Round 2 of the 2023 NRL season showed us that maybe the 'windscreen' isn't as cracked as some might think, and it gave us a look at a reinvigorated Reece Walsh in the Broncos' number one jersey.
It also tossed up one of the upsets of the year as the Bulldogs turned their form from Round 1 around completely to embarrass the Melbourne Storm on their home turf - a feat they haven't achieved since 2016.
Also, The Dolphins are sitting pretty at the top, winning two from two to start their inaugural season.
Round 3: Tips and SuperCoach Notes
Manly Sea Eagles vs Parramatta Eels
Thursday 16th March 8:00pm | 4 Pines Park, Sydney
Why the Sea Eagles will win: Manly were solid but not spectacular in their demolition of the Bulldogs in Round One, enjoying an early year bye to fine tune what they did well. Tom Trbojevic barely got out of second gear in that match, so he will be far better for the hit out and rest. Josh Schuster will have been chomping at the bit to get his five-eighth career humming along. 4 Pines Park is proving to be returning to the days of the 'fortress' and Manly should get a good home crowd advantage on a Thursday night.
Why the Eels will win: At least one puzzle piece has been put in place with Brad Arthur re-signing as coach, surely providing him with a level head to analyse what's gone wrong for the Eels over the past two weeks. Their completion rate has been poor and you'd expect that to be the first fix-up on the to-do list. Dylan Brown showed last week that he's ready to be the form number 6 in the comp, brimming with class and enthusiasm. Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Junior Paulo and J'maine Hopgood have been tremendous for the Eels despite two opening losses.
Fansided tip: Sea Eagles by 2
SuperCoach notes: Don't just get J'maine Hopgood for the upcoming price rises - get him because he's in the conversation for the best lock in the game right now. Jake Trbojevic provides value in the mid $500Ks. Josh Schuster might be quiet as Daly Cherry-Evans has been excellent under the radar. Tom Trbojevic will be an interesting watch this week, still massively under-priced and testing out his hamstrings. Reuben Garrick is exxy but will bring in big points in this potentially high-scoring affair.
Newcastle Knights vs The Dolphins
Friday 17th March 6:00pm | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Why the Knights will win: The Knights will have taken a lot of confidence after winning against the Tigers last week despite losing Ponga, Brailey and Frizell, and also having only 12 players on the park for 55 minutes of the game. Knights fans are known for rocking up in big numbers to support their team.
Why the Dolphins will win: The Knights will be missing some big names in Jacob Saifiti, Kalyn Ponga, Jayden Brailey and Tyson Frizell through injury. The Knights' bench is severely undermanned. The Dolphins have looked electric in their first two games under maestro Wayne Bennett. Felise Kaufusi is a man on a mission and there is plenty of experience in the forward pack.
Fansided tip: Dolphins by 8
SuperCoach notes: Isaiya Katoa looks like he will keep Anthony Milford out of the side for quite some time, showing good form in the first two rounds, and he's deliciously priced. Considered by many to be a trap, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has shown a huge increase in base points, seemingly under direct instruction from Bennett to get himself more involved. Lachlan Miller is talented and wants to have his hands on everything, and these are good NRLSC traits. He's a watch for now.
Sydney Roosters vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Friday 17th March 8:00pm | Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Why the Roosters will win: James Tedesco has secured himself at the Bondi-based Roosters until the end of 2025 and this will give him cause for relief, with many speculating that Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Joseph Manu were both after his position. The Roosters have been sub-par by their own standards in the first two rounds, but if there's one game they know how to get up for, it's against their arch-rivals the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Why the Rabbitohs will win: A lot will depend on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Victor Radley making their way into the squad, with (at the time of writing) both named yet both also named as 'outs' at www.nrl.com . A spine featuring Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Lachlan Ilias and Damien Cook is firing at the moment, and the Roosters will be either missing Brandon Smith, or sending him into battle with hard-to-ignore rib injuries.
Fansided tip: Souths by 7
SuperCoach notes: Expect James Tedesco to lose some cash after this round with a BE of 135, but play the long game. The Roosters will improve and so will he. Izaac Thompson could be a slow burn and not the cash cow once imagined to be. Those who chased points through Lachlan Ilias last week were burned, but he's still on the watchlist. Egan Butcher is a hold, and Sam Walker goes from strength to strength and should make some coin.
Gold Coast Titans vs Melbourne Storm
Saturday 18th March 3:00pm | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Why the Titans will win: Alexander Brimson has been heavily involved and dancing about like a cat on a hot tin roof. He's set himself goals for 2023 for sure. Kieran Foran has shown in a short time that he can unlock David Fifita. Tanah Boyd had a kicking nightmare last week and will have been practicing hard all week. Well if you're a Titans fan, you'd hope so. Jayden Campbell off the bench has the potential to break games wide open.
Why the Storm will win: The Storm were demolished last week and it's rare that a Melbourne side goes through that two weeks in a row. Coach Craig Bellamy will have lit a fire underneath them. We get a first look at seasoned hard-man Tariq Sims off the bench, and he will be dynamic. The Storm welcome back big names Justin Olam, Xavier Coates and Tui Kamikamica. The Titans haven't beaten the Storm on the Gold Coast since 2010. Sam Verills is a huge out for the Titans.
