Round 21 is in the book and yet again the footy delivered! The Warriors edged the Raiders in golden point despite a late comeback from the Raiders, while the Knights upset the Storm and Manly held off a late comeback from the Sharks to win by 4. Now onto round 22, filled with great matchups! Stay tuned as we help you find value across all 8 games.
NRL 2023 Round 22
Broncos vs Roosters
Kicking off the round we have the Broncos hosting the Roosters. The Broncos are coming off an impressive 16-point win against the Rabbitohs, while the Roosters are coming off a first half masterclass, where they scored 30 unanswered points against the Titans. The Broncos sit in 2nd place, tied with the Panthers on points in what has truly been a great season, while the Roosters have disappointed, sitting in 12th spot, yet only 2 points behind 8th place.
The Broncos will be without Riki due to injury while Taupau will miss the game through suspension. This is likely to leave the Brisbane forward pack a little light. The Roosters are as close to full fitness as they’ll be for the rest of the season, and having Brandon Smith back, with Manu in the centers and Suaalii on the wing made all the difference last week. This one will be a battle of the fullbacks, just like Origin, with Walsh facing off against Tedesco. Based off last week’s performance, with all the troops back, I think the Roosters can keep this one close.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
 | Either team by 6 or less | $3.00 |
 | Roosters +8.5 | $1.80 |
 | Roosters +4.5 First Half | $1.85 |
Official Squads
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Dean Mariner 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Flegler 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakua 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Pat Carrigan 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Corey Jensen 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Keenan Palasia
Roosters: 1. Jamed Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Joey Manu 5. Joseph Suaalii 6. Luke Keary 7. Sandon Smith 8. Jared Warea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Egan Butcher 12. Nat Butcher 13. Victor Radley 14. Jake Turpin 15. Nathan Brown 16. Terrell May 17. Fletcher Baker
Tigers vs Rabbitohs
Our early Friday Night game sees the Tigers hosting the Rabbitohs. Both sides are coming off disappointing losses last week, to the Dragons and Broncos respectively. For the Tigers, their season is over, but the Rabbitohs need to pick up wins desperately, currently sitting in 9th spot, outside of finals footy. The big news for this one is the return of Latrell Mitchell, one of the true superstars of our competition. The left edge of Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Alex Johnston is bound to have a field day, as it is one of the deadliest edges in the comp, coming up against one of the weakest defenses.
While I can only see one outcome here, the line is very large. However, I expect the Rabbitohs to come out firing this game, using the Tigers as an opportunity to find form and get their combinations going once again. Even with the big line, I have to take the Rabbitohs side here.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Tigers to score 3+ tries - No | $1.68 |
| Rabbitohs -23.5 | $1.88 |
| Rabbitohs -10.5 First Half | $1.89 |
Official Squads
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Staford To’a 4. Junior Tupou 5. Charlie Staines 6. Daine Laurie 7. Brandon Wakeham 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Api Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’I 12. John Bateman 13. Fonua Pole 14. Will Smith 15. Shawn Blore 16. Alex Twal 17. Aitasi James
Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 5. Taane Milne 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Jai Arrow 9. Damien Cook 10. Hame Sele 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron Murray 14. Davvy Moale 15. Siliva Havili 16. Jed Cartwright 17. Tom Burgess
Storm vs Eels
Our second game on Friday Night sees the Storm hosting the Eels. Both sides will be disappointed last week after losing to the Knights and Cowboys respectively. The Storm will be looking for a win to help their challenge for the top 4, while the Eels will be desperate for a win as point difference is all that currently separates them. The Eels are still without Sivo and RCG due to suspension and have now additionally lost Lane to an elbow injury. While the Eels are definitely depleted, the Storm have not impressed recently, losing 2 of their last 3, with their only win being against a poor Roosters side who got 8 linebreaks to their 3.
The Eels are a challenge for any side as they still have top forwards such as Paulo, Hopgood and Matterson while Gutherson and Moses can cause any defense trouble. I think the bookies have too big of a line here, the Eels should make this one competitive.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Eels over 6.5 First Half Points | $1.83 |
| Eels +8 | $1.87 |
| Either team to win by 1-12 | $1.87 |
Official Squads
Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. Will Warbrick 3. Marion Seve 4. Young Tonumaipea. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Tom Eisenhuth 13. Josh King 14. Bronson Garlick 15. Alec Macdonald 16. Eliesa Katoa 17. Tyran Wishart
Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Waqa Blake 3. Will Penisini 4. Bailey Simonsson 5. Sean Russell 6. Daejarn Asi 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Ofahiki Ogden 9. Brendan Hands 10. Junior Paulo 11. Andrew Davey 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. J’maine Hopgood 14. Luca Moretti 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Joey Lussick 17. Ryan Matterson
Raiders vs Knights
Kicking off Super Saturday we have the Raiders hosting the Knights. The Raiders will be looking to bounce back after they suffered a gutting golden point defeat to the Warriors despite a late comeback, while the Knights will be looking to continue their fine form after upsetting the Storm. The Raiders have had a remarkable season, sitting in 5th spot, despite their biggest winning margin being 10-points. The Knights have found some late form since moving Ponga to fullback, winning 3 games in a row and sitting just 1 point outside the top 8!
