. Siliva Havili 15. Davvy Moale 16. Shaq Mitchell 17. Tom Burgess.
Cronulla Sharks vs Canterbury Bulldogs
Last weekend saw the Sharks head to Auckland and come away with a very good win, edging out the Warriors 16-12. For the Bulldogs, however, it was a continuation of their 2023 effort, which saw them finish 15th. The side suffered a heavy 26-8 loss at the hands of the Parramatta Eels.
This weekend, it’s hard to see the Bulldogs turning around the ship in time to make this clash competitive. With no Josh Addo-Carr, they look toothless and we’re expecting a bit Sharks victory here. Last time they met in Cronulla the final score was 48-10, and it would be no surprise if a similar result unfolded this Friday evening.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Sharks to win | $1.38 |
| Over 39.5 | $1.84 |
| Sharks 13+ | $2.15 |
Official Squads
Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Sifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Toby Rudolf 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cam McInnes 14. Dale Finucane 15. Jack Williams 16. Royce Hunt 17. Thomas Hazelton.
Bulldogs: 1. Blake Taaffe 2. Blake Wilson 3. Jacob Kiraz 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Connor Tracey 6. Matt Burton 7. Drew Hutchison 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Poasa Faamausili 11. Villiame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sam Hughes 16. Josh Curran 17. Kurtis Morrin
Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels
The final match on Friday evening has match of the round written all over it. Penrith, chasing their third consecutive title in 2024, suffered a disappointing 8-0 defeat to the Storm last weekend. Naturally, they’ll be eager to avenge this loss in front of a home crowd this Friday. However, they come up against an Eels side are classically their boogie team—and who picked up a good win in round one.
The head-to-head between these two sides is as tight as it gets, with Panthers leading 26-25 across their 51 official NRL matches. The Eels have won their past two encounters, and four of the last six. Notably, the last time the Panthers beat the Eels in a regular season game was September 2021. If there’s ever a match to go against the bookies, it’s this one, which is exactly what we’re doing this weekend.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Eels to win | $3.05 |
| Eels +7.5 | $1.95 |
| Eels 1-12 | $4.00 |
Official Squads
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Taylan May 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 17. Luke Garner.
Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Bailey Simonsson 3. Will Penisini 4. Morgan Harper 5. Sean Russell 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Joey Lussick 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Brendan Hands 15. Ryan Matterson 16. Joe Ofahengaue 17. Kelma Tuilagi.
Canberra Raiders vs Wests Tigers
All teams got their campaigns underway in round one, except for one side. The Wests Tigers are yet to take to the field in 2024, with the team taking a first-round bye to get things started this season. Currently sitting ninth courtesy of their bye, we fear this might be as good as it gets for the Tigers this year. The side has a new coach but has been perennial wooden spooners in recent years and look destined for that again in 2024.
The Canberra Raiders, on the other hand, impressed in their opening game. Many were low on their chances after losing key players in the offseason, but a big 28-12 win away against the Knights will have boosted confidence. Expect them to pile on the points here and continue proving their critics wrong.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Raiders to win | $1.42 |
| Over 44.5 | $1.92 |
| Raiders 13+ | $2.40 |
Official Squads
Raiders: 1. Jordan Rapana 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Matt Timoko 4. Seb Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Danny Levi 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Ata Mariota 17. Pasami Saulo.
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Charlie Staines 3. Starford To'a 4. Solomona Faataape 5. Junior Tupou 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Jayden Sullivan 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Api Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Alex Seyfarth 14. Aidan Sezer 15. Fonua Pole 16. Alex Twal 17. Sam
North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights
All teams got their campaigns underway in round one, except for one side. The Wests Tigers are yet to take to the field in 2024, with the team taking a first-round bye to get things started this season. Currently sitting ninth courtesy of their bye, we fear this might be as good as it gets for the Tigers this year. The side has a new coach but has been perennial wooden spooners in recent years and look destined for that again in 2024.
The Canberra Raiders, on the other hand, impressed in their opening game. Many were low on their chances after losing key players in the offseason, but a big 28-12 win away against the Knights will have boosted confidence. Expect them to pile on the points here and continue proving their critics wrong.
Another fascinating encounter awaits on Saturday afternoon this weekend, as the Cowboys host the Knights in Townsville. North Queensland did what was expected of them and won a local derby against the Dolphins in round one, while the Knights showed a surprisingly poor level in their home loss to the Raiders.
