Caveman's NRL weekend. NRL best bets, free tips, best bets this weekend for footy betting. Get the NRL best bets today with Caveman's sports betting tips. In-depth analysis, research, and a commitment to long-term betting strategy give you footy tips that are the best tips today in Rugby League. NRL free betting tips and bet prediction for almost every game this season.

This week Trav and I have broken down each game and released a video on all of our best bets. Check out the video, read the blog and have a great week of footy!!

Storm @ Panthers

Thursday 25th March 2021

Game Breakdown

We’ve got a great match-up to kick the week off with the grand final replay. The early look showed the Panthers to have their nose in front in this one, but with Nathan Cleary failing to be fit in time, the edge switches back to the champions. 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Panthers as their vaunted left edge attack gets to go up against the Storm’s poor right edge defence. Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton both scored two tries apiece against the Storm last year, and they both look great to replicate that form this year as well. If I had to pick 1, To’o would get my shout.

The other great combo on that side of the field is Viliame Kikau and Jerome Luai, who will be looking to keep their great cohesion going. Kikau jagged two tries last week and 1 in this match-up last year, so he has a great chance to back it up again, especially with the excellent match-up.

For the Storm, the ticket to winning revolves around keeping the errors to a minimum. The Panthers have great defence on the fringes but can be susceptible to the quick darts through the middle. The Storm spine is excellent at this and none more so than Cameron Munster, who will control the Storms attack.

LATE MAIL Ryan Papenhuyzen is ruled out and will be replaced by Nicho Hynes. This change is a hit for the premiers, but I believe the Cleary injury still affects the Panthers more.

SGM; Brian To’o Try, Viliame Kikau Try, Cameron Munster Try. $25.75

Sea Eagles @ Dragons

Friday 26th March 2021

Game Breakdown

In what many people pre-season called a match to determine the wooden spoon, I see a game that could very well be the springboard into a nice winning streak. As you can guess, I’m not talking about Manly, but about the Surprising Dragons team. The Dragons have shown through 2 weeks that not all of their big signings are complete flops, and they do have some good wins in their arsenal this season.

The Sea Eagles have a long way to go this season, and there are very few bright spots on the roster right now. If Tommy Turbo cant come back at full strength, this looks to be a very long season for Manly. One bright spot is Taniela Paseka, who looks to be a great power runner going forward.

I like a few tries in this match as both teams are weak on their edge defence. For the Dragons young speedster, Cody Ramsey looks the real deal and has an admirable work rate. Ben Hunt crossed the line last week and will have a great chance to get in again. Hunt hasn’t looked this good since he dropped that howler in origin a few years back.

For the Sea Eagles, their MVP in the backline so far has been Reuben Garrick. Garrick looks the most threatening with the ball in his hands and will be up against the Dragon’s proper side defence that has been their weakest so far this season.

SGM; Reuben Garrick Try, Cody Ramsey Try, Dragons -1.5. $6.75

Roosters @ Rabbitohs

Friday 26th March 2021

Game Breakdown

We’re only in week three, and the fortunes of these two pre-season favourites are already starting to look worlds apart. The Roosters look unstoppable through 2 games (although weak opposition), mainly through that right edge where the BMoz Teddy combo has been scintillating. 

However, the Rabbitohs have been dealing with a poor right attacking edge. This has seen offseason recruit Josh Mansour lose his job, then regain it a week later as Bennet tries to figure out his best lineup. The biggest weakness hampering the Bunnies so far is through the middle of the field, where they have not only looked weak in play but are leaking tries. Bennet has a tough challenge on his hands this season to try and patch up that area with a lack of blue-chip talent at the position (mainly prop).

The Roosters have had back-to-back games where they have forced the ball down the right-hand side, and this looks to be the correction game where they come back to the middle and get some ball going to the left. Daniel Tupou has had a great work ethic over the opening two games and is unlucky to be sitting on a goose egg still. This week looks to be the week where he gets onto the scoreboard to attack the Bunnies out of favour right edge.

