Friday’s NRL 2018 Round 11 match is between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:55 local time with the game to be played at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. The away team Sydney Roosters are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.
When: 19:55 | Friday 18/05/2018
Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Preview:
There’s no doubt the Broncos are searching for form and confidence.
The cruel thing about the NRL is there isn’t much time to do that.
The home side is running into a white-hot Roosters team who are coming off one of their best showings for 2018.
Losing another two players to injury in Alex Glenn and Payne Haas will only rub salt into the wounds and test the depth of the club.
There’s no worries in the ability of the younger players coming through, but it’s about having a good balance when you do introduce them.
Ideally, you don’t want to have too many inexperienced players on at any one time.
But with four of your top forwards out, it’s going to be tested.
KEY BATTLE: forwards v forwards
With the likes of Tevita Pangai Jnr and Sam Thaiday going up against Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Boyd Cordner and Dylan Napa, it will be a great battle and the winner of this will win the game and also give their halves time and space to play.
The Verdict
Brisbane, who have a 25-18 (58.1 percent) record at Suncorp Stadium after a loss since 2010, will get home in a close one.
Unibet Odds:
Brisbane at $2.30
Sydney Roosters at $1.63
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Sydney Roosters at $1.58
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: James Tedesco at $11.00
More Info:
Teams:
Brisbane Broncos:
1 Darius Boyd (c), 2 Corey Oates, 3 James Roberts, 4 Tom Opacic, 5 Jamayne Isaako, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Kodi Nikorima, 8 Matthew Lodge, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Sam Thaiday, 11 Tevita Pangai jnr, 12 Jaydn Su’A, 13 Joe Ofahengaue
Interchange: 14 Sam Tagataese, 15 Gehamat Shibasaki, 16 Korbin Sims, 17 Patrick Mago
Reserves: 18 Kontoni Staggs, 19 Todd Murphy, 20 George Fai, 21 David Fifita.
Sydney Roosters: 
1 James Tedesco, 2 Joseph Manu, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Mitchell Aubusson, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Siosiua Taukeiaho, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Dylan Napa, 11 Boyd Cordner (c), 12 Ryan Matterson, 13 Isaac Liu
Interchange: 14 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 15 Zane Tetevano, 16 Kurt Baptiste, 17 Victory Radley
Reserves: 18 Nat Butcher, 19 Sitili Tupouniua, 20 Lindsay Collins, 21 Mitchell Cornish.
NRL News:
Sydney Roosters star Blake Ferguson admits his State of Origin dream is fuelled by the pain of missing out on New South Wales’ breakthrough series win in 2014.
Ferguson is widely tipped to keep his spot on the Blues wing following a strong start to the year for the Roosters, which he continued with a 177-metre, try-scoring effort in Saturday’s rout of the Warriors.
However, after being part of the Blues’ unsuccessful attempts over the past two years, the Roosters winger concedes his Origin career may be over.
“I’ve been incumbent for two years straight, so if they look to go somewhere else, I’m sure it’ll have its merits,” Ferguson said.
“For me, I just want to keep playing good footy and rip in for my mates.”
After the opening ten rounds of the season, Ferguson is averaging a competition-high 193 metres per game – almost 15 metres more than the next best in Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita.
He is also third in the league in post-contact metres with 649 – the only back among the top five.
But the 28-year-old has previously spoken about fears his publicised drinking session prior to last year’s decider has resulted in his name being blacklisted for representative honours.
He remains hopeful that isn’t the case, not least because he is still pained by the off-field incidents that forced him to sit out the only year NSW have lifted the Origin shield.
“I missed a year and a half through my own irresponsibility,” he said.
“So I think for me, getting back and playing footy and getting the jersey that I’ve gotten is very special. Trying to hold onto that Blues jersey which is something that I’m looking forward to doing.”
Ferguson could be one of six Roosters who could feature in the Origin series, with teammate Latrell Mitchell also in the mix to make his Origin debut.
Roosters captain Boyd Corder, who doubles as the Blues skipper, believes Mitchell has improved enough defensively to earn a crack against the Maroons.
“He’s been really good for us all year and we know how dynamic he is with the ball. The thing that’s impressed me most is the way he’s been defending for us on that left edge,” Cordner said.
“I’ve got all the belief and all the confidence in the world that if he gets chosen he’ll do a really good job, but that’s not up to me, that’s up to the selectors.”