In this match, we say it’s all about momentum and home advantage. The Knights will be eager to prove that they haven’t slipped back to their ways from early 2023. However, in front of a Cowboy’s home crowd, buoyed by a big round one win, we say it’s a bridge too far for Newcastle to come away with a W. Expect a tight one that ultimately falls in North Queensland’s favour.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Cowboys to win | $1.43 |
| Knights +7.5 | $1.90 |
| Under 45.5 | $2.02 |
Official Squads
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Zac Laybutt 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Rueben Cotter 14. Jake Granville 15. Griffin Neame 16. Sam McIntyre 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Tom Jenkins 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jack Cogger 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Jed Cartwright.
Melbourne Storm vs New Zealand Warriors
All teams got their campaigns underway in round one, except for one side. The Wests Tigers are yet to take to the field in 2024, with the team taking a first-round bye to get things started this season. Currently sitting ninth courtesy of their bye, we fear this might be as good as it gets for the Tigers this year. The side has a new coach but has been perennial wooden spooners in recent years and look destined for that again in 2024.
The Canberra Raiders, on the other hand, impressed in their opening game. Many were low on their chances after losing key players in the offseason, but a big 28-12 win away against the Knights will have boosted confidence. Expect them to pile on the points here and continue proving their critics wrong.
If the final match of Friday night had match of the round written all over it, then this clash has to be a close second. Melbourne stood tall last weekend and held two-time defending champions the Panthers scoreless in their opening game. Meanwhile, the Warriors began strong against the Sharks, before giving up a 12-0 lead and flailing around for the better part of an hour to lose 16-12.
The Kiwis will be looking to bounce back strong, but winning away against the Storm is no mean feat. Especially considering that the Warriors have lost their last 15 in a row against the Melbourne outfit. While we’d love to see them get one over the Storm this weekend, it’s a bridge too far for what looked like a shaky Warriors side in round one. Expect a tight contest, with Melbourne opening up in the final quarter.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Storm to win | $1.48 |
| Storm -6.5 | $1.98 |
| Storm 13+ | $2.55 |
Official Squads
Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Jonah Pezet 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Joe Chan 12. Eli Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Chris Lewis 17. Alec MacDonald.
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Luke Metcalf 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitch Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Tohu Harris 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Tom Ale 16. Bunty Afoa 17. Dylan Walker.
Manly Sea Eagles vs Sydney Roosters
It’s been a big break for both the Sea Eagles and Roosters, with these two sides playing over in Las Vegas a fortnight ago. They’ll be well rested, and with both picking up upset victories in the NRL’s showpiece, will bring confidence to this local derby.
We were impressed by the Roosters performance in round one, despite the ugly scenes that have dominated headlines post-match. This year they look much more like title contenders than they did 12 months ago, despite being widely rated to perform in 2023. Expect them to continue their momentum this season, particularly with Jason Saab sidelined for the Sea Eagles.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Roosters to win | $1.67 |
| Roosters -2.5 | $2.00 |
| Suaalii to score | $2.70 |
Official Squads
Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Tommy Talau 3. Tolu Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Karl Lawton 15. Corey Waddell 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Nathan Brown.
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph Suaalii 4. Joey Manu 5. Dom Young 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Siua Wong 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Victor Radley 14. Sandon Smith 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Nat Butcher 17. Terrell May.
Redcliffe Dolphins vs St. George/Illawarra Dragons
Rounding out round two of the NRL, it’s the Dolphins yet again. This time, they host the Dragons in a match they’d desperately love to win. Redcliffe were unable to repeat their heroics of 2023 that saw them surprise a nation and win their opening three matches. Their big 43-18 loss to the Cowboys won’t have been in Wayne Bennett’s plans for the year, that’s for sure.
However, with the Dragons at home, the Dolphins have a chance at redemption. St. George-Illawarra impressed last week with a 28-4 away win over the Titans but have been classically mercurial in years gone by. Back the home team to get a win here—it won’t be pretty though.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Dolphins +1.90 | $1.80 |
| Under 45.5 | $1.87 |
| Dolphins to win | $1.95 |
Official Squads
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Tom Flegler 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Euan Aitken 13. Max Plath 14. Josh Kerr 15. Kenny Bromwich 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Jarrod Wallace.
Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Moses Suli 4. Jack Bird 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Tom Eisenhuth 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Connor Muhleisen 15. Michael Molo 16. Raymod Faitala-Mariner 17. Luciano Leilua.
