Rabbitohs v Broncos NRL betting tips – Round 21, 2023

Rabbitohs v Broncos best bets

Rabbitohs v Broncos match preview

Friday night’s NRL feature game is a blockbuster with the South Sydney Rabbitohs hosting the Brisbane Broncos at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Both sides have several stars coming back to their side, but can the Rabbitohs beat the Broncos again in Queensland?

Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou welcomes back a host of stars with fullback Latrell Mitchell, centre Campbell Graham, five-eighth Cody Walker, hooker Damien Cook, forward Hame Sele, second-rowers Keaon Koloamatangi and Jai Arrow, and captain Cameron Murray all named to start. Siliva Havili and Thomas Burgess move back to the interchange bench as a result, while Benjamin Lovett, Liam Knight, Richard Kennar, Shaquai Mitchell and Tyrone Munro drop out of the side.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters will also regains his State of Origin stars with fullback Reece Walsh, forward Payne Haas and lock Patrick Carrigan all back in the starting lineup. Corey Jensen and Kobe Hetherington drop to the interchange bench, while Tristan Sailor, Deine Mariner and Xavier Willison go back to the reserves.

Rabbitohs v Broncos betting predictions

The Rabbitohs sit in eighth place on the NRL ladder and have struggled in recent weeks, winning just two matches and losing to bottom-four sides like the Bulldogs and Dragons. South Sydney’s greatest issue has been their lengthy injury list, and while most of those players are returning this weekend, the squad’s health will still be tested. The Broncos have had minor injury concerns while managing five wins from their last six games to sit second on the NRL ladder.

The number of Rabbitohs players returning from injury will be their greatest concern when taking on a Broncos side in brilliant form with nearly all their star players back. The $2.23 at BetOnline is incredible value for the Broncos to win given they have won more games in the 2023 NRL season than any other club.

Returning to the wing after an impressive performance in a roaming fullback role last weekend, Selwyn Cobbo will have a size and strength advantage against Rabbitohs left winger Alex Johnston. Expect Cobbo to be the main target of attacking plays on the Broncos’ right side, orchestrated by former Rabbitoh and current Broncos captain Adam Reynolds. Whether it’s from a cross-field kick or block play to create space on the wing, Cobbo should score at some stage during the match ($1.94).

Broncos young gun Brendan Piakura continued to show why he has a bright future last weekend with his brilliant performance against the Bulldogs. Not only did he score a try with his support play, he also set one up for halfback Reynolds by running a brilliant line to break the Bulldogs defence. If Reynolds spots weakness in this Rabbitohs defence, or they underestimate the skill and size of Piakura, he could add another try ($5.30) to his tally for the year.

Clear, sunny weather conditions are predicted for the Sunshine Coast, which will create a brilliant playing surface for an expansive, attacking brand of football. The Rabbitohs are the third-highest pointscoring team in the NRL this season and the Broncos are ranked fifth, and these two sides boast some of the best attacking players in rugby league. Expect this to be a high-scoring match that exceeds 45.5 total points ($1.90).

Key matchup: Mitchell v Walsh

Latrell Mitchell vs Reece Walsh

This clash of fullbacks could be the highlight of the weekend. Latrell Mitchell’s style of play is dependant more on the quality of touches he has in attack, while Reece Walsh is a high-energy player that contributes with a high volume of effort and attack. Whoever plays to their strength better in this match could be the deciding factor.

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