Lindsay Collins has shown every bit that he deserves the starting prop spot, and it will be tough for him to be relegated back to the bench now. Collins looks strong in both attack and defence, with his ability to read the game a gift that few big men hold. It may be big money for Collins to get across the line, but he has shown already this season that his skill set is rapidly progressing. 

The Rabbitohs have only got one avenue to attack at the moment, which is down their left edge. They have had success here in the past against the Roosters, but they may be funnelled into a predictable attack with their lack of options across the field. Alex Johnston will be the most likely to get across the line here as he is someone who loves to get across the line in this match-up. Johnston grabbed five tries in the 52 point week 20 drubbing last year.

SGM; Daniel Tupou try, Alex Johnston Try, Roosters -3.5. $6.75

Warriors @ Raiders

Saturday 27th March

Game Breakdown

After a great week one win, the Warriors season is already on life support. As a Warriors fan, we can hardly be surprised. The Harris-Tavita injury is painful to see as he was starting to show the potential that he holds. It will be a tough couple of games for the Warriors, who have the Roosters on deck and much practice needed to cement their combinations before they reach a stretch of must-win games.

On the other hand, the Raiders have picked up where they left off last year with a strong defence and a crippling counterattack. Canberra welcomes back the experienced head of skipper Jarrod Croker this week. Let’s be honest; they were not let down by try-scoring machine Sebastian Kris in his stead. The Raiders will continue to chip away at the competition in the same fashion, led by their defence first.

The Warriors don’t have many try-scoring options in this one with the unknown commodity of Sean O Sullivan, who didn’t show as much as we’d like for the Broncos last season. The right edge has failed to deliver with the hot and cold David Fusitu’a beginning the season as cold as an ice bath. Ken Maumalo has shown glimpses of his try-scoring self, but again it’s going to be a tough ask against this stout Raiders defence.

The Raiders have been in excellent try-scoring form with the power of Hudson Young leading the forwards close to the line and the ever-present Jordan Rapana once again proving his taste for the chalk. One of my favourites to watch for the Raiders, however, has been Elliot Whitehead. The big Englishman has looked strong on the left side this season and should be a focal point playing on the inside of Croker.

SGM; Jordan Rapana Try, Elliot Whitehead Try, Total Under 42.5. $18.25

Bulldogs @ Broncos

Saturday 27th March

Game Breakdown

In what shapes up to be a must-win game for both franchises, the threat of changes hangs over the losers (maybe even the winners too). We get treated to what I see as a very messy game that will play through the big men. Both teams have started the season better than they ended last year, but is that going to be enough? We have seen more from the Broncos, but that headache last week shows there is still a long way to go.

This game will be decided via the inconsistency of the Broncos halves, in particular Anthony Milford. Milford constantly flashes the potential he had when playing for the Raiders but has been a massive disappointment in reality. I believe a switch back to fullback could shake some life into the fallen star. If Milford plays like he did last week, the ball is in the Bulldog’s hands to capture their first win of the season.

The Broncos’ right edge is their most potent attacking threat, with SOO player Xavier Coates showing his penchant for the line with three tries in 2 games. Jamayne Issako also loves a try against the Bulldogs, crossing the line 3 times in the last three match-ups. 

For the Bulldogs, Nick Meaney has been the forgotten man so far this season, as most Bulldogs attacks have tended towards the field’s right-hand side. With no DWZ this week, Meaney should see more of the ball in attacking positions. Meaney has four tries in his last three matches against the Broncos, and it’s an excellent matchup for him to get his season off the mark. 

SGM; Jamayne Issako Try, Xavier Coates Try, Nick Meaney Try. $12.00

Sharks @ Eels

Saturday 27th March

Game Breakdown

The Eels managed to grab a hard earnt win against the Storm last week. However, the cost may be high with Ryan Matterson out indefinitely with a concussion. Matterson will be a massive loss with the Eels looking as phony as a $3 coin in their two wins so far. 

On the other hand, the Sharks are looking a lot better than they did last season and still have Shaun Johnson to join the squad still. The Sharks forward pack is menacing, and it shows their quality when big man Andrew Fifita cant crack the top 17. The Sharks backline has also looked much improved this season, with a solid left side in Dugan and Mulitalo.

