Broncos vs Knights NRL Rd 22 best bets & multi tips – 13/8/2022

Super Saturday football will finish in Brisbane this weekend as the Broncos host the Newcastle Knights in what is a must-win game for the home side. The Broncos were flying high before losses to the Tigers in Brisbane and the Roosters in Sydney place them in a position where they are every chance of missing the top eight.

The Broncos will need to win on Saturday and win well if they are to keep any hopes of a top-four finish alive. The Knights may be one of the worst-performed sides of the 2022 NRL season, but having won last week against the Tigers, anything is possible for them. Can the Broncos do what’s expected by pundits and fans alike and get a convincing home win to put their season back on track?

The Broncos’ two losses in a row have forced coach Kevin Walters to make changes to his 17. Te Maire Martin returns to the fullback position to bring about defensive stability, better communication and ball playing for the Broncos, while the experience of Brenko Lee comes back to the left-edge attack in place of Deine Mariner. Further late changes could be possible with Cory Paix named on the extended bench as well as Zac Hosking, who has been in fine form for the Seagulls in Queensland Cup.

The Knights have also made changes to their 17. With Jake Clifford having broken his arm, Adam Clune will step into the halfback role. Mitch Barnett goes out with an injured thumb, replaced by Mat Croker.

The Broncos have won six of their last 10 matches against the Knights, including their last two matches by a total of 71-34. However, the Knights have won four of the last six matches against the Broncos, which should have the home side on high alert. Given the results in recent weeks for the Broncos, they will certainly be aware of what’s at stake and looking to make no faults against the Knights on Saturday. The Broncos will be expected to win handsomely, which is reflected in betting markets, and the alternate winning margin of 19+ points at BetOnline is decent value at $1.72.

The return of Lee into the left centre position for the Broncos will create stability on both sides of the football, and the results will be seen in the tryscoring ability on the man outside of Lee. Corey Oates has been in arguably career-best form this season, scoring a whopping 18 tries for the Broncos in as many matches. When Oates scores one try in a match, it’s more often than not that he goes on to get two or more. Oates has scored five doubles and a hat-trick this season already and looks a lock to score another double, paying $3.50.

The right-edge attack will not be the biggest issue the Knights face on Saturday night, as Newcastle’s left-edge defence is their biggest weakness. Enari Tuala and Bradman Best could lose sleep in the lead up to this match trying to work out how they will stop not only Selwyn Cobbo, but also Kotoni Staggs and Adam Reynolds. Reynolds will not only be looking to get Staggs early possession in clear space, but will also be on the hunt for a try of his own, with each player paying $2.05 and $3.35 respectively to score at any time during the match.

Should the Broncos get back to their incredible best and return to the attacking powerhouse they have been for much of this season, as well as getting a fast and dry track at Suncorp Stadium, this match should well and truly exceed the 44.5 total points line.

Key matchup: Ezra Mam vs Anthony Milford

The battle of these two small, running five-eighths will be interesting to watch from a competition perspective and a historical perspective. Anthony Milford was signed to the Broncos on a mammoth long-term deal, and only minutes away from perhaps winning a Clive Churchill Medal in 2015, to being punted from the Broncos setup. Since his departure, the Broncos have unearthed a much younger and arguably more dynamic half in Ezra Mam, the man that could one day lead the Broncos back to premiership glory. The running game, footwork and short-kicking games of these two players will be on full display as Mam looks to prove the Broncos did the right thing to move on from Milford and entrust him with the famous no.6 jersey.

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