With just six sleeps until the first hit-up of 2014 NRL season, online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au has had a sneak peek at what rugby league punters have been up to in the offseason and like a Shaun Johnson sidestep, they’re going in all directions.
Punters have declared it a five-horse race for the Premiership, identifying the Roosters ($5.00), Cowboys ($15), Warriors ($17), Broncos ($21) and Rabbitohs ($7.00) with those sides the best backed to date in that order. Despite having the Nate Myles head butt in their artillery, the Gold Coast Titans are simply unwanted by punters.
Ricky Stuart’s Raiders are also tipped to be paddlers this season but their young gun Anthony Milford is being kept safe in Dally M betting, priced on the fourth line of betting at $15. Greg Inglis ($8.00) and Daly Cherry-Evans ($9.00) are the best backed, while there’s been nibbles for Sam Tomkins ($21), Sam Burgess ($34), Isaac Luke ($41) and Chris Sandow ($81). Ben Barba ($15) is struggling to attract a wager.
Sportsbet.com.au also has a raft of markets that allow punters to bet on whether or not they think a team will finish higher on the ladder than they did last season. Eels fans will rejoice with Parra finishing above 16th heavily backed at $1.25, as is the Cowboys finishing higher than 8th ($1.72) and Broncos ($1.45) beating their 12th place finish in 2013.
NRL Round 1 & 2 money back betting special
Despite sportsbet.com.au having Queensland at $1.63 to win a ninth straight Origin series, punters have wagered thousands more on the Blues ($2.30).
“Punters of all walks have finally said this is New South Wales’ year and are putting their money where their mouth is. We wonder if Laurie Daley’s mate Tommy Raudonikis is one?” sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Hawes said.
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Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au
2014 NRL Grand Final winner
$5.00 Sydney Roosters
$7.00 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$8.50 Manly Sea Eagles
$9.00 Melbourne Storm
$14 Canterbury Bulldogs
$15 North Queensland Cowboys
$17 New Zealand Warriors
$19 Newcastle Knights, Penrith Panthers
$21 Brisbane Broncos
$23 Cronulla Sharks
$29 St. George Illawarra Dragons
$41 Gold Coast Titans, Parramatta Eels
$51 Canberra Raiders
2014 Dally M Medal winner
$8.00 Greg Inglis
$9.00 Cooper Cronk, Daly Cherry-Evans
$10 Jonathan Thurston, Sonny Bill Williams
$15 Anthony Milford, Ben Barba, Cameron Smith, Shaun Johnson, Todd Carney
$17 James Maloney, Jarryd Hayne
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$21 Sam Tomkins
$26 Albert Kelly
$34 Sam Burgess
$41 Isaac Luke
$51 Jamie Soward, Will Hopoate
$151 James Tedesco
2014 State of Origin series winner
$1.63 Queensland
$2.30 New South Wales
Round of 1st Golden Point game
$3.75 Round 1
$4.50 Round 2
$6.00 Round 3
$7.00 Round 4
$9.00 Round 5
$27 Round 10
$51 Round 13
$15 Round 14 or after
Will Parramatta finish higher than 16th?
$1.25 Yes
$3.75 No
Will the Wests Tigers finish higher than 15th?
$1.36 Yes
$3.00 No
Will St. George Illawarra finish higher than 14th?
$1.25 Yes
$3.75 No
Will the Cowboys finish higher than 8th?
$1.72 Yes
$2.05 No
Will the Cowboys finish higher than 12th?
$1.45 Yes
$2.65 No