This game is a very close one on paper, but I think the Knights have more to offer in attack. Their left edge has been terrorizing defenses, with the sweeping fullback Ponga creating so many opportunities for the powerful combination of Best and Marzhew. The Knights will be desperate for a win and I can see them edging this one.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Either team by 6 or less | $2.80 |
| Knights +3.5 | $1.87 |
| Either team to win by 1-12 | $1.80 |
Official Squads
Raiders: 1. Sebastian Kris 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Jared Croker 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Ellot Whitehead 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Ata Mariota
Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 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. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Adam Elliot 14. Kurt Mann 15. Brodie Jones 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mat Croker
Dragons vs Sea Eagles
Our second game of Super Saturday sees the Dragons hosting the Sea Eagles. The Dragons are coming off a close win against the Tigers, keeping them off bottom spot, while the Sea Eagles survived a late onslaught to hold off the Sharks. The Dragons’ season is all but finished, sitting 8 points behind 8th spot, while the Sea Eagles will know that this is a must win game if they want to have a chance of playing finals footy. The Sea Eagles showed their attacking ability last week, shutting out the Sharks for 44 minutes, before collapsing.
Despite the collapse, I think they will gain confidence from beating a side like the Sharks and being so dominant for over half the game. The Sea Eagles have lost Paseka and Aloiai to injury yet should be able to cover them. The Sea Eagles have too many attacking weapons in DCE, Garrick, Olakau’atu, Schuster, Saab and Koula for this weak Dragons side to handle.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Halftime/Fulltime Double – Sea Eagles/Sea Eagles | $2.00 |
| Sea Eagles -6 | $1.87 |
| Sea Eagles -3.5 First Half | $1.85 |
Official Squads
Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Mat Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Talatau Amone 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Billy Burns 12. Dan Russell 13. Jack De Belin 14. Connor Muhleisen 15. Michael Molo 16. Toby Couchman 17. Jack Bird
Sea Eagles: 1. Reuben Garrick 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Tolutau Koula 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Toafofoa Sipley 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Matt Lodge 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Dean Matterson 15. Aaron Woods 16. Sean Keppie 17. Ethan Bullemor
Panthers vs Sharks
Our final game of Super Saturday sees the Panthers hosting the Sharks. The Panthers sit in top spot after beating the Bulldogs by 26 points, while the Sharks fell to 6th spot after losing to the Sea Eagles. The Panthers have welcomed back Nathan Cleary and now they are a true powerhouse, pretty much back to full strength. The Panthers are back-to-back premiers for a reason and are now looking to extend their win streak this season to 5. The Sharks on the other hand are struggling of late, losing their last 2 in a row, raising concerns of if they will make the top 8.
The Sharks have proven to be flat-track bullies, dominating the weaker sides in the competition but failing to compete with the competition’s elite. The Sharks like to come out guns blazing and outscore their opposition, scoring the most points in the competition this year. However, this will not work against the Panthers who concede a league low 13 points per game to opposition. I expect a defensive masterclass from the Panthers to shut out this Sharks side who are already low on confidence.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Panthers 13+ | $1.65 |
| Panthers -15.5 | $1.80 |
| Panthers -6.5 First Half | $1.89 |
Official Squads
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Tyrone Peachey 4. Stephen Crichton 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. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Luke Garne
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Connor Tracey 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Toby Rudolf 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Cameon Mcinnes 14. Jack Williams 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Tom Hazelton 17. Royce Hunt
Bulldogs vs Dolphins
For our first game on Sunday, we see the Bulldogs hosting the Dolphins. The Bulldogs will be disappointed after being demolished by the league leading Panthers while the Dolphins will be well rested after the bye. The Bulldogs will be a different side to last week with a potential return for Addo-Carr, Preston, Kikau and Toby Sexton, while the Dolphins are hoping to welcome back Marshall-King, with talks of Tabuai-Fidow returning to fullback. This is the first encounter between these two sides and should be a close one.
The Bulldogs looked a far better side with Toby Sexton at halfback and this will be their first game with Kikau. However, I think the biggest addition will be Marshall-King for the Dolphins. He was one of the elite hookers in the competition earlier this year when fit and provides the Dolphins with that extra spark and creativity that they are missing. I think this one will be a close on, but I think the Dolphins should edge it.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Either team by 6 or less | $2.90 |
| Bulldogs +4 | $1.80 |
| Either team to win by 1-12 | $1.87 |
Official Squads
Bulldogs: 1. Jake Averillo 2. Blake Wilson 3. Jacob Kiraz 4. Braidon Burns 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 14. Kyle Flanagan 15. Kurtis Morrin 16. Corey Wadell 17. Samuel Hughes
Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Euan Aitken 4. Valynce Te Whare 5. Tesi Niu 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Sean O’Sullivan 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Kenny Bromwich 14. Herman Ese’ese 15. Josh Kerr 16. Anthony Milford 17. Jarrod Wallace
Titans vs Cowboys
Closing out the round we have the Titans hosting the Cowboys. The Titans are coming off a terrible first half defensive performance against the Roosters, while the Cowboys continued their fine form, beating the Eels. The Cowboys are now on a 6-game winning streak, sitting in 7th spot while the Titans have lost their last 4 on the bounce. The Cowboys look unbeatable on the back of Dally-M contender Scott Drinkwater as well as Tom Dearden and Valentine Holmes finding tremendous form. The Titans are without star prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui due to suspension, a massive loss for their pack.
The Cowboys are the team to beat right now and coming up against an out of form and depleted Titans side. Although they are away, the Cowboys should be too good here, knowing that they need a win to continue their surge for the top 8 and potentially even the top 4.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Halftime/Fulltime Double – Cowboys/Cowboys | $1.82 |
| Cowboys -8.5 | $1.87 |
| Cowboys -4.5 First Half | $1.95 |
Official Squads
Titans: 1. AJ Brimson 2. Alofiano Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Jojo Fifita 5. Phillip Sami 6. Kieran Foran 7. Tanah Boyd 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verills 10. Isaac Liu 11. David Fifita 12. Joe Stimson 13. Erin Clark 14. Jayden Campbell 15. Chris Randall 16. Klese Haas 17. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Semi Valemei 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. Luciano Leilua 12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Jake Granville 15. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 16. Jason Taumalolo 17. Sam Mcintyre
