Welcome to the Kick to Come – our alternative NRL Round 3 Preview of all the big Rugby League ahead this weekend.
We supply the shortest possible match by match preview, pick a few things were are excited about, and why we are reaching for the pillow, there’s the NRL’s most pointless tipping competition, and a Wrasse sized bit about NRL odds/betting, a dabble into Supercoach and we have the low down on the Rugby League on TV to let you do your best sloth-work.
Doing many things, with not a lot of quality, just the way we like it.
Want to read more? Of course you do. Our NRL Round 3 Preview awaits.
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW – MATCH BY MATCH IN 20 WORDS OR LESS
THU 7:50pm – STORM v COWBOYS
2017 Grand Final Replay and a premium clash to start the round. Surely the Storm can’t lose two in a row? One of these premiership favourites will have just one win after three rounds.
Side Interest – Michael Morgan returns.
FRI 6pm – BULLDOGS v PANTHERS
What price the Panthers win from 14-0 down three weeks in a row. Unlikely that the Bulldogs can get that far ahead.
Side Interest – Benji Marshall’s brother Jeremy Marshall-King turns out for the Bulldogs.
FRI 7:50pm – TIGERS v BRONCOS
Few other than the most loyal of Tigers fan could have predicted they would have knocked off the Roosters and Storm so far. Broncos are next up, and the Tigers got them last season in Brisbane.
SIDE INTEREST – Tevita Pangai – former Origin Bolter
SAT 3pm – RAIDERS v WARRIORS
Raiders have gone close and fallen short two weeks in a row. Warriors are 2/2 and that includes a drought busting away win in Perth. Can we trust the Warriors away from home yet? Or Canberra to win a close one?
SIDE INTEREST – Form of RTS and Shaun Johnson
SAT 5:30pm – RABBITOHS v SEA EAGLES
Manly could hardly have impressed more last weekend by pulling the Eels pants down at Brookvale. Souths have looked OK in patches despite 0 wins, and Manly are hardly great on the road.
SIDE INTEREST – Greg Inglis’ response after the racial abuse at Penrith last weekend. Hopefully turns into on field winning.
SAT 7:30pm – EELS v SHARKS
Surely it can’t get worse than the Eels effort last weekend. Although the Shakrs effort against 12 Men against Dragons last weekend wouldn’t want to be repeated.
SIDE INTEREST – Can Moses make it three weeks in a row to the Sin Bin – see our William Hill Build A Bet below.
SUN 4:10pm – TITANS v DRAGONS
What’s this then? A Sunday 4pm kick off not in Sydney? Can the Dragons make it 3/3, or will Ash Taylor lead another home upset. One certainty, Rabs won’t be calling game for Channel Nein.
SIDE INTEREST – If we could be bothered, listening to Channel Nein saying how much they love their Sunday Footy on the Gold Coast.
SUN 6pm – ROOSTERS v KNIGHTS
Thanks to off season personnel changes and a storming start to the year by Newcastle, this shapes up as the game of the weekend.
SIDE INTEREST – Cronk v Pearce
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW – 3 THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO
1 – Roosters v Newcastle
2 – Tigers chance to start the year off 3/3 against the Broncos.
3 – Almost season defining response by Eels.
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW – THINGS TO AVOID THIS WEEKEND
Channel Nein
Clashing with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW – TIPPING COMPETITION
Time to see how well we can tip. And what kind of ridiculous things we can use for a tipping compeditor. As ever the dog is back as our resident Paul the World Cup Tipping Octopus. Who will triumph in Rugby League’s most pointless tipping competition? Find our below.
THE GURGLER’S NRL ROUND 3 TIPS
STORM to beat Cowboys
PANTHERS to beat Bulldogs
BRONCOS to beat Tigers
CANBERRA to beat Warriors
RABBITOHS to beat Sea Eagles
EELS to beat Sharks
TITANS to beat Dragons
ROOSTERS to beat Knights
THE DOG’S NRL ROUND 3 TIPS
Like the infamous octopus at the 2010 Football World Cup, we have our own Muttstradamus to provide tips every week.
COWBOYS to beat Storm
PANTHERS to beat Bulldogs
BRONCOS to beat Tigers
WARRIORS to beat Raiders
SEA EAGLES to beat Rabbitohs
EELS to beat Sharks
DRAGONS to beat Titans
KNIGHTS to beat Roosters
GUEST TIPSTER ROUND 3 TIPS – WORST LOSSES
STORM (4-50) to beat Cowboys (0-62)
PANTHERS (7-70) to beat Bulldogs (6-91)
BRONCOS (0-56) to beat Tigers (0-64)
WARRIORS (6-62) to beat Raider (4-68)
SEA EAGLES (6-68) to beat Rabbitohs (0-66)
EELS (0-68) to beat Sharks (4-74)
TITANS (0-54) to beat Dragons (10-70)
ROOSTERS (4-66) to beat Knights (6-71)
Background:
Since Parramatta were smashed to nil last weekend, we are basing the tips on each club’s worst defeat. The better the worst defeat (as in the smaller of the two flogging margins), that team gets the tip head to head. Worst defeat in brackets.
