NRL 2024 Round 24 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

Just four rounds remain in the NRL regular season, but there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge before we know who will be playing finals footy. The Dragons lost their tenuous hold on a spot in the eight as quickly as they found it with a heavy loss to the Bulldogs, while the Dolphins jumped back in with a thrilling win and the Knights kept their finals hopes alive. Higher up the ladder, each of the top four firmed their    case for the double chance with wins – or free points in the form of the bye for the Roosters – while the Bulldogs kept their own top four hopes alive with a strong performance. Round 24 is filled to the brim with big games, kicking off with what could very possibly be a Grand Final preview between the Panthers and the Storm, while other big games include the Bulldogs vs Dolphins, Cowboys vs Raiders and Sharks vs Knights. Take a look at our previews for all eight games set to take place over the weekend below. 

This is a quintessential final in August to kick off Round 24, with arguably the two best teams in the league – the Roosters the only other team with any reason to dispute that – going head to head on Thursday night. The Panthers and Storm currently find themselves comfortably locked inside the top two and with the prospect of a road to the Grand Final without having to leave the comfort of their own home if they can stay there. The Storm should have no troubles doing that; their 12-point win over the Dragons last weekend kept them three games clear of the Roosters in 3rd, so with four games to play it would take a disaster for them to drop out of the top two, even if they lose this weekend. 
 
The Panthers are a game further back, meaning if they lose this one their spot in the top two will be a little more precarious. The Roosters’ league-high points difference means that they will most likely be just one win away from stealing the Panthers spot in second if Penrith loses this weekend. Theoretically that means there is more on the line for the home team in this one than for the Storm, though don’t expect any holding back from either team regardless. The Panthers put in an uncharacteristic performance last weekend and were trailing by 14 points to the Eels, of all teams, with just seven minutes remaining, but of course, that proved no problems for the three-time reigning Premiers, who simply scored three tries in as many minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Another performance like that won’t be good enough against the Storm, but it’s hard to see them doing that twice in a row. This should be a fierce contest which we will very likely see repeated in the last couple of weeks of the finals, but on their home turf, the Panthers can sneak over the line. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Panthers to win	$1.55
	Panthers 1-12	$3.00
	Under 43.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

Penrith Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Liam Henry 12. Mavrik Geyer 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Daine Laurie 15. Matthew Eisenhuth 16. Lindsay Smith 17. Luron Patea

Melbourne Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Grant Anderson 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eli Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Lazarus Vaalepu 17. Alec MacDonald

The Sea Eagles have struggled on the road for most of this season, but with plenty on the line they managed to overcome that trend last weekend to secure a pivotal win over the Raiders. In a tightly contested first half, they managed to break a 12-all deadlock with a try right on the whistle and carried that momentum into the second half, scoring five tries in the first 21 minutes to set the scene for a 46-24 win. That was just their third away from home all year, and importantly kept them a game and a half clear inside the top eight – and just a game and a half from 4th spot. This week they return to Manly, where they have an 8-2 record this season and should be expecting a win against a Warriors team which will be reeling from yet another heartbreaking loss. 
 
The Warriors overcame a 14-point half-time deficit to send their game against the Dolphins to extra time, but a Sean O’Sullivan field goal in the 82nd minute resigned them to their fourth loss in five games, three of which have come by two points or less. Had they won they would have made up a game on 8th spot and been just a game and a half outside of a finals spot, but instead they are two and a half games out – too big a gap for them to bridge in just four games. It’s been a disappointing year for last year’s Preliminary Finalists, and it will be difficult for them to bounce back from that loss given what it meant for their season. The Sea Eagles in Manly are a tough proposition at the best of times, and up against a team which last week saw their slim finals hopes disappear, the home side should be able to win this one comfortably. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Sea Eagles to win	$1.18
	Sea Eagles 1-12	$3.40
	Under 53.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

Manly Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tommy Talau 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Josh Aloiai 11. Haumole Olakau'atu 12. Karl Lawton 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong 15. Ben Trbojevic 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Nathan Brown

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Edward Kosi 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitch Barnett 11. Marata Niukore 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Dylan Walker 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Tom Ale 16. Jazz Tevaga 17. Demitric Sifakula

The Roosters enjoyed a couple of free points courtesy of the bye last weekend, but unfortunately it didn’t get them any closer to a much-sought after top two spot after the Panthers just barely managed to scrape over the line against the Eels. And with the Sharks and Bulldogs also winning, they didn’t get any closer to securing their spot in the top four either. But with a game and points difference in hand over the Bulldogs, the double chance is safely locked away if they’re good enough, which they almost certainly are, and they can open up an even bigger gap with a big win over the Eels this weekend. And with the Panthers and Storm playing one another, there is a chance that they move to within a game of the top two with a win. 
 
