Welcome to the Kick to Come – our alternative NRL Round 5 Preview of all the big Rugby League ahead this weekend.
We supply the shortest possible match by match preview, pick a few things were are excited about, and why we are reaching for the pillow, there’s the NRL’s most pointless tipping competition, and a Wrasse sized bit about NRL odds/betting, a dabble into Supercoach and we have the low down on the Rugby League on TV to let you do your best sloth-work.
Doing many things, with not a lot of quality, just the way we like it.
Want to read more? Of course you do. Our NRL Round 5 Preview awaits.
NRL ROUND 5 PREVIEW – MATCH BY MATCH IN 20 WORDS OR LESS
THU 7:50pm – RAIDERS v BULLDOGS
Just the one win between these teams so far this season, but truth be told, neither have been terrible, but both have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 2018. So how does either of these teams win when they have forgotten how.
Side Interest – Ricky Stuart if the Raiders lose a fifth straight.
FRI 6pm – SHARKS v ROOSTERS
The Roosters being flogged at home by the Warriors stands out in an early season full of upsets, especially after the nabbing of Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco. The Sharks got the win against Melbourne in the penalty-fest and will attempt to grind it out against the Roosters too.
Side Interest – Please be better than last week’s Sharks game.
FRI 7:50pm – DRAGONS v RABBITOHS
2/2 for the Rabbitohs now who somehow won last weekend against the Bulldogs, but they are looking better each week. Not as good as the unbeaten Dragons have this year though. Souths did get the better of the Dragons in the pre season Charity Shield.
SIDE INTEREST – If this clash is as good as the Charity Shield, then it will be well worth a look, on Fox League.
SAT 3pm – TIGERS v STORM
Can lightning strike twice? Apt really since the Tigers are playing a team called the Storm. No one thought theycould win the first clash, and not many probably think they can win this one. The Tigers have done very well this year at I Told You So. Remember they were a dodgy Golden Point penalty away from undefeated. Melbourne meanwhile looked ordinary last weekend. Playing field evened by game being taken to NZ.
SIDE INTEREST – Tigers spoiled Billy 300th and set to spoil Bellamy’s 400th.
SAT 5:30pm – WARRIORS v COWBOYS
Second leg of a Mt Smart double header, and the team come into this in the reverse ladder order to pre season expectations. The Warriors performance last weekend against the Roosters was one of the best by any team this season so far. The Cowboys were at their worst so far against Penrith.
SIDE INTEREST – Thurston and Morgan haven’t looked likely together yet, is Lachlan Coote the missing spark? He may be if he plays.
SUN 7:35pm – KNIGHTS v BRONCOS
A true test for the Broncos against a Knights side on the rise. Very few could have picked the Broncos loss last weekend, but they weren’t great. If they do the same in Newcastle on Saturday it’ll be a 2-3 start and the locals will be worried.
SIDE INTEREST – Kalyn Ponga v Darius Boyd. One also wonders about the Kevin Walters exit too.
SUN 6pm – TITANS v SEA EAGLES
Good old Marley Brown Oval, which usually gets the odds Capras game in the Intrust Super Cup, but thanks to the big Comm Games it gets a Titans home game. Nice. If only the NRL did it more often. Both teams were impressive last weekend, both don’t tend to do it two weeks in a row.
SIDE INTEREST – Gladstone. And more Origin bolters.
SUN 4pm – EELS v PANTHERS
The return leg of this came came around fast. Some may still remember Parramatta leading 14-0 at half time and losing 18-14. Now that Parramatta have scored second half points they might be a chance. Not if Penrith played as well as they did last week on the back of James Maloney filling in so well for Nathan Cleary.
SIDE INTEREST – Viliame Kikau
NRL ROUND 5 PREVIEW – 3 THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO
1 – Dragons v Rabbitohs
2 – Sunday afternoon Football in Gladstone. Just in time for the remnants of a cyclone.
3 – Fewer penalties, we hope.
NRL ROUND 5 PREVIEW – THINGS TO AVOID THIS WEEKEND
Penalty blitzes
Channel Nein. Until Origin time.
NRL ROUND 5 PREVIEW – TIPPING COMPETITION
Time to see how well we can tip. And what kind of ridiculous things we can use for a tipping compeditor. As ever the dog is back as our resident Paul the World Cup Tipping Octopus. Who will triumph in Rugby League’s most pointless tipping competition? Find our below.
THE GURGLER’S NRL ROUND 5 TIPS
BULLDOGS to beat Raiders
ROOSTERS to beat Sharks
RABBITOHS to beat Dragons
STORM to beat Tigers
WARRIORS to beat Cowboys
BRONCOS to beat Knights
TITANS to beat Sea Eagles
PANTHERS to beat Eels
THE DOG’S NRL ROUND 5 TIPS
Like the infamous octopus at the 2010 Football World Cup, we have our own Muttstradamus to provide tips every week. Unlike Paul, the dog is hopeless at tipping winners.