CURRENT SCOREBOARD
THE GURGLER – 8/16 – Last Week 5
MUTTSTRADAMUS 3/16 – Last Week 0
GUEST TIPSTERS TOTAL – 7/16 – Last Week 5
Guest Tipsters Breakdown:
R1 – OUR 2018 SEASON PREDICTIONS 3/8
R2 – INTERNET RANDOM RESULT GENERATOR 5/8
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW – ODDS AND SODS
HEAD TO HEAD ODDS
STORM $1.60 COWBOYS $2.36 – (Start Cowboys +4)
BULLDOGS $2.36 PANTHERS $1.60 – (Start Buldogs +4.5)
TIGERS $2.25 BRONCOS $1.66 – (Start Tigers +3.5)
CANBERRA $1.75 WARRIORS $2.10 – (Start Warriors +2)
RABBITOHS $2.15 SEA EAGLES $1.72 – (Start Rabbitohs +2)
EELS $1.82 SHARKS $2.00 – (Start Sharks +1.5)
TITANS $2.60 DRAGONS $1.50 (Start Titans 5.5)
ROOSTERS $1.34 KNIGHTS $3.30 – (Start Knights +8.5)
MULTI MADNESS
Here’s our Mega Multi Madness for NRL Round 3
STORM to beat Cowboys
BULLDOGS – score 1st and lose v Panthers
BRONCOS -3.5 start v Tigers
CANBERRA to win 13+ v Warriors
RABBITOHS to beat Sea Eagles
EELS to beat Sharks
TITANS +8.5 start v Dragons
ROOSTERS to beat Knights
$1 could “pay” $446
TICKET TO RIDE
Here’s where we lay down our best bet of the weekend and attempt to roll it over each week into a 25 Round Cash Cow. A year long moving All Up.
THIS WEEK’S BEST BET
$2.20 x Storm to beat Cowboys @ $1.60
LAST WEEK’S RESULT
WIN – $1 on Dragons to win @ $2.20
CURRENT RUN / RETURN
1 Week – $2.20
BEST RUN / RETURN SO FAR
1 Week – $2.20
WILLIAM HILL BUILD A BET
The William Hill wagering company offer punters a chance to tweet their own bet, a nice option, and one we will look to have some fun with. Each week we will try and get odds on the most absurd betting options and post it here.
This week’s Build A Bet with William Hill…
How much for Mitchell Moses to be Sin Binned – Eels v Sharks
RUGBY LEAGUE TV VIEWING THIS WEEKEND
Hard week at work? Need some sweet, sweet Andy Capp lounge time? Here are all the fixtures we could find for your great day/night in.
| Date | Comp | Home | Away | TV | Time EST |
| Thu. Mar 22 | NRL | Storm | Cowboys | Nine, Fox | 7:50pm |
| Fri. Mar 23 | NRL | Bulldogs | Panthers | Nine, Fox | 6:00pm |
| Fri. Mar 23 | NRL | Tigers | Broncos | Nine, Fox | 7:50pm |
| Sat. Mar 17 | ISP | Mounties | Canterbury | Fox | 12:30pm |
| Sat. Mar 17 | ISC | Tweed Heads | Burleigh | Nine | 2:00pm |
| Sat. Mar 24 | NRL | Raiders | Warriors | Fox | 3:00pm |
| Sat. Mar 24 | NRL | Rabbitohs | Sea Eagles | Fox | 5:30pm |
| Sat. Mar 24 | NRL | Eels | Sharks | Fox | 7:30pm |
| Sun. Mar 25 | NRL | Titans | Dragons | Nine, Fox | 4:10pm |
| Sun. Mar 25 | NRL | Roosters | Knights | Fox | 6:30pm |
NRL ROUND 3 PREVIEW SUPERCOACH THOUGHTS
Time to talk a little Supercoach, and here’s our thoughts on the week ahead. And later we have the must-have, maybe, and prefer not of the NRL Round 3 ahead.
Our team is currently ranked 72,428th in Supercoach, with a solid 901 points last weekend. The machine says we’re heading for 1000 points this weekend. And there’s the Round 3 price bumps about to come.
MUST INCLUDE – Tevita Pangai
STRIP FITTER – Michael Morgan
PREFER OTHERS – Mitchell Moses Out