Of course, the Eels were really competitive against the Panthers last weekend and really should have won, but it’s hard to see them going close against another of the Premiership favourites for a second weekend in a row. They have put together a good couple of weeks, beating the Warriors prior to that performance against the Panthers, but there is no sugar-coating what has been a really bad season for the boys from Parramatta. They look likely to avoid the Wooden Spoon courtesy of the Tigers’ continued struggles, but that is almost certainly the only team that they will finish ahead of, and in a year which has seen just two wins since the first six weeks of the season, they look set for another loss – and potentially a heavy one – this Saturday. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Roosters to win	$1.15
	Roosters -17.5	$1.90
	Over 51.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Joseph Suaalii 4. Joey Manu 5. Dom Young 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Spencer Leniu 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Angus Crichton 12. Victor Radley 13. Connor Watson 14. Sitili Tupouniua 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Nat Butcher 17. Terrell May

Parramatta Eels: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Jake Tago 3. Will Penisini 4. Blaize Talagi 5. Sean Russell 6. Dylan Brown 7. Daejarn Asi 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Brendan Hands 10. Wiremu Greig 11. Shaun Lane 12. Bryce Cartwright 13. Ryan Matterson 14. Joey Lussick 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Matt Doorey 17. Dan Keir

• The Tigers have lost seven games in a row by a double figure margin. 
• Just one of the last seven games between the Storm and the Panthers has gone over the total match points line set for this Thursday night’s game, and when the two met earlier in the year just eight points were scored. 
• Very rarely do the Dolphins get beaten easily – just once in their last 15 games have they lost by a double figure margin. 

Multi of the Week

This is arguably the most significant game of the weekend, with the fortunes of both the Bulldogs and Dolphins highly relevant to not just themselves, but a huge amount of other teams around them on a very congested NRL ladder. As it stands, these two would be playing one another in the first week of the finals if things stayed they same, but of course, with four weeks still to go that remains unlikely. For the Bulldogs, a top four spot is not out of the equation; they are only one game behind both the Sharks and Roosters, and with three wins in a row and five from their last six games, they are pushing hard for one of those much-coveted spots.  
 
The Dolphins are a couple of games further back and have aspirations instead just to play finals, and their two-point win last weekend might just prove a difference-maker as they attempt to fulfil those ambitions. That win ended a three-game losing streak and saw them jump back inside the top eight just a week after the Dragons stole their spot inside it, but they might have a tough time holding onto it beyond this weekend if they lose this game given that the Dragons have a winnable one against the Titans. The Dolphins rarely go down without a fight and will make the Bulldogs work for their spoils, and can thank their lucky stars that this ‘home’ game for the Dogs will be played in Queensland rather than in Canterbury, given the Bulldogs haven’t lost at home all year. That fact makes this a much closer prospect than it otherwise might have been, but the Bulldogs are playing well week after week after week at the moment, and can continue their quest for what would be a well-deserved spot in the top four with another solid win. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Bulldogs to win	$1.55
	Bulldogs 1-12	$3.10
	Over 48.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

Canterbury Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Toby Sexton 8. Josh Curran 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Sam Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Kurt Mann 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Lipoi Hopoi 16. Kurtis Morrin 17. Harry Hayes

The Dolphins: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Max Plath 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Kenny Bromwich 14. Oryn Keeley 15. Josh Kerr 16. Ray Stone 17. Sean O'Sullivan

The Cowboys were one of the big losers out of Round 23, with a poor performance against the Broncos ending a three-game winning streak and seeing them drop a spot down to 7th. They are still a game and points difference clear in the top eight, however, and should be able to stay there, though they will want to win this weekend given that they have the Storm and the Bulldogs to come over the last fortnight of the season – though they do have a bye in their too. They welcome the Raiders to Townsville this weekend for a game that they really need to win – and one that they really should be winning. 
 
The Raiders have again outperformed expectations this season, but they blew an opportunity to really put their hat in the ring for a spot in the finals last weekend. Granted they weren’t tipped to beat the Sea Eagles in Manly, but had they caused an upset they would have been outside of the top eight on points difference alone. Instead, they essentially have to make up two games on the Dolphins over the past month of the season, and with the Panthers and then Roosters to follow this game they will need to cause at least a couple of upsets to do that. The Cowboys have not been all that formidable up in Townsville this year and showed as much last weekend, but they should be good enough to knock off the Raiders and end their finals hopes on Saturday night. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Cowboys to win	$1.50
	Cowboys -6.5	$1.90
	Over 50.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Villiami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Sam McIntyre 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Heilum Luki 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Harrison Edwards 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Griffin Neame

Canberra Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Matt Timoko 4. Seb Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Tom Starling 10. Joe Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Adam Cook 15. Trey Mooney 16. Ata Mariota 17. Simi Sasagi

There are plenty of intriguing games set to take place this weekend, and this one is not exactly at the head of the list. Neither the Tigers nor the Rabbitohs will be playing finals this year, both currently occupying spots in the bottom three and having not won for a few weeks. The Tigers’ losing streak currently sits at seven games after they went down comfortably to the Knights, with that loss also their seventh in a row by a double figure margin. In Benji Marshall’s first year as coach, their woes have continued, and they find themselves at 4-17 and likely headed for yet another Wooden Spoon – though a win this weekend could change that. 
 
