Alternative NRL Round 1 Predictions and Preview – Gurgler v Round 1 Form

Welcome to the Kick to Come – a preview of the rugby league weekend ahead, our alternative preview plus NRL Round 1 predictions.

Want more Haiku in your life? Feel the need for poetry and rugby league to collide? Or interested in NRL Round 1 Predictions based on a barely interesting stat or something completely unrelated to rugby league. Of course you do, and our Alternative preview and NRL Round 11 Predictions has just about everything..

There’s a bit of betting talk, TV times for the ultimate sloth, and more. Like the much loved C & C Music Factory, we’ll hopefully give you a few things that make you go hmmmm.

Want to read more? Of course you do. Our Alternative NRL Round 1 Predictions and Preview awaits.

NRL ROUND 1 PREDICTIONS – GURGLER PREDICTIONS

MELBOURNE to beat Brisbane by 4pts
SHARKS to beat Newcastle by 6pts
ROOSTERS to beat Rabbitohs by 10pts
BULLDOGS to beat Warriors by 12pts
WESTS TIGERS to beat Manly by 4pts
COWBOYS to beat Dragons by 20pts
PENRITH to beat Parramatta by 12pts
TITANS to beat Canberra by 2pts

NRL ROUND 1 PREDICTIONS – OPPONENT PREDICTIONS

BACKGROUND FOR TIPS – Easy, who has the best 1st round win % is more likely to win in the first round, so gets the tip over the team with the lower %.

MELBOURNE (90%) to beat Broncos (67%)
NEWCASTLE (62%) to beat Sharks (40%)
ROOSTERS (67%) to beat Rabbitohs (42%)
BULLDOGS (43%) to beat Warriors (20%)
WESTS TIGERS (63%) to beat Manly (29%)
COWBOYS (45%) to beat Dragons (40%)
EELS (52%) to beat Penrith (33%)
TITANS (53%) to beat Canberra (45%)

NRL ROUND 1 PREVIEW – MATCH BY MATCH PREVIEW

Here is our short game by game preview and we feature the only NRL preview using Haiku to describe each game. (Don’t know what a Haiku is? Here’s Wikipedia) There is plenty of other lightweight stuff including some barely interesting facts, our “best bet”, and a few thoughts about the game ahead in point. Quantity over quality we say.

THU 7:50pm – MELBOURNE STORM v BRISBANE BRONCOS

Head to Head since 1998 – Storm 32 Broncos 13
Last Season: Brisbane 20  Melbourne 34 – Melbourne 32  Brisbane 16

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Coaching circus ends
Broncos end with better deal
Against grumpy man.

SIDE INTERESTS

We were hoping to say Scott Drinkwater at fullback, but he was injured during the pre season, so the excellent Jahrome Hughes gets the first crack at the number 1 for 2019. He can be an excitement machine too.

Jack Bird’s return to the side, we’ll see if he is worth the hype and cost in 2019. There’s no doubting the value of his centre partner.

Broncos’ young gun forward interchange – David Fifita, Tevita Pangai Jnr, Tom Flegler.

Will Cameron Smith ask for the game’s result to be corrected to a Melbourne win if they lose to a controversial golden point penalty?

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Melbourne have the best Round 1 win % at a very healthy 90%. Broncos haven’t played a Round 1 fixture on anything other than a Thursday or Friday night since 2008. Barely interesting and certainly not surprising.

BEST BET

Either team to win by 8 points or less @ $2.10

FRI 6:00pm – NEWCASTLE KNIGHT v CRONULLA SHARKS

Head to Head since 1998: Newcastle 20 Sharks 18
Last Season: Newcastle 10  Sharks 48 – Sharks 38  Newcastle 12

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Off season from hell
Sharks ready to bite round one
Ponga switch takes time

SIDE INTERESTS

After a few underwhelming performances (after some possibly unfair high expectations) we can’t wait to see Kalyn Ponga at five eighth.

After an ordinary off-season, the Sharks response will be interesting, and given the amount of fired up individuals 

Is this the year that Gallen has jumped the shark. Pardon the pun.

It is hard to believe that the Warriors could discard Shaun Johnson so easily. He must be a bit more difficult than he appears or maybe he isn’t as great as we think. We’ll see how he goes in blue.

David Klemmer.

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

The Sharks won this fixture by a combined 64 points in 2018.