BULLDOGS to beat Raiders
SHARKS to beat Roosters
RABBITOHS to beat Dragons
STORM to beat TIgers
WARRIORS to beat Cwboys
KNIGHTS to beat Broncos
TITANS to beat Sea Eagles
PANTHERS to beat Eels
GUEST TIPSTER ROUND 5 TIPS – WHO’s CONCEDED FEWER PENALTIES SO FAR IN 2018.
BULLDOGS (34) to beat Raiders (36)
ROOSTERS (36) to beat Sharks (42)
DRAGONS (32) to beat Rabbitohs (41)
TIGERS (34) to beat Storm (41)
COWBOYS (29) to beat Warriors (37)
BRONCOS (33) to beat Knights (38)
TITANS (35) to beat Sea Eagles (36)
EELS (37) to beat Panthers (43)
Background:
After so many penalties last weekend, we thought it would be interesting to see if conceding fewer penalties leads to wins. So we have the data on all teams penalty counts so far this season, and the fewer penalties conceded so far in 2018, that side gets the tip.
Number of penalties in brackets.
CURRENT SCOREBOARD
THE GURGLER – 15/32 – Last Week 3
MUTTSTRADAMUS 8/32- Last Week 2
GUEST TIPSTERS TOTAL – 14/32 – Last Week 3
Guest Tipsters Breakdown:
R1 – OUR 2018 SEASON PREDICTIONS 3/8
R2 – INTERNET RANDOM RESULT GENERATOR 5/8
R3 – WORST LOSSES EVER 4/8
R4 – EASTER LONG WEEKEND HOLIDAY VENUES 3/8
NRL ROUND 5 PREVIEW – ODDS AND SODS
HEAD TO HEAD ODDS
RAIDERS $1.75 BULLDOGS $2.10 – Bulldogs +2.0 start
SHARKS $2.10 ROOSTERS $1.75 – Sharks +2.0 start
DRAGONS $1.33 RABBITOHS $3.35 – Rabbitohs +9.5 start
TIGERS $3.00 STORM $1.40 – Tigers +8.0 Start
WARRIORS $1.90 COWBOYS $1.92 – Cowboys +1.5 start
KNIGHTS $1.91 BRONCOS $1.91 – Broncos +1.5 start
TITANS $2.17 SEA EAGLES $1.70 – Titans +2.5 start
EELS $2.35 PANTHERS $1.60 – Eels +3.5 start
SUPER MULTI MADNESS
Here’s our Mega Multi Madness for NRL Round 4
BULLDOGS +6.5 start & Total Points Over 37.5 @ $1.90
ROOSTERS to beat Sharks @ $1.75
RABBITOHS +10.5 start @ $1.74
TIGERS +12.5 start @ $1.49
WARRIORS to beat Cowboys @ $1.90
BRONCOS to beat the Knights @ $1.91
TITANS to beat Sea Eagles @ $2.17
PANTHERS to beat Eels @ $1.60
$1 could “pay” $108 – but will probably pay NIL
TICKET TO RIDE
Here’s where we lay down our best bet of the weekend and attempt to roll it over each week into a multi week Cash Cow. A year long moving All Up.
THIS WEEK’S BEST BET
$1 on RABBITOHS to win @ $3.35
LAST WEEK’S RESULT
LOSS – $3.52 x Broncos to beat Titans @ $1.25
CURRENT RUN / RETURN
NIL
BEST RUN / RETURN SO FAR
2 Weeks – $3.52
RUGBY LEAGUE TV VIEWING THIS WEEKEND
Hard week at work? Need some sweet, sweet Andy Capp lounge time? Here are all the fixtures we could find for your great day/night in.
| Date | Comp | Home | Away | TV | Time |
| Thu. Apr 5 | NRL | Raiders | Bulldogs | Nine, Fox | 7:50pm |
| Fri. Apr 6 | NRL | Sharks | Roosters | Nine, Fox | 6:00pm |
| Fri. Apr 6 | NRL | Dragons | Rabbitohs | Nine, Fox | 7:50pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | ISP | Wests | NZ | Fox | 12:30pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | ISP | Canterbury | Wyong | Nine NSW | 1:00pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | ISC | Townsville | Tweed Heads | Nine QLD | 1:00pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | NRL | Tigers | Storm | Fox | 3:00pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | NRL | Warriors | Cowboys | Fox | 5:30pm |
| Sat. Apr 7 | NRL | Knights | Broncos | Fox | 7:30pm |
| Sun. Apr 8 | NRL | Titans | Sea Eagles | Fox | 2:00pm |
| Sun. Apr 8 | NRL | Eels | Panthers | Nine, Fox | 4:10pm |
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