Round 2 is here, albeit in front of no crowds. Check out SportChamps for 2020 NRL tournament betting.
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs vs. North Queensland Cowboys
ANZ Stadium, 8:05pm, Thursday March 19
Team News: Jake Averillo replaces the injured Kerrod Holland on the bench for Canterbury, while Josh McGuire returns for the Cowboys in the front-row, pushing Josh Asiata to the bench and Corey Jensen out of the side. Check out the SportsChamps tournament here.
Prediction: Well, here we are, the first fanless game in my memory. Both teams are coming off first round losses, with the Bulldogs yet to score a try. It'll be an interesting to see how the players react without fans there, some may see their motivation dip without the atmosphere, while some may relish the lack of outside noise and narrow their focus. While Canterbury's defence was gritty, the Cowboys showed too much class for the Dogs to match it with them, with the combination between Drinkwater and Holmes looking promising. Cowboys by 12.
St. George Illawarra Dragons vs. Penrith Panthers
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 6:00pm, Friday March 20
Team News: Zac Lomax has been axed from the fullback role already, with Matt Dufty's return from injury pushing Lomax onto the wing, with Mikaele Ravalawa injured. Tariq Sims is suspended, meaning Tyrell Fuimaono starts, and Jacob Host joining the bench. Viliame Kikau returns to the starting side, benching Liam Martin, while Jack Hetherington's suspension means Billy Burns joins the interchange.
Prediction: Imagine training the entirety of the pre-season in a brand new position, only to be shifted after the first round because of a few errors. Well, that's what Paul McGregor has done to Zac Lomax, and the constant switching of players without giving them time will daunt St George this season. Penrith defeated the reigning back-to-back premiers, however with the tricolours travelling to England in the pre-season, they were sure to be juiced. Don't take the credit away from Penrith though, with Api Koroisau and Nathan Cleary shining. The Panthers should dominate this game in the forwards, backs and spine, and snare an easy win. Panthers by 20.
Brisbane Broncos vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Suncorp Stadium, 8:05pm, Friday March 20
Team News: Tevita Pangai Jnr has accepted the early guilty plea and will miss four weeks, meaning Jamil Hopoate starts in the second-row, and 'one of the fastest forwards in the game' in Ethan Bullemor will debut from the bench. South Sydney are 1-17.
Prediction: This will be a game and a half. Brisbane looked a far cry from the side that lost 58-0 in last year's finals series, with Brodie Croft making a major difference with his ability to direct and control. South Sydney snared a tough win over Cronulla, who clawed back late to give the red and green a scare.
It was South Sydney's pack that did the most talking, specifically the starting middle third of Junior Tatola, Thomas Burgess and Liam Knight, with Tatola in particular after running over 200m. They've got a monumental test facing off against Haas, Fifita and Flegler. Souths have the more polished spine and better backline, and taking the Brisbane crowd away from a Suncorp game is huge for Souths.
Wayne Bennett is also 4-0 against Anthony Seibold coached teams. But despite all that, Brisbane look ready to explode and another week of training for Isaako at fullback clicking with Milford and Croft is huge, and that's why they'll win a tight one, like a 22-20 type score line. Brisbane by 2.
New Zealand Warriors vs. Canberra Raiders
Cbus Super Stadium, 3:00pm, Saturday March 21
Team News: Peta Hiku and Patrick Herbert have returned to New Zealand to be with their families, replaced by Adam Keighran and Adam Pompey. Canberra have made a minor change, with Joe Tapine shifting to the edge and Corey Horsburgh moving to lock.
Prediction: Hats off to the Warriors for opting to stay in the country so the competition could roll on, shifting their home game to the Gold Coast, though things are looking grim on the field. Peta Hiku returns to his eight-month pregnant partner while Patrick Herbert had his firstborn a few weeks ago meaning both will be out of the side, returning to New Zealand. Adam Keighran, an out-and-out half being named in the centres rings alarm bells. Canberra were red hot in the first half and have the firepower to put on a cricket score here. Raiders by 26.
Sydney Roosters vs. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Leichardt Oval, 5:30pm, Saturday March 21
Team News: Angus Crichton returns in the back-row, replacing the injured Siliti Tupouniua. Manly are 1-17.
Prediction: Another game with a shifted venue, this game was originally set to be played on the Central Coast though without the fans there's no real point, with Leichardt hosting two matches this weekend. Both teams were first round losers meaning one of these clubs will start 0-2.
The Roosters weren't bad last week but they looked unpolished, clearly missing Mitchell's strike and Cronk's class, and Manly couldn't even score a try against Melbourne. This'll be a tight affair, but if the Roosters can hold onto the pill they'll register an important first win of the season. Roosters by 8.