The Rabbitohs had a mid-season burst that put them in with a very outside chance to make finals after a 1-9 start to the year, but a few key injuries quickly put paid to that idea and they have regressed to the side they were over the first ten weeks of the season. They have lost four of their last five games, with their only win in that time coming, incidentally, against the Tigers less than a month ago. They were okay against the Storm last weekend, losing 28-16 in a relatively uninspiring Thursday night game, but realistically that scoreboard probably flattered them after they were down 22-4 at half-time. Wins have been few and far between for both of these teams this year – as expected for the Tigers, not so for the Rabbitohs, but the Bunnies should be able to add an eighth victory for the year this weekend. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Rabbitohs to win	$1.53
	Rabbitohs -5.5	$1.90
	Under 52.5 total match points	$1.80

Predicted Squads

Wests Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Solomon Alaimalo 3. Solomona Faataape 4. Adam Doueihi 5. Charlie Staines 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Latu Fainu 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Api Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Reuben Porter 12. Samuela Fainu 13. Isaiah Papali'i 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Alex Seyfarth 16. Fonua Pole 17. Alex Twal

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Fletcher Myers 3. Taane Milne 4. Richard Kennar 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Jack Wighton 7. Cody Walker 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Cameron Murray 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Keaon Koloamatangi 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Tom Burgess 16. Shaq Mitchell 17. Liam Le Blanc

The Dragons have been in and out of the top eight like a yoyo over the past couple of weeks, though they would have been more than happy to even be in the mix at the start of the season. Their best this year has been a lot better than most people expected, but their worst has been about on par with expectations, and they have seemingly alternated between the two each week – the past six weeks being a prime example. They pumped the Dolphins, then lost by 30 to the Roosters; bounced back with a win over the Broncos, then lost by 36 to the Panthers; responded with an impressive two-point win over the Storm, then last week went down by 18 to the Bulldogs. They will be hoping that trend continues this weekend, and after the Titans’ showing last weekend that may well be the case. 
 
Gold Coast has done an amazing job of putting themselves in with an outside of making the finals, winning five of six games prior to last weekend to get to within two games of the top eight, and at home against the Sharks they could have closed that gap to one game with a month to go in the season. Instead, they lost 44-0. There have been minimal performances like that for the Titans this season after their disastrous first month, but that one could not have come at a worse time and means they will need a miracle to play finals – starting with a win this weekend. With the Dragons’ up and down form and the dreadful performance of the Titans last weekend this is not an easy game to tip; it could be close, or either team could win in a canter. On their home turf, however, the Dragons deserve to be favourites, and can potentially jump straight back inside the top eight with a victory. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Dragons to win	$1.52
	Dragons 1-12	$3.15
	Under 50.5 total match points	$1.89

Predicted Squads

St. George Illawarra Dragons: 1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Jack Bird 4. Max Feagai 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Jesse Marschke 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Jack de Belin 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Tom Eisenhuth 14. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 15. Ryan Couchman 16. Toby Couchman 17. Blake Lawrie

Gold Coast Titans: 1. Keano Kini 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Jayden Campbell 7. Kieran Foran 8. Jaimin Jolliffe 9. Sam Verrills 10. Erin Clark 11. David Fifita 12. Beau Fermor 13. Chris Randall 14. AJ Brimson 15. Klese Haas 16. Isaac Liu 17. Josiah Pahulu

The Sharks appear to be recapturing the form which put them on top of the ladder for such a long period this year just in the nick of time. They have won three of their last four games, and those victories have been emphatic ones. In the last month they have picked up a 52-point win over the Tigers, a 20-6 win over the Rabbitohs, and last week they absolutely pounded the Titans to the tune of 44 points. Those performances have kept them a game clear of the Bulldogs, who just keep winning, in 5th, but based on how Canterbury playing the Sharks will need to keep winning to maintain their hold on a spot in the top four. They should be good enough to do that this weekend, but the Knights have plenty to play for and won’t roll over easily. 
 
They bounced back from three consecutive losses with a desperately needed win last Sunday, though it was only against the Tigers. Still, a win is a win and that was one that they simply had to have if they are to play finals. Unfortunately a poor points difference means that they are essentially two games behind the Dolphins in 8th, but a win this weekend would very possible close that gap given they are playing the Bulldogs. There are a lot of different permutations from here for the Knights, a lot of which is out of their control, but what is within their control is their own results. They will need to win probably three games at least to make finals, but they have a few winnable ones and if they can snatch this one will be right in the mix. Unfortunately, however, they come up against the Sharks at the wrong time. Cronulla have been really strong all year at home and are in good form, and though the Knights might hang around for a portion of this game, the home team should be too strong. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Sharks to win	$1.38
	Sharks -8.5	$1.90
	Sharks 13+	$2.30

Predicted Squads

Cronulla Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Samuel Stonestreet 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Braydon Trindall 8. Royce Hunt 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Jack Williams 15. Sifa Talakai 16. Toby Rudolf 17. Tom Hazelton

Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Fletcher Sharpe 3. Dane Gagai 4. Dylan Lucas 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Phoenix Crossland 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jack Cogger 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Mat Croker 17. Jack Hetherington

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