NRL Round 1, March 3
Manly Sea Eagles vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
3rd of March
There’s no need for the slots or roulette table in Las Vegas this weekend, the NRL is in town.
For the first time in 117 seasons of League, two sides will clash outside of Australia or NZ for premiership points when Manly takes on South Sydney at the home of the Super Bowl, Allegiant Stadium.
Despite being $2 underdogs going into their season opener, there’s a feeling the Sea Eagles could make a strong push for finals in 2024 following the return of superstar fullback Tommy Trbojevic and the recruitment of starters Luke Brooks (Tigers) and Jaxson Paulo (Roosters).
Tommy Turbo is clearly the most important player to the Sea Eagles’ chances this year, and he’ll return alongside his brothers, Ben and Jake, after tearing his pec in Origin II last year.
While they finished three positions above Manly on the ladder, the 2023 season was an abject failure for Jason Demetriou’s Souths as they finished ninth with a 12-12 record after being considered a premiership contender earlier in the year.
They’ll certainly have the mental edge after winning their past seven matches against the Sea Eagles, but will need to get the job done without Jack Wighton (suspended) and Campbell Graham (injured). It also hasn’t been the easiest lead-in for Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, who experienced Visa issues before their trip to the States.
With Walker only just recovering from a calf injury and the experience they will be missing through injury, the Bunnies seem unders at $1.73 and we’ll be backing the Sea Eagles to break their Round 1 hoodoo.
Suggested Bet:
Sea Eagles to win at $2
Sydney Roosters vs Brisbane Broncos
3rd of March
After a bruising battle between Manly and Souths, the gauntlet will well and truly be thrown down when the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos go head-to-head in the second leg of the Vegas doubleheader.
The market is siding with last year’s grand finalists at $1.57 following their Pre-Season Challenge dominance against the Cowboys (46-20) and Sea Eagles (40-14).
There will be a lot of eyes on the young Broncos early in the season as they adapt to life without star pair and Dolphins defectors, Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler. However, the beauty of Kevin Walters’ list is its youth, with players like Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Ezra Mam expected to bounce back from their grand final loss and improve yet again this season.
Similarly, big things are expected from the Roosters this season. But isn’t that every year?
After an inconsistent run through the most part of 2023, Trent Robinson’s men found their groove late in the year and entered finals on the back of a five-game winning streak.
They bolstered their line-up over the off-season with the addition of Spencer Leniu (Panthers) and leading scorer Dom Young (Knights) but will be without the latter in Vegas as he recovers from ligament damage to his neck.
While they’ve clearly improved their line-up, it’s a watch-and-see with the Roosters at this point of the year. And the Broncos look like they’re on from the get-go.
