NRL Round 16 Tips & Predictions

<p>The action won’t be as plentiful this week due to round 16 being the second major bye round of the season, but it should still be just as entertaining.&nbsp;</p> <p>The ten teams that feature this week will have to do so without their star players as the competition’s best enter State of Origin camp ahead of Game 2 at Suncorp Stadium.&nbsp;</p> <p>Who will be able to adapt and survive without their key men, and who will fail to cover their absences and crash to defeat?</p> <p>Check out our expert NRL round 16 tips &amp; predictions below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>North Queensland Cowboys v Penrith Panthers Prediction&nbsp;</h2> <p><strong>Friday, June 16, 8:00 pm AEST - Queensland Country Bank Stadium&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Cowboys are the lucky team that gets to play Penrith during Origin time.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Panthers are expected to miss a host of first-team stars and play at home; this could be the perfect time for North Queensland to spring an upset.&nbsp;</p> <p>On the flip side, the Cowboys will also be missing a number of key players due to Origin commitments, so who will miss their stars the most?</p> <p>Penrith already flexed their depth last week, with Jack Cogger deputising admirably for the injured Nathan Cleary as they put the Roosters to the sword.</p> <p>The Cowboys are coming off a massive upset win over the Storm and a bye, so their preparation for this clash couldn’t be much better.&nbsp;</p> <p>All things considered, this one should be as close as they come, but the Penrith juggernaut just seems to keep rolling, no matter who pulls on the jersey.&nbsp;</p> <p>We’re backing the boys from the foot of the mountains to win on the road in a low-scoring and scrappy affair.</p> <p><strong>Sugars Tips:&nbsp;ANYTIME TRYSCORER: Tom Jenkins</strong></p>

<h2>Newcastle Knights v Sydney Roosters Prediction&nbsp;</h2> <p><strong>Saturday, June 17, 3:00 pm AEST - McDonald Jones Stadium&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s getting to the point where no matter who they are playing, it’s almost impossible to back the Roosters.</p> <p>Something is badly broken at Bondi, and the Chooks have descended from premiership favourites to looking likely to miss the finals altogether.&nbsp;</p> <p>They play the Knights this week, who sit just one point below them. While the Roosters are expected to lose key men like James Tedesco to State of Origin, the Knights shouldn’t have such problems.&nbsp;</p> <p>With Kalyn Ponga on the outer for QLD, he is free and clear to run riot at club level, like he did last week in his side’s valiant defeat to table toppers Brisbane.&nbsp;</p> <p>If Ponga picks up where he left off last week, we are backing the Knights to take care of a disappointing and depleted Roosters team at home.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sugars Tips:&nbsp;BIG WIN LITTLE WIN: Knights 1-12</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Parramatta Eels v Manly Sea Eagles Prediction&nbsp;</h2> <p><strong>Saturday, June 17, 5:30 pm AEST - CommBank Stadium&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Manly kicked their campaign back into gear with a monster mauling of the Dolphins last week.&nbsp;</p> <p>Tommy Turbo was the hero, scoring a double and running for over 230m. Not bad for a bloke who wasn’t expected to play due to a recent head knock.&nbsp;</p> <p>This week they’ll have to do without him and their skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who will be packing their bags for Origin.&nbsp;</p> <p>Will their opponents, the Eels, be missing their halfback, though? A lot of mail suggests Mitchell Moses could be the man to replace Nathan Cleary for NSW, and with Dylan Brown indefinitely suspended, Moses’ omission could prove fatal for the Blue and Gold.</p> <p>If Moses isn’t selected, the Eels are a good shout to win this one against a Manly side devoid of their two biggest stars.&nbsp;</p> <p>If he does get the call from Brad Fittler, who will be left to lead the Eels around the park? Unfortunately, no one, meaning a defeat, is surely on the cards.</p> <p><strong>Sugars Tips:&nbsp;TRYSCORER MARKETS: Sean Russell</strong></p>

<h2>Wests Tigers v Melbourne Storm Prediction&nbsp;</h2> <p><strong>Saturday, June 17, 7:35 pm AEST - Campbelltown Stadium&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If there was ever a week to play the Storm, this is it. If there was ever a week to play the Tigers, it’s every week.&nbsp;</p> <p>Without Cameron Munster and Harry Grant, Melbourne’s superstar stocks will be in short supply.&nbsp;</p> <p>However, the Tigers have their own troubles, with Api Koroisau and Luke Brooks suffering injuries in losing to the Titans last week.&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite missing a host of key players, the Storm should be on cloud nine after the 54-10 dismantling of top-four contenders the Cronulla Sharks.&nbsp;</p> <p>If they’re putting cricket scores on top-four teams, are the 16th-placed Tigers going to be able to stop them? You do the math.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sugars Tips:&nbsp;SAME GAME MULTI: Storm, Head to Head / Under, Total Match Points</strong></p>

<h2>Cronulla Sharks v Canterbury Bulldogs Prediction&nbsp;</h2> <p><strong>Sunday, June 18, 4:05 pm AEST - Shark Park</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Wrapping up a shortened round 16 is this clash between the Cronulla Sharks and the Canterbury Bulldogs.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Doggies will be battered and bruised from their King’s Birthday clash with arch-rivals Parramatta, but nowhere near as much as the Sharks after what happened to them in Melbourne.&nbsp;</p> <p>They simply didn’t turn up, and the Storm punished them to the tune of 44 points.&nbsp;</p> <p>Could that uncharacteristic yet disastrous showing have cost Nicho Hynes the NSW no.7 jersey? Sharks supporters will certainly be hoping so. They’ll need all hands on deck if they are to rectify last week’s performance.&nbsp;</p> <p>Back at home against a Bulldogs’ team who just can’t seem to get into a rhythm in 2023, this fixture presents the perfect opportunity for the Sharks to get their top four aspirations back on track.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sugars Tips:&nbsp;TO SCORE 2 OR MORE TRIES: Will Kennedy</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Brisbane Broncos, The Dolphins, St George Illawarra Dragons, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canberra Raiders, Gold Coast Titans, New Zealand Warriors - BYE.</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Round 16 is the second major bye round of the season. Seven different teams have the week off as the competition’s best players enter camp ahead of State of Origin Game 2.</p>