Montoya & Radradra try-scoring tips, Eels vs. Bulldogs NRL Rd 17

Thursday June 29, 7.50pm. ANZ Stadium.

THE Parramatta Eels have found some mid-season form at the right time and that run could continue this Thursday night against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The Eels started the season having won only 5 of 11 games, but three wins from the last four weeks and a last-round bye has set them in good stead for the rest of the season.

Wins against the Rabbitohs, Warriors and Dragons has turned the tide and coming up against a lacklustre Bulldogs side will only improve moral after the bye round.

The Bulldogs scored a 16-2 win over the Dragons in round 14, but the bye week couldn’t have come at a worse time for the struggling outfit. A 14-21 loss to the Warriors was a woeful performance and Prop Aiden Toldman is ruing the inconsistencies.

“It’s been a very inconsistent year for us. When we play well we are very good, when we are poor we are very poor, we need to make sure that we are doing the hard yards and trying to fix those little things up,” Toldman said after the loss to the Warriors.

“We have got two more games until our next bye and they are very crucial to where we sit on the ladder.

“Every game has to be a must-win mentality, which is how we need to approach the next one.”

A key injury to the Eels will help the Bulldogs this week after co-captain Beau Scott was ruled out with a biceps injury.

That’s a big blow for an Eels side which has already lost some key players, but it will be the star-studded back line which should see the Eels post plenty of points this Thursday night.

Eels first try scorer odds and free tips

Semi Radradra – +650
Bevan French – $9
Clint Gutherson – $14
Brad Takairangi – $15
Michael Jennings – $15
Corey Norman – $19
Manu Ma’u – $26
Mitchell Moses – $26
Tepai Moeroa – $26
Kenny Edwards – $26
Nathan Brown – $36
Beau Scott – $36
Daniel Alvaro – $51
Tim Mannah – $56

The Eels team is stacked with talent and speed, none more so than Semi Radradra.

The Fijian winger has scored eight tries this season after scoring the most in the NRL last season, but look for Radradra to start focusing on the job ahead.

He has had some off-field distractions to start the season and with a changing lineup at the halves positions, Radradra hasn’t been able to capitalise.

He’s the current $7.50 favourite for a reason and with Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses about to hit top gear, Radradra will benefit greatly from that.

Winger Bevan French is better suited to playing on at fullback, but there’s too much back line talent for the Eels to have every player where they should be.

The move from fullback to the wing will please try scoring fans as French will get more opportunities to show his blistering pace.

French has scored only four tries this season, but the 21-year-old will look more apt on the wing and the $9.50 at Sportsbet looks the way to go.

We expect both wingers to feature prominently in the Eels success on Thursday night.

Bulldogs first try scorer tips

Brett Morris – $11
Marcelo Montoya – $13
Kerrod Holland – $14
Josh Morris – $14
Will Hopoate – $17
Chase Stanley – $20
Josh Reynolds – $21
Moses Mbye – $26
Adam Elliot – $31
Josh Jackson – $34
Michael Lichaa – $36
Greg Eastwood – $41
David Klemmer – $41
James Graham – $51
Sam Kasiano – $91

The strength of the Bulldogs side is in the forwards, but they’re not going to score a mass amount of tries.

Marcelo Montoya was a shining light for the Bulldogs against the Warriors and his effort could be rewarded with the first try of the game.

Montoya has scored five tries from 10 games and he’s building into a rangy back who can play multiple roles across the park.

The Bulldogs’ wingers tend to see a lot of action as Josh Reynolds love his cross-field bombs, so expect Montoya to be ready and waiting.

Fellow winger Brett Morris hasn’t been his usual try-scoring self this season and the confidence is down, but don’t count him out.

Morris hasn’t scored since grabbing a double against the Warriors in round 3, but the 80-minute player puts in the hard work and his form is due a reversal.

It’s no surprise to see Morris at the top of the betting at +1000 for the Bulldogs and we think he’ll go close to scoring an overdue four pointer.

Eels vs. Bulldogs game tip

This looks the Eels’ game to lose and we don’t think they will.

The Eels have a powerful back line which will likely tear through the Bulldogs defense on multiple occasions this Thursday night.

Bookmakers have the Eels as firm head-to-head favourites, but the value is still with the Parramatta side and we can see them running away for an easy 10-12 point victory.