NRL - Round Four Preview

The Brisbane Broncos appeared to have everything against them when they took on the Cowboys last weekend. In a herculean effort they blew their fellow Queenslanders apart in a performance that signalled the Broncos as serious contenders this year. Even with their two most influential players Lockyer and Hunt sitting on the sidelines the Broncos dismantled a pathetic North Queensland. A month ago the Cowboys were a clear cut second favourite to take the title this year, but they must now be odds on to miss the finals altogether and will have to overcome Parramatta convincingly this weekend to regain some form.

The Melbourne Storm lost its second consecutive match against the Roosters in what must be troubling times for the Premiers. They also lost the services of young star Israel Falau to the Broncos next year in a mid week coup that must have left the Melbourne administration scratching their heads at their own incompetency. It is far too early to say the wheels have fallen off, but there are certainly areas of concern. They need to win games early and consolidate a top four birth as they will face some tough times when the representative season starts. The Storm will be hit hard, as many of the top clubs have in the past and many of its stars will be reporting for duty.

Now let's have a look at this week's games and see if we can find a few winners. Friday night offers two block blusters. Firstly the Storm hosts the Broncos. Expect a fired up Melbourne outfit to throw everything at Brisbane. I expect them to bounce back and end the Broncos unbeaten run for 2008.

The second game sees the Bulldogs play the old Bulldogs or the Sydney City Roosters if you prefer. Mason, Anasta, O'Mealy and Miles will all face their old club in what promises to be a real old fashioned grudge match. It will be a tough betting affair with the Dogs better than expected this year. Expect some big hits with emotions running hot. As for a tip, I would recommend saving your money for a better opportunity.

The rest of the weekend looks pretty interesting as well. My two best bets of the weekend are the Gold Coast Titans and the New Zealand Warriors. Both will start short but both should win by plenty. Back them both at the line and you should collect.

Good luck and good punting and remember Sportsbet has the most extensive betting on the NRL going around.

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