The NRL is back at it again this weekend, with eight brilliant matches lined up for the coming days. Can the Dolphins topple big brother the Broncos in Brisbane and stay top of the table? Will the Sea Eagles be able to back up their impressive win over the Panthers? We break down each match in round six of the NRL, giving our predictions using odds from best betting sites.
NRL 2024 Round 6
Newcastle Knights vs Sydney Roosters
A ripper of a match kicks off NRL round six on Thursday night, with the Newcastle Knights hosting the Sydney Roosters. Go get a coin and flip it, because this one could go either way.
We say it will be Newcastle who prevail though, and not just because they have home ground advantage. The Roosters showed guts to nearly come back and win with 11 men against the Bulldogs last week, but the reality is, they still got themselves into a huge hole they shouldn’t have. Add in the loss of James Tedesco and Dom Young, and it’s hard to see them getting any better this weekend.
The Knights, on the other hand, put on a clinic against the Dragons in the rain last round. Their 30-10 win was seriously impressive, and we expect them to build on that this week. Back them to squeeze out a tight but solid win.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
 | Knights to win | $1.56 |
 | Knights -4.5 | $1.91 |
 | Knights 1-12 | $3.10 |
Official Squads
Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Tom Jenkins 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Jack Cogger 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott Interchange: 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mat Croker
Roosters: 1. Joey Manu 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Michael Jennings 4. Joseph Suaalii 5. Fetalaiga Pauga 6. Connor Watson 7. Luke Keary 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Nat Butcher 12. Angus Crichton 13. Victor Radley Interchange: 14. Zach Dockar-Clay 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Sitili Tupouniua 17. Terrell May
Melbourne Storm vs Canterbury Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have had a remarkably solid start to the season so far, defeating both the Roosters and the Titans in the last month. However, we expect these encouraging signs to disappear on Friday night with the Storm putting them to the sword.
Melbourne were lucky to get away with a win last week against the Broncos, and they should come out focused against Canterbury in this match. They’ve got a full roster and are playing at home, while the Bulldogs are weighed down by plenty of injuries after last week’s win. This one could get ugly, and the best bet is to back the Storm to put a big one on the dogs.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tips | Odds |
| Over 53 points | $3.75 |
| Storm -18.5 | $1.91 |
| Xavier Coates to score | $1.87 |
Official Squads
Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eli Katoa 13. Trent Loiero Interchange: 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Tepai Moeroa 17. Alec MacDonald
Bulldogs: 1. Stephen Crichton 2. Connor Tracey 3. Jacob Kiraz 4. Bronson Xerri 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Drew Hutchison 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Chris Patolo 11. Villiame Kikau 12. Josh Curran 13. Jaeman Salmon Interchange: 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Poasa Faamausili 16. Sam Hughes 17. Kitione Kautoga
Brisbane Broncos vs Redcliffe Dolphins
Rounding out Friday night is the match that has everyone licking their lips ahead of round six. It’s an all-Brisbane affair, with the Broncos hosting little brother the Dolphins at Suncorp. Would you believe this is first place playing 11th on the table… And it’s the Broncos who are cellar-dwellers at the moment? Absent Adam Reynolds, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Dolphins actually have a chance here.
But, if you remember how this fixture played out last year, that was fools gold. Brisbane should come through with too much class here and put Redcliffe in their rightful place, which we say isn’t top of the table. After all, they’ve only played the Tigers, Titans and Dragons so far. Expect Reece Walsh to step up in his return from injury as well, compensating for the lack of Reynolds.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tips | Odds |
| Broncos to win | $1.40 |
| Broncos -7.5 | $1.82 |
| Reece Walsh to score | $2.30 |
Official Squads
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ezra Mam 7. Jock Madden 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Fletcher Baker 11. Jaiyden Hunt 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan Interchange: 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Xavier Willison 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Tristan Sailor
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Tesi Niu 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Tom Flegler 11. Kenneth Bromwich 12. Euan Aitken 13. Ray Stone Interchange: 14. Josh Kerr 15. Anthony Milford 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Jarrod Wallace
New Zealand Warriors vs Manly Sea Eagles
Another highly anticipated clash takes place on Saturday afternoon, with two of the hottest teams from round five going head-to-head. Manly stunned the competition by bouncing back from a loss to the Dragons with a 32-18 clinic against defending champions the Panthers. The Warriors also impressed, finally hitting their stride after two ugly wins, winning by 30 points against the Rabbitohs.
What this match comes down to for us is the trajectory of each team so far this season. New Zealand have been consistently building—two tight losses, two tight wins, then one big victory. Manly, on the other hand, have been patchy—back-to-back wins, then consecutive losses, before their most recent win. We say the Warriors will continue their momentum and notch a good victory here after a competitive first hour.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Warriors to win | $1.48 |
| Warriors -6.5 | $1.95 |
| Warriors 13+ | $2.55 |
Official Squads
Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitch Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Tohu Harris 14. Chanel Harris-Tavita 15. Tom Ale 16. Jazz Tevaga 17. Jacob Laban.
Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Tommy Talau 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Ben Trbojevic 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Corey Waddell 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Karl Lawton 15. Ethan Bullemor 16. Toafofoa Sipley 17. Nathan Brown.