Cronulla Sharks vs. Melbourne Storm
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 7:35pm, Saturday March 21
Team News: Cronulla are unchanged, with Josh Dugan among the reserves. Melbourne have resisted making changes.
Prediction: A great rivalry of recent years, it's harder to get a read on this game than first thought. The Storm weren't flashy in their win over Manly but they showed grit and managed to grind, which is what Cronulla love to do. It should make for a good arm wrestle early, maybe even a tryless first half however Melbourne's goal line defence and the organisation of Cam Smith partnered with the explosiveness of Munster and Papenhuyzen should guide Melbourne to a perfect opening start to the season, especially with the likes of Andrew Fifits carrying niggling injuries already. Melbourne by 14.
Wests Tigers vs. Newcastle Knights
Leichardt Oval, 4:05pm, Sunday March 22
Team News: Paul Momirovski replaces Michael Chee Kam on the bench, while Newcastle are unchanged after holding the Warriors scoreless.
Prediction: This should be a cracker, a game that was designed for spectators. Both had better-than-expected wins in the opening round, Wests notching a 24-14 win without Luke Brooks, while Newcastle completed their first shut out in six years. We should see some points scored in this one, and while both teams carry 'flare' players like Kalyn Ponga and Benji Marshall, Newcastle's forward pack should dominate Wests less experienced pack, with Origin boppers Dave Klemmer and Daniel Saifiti both to run 150+ metres. Newcastle by 8.
Gold Coast Titans vs. Parramatta Eels
Cbus Super Stadium, 6:15pm, Sunday March 22
Team News: Tyrone Peachey drops to the bench with Brian Kelly starting in the centres, with Moeaki Fotuaika returning from injury in place of last week's debutant Jaiman Jolliffe. AJ Brimson and Shannon Boyd are on the reserves list. Parramatta haven't made a change.
Prediction: This could get ugly. No doubt Brad Arthur would be happy winning the opener as well as holding Canterbury to a singular penalty goal, but a team with as much attacking prowess as Parramatta, only scoring one try (off a Bulldog fumble as well) isn't good enough for a side tipped to contend. Mitchell Moses was quiet and will be looking to put his foot down this week. Look for them to target the space inbetween Bryce Cartwright and Ash Taylor. Parramatta by 16.
Point To Prove: Liam Knight. The former Rooster, Raider and Sea Eagle made a successful transition to lock, running for 143 metres and making 31 tackles in 48 minutes on the field. Talked about by Freddy Fittler in the pre-season as an Origin bolter, facing off against the likes of Haas and Fifita this week will be a monumental task if the youngster has his eyes set on rep footy.
Struggle Street: Micahel Morgan. There has been a lot of hype about the Cowboys in the pre-season, and after losing to their arch rivals on their stadium's opening night, an 0-2 start to the year would be disastrous. Morgan made 106 metres last week but also three errors. If North Queensland are to return to finals footy, it has to be Morgan and Taumalolo that gets them there. Has to be.
While he is naturally a runner, Morgan must focus on his job as an organiser now he wears the seven jersey, and leave the running for Drinkwater, Holmes and the hooking duo in Granville and Robson. Opposition need to be left in two minds, whether a player will run or whether they'll pass, and having four runners in the spine can make a side predictable. Against a lowly ranked Bulldogs outfit, Morgan must stand up.
Rookie Watch: Ethan Bullemor. The young Brisbane back-rower was close to his NRL debut last week, though he earns his maiden first-grade jersey this week through the suspension of Pangai Jnr. For a forward, Bullemor is incredibly quick and could cause some serious damage running off the hip of Milford or Croft. Keep the name in in mind.
Best Bet: Shaun Lane first try-scorer. As said before, Parramatta will really target the space on the Titan's right edge where Taylor and Cartwright defend next to each other. You can just picture Dylan Brown taking the line on before drawing, passing and putting Lane through a hole.
SuperCoach update: 'Wham Bam Kurt Mann' scored a measly 870 points in the opening round, thanks to mistakenly putting the captaincy on Mitchell Moses, who scored 32 points (64 with the 'C'). I'm resisting the urge to trade, however downgrading Cook to Koroisau would leave me nearly $500,000 cap space. I'll sleep on it.
Rumour of the Week: Jordan Rapana has coronavirus to thank for a potential return to rugby league, with a compassionate release from his Japanese union contract set to be granted with the competition suspended due to the pandemic. While talk originally stemmed that he was returning to Canberra, it appears that may be off with a lack of cap space.
They released Aidan Sezer but also upgraded Wighton onto an elite player salary. However, don't rule out the Warriors as a potential suitor, especially in the current climate. The Warriors will be forced to play out of the Gold Coast, where Rapana debuted over a decade ago. Being a Kiwi as well, the former Raider may take the chance to move to his home country, or even just sign on as one of the 'loan players' for the Warriors to use this season. Keep your eyes on this one.