BEST BET

Sharks +2.5 start @ $1.69

FRI 7:50pm – ROOSTERS v RABBITOHS

Head to Head since 1998 – Roosters 26 Rabbitohs 12
Last Season: Roosters 12  South Sydney 4 – Roosters 14  South Sydney 26 – South Sydney 14  Roosters 18

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Roosters back to back?
Better believe that they can.
A sombrero helps

SIDE INTERESTS

Greg Inglis v Latrell Mitchell – the passing of the flame between one of the greats and one soon to be. Perhaps it better be a gas lit flame if Mitchell is up to his evading best, the rushing wind might extinguish it.

Angus Crichton will look weird in Roosters colours, but we have had over 15 months to prepare.

Josh Morris doing a Cooper Cronk and enjoying his twilight years in Roosters colours.

Can the Burgess brothers hold onto the ball.

Cody Walker – always a joy to watch.

Will Adam Reynolds vary from his standard bomb on the fifth tackle?

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Souths and the Roosters have met 13 times in Round 1 since 1998.

BEST BET

Cody Walker to score anytime @ $4

SAT 3:00pm – NZ WARRIORS v BULLDOGS

Head to Head since 1998 – Bulldogs 18 Warriors 15
Last Season – Bulldogs 27 Warriors 26

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

NZ Warriors
Are like a box of chocolates
Dogs to make them pay

SIDE INTERESTS

Can they do it without Shaun Johnson?
How will his replacement Adam Keighran go?
Is Stephen Kearney really that great a coach?
When will the Warriors season implode?
Will we ever find what the Jazz is all about?
How does Dylan Napa play after his tumultuous summer.

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Bulldogs have a 56% winning strike rate in NZ based on Warriors away games, and home games they have taken across the Tasman.

BEST BET

David Fusitua to score 2 Tries or more @ $4.50.

SAT 5:30pm – WESTS TIGERS v MANLY SEA EAGLES

Head to Head since 1998 – Manly 15 Wests Tigers 12
Last Season: Manly 12  Wests Tigers 38  —  Wests Tigers 22  Manly  20

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Manly popular
Like current  sitting member
Tigers ready to maul

SIDE INTERESTS

Can Benji Marshall continue to work his magic like last season?
Paul Momirovski in new colours.
Martin Taupau – an action man.
Are Manly going to be busted arse without Tom Trbojevic

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Wests Tigers have won six of the last seven home games v Manly. Tigers also did the double over Manly last season.

BEST BET

Wests Tigers to win @ $1.65

SAT 7:30pm – NORTH QLD COWBOYS  v ST GEORGE ILLWARRA DRAGONS

Head to Head since 1998 – Cowboys 15 Dragons 15
Last Season – North Queensland 10  St George Illawarra 24

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

No Thurston today
Michael Morgan up against
Broncos reject halves

SIDE INTERESTS

A fit Michael Morgan raring to go, and will his new no Thurston responsibility.
How the last minute Broncos switchers get on in their new colours.
Nene McDonald, there’s not nearly enough PNG Internationals getting a go in the NRL.
Corey Norman and Ben Hunt – It could be a masterstroke or a massive failure.

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

The Dragons have only played in Townsville three times since 2009. Last season was their only win of those three.

BEST BET

North Qld win @ $1.78

SUN 3:00pm – PENRITH PANTHERS v PARRAMATTA EELS

Head to Head since 1998 – Penrith 19 Parramatta 19
Last Season – Parramatta 6  Penrith 12  —  Penrith 24  Parramatta 14

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Sunday afternoon
Two Sydney teams in battle
Channel Nein of course

SIDE INTERESTS

Let’s see if Ivan Cleary was/is worth all the hype.
Parramatta’s new five eighth Dylan Brown.
Parramatta’s incumbent lock Nathan Brown.
Blake Ferguson doing stuff – good and bad.

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Penrith have won the last seven matches in a row between these sides on a Sunday. 

BEST BET

Mansour to score anytime @ $1.91

SUN 5:00pm – GOLD COAST TITANS v CANBERRA RAIDERS

Head to Head since 1998 – Gold Coast 12 Canberra 12
Last Season – Canberra 32  Gold Coast 18 — Gold Coast 30  Canberra 28

MATCH PREVIEW HAIKU

Two forgotten teams.
In Australian sports graveyard
Titans peak early?

SIDE INTERESTS

AJ Brimson in his new bench role.
Tyrone Peachey in his new club.
Can Bryce Cartwright rediscover the magic.
Will we get an early season Ricky Stuart spray?

BARELY INTERESTING FACT

Canberra have won two of the last three on the Gold Coast.

BEST BET

Titans to win @ $1.85