NRL 2024 Round 26 – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

Round 25 saw a huge shake-up take place at the top of the NRL ladder, with a surprise Panthers’ loss to the Raiders sending them from 2nd down to 4th, with wins for both the Roosters and the Sharks seeing them jump up a spot. Elsewhere, the Sea Eagles did their chances of securing a home Elimination Final no favours with a loss to the Tigers, while the Broncos got to within pouncing distance of the top eight courtesy of a tight win over the Eels. With just two rounds remaining in the season there are invariably going to be plenty of big games over the next couple of weekends, and there are a bunch of them in Round 26. It kicks off with the Cowboys hosting the Storm before the Bulldogs host the Sea Eagles, while a Dolphins vs Broncos clash on Saturday evening could very easily determine who finishes 8th if the Dragons slip up. Below, we take a look at all eight games set to take place in the penultimate round of the regular season. 

Didn’t the bye come in handy for the Cowboys last weekend? While they enjoyed a well-deserved break following four wins from five games and picked up the free two points, the Sea Eagles were defeated by the Tigers, of all teams, meaning the Cowboys jumped past them into 6th. They are a certainty to finished 7th or higher, but if they can hang onto that all important 6th spot they will, of course, get to play likely the Sea Eagles in Townsville. But with two tough games to come, that is far from a certainty. In their final home game of the regular season, they kick off Round 26 by welcoming the Storm fresh off a 42-point win over the Dolphins. 
 
And with the Panthers losing their own game, that saw the Storm jump a huge three games clear on top of the ladder. With top spot now sewn up it will be interesting to see how the new Premiership favourites attack the next couple of weeks, though they are not likely to want to tinker too much with their winning form. The Storm don’t have to be at their best against most teams to win, and that’s probably true for this one too. Still, the home side do have a hell of a lot more to play for over the next couple of weeks, even if their ambitions this season are a lot less lofty. With a home final potentially on the line – and the prospect of climbing as high as 5th – the Cowboys can get the job done in a tight game. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Cowboys to win	$1.30
	Cowboys 1-12	$3.25
	Storm +10.5	$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. Jake Clifford 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Harrison Edwards 15. Sam McIntyre 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 17. Griffin Neame

Melbourne Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Grant Anderson 3. Kane Bradley 4. Dean Ieremia 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Tyran Wishart 8. Christian Welch 9. Bronson Garlick 10. Lazarus Vaalepu 11. Joe Chan 12. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 13. Alec MacDonald 14. Sualauvi Faalogo 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Tepai Moeroa 17. Chris Lewis

The Bulldogs just keep on winning. They have now won five consecutive games after knocking off the Warriors by 16 points last weekend, though they remain locked firmly in 5th place with the teams above them continuing to win. With the Panthers loss, they are now just a game behind the teams all the way up to 2nd and are ready to pounce should one of them lose again, though with an inferior points difference to all of those teams there is every chance they stay outside the top four even if they do make up that game difference. That win against the Warriors last weekend was their third away from home on the trot, and this weekend they return to their home Accor Stadium where they are undefeated all season. 
 
That doesn’t bode well for a Sea Eagles team trying to bounce back from a disastrous loss to the Tigers last weekend. With a home final potentially on the line, they jumped out to a 16-0 lead within 25 minutes against the worst team in the league and seemed on track to secure a big win. Instead, they conceded six tries over the rest of the game, scored just one themselves and had three players sent to the sin bin – not a great hour of footy for a team which has been so solid all year. They now have work to do to jump back into 6th spot, though with the Cowboys facing a couple of tough games it’s still very much a possibility. A loss this weekend, however, may make it impossible pending Thursday night’s result, and with the Bulldogs 10-0 at home it’s hard to see the Sea Eagles winning this one, particularly after what they dished up last week. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Bulldogs to win	$1.55
	Bulldogs -3.5	$1.85
	Bulldogs 7+	$2.03

Predicted Squads

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

Manly Sea Eagles: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 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. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Gordon Chan Kum Tong 15. Ethan Bullemor 16. Tof Sipley 17. Nathan Brown

The Panthers hopes of securing a fourth consecutive flag took a minor blow last weekend, with a shock loss to the Raiders seeing them tumble to 4th. That loss of a stranglehold on a top two spot means they will be playing away from home in the first week of finals unless they can leapfrog both the Sharks and the Roosters over the next two weeks, and the prospect of a trip to Melbourne to take on the Storm looms large. To give themselves a chance of avoiding it – and ensuring that they actually finish in top four, given the Bulldogs are right on their hammer – they will likely need to win their last two games, though they shouldn’t have too many problems doing that this weekend at home against the Rabbitohs. 
 