Parramatta Eels vs North Queensland Cowboys
It’s no secret that Parramatta have been struggling in the absence of Mitch Moses. The side have lost their last two without the playmaker, after having got their year off to a good start prior. This weekend, they’ve resorted to axing Blaize Talagi and going for Daejarn Asi at five-eighth instead.
Will it work? It’s worth taking the punt, we say. The Eels have won four of the last six against North Queensland, and despite their record the last month, are still a tough beat at home. The Cowboys are favourites here at the majority of betting sites, but aren’t consistent enough to warrant a bet. After all, they did only defeat the Titans by 13 points last round, which doesn’t exactly instil confidence in anyone.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Panthers to win | $1.67 |
| Panthers -2.5 | $1.95 |
| Turuva to score | $2.15 |
Official Squads
Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Bailey Simonsson 3. Will Penisini 4. Morgan Harper 5. Sean Russell 6. Daejarn Asi 7. Dylan Brown 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Joey Lussick 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwrigth 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Luca Moretti 15. Ryan Matterson 16. Joe Ofahengaue 17. Kelma Tuilagi.
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Tom Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Rueben Cotter 14. Jake Granville 15. Griffin Neame 16. Sam McIntyre 17. Jack Gosiewski.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Cronulla Sharks
Action continues on Saturday as the Rabbitohs host the Cronulla Sharks in South Sydney. For the bunnies, it’s been a horror year so far. They’ve got just the one win over the lowly Bulldogs, and have lost four times, with several big scorelines in there. Add in a bunch of controversy including the recent suspension of Latrell Mitchell, and it’s not looking good for them.
Cronulla come into this match off the back of a bye and hold a handy 3-1 record so far in 2024. Their only loss was a surprising one against the Tigers, but they seem to be a better side than this result implies. Expect the Sharks to add to the Rabbitohs woes on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if we see a little bit of character from the home side though, and this one winds up being relatively close.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Sharks to win | $1.33 |
| 1Rabbitohs +9.5 | $1.95 |
| Sharks 1-12 | $3.10 |
Official Squads
Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Tyrone Munro 3. Jack Wighton 4. Isaiah Tass 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Dean Hawkins 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Tom Burgess 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Cam Murray 14. Michael Chee Kam 15. Siliva Havili 16. Shaq Mitchell 17. Davvy Moale.
Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Thomas Hazelton 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Vriton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cam McInnes 14. Billy Burns 15. Jack Williams 16. Siosifa Talakai 17. Tukupa-Ke Hau Tapuha.
Wests Tigers vs St. George-Illawarra Dragons
Both the Tigers and Dragons have exceeded expectations across the opening five rounds of NRL action in 2024. Now, one of them has the chance to head into round seven with a winning record—who would have thought?
The Tigers come into this clash having lost 26-16 to the Dolphins, while the Dragons were well dispatched by the Knights 30-10. Prior to that, each scored upsets, with Wests edging the Eels and St. George-Illawarra defeating Manly. The Dragons bring a settled line up into this clash with just one change, while the Tigers have had to make a few shuffles thanks to failed head injury assessments.
All this to say, this should be a close match. It really depends which side turns up on the day. We’re going to refrain from picking a winner here, and instead, suggest a few bets that will pay regardless of who wins.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Dragons +1.5 | $1.91 |
| Under 42.5 points | $1.91 |
| Either to win by 1-12 | $1.57 |
Official Squads
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Charlie Staines 3. Solomona Faataape 4. Justin Olam 5. Junior Tupou 6. Jayden Sullivan 7. Aidan Sezer 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Api Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Alex Seyfarth 13. Fonua Pole 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Alex Twal 16. Justin Matamua 17. Asu Kepaoa.
Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Mosese Suli 4. Jack Bird 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Hame Sele 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Tom Eisenhuth 14. Jesse Marschke 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Jack de Belin 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner.
Canberra Raiders vs Gold Coast Titans
Round six of the NRL wraps up with what is surely a given for the Raiders. The Gold Coast Titans have been downright lousy this season, with zero wins from four matches. In fact, they’re now staring down the barrel of an outrageous 10 games in a row where they’ve leaked 28+ points.
Considering the Raiders just put 41 points on the Eels, and are playing in front of what will no doubt be an enthusiastic crowd, we only see this result going one way. Back the Raiders to get the job done and confine the Titans to the wooden spoon position.
| Bookmaker | Bren’s Tip | Odds |
| Raiders to win | $1.36 |
| Raiders -8.5 | $1.91 |
| Raiders 13+ | $2.20 |
Official Squads
Raiders: 1. Chevy Stewart 2. James Schiller 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. Ata Mariota 16. Trey Mooney 17. Pasami Saulo.
Titans: 1. Jayden Campbell 2. Harley Smith-Shields 3. Brian Kelly 4. AJ Brimson 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Kieran Foran 7. Tanah Boyd 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Chris Randall 10. Jaimin Jolliffe 11. David Fifita 12. Beau Fermor 13. Klese Haas 14. Sam Verrills 15. Erin Clark 16. Isaac Liu 17. Josiah Pahulu.
