NRL Round 16 Triple Preview

As well as providing his best value bets every week, our NRL guru Steve Green also previews every NRL game for members. Each week on the blog we’ll feature some of his match previews from the eight games. Check out his NRL Round 16 Triple Preview below

For the rest of Steve’s NRL Round 16 previews plus all of his best bets, join NRL Tips now!

NRL Round 16: Knights v Cowboys

The Knights look so much better at Ponga at 1, and when you throw in the recent return of Pearce from injury and the addition of Clifford, and perhaps you can see why I still have faith in this Knights line up.

I really like that Young has kept his spot on the wing, and with Hunt back on the other wing, the Knights have two wingers that provide very good go-forward and that are capable of finishing their chances.

The bench of Watson, Klemmer, King and Jones is strong and mobile, and at home, I like their chances here.

The Cowboys look decent enough, but guys like J Bowen, Hess and McLean will be targeted by the Knights attacking strike weapons.

Despite a promising run of form from Round 5 to Round 12, the Cowboys have slipped in recent weeks. While they nearly staged a miracle comeback against the Sharks, they were down 26-12 against the Sharks in Townsville, after being thrashed a week earlier against Manly.

There are no more excuses for this Knights outfit. Coach O’Brien has urged patience, but with his team, they should be competitive in all their remaining games in 2021.

D Saf is backing up from Origin, the Cowboys three player contingent is likely to be.

I think Ponga, Pearce and Brailey will all combine to help the Knights to a convincing win in this one.

Predicted score
Knights 26
Cowboys 14

The eighth immortal breaks down our vital upcoming game with the Cowboys 👊

➡️ https://t.co/KJH60Gp6BM#comeoutcharging

— Newcastle Knights (@NRLKnights) June 30, 2021

NRL Round 16: Broncos v Sharks

The Broncos are at risk of turning into a fully fledged circus this weekend. With a spate of mysterious injuries sustained at training and a decision to not release Lodge or Pangai Jnr early, it is clear Coach Walters job is now under pressure.

Ben Ikin joining the club last week shows that those at the top think something is not right at the club. Ikin has been very outspoken in his criticism of Walters chopping and changing his halves, so it is no surprise to see Milford given a spot on the extended bench….while Croft given a shot at 7.

I have backed Coach Walters, because I think he has inherited a very poor squad and culture. But his decision to promote K Hunt from the QLD Cup was truly baffling…he had been very mediocre for the Souths Logan Magpies.

I also think that the reluctance to drop Alex Glenn on form shows that Coach Walters has a tenuous relationship with this playing group, because the current skipper is not setting a good example with his defensive lapses. For every 9.5 tackles that Glenn makes, he misses a tackle. That is simply not good enough for an edge defender.

As for the Sharks, they have flying under the radar and while I do believe their current strong form has been because of weak opponents, there is no denying how much Johnson has improved their form.

If the Broncos were a more settled playing group and this game was not being played under COVID lockdown restrictions with no crowd, then I think the Broncos were a chance here of an upset here.

But I have learned from 2020, that the Broncos are a club where drama can fester, and I think it is going to be a tough end to the 2021 season for Broncos fans.

Predicted score
Sharks 24
Broncos 18

NRL Round 16: Warriors v Dragons

While the loss of Aitken and Curran (due to exposure to a COVID case) is not great news, the effect of this double flow will be tempered by the inclusion of new signing DWZ on the wing and Townsend at halfback. With RTS at the back in the place of the injured Walsh, the Warriors line up still looks strong.

The Dragons also look much better, due to the inclusion of Lomax out wide and Duty at 1 and Bird back in the centres. This gives the Dragons a lot more attacking strike power, something they have sorely missed in recent weeks.

In the forwards, they welcome back McGuire and Fuimaono from lengthy suspensions and while it is handy to have these guys on the bench, the Dragons forward pack features quite a few guys that have not played a lot of minutes over the 5 weeks and they could struggle to match this big Warriors back.

The Warriors have struggled to score points in recent weeks, but I think the inclusion of Townsend will be a big boost. The Warriors halves have failed to control the game at key moments in 2021 and while Nikorima is a terrific ball runner, his game management is not his strength.

Playing at their adopted home in Gosford and with some new experienced signings joining the squad, I think the Warriors will bounce back into form this weekend with a clinical performance.

Predicted score
Warriors 24
Dragons 14