Round 2 kicks off with a match that will likely have finals ramifications down the road with fringe eight teams Newcastle and the Dolphins squaring off in the Hunter.
Best Bet
Newcastle seem incredibly short for a team that looked so poor in Round 1, falling in against a Wests Tigers team that outplayed them for 80 minutes.
The Knights were incredibly wasteful with the ball, poor in execution and soundly beaten in the forwards. This was against the three-time defending wooden spooners missing their starting fullback and hooker.
Round 1 was a complete scratch for the Dolphins. They were expecting to open against Souths at home but Cyclone Alfred wreaked havoc with their preparation, forcing the game to be moved to Sydney with three players choosing not to play and the entire squad having their focus taken off the match.
Newcastle are 21-10 ATS when under $2 and have covered their last four as a home favourite but they seem far too short. The Dolphins are fast starters, going 6-2 ATS in opening month games. They are 20-15 ATS as an underdog and 16-12 ATS in night games.
The Dolphins have far more upside than the Knights and look a great bet getting 4.5 points.
Same Game Multi
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has been a tryscoring machine in two seasons with the Dolphins, crossing 30 times.
Bradman Best is developing into an elite centre and he has 20 tries in his last 43 games.
Value Bet
Veteran Mark Nicholls is one of the more underrated props in the NRL and he knows his way over the tryline. He has scored three tries in each of the last two seasons and all those tries have come in the first half of the season with a try in his first two games in each of 2023 and 2024.
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