Rabbitohs v Storm NRL Rd 5 betting tips – Friday, March 31

Friday night NRL action in round five wraps up with the Melbourne Storm travelling to take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium.

The Storm will be looking to build on their win over the Tigers last week, while the Rabbitohs will be aiming to secure another win after honouring club legend John Sattler last round. Melbourne have made one change, with Tyran Wishart making way for Tom Eisenhuth, while Ben Lovett drops out of the Rabbitohs side as Hame Sele returns from injury.

These two clubs have met on 37 occasions over the last 25 years, with Souths only winning six of those games. One of those wins was their last match, when the Storm were missing Reimis Smith, Xavier Coates and Brandon Smith from the starting side. The Storm are still without Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, which will make winning away from home too difficult. In what’s likely to be a close match, the Rabbitohs should secure a second-straight win by 1-12 points, which pays $2.80 with BetOnline.

One of the Rabbitohs’ biggest boosts on Friday is Keaon Koloamatangi returning to the right edge. While he got through an enormous amount of work against the Sea Eagles, the Rabbitohs really missed the attacking upside of the State of Origin hopeful. The Souths second-rower will be marking up against Eliesa Katoa, who has been phenomenal for the Storm while still showing some defensive issues. Partnering with Lachlan Ilias, who continues to improve every week, Koloamatangi looks a good chance to score a try at any time during the match ($5.60).

Ignoring the Storm’s high-scoring match against the Titans on the Gold Coast, both these sides have struggled to score points to start the 2023 NRL season. Injuries have taken their toll on attacking structures, yet both sides have defended well enough to keep themselves in games. Accor Stadium is typically a lower-scoring ground, which should ensure this match stays below 41.5 total points ($1.90).

Key matchup: Walker v Munster

Cody Walker vs Cameron Munster

Friday night will definitely be the battle of these two attacking five-eighths and the positive impacts they have on their sides. Both Cam Munster and Cody Walker play brilliant off-the-cuff, second-phase, eyes-up football that can bring their sides a mountain of points. Similarly, they can die by the same sword they live by, which can bring their own teams undone. The forwards at these two clubs will need to work hard in the middle and, in doing so, will be able to bring their star playmakers to the forefront.

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