Fansided tip: Storm by 10
SuperCoach notes: AJ Brimson could be a smoky POD, as he's looking like he wants to prove a point. Nick Meaney still threatens to go big against lower-ranked teams with the goal-kicking and with Munster and Papenhuyzen out. Jahrome Hughes becomes likely the best replacement for those worried about Nathan Cleary's ankle issues and Round Three bye. Eliesa Katoa should be owned by far more teams.
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors
Saturday 18th March 5:30pm | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Why the Cowboys will win: The Warriors will miss the input of Charnze Nikoll-Klokstad at the back. Tom Dearden is building off the back of an Origin year in 2022 with some superb tackle busts line break assists. Jason Taumalolo has had some vintage touches, while Reuben Cotter is working his way back to his 2022 best. The Cowboys will have a big advantage with 31 degrees and close to 60% humidity predicted for kickoff.
Why the Warriors will win: Scott Drinkwater will be a big out for the Cowboys for the next few weeks. The Warriors have been exceeding expectations in the first two weeks and nearly took it to the Roosters in Round Two. Wayde Egan has had a big start to 2023 and is providing good service to Te Maire Martin and Shaun Johnson. Josh Curran and Bayley Sironen off the bench have been electric.
Fansided tip: Cowboys by 14
SuperCoach notes: Many rage traded Marata Niukore after a dismal Round One showing (myself included), but he had a quality outing in Round Two. Wayde Egan will be one of the most traded in this week, offering replacement for Brandon Smith owners. He has a negative BE and will make money, and he is playing well too. Tohu Harris keeps churning out the consistent scores. Valentine Holmes owners will be disappointed that he isn't being shifted to fullback, but he will go close to 100 against the Warriors.
Brisbane Broncos vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Saturday 18th March 7:35pm | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Why the Broncos will win: Reece Walsh has taken his game to a whole new level back at home in Brisbane. He absolutely carved it up in Round Two. Herbie Farnworth and Ezra Mam have also been enjoying a lift in 2023. Adam Reynolds has the composure, talent and skill to steer the Broncos to a win. Haas, Capewell, Riki and Carrigan are in scary form, arguably the best forward pack in the game at the moment with Thomas Flegler doing damage off the bench.
Why the Dragons will win: Ben Hunt's combination with Tyrell Sloan and Jayden Sullivan is a wonderful balance of old school skill and technique with new-age dynamic hybrid roles. Mikaele Ravalawa ran like a man possessed in the Dragons' first game of 2023 last week. Blake Lawrie is desperate to put his hand up to be a smoky for Origin.
Fansided tip: Broncos by 10
SuperCoach notes: Reece Walsh needs to show the same form for another 2-4 weeks, but if he does, you should be finding some room in your team for him somehow. For those burned by Matt Burton's lower scores, Ezra Mam shapes as a decent POD replacement. Ben Hunt will finish the year in the top 5 halfbacks but his game doesn't always translate to SuperCoach. You should have at least one or both of Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas in your team.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Wests Tigers
Sunday 19th March 4:05pm | Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney
Why the Bulldogs will win: The 'Dogs demonstrated one of the biggest form reversals in Round Two, completing the near impossible task of taking down the Storm at AAMI Park. The entire backline of the Canterbury side clicked into gear, despite the relative inexperience of the likes of Jacob Kiraz and Paul Alamoti. Reed Mahoney has taken ownership of the team, and taken his game to new heights. Villiame Kikau still hasn't been fully utilised and that is a concern for opposition teams.
Why the Tigers will win: The Bulldogs have lost 8 of their last 9 games at their spiritual home ground, and have split the past 10 meetings with the Tigers at five each. Brandon Wakeham will be out to prove a point against the team that let him go. The Tigers have once again become the punching bag of the NRL commentariat and they will be desperate not to let that get out of control. Look for a massive improvement in attitude and output.
Fansided tip: Bulldogs by 8
SuperCoach notes: Jacob Kiraz is the talk of the town, not because he scored two tries last week but because many have started to notice how solid his base stats are. He's a workhorse winger. Paul Alamoti is a hold once again, not setting the world on fire but starting to find his feet. Reed Mahoney could be an option to replace the underwhelming Brandon Smith. Stefano Utoikamanu was lucky to be awarded a try last week which inflated his score, so take that into account if you're considering buying/holding. Franklin Pele should be given another few weeks, and Jacob Preston is just about moving into must-have cheapy territory.
Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Sunday 19th March 6:15pm | GIO Stadium, Canberra
Why the Raiders will win: After two tough (and humid) trips to Queensland over the first two rounds, and largely unlucky to come away with the chocolates against the fancied Cowboys and highly-motivated Dolphins, the Raiders have looked far better than the 0-2 on the ladder. Looking for their first win, particularly with a vocal home crowd at their back, could give them the edge.
Why the Sharks will win: Far from their best against the Eels, they still managed to get the job done with their lethal attack. Defense has been leaky, but expect that to be the main focus at training during the week. William Kennedy was in sublime form in Round Two, and Braydon Trindall has been a sensational Nicho Hynes replacement. This may be his last week to show his wares. The Sharks have the slightly better spine and a team with cooler heads under pressure.
Fansided tip: Sharks by 2
SuperCoach notes: Nicho Hynes is expected to return in Round Four, putting a pin in the aspirations of those considering picking up Trindall this week. Mulitalo turned a shocking Round One into a brilliant Round Two. Expect rocks and diamonds from him, but particularly diamonds upon Hynes' return. Teig Wilton looks to be having one of the better outputs of the mid-range 2RF options that started 2023.