I can see the Eels coming back down to earth in this one with a challenging game getting played through the middle of the park with strong big men on each team. The left edge attack looked great last week with Maika Sivo crossing for a double, and they’ll get the favourable matchup on this side of the field again this week. I Expect to see the Eels targeting Connor Tracey at the centre.

The Sharks have shown much promise in their first two weeks of football, but one player has dramatically increased their work rate, and that’s Will Kennedy. Kennedy has shown a penchant to score in his career so far and has begun this season with three tries in 2 games. However, the increase in his work rate is what’s showing his new lease on life and leadership in the backfield. The other Sharks back who has started his season off strong is Josh Dugan. He is growing a great connection with winger Ronald Mulitalo. The future looks bright in The Shire.

SGM; Ronaldo Mulitalo Try, Maika Sivo Try, Total Under 38.5. $11.50

West Tigers @ Knights

Sunday 28th March

Game Breakdown

This week, there are some great matchups with teams who will be battling for the top 4 coming up against one another. This game is not one of them, but it will still be a cracker of a game. Both teams have not shown their true colours so far this season. The Knights are not looking convincing over two bottom eight sides, while the Tigers have shown glimpses against 2 top 4 hopefuls. This game will be one of my favourite games of the round as we get an actual litmus test of where each franchise truly stands. 

The Knights didn’t look convincing last week and left the win till very late in the piece. Their one saving grace this week is Mr 300 himself, Mitchell Pearce, as I am a great believer that teams do everything they can to lift for big milestone games. The Knights left edge looks simply fantastic, with the week one late switch to Hymel Hunt looking like an absolute genius move. With Hymel joining up with Bradman Best and Mitch Barnett, the Knights have one great side to attack down. The right edge, however, is a complete liability. The Knights’ middle forwards have been great, but it’s only going to be a matter of time till other teams start to figure them out.

In contrast, the Tigers have started the season up against 2 of the strongest teams defensively in the competition. Even with this, they have shown glimpses of the talent they hold. In week one against the Raiders, they were the more threatening team for three-quarters of the match. Against the Roosters still managed to grab a try even though they were in a deep hole from the game’s beginning. If the Tigers can hold out for the first 20 minutes of the match, conceding one try or less, this game is wide open.

The Knight’s best attacking threat will come in the Hymel Hunt, Bradman Best combo. I expect many points in this match, and they will be the hot duo that gets the most chances. Don’t discard Mitchell Pearce crossing the chalk for a try in his 300th as well.

For the Tigers, Luciano Leilua has looked threatening this season. The demotion of his brother may be the key the Tigers needed to unleash him. Leilua dotted down in both games vs the Knights last season, so he gets the great matchup to continue his streak.

SGM; Luciano Leilua Try, Hymel Hunt Try, Total Over 43.5. $11.75

Titans @ Cowboys

Sunday 28th March

Game Breakdown

Sunday afternoon pits two of our northern teams fighting it out in the battle of who cares? The Cowboys were my preseason pick for the spoon, and they’ve done nothing else but show I was definitely in the ballpark. I’d love to say it’s because they don’t have Taumololo, but they had him in week one, and it didn’t change much. The Titans are also a team that has struggled to live up to the hype. David Fifita showed his pedigree last week, but what’s going on with the rest of the Titan’s spending spree? Big Tino will grow into his new role, but the hype and price paid for him were ones that he was ready to go week one. We cap off what will be a great week of football with whatever this game will be; maybe a few Sunday arvo bevies may be the way to get through this one.

I can’t see too many points coming in this game, just because of the lack of blue-chip talent. For the Cowboys, the game has been running through the spine, particularly the many hookers that litter their side. Reece Robson has shown he is a starting-calibre player, and Reuben Cotter at lock makes a tonne of sense. Coen Hess jagged a try last week and is paying overs to get one again.

For the Titans, I am a massive fan of an under the radar player in Tyrone Peachey. Peachey is a great utility player who can play almost every position on the field. Peachy also has a nose for the try line that often gets looked over due to his interchange status.

SGM; Coen Hess Try, Tyrone Peachey Try, Total Under 43.5. $52.00