The 2017 NRL season is just around the corner, and it’s time to assess which teams have what it takes to do the business. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks beat Melbourne Storm to win their first Premier ever last season after having competed in four Grand Finals. It could be a tough ask for them to win back-to-back titles, though, and as of late February they are placed at 14/1 to go all the way again. Here we take a look at a few of the contenders for the title and look for the best value.
According to the latest Oddschecker’s NRL tips, the Sharkies are going to have a tough time emulating last season’s historic victory. In the off-season they have lost two vital players- Ben Barba and Michael Ennis – and they need to hope that Shane Flanagan can get the best out of new signing Tony Williams who has lost some form in recent times. They certainly look like long shots now, and the fact that no team in the competition’s history has ever won back-to-back Premiers suggests it may be wise to steer clear of punting on them to retain the title.
The bookies are currently favouring last season’s runners-up but first-placed on the ladder Melbourne Storm to bounce back from their Grand Final defeat (see highlights above). They have the best defence in the league with a league-low average of 12.6 points conceded per game last term. They also produced the least amount of errors and missed tackles. The Storm have fantastic depth, with the likes of Brodie Croft and Cameron Munster who can play between fullback, centre, and five-eighth. They have plenty of young talent, and a highly experienced manager in Craig Bellamy. Punters should definitely bank on them making a top-four finish, and they have an excellent chance of reaching the Grand Final again.
South Sydney Rabbitohs could be the surprise package of this season. The bookies see them as outsiders and they can be backed at odds of 17/1. This could turn out to be great value for the side that won the Premiers in 2014 after a forty-year drought. Since lifting the title three years ago they have been slightly disappointing, which is why they are considered as long shots. But there are signs that they could undergo a resurgence in this campaign. The Bunnies have Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, and Robbie Farah making up the spine of the team, a trio with devastating potential.
Another pertinent question is whether Newcastle Knights will make it a hat-trick of Wooden Spoons. Although they finished dead bottom last season after only winning one game and losing twenty-two, it is expected that they will be able to lift themselves off the bottom after recruiting well in the off-season. They have great home support and also a number of young prospects that include Brock Lamb, Jack Cogger, and Sione Mata’utia.
The NRL season gets underway on March 2 when the Sharks host Brisbane Broncos. There is no doubt that this season has the makings of a truly exhilarating one once again.