The Bunnies’ second half of the year resurgence is well and truly over, and last weekend’s pumping at the hands of the Knights was their fifth loss in a row. They scored two of the first two tries in that game, but were ultimately overrun pretty comfortably and ended up losing 36-16. That took their record to 7-15, which is likely set to see them finish in 15th place this year – a year they entered, incredibly, with Premiership aspirations. They may get back Cody Walker this week, but that won’t be nearly enough to see them topple the Panthers – or, most likely, even get close. After a dreadful loss last weekend, the Panthers should be able to bounce back with a thumping win to solidify their spot in the top four and potentially get themselves out of 4th spot. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Panthers to win	$1.14
	Panthers -17.5	$1.91
	Panthers 13+	$1.63

Predicted Squads

Penrith Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Brad Schneider 7. Jarome Luai 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Luke Garner 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Trent Toelau 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 17. Mavrik Geyer

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Jacob Gagai 3. Taane Milne 4. Fletcher Myers 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Jack Wighton 7. Cody Walker 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Jacob Host 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Keaon Koloamatangi 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Michael Chee Kam 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Shaq Mitchell

• The Titans have lost three consecutive games by at least 16 points 
• The Bulldogs have an incredible 10- record at home this season. 
• The Dragons have had no problems against lower ranked teams this year – they are 6-0 against teams in the bottom five with an average winning margin of 21 points in those games. The Eels sit second bottom. 

Multi of the Week

After the Tigers’ surprise win last weekend, the Eels officially have the least wins in the league, but having enjoyed an extra bye to their fellow cellar dweller they still find themselves just marginally off the bottom of the ladder. That will all change if they lose this weekend. It’s been a really, really bad year for the 2022 Grand Finalists, who will almost certainly finish in the bottom two, though they do have a couple of winnable games to round out the season to give them the tiniest bit of momentum heading into next year. 
 
But the Dragons simply cannot afford to lose this game. They continued what has been an incredibly consistent run of inconsistency, if such a thing exists, with a 28-point loss to the Sharks last week. That made it ten games in a row in which they have alternated wins and losses, but despite that defeat they managed to hang onto their spot in the top eight with the Dolphins being pumped by the Storm. But now both the Broncos and the Dolphins are hot on their tails, and a loss this weekend will almost certainly see them fall out of the eight. The Dragons may very well need to win each of their last two games to play finals, but with this one and then a home game against the Dragons to come they are every chance of doing that. This is a hard team to trust given how erratic they have been all year, but with their season on the line they can surely knock off the Eels to hang onto 8th spot. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Dragons to win	$1.65
	Dragons -3.5	$1.91
	Dragons 7+	$2.20

Predicted Squads

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

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

A trip to Melbourne to take on the Storm was never going to be an easy opportunity for the Dolphins to jump inside the top eight, but they made a bit of the meal of it regardless. They were pumped on Saturday afternoon, going down 22-0 at half-time and then conceding three more tries before they finally got on the board, ultimately going down 48-6. That seriously damaged their finals chances, with the Broncos levelling their win/loss record and jumping past them on the ladder courtesy of a big swing in points difference. But all is not yet lost. The Dolphins do need the Dragons to lose one of their last two games – both of which are very winnable – in order for them to jump inside the top eight while they also need to go past the Broncos, but given they play them this weekend they could do the latter of those two things by Saturday night. 
 
The Broncos have kept their finals hopes alive with two consecutive wins, though the latter of them wasn’t particularly convincing. They very nearly had their finals hopes dashed by the hapless Eels, going down 16-0 in the first ten minutes, but they fought their way back and three tries in 12 minutes in the second half saw them jump out to a lead which even a late try to Shaun Lane couldn’t extinguish. Like the Dolphins, they now need to both win this game and have the Dragons lose one of their next two to have a chance at playing finals. The Broncos should probably be winning this game, but they are mighty short considering how they have played in the back half of this year, with even last week’s second consecutive win far from emphatic. On their home turf, the Dolphins could be a little bit of value here. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Dolphins to win	$2.65
	Dolphins +6.5	$1.91
	Dolphins 1-12	$3.80

