Brisbane without Darren Lockyer and Newcastle with Wayne Bennett are punters’ early 2012 premiership picks with bookmakers unable to recall a more compressed NRL betting market in decades.
If bookmakers, who are slightly divided in the early opinions are on the money, rugby league’s new Commission will take control of the game next month with the salary cap seemingly working and all 16 NRL clubs given a chance of featuring in the 2012 finals.
Punters have shot down fears Brisbane will struggle without their long-time inspiration Lockyer, backing them heavily in early action.
“We thought Brisbane might be hard to sell post-Lockyer but, along with the Wests Tigers and Newcastle, they’ve been backed to the exclusion of all other teams,” said TattsBet’s Gerard Daffy.
“We’ve got Wests Tigers slight favourites at $8.50 with five teams all at $9 but Brisbane have attracted more bets than the other four put together.
“One trend punters don’t seem to want is Manly or St George Illawarra who have new coaches.”
It’s a similar story with rival bookmakers Sportingbet Australia who report strong support for the Broncos and the Knights. with Bennett looking to become the first coach to land premierships with three different clubs after his successes with the Broncos and Dragons.
“It’s the most compressed market we’ve seen in years,” said Sportingbet’s Billy Richmond.
“There’s not many sides you can say can’t make the finals.
“Newcastle are one of the early favourites at $9 but they’d be close to $15 if not for Bennett coaching them.
“Punters obviously think with so many great young players like Josh Hoffman, Jharal Yow Yeh, Gerard Beale, Jack Reed, Alex Glenn, Ben Te’o, Corey Norman and Ben Hunt that Brisbane can replace the irreplaceable in Lockyer.”
The John Grant-led Commission is tipped to take over control of rugby league on February 10.
Trial matches next week will give punters a better guide with several sides either experimenting or replacing key players in key positions.
In the trial between Brisbane and North Queensland at Redcliffe, both sides will trial new halves prospects, with Ben Hunt and Corey Norman vying to take Lockyer’s No.6 jumper and former Wests Tigers halfback Robert Lui stepping out for the Cowboys for the first time.