Predicted Squads

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

Brisbane Broncos: 1. Tristan Sailor 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Deine Mariner 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Josh Rogers 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Xavier Willison 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Blake Mozer 15. Ben Te Kura 16. Josiah Karapani 17. Martin Taupau

The Sharks have finally made their way out of the 4th spot which they occupied for so long, and with two more wins will ensure that they finish in the top three and avoid having to play the Storm in Melbourne in the first week of finals – not that the Roosters are that much better a proposition. But the Sharks have recaptured their form of earlier in the season at exactly the right time of the year, with a friendly run of games yielding four consecutive victories over the past month. The latest of those was a 38-10 drubbing of the Dragons, the strength of that victory pivotal given that points difference is likely to play a significant role in where they finish. They have a good chance to boost it further this weekend, too, against a Warriors side which has lost four games in a row. 
 
With their finals chances having slipped away a couple of weeks ago, the Warriors have endured two comfortable losses over the past fortnight, the latest of which saw them go down 34-18 against the Bulldogs. They actually led that game at half time, but were completely overpowered in the second half when they conceded 18 points while failing to score themselves. If they play like they did in that second half again, the Sharks will make short work of them. The Warriors are set to finish somewhere between 13th and 15th and have little to play for over the next two weeks, and with the Sharks’ jostling for spots inside the top four and harbouring Premiership ambitions over the next couple of months, the home side should be far too strong in this one. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Sharks to win	$1.18
	Sharks -13.5	$1.86
	Sharks 7+	$1.40

Predicted Squads

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

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Edward Kosi 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Luke Metcalf 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 Knights are one of four teams tied for points with 10 wins and 12 losses sitting just outside the eight looking in, and while a subpar points difference means it will be very hard for them to pass both the Broncos, Dolphins and Dragons over the next fortnight, technically the Knights are still in with a chance. A heartbreaking one-point loss to the Sharks a fortnight ago likely spelt the end of their season, but they kept themselves in the hunt with a resounding win over the Rabbitohs last weekend, and can keep the dream alive heading into the final round with a second consecutive win this weekend. And based on the Titans recent form, they should be able to do that. 
 
Gold Coast have impressed at times this season after a really poor start, but with their finals dreams dashed they have fallen off a cliff over the last three weeks. They have lost all three of those games by an average of nearly 30 points, the latest of which was a 48-22 defeat at the hands of the Roosters. The Knights, of course, do not have nearly the offensive firepower of the Roosters, but based on the Titans defence of late they should still be able to put up a decent score. A finals appearance is very much an outside chance at this point for the home team in this game, but needing to win to keep those prospects alive, they really should be much too good for a Titans team limping towards the end of the season. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Knights to win	$1.34
	Knights -9.5	$1.91
	Knights 13+	$2.30

Predicted Squads

Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Fletcher Sharpe 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Jack Cogger 7. Phoenix Crossland 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Brodie Jones 13. Adam Elliott 14. Will Pryce 15. Mat Croker 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Sebastian Su'a

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

The Roosters officially have a home Qualifying Final in their grasp, after a fourth consecutive win last weekend coincided with a surprise loss for the Panthers. With their league-leading points difference, the Roosters will finish second if they can win their last two games, which they should do given they are at home against the Raiders and the Rabbitohs. The Roosters are heading towards the finals series in scintillating form, having scored 34 points in each of their last four games, and there is every chance that they will extend that to six over the next fortnight. 
 
The Raiders, in fairness, are fresh off a brilliant win over the Panthers which kept their very slim finals hopes alive, and if they can knock off another Premiership favourite this weekend will remain in very much outside contention heading into the final round of the season. But impressive though that win was, in the previous two weeks they had been thumped by the Cowboys and the Sea Eagles, conceding 42 and 46 points respectively in those games. That does not bode particularly well for a meeting against the league’s best offensive team. The Roosters need to keep winning to hang onto 2nd spot and so won’t be taking their foot off the pedal in the slightest, and they should be able to put up yet another big score to end the Raiders finals hopes this weekend. 

Bookmaker	James’ Tip	Odds
	Roosters to win	$1.18
	Roosters -14.5	$1.91
	Roosters 13+	$1.75

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. Sandon Smith 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Nat Butcher 17. Terrell May

Canberra Raiders: 1. Jordan Rapana 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Kaeo Weekes 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Danny Levi 15. Corey Horsburgh 16. Ata Mariota 17. Simi Sasagi

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