Securing their first Premiership title in over thirty years and their sole Grand Final win as a joint-venture club, the red and whites rewarded their loyal supporters with one of the strongest victories in NRL history.

Coach Wayne Bennett has now earned his place in the Rugby League history books as the greatest coach the game has seen, maintaining his perfect Grand Final record with his seventh Premiership.

It was the start of a new era of dominance for the Dragons with back-to-back Minor Premiership wins and now the coveted Grand Final victory in the bag.

Rugby League fans can bet that St George will be back bigger and better next year and will start the hot favourites in the ante-post betting markets at Sportsbet to win the 2011 NRL Grand Final!

2010 NRL Grand Final Highlights

• Dragons coach Wayne Bennett secures his seventh Grand Final win – third against Roosters coach Brian Smith
• St George Illawarra’s first Grand Final victory since 1979
• Mark Gasnier was the first tryscorer in the 7^th minute
• Roosters dominated the first half with tries to skipper Braith Anasta and Mitchell Aubusson
• Result kept close as Todd Carney missed both conversion attempts for the Chooks
• Sydney up 8 – 6 at halftime
• Dragons came back in the second half with four unanswered tries
• Jason Nightingale scored a Grand Final double for St George
• Dean Young scored the Dragon’s fourth try filling the boots of his father Craig, who captained the Saints to their 1979 Premiership win
• St George maintained their record of not having conceded any second half points throughout the 2010 NRL finals
• Final score was 32 – 8 in part thanks to Jamie Soward’s brilliant 6/7 record on the boot
• Red and White fullback Darius Boyd was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal

Follow the link for a more comprehensive 2010 NRL Grand Final Match Review.

The 2010 NRL Telstra Premiership series is now officially over and Rugby League betting fans will be looking towards the post-season games on the calendar to fill the void till next year’s NRL comp!

First up is the Four Nations series giving footy fans plenty to get excited about.

You can already get in on the betting action of the 2010 Four Nations through Sportsbet who have Australia as the clear $1.20 favourites to win.

Stay tuned for our Four Nations betting updates and in the meantime if you haven’t already, head over to SportsBet and sign up with the online bookie where more Aussie punters win big!

The 2010 NRL Grand Final will take place in front of a sell-out crowd at ANZ Stadium on Sunday afternoon, due to kick off at 5:15pm (local time).

The back-to-back Minor Premiership Dragons will start the clear favourites at the bookies, currently paying $1.63 to win through Sportsbet, as St George Illawarra seek the Saint’s first Grand Final win for over seven decades.

The Wooden Spooners of last year, the Sydney Roosters, are the underdogs in the betting markets currently at a quote of $2.35 through Sportsbet to win and complete the worst to first fairy tale and become the first team to do so since the Western Suburb Magpies in 1934.

Below we look at the stats and facts for why both teams can win the NRL Grand Final on Sunday to help punters make their wagering selections at SportsBet on the game of the year.

For a more detailed 2010 NRL Grand Final Preview follow the link, but read on below first for a quick run down!

Why the Dragons can win:

• Have a six time Grand Final winning coach in Wayne Bennett
• Are the best defensive team in the NRL conceding the fewest points of any team
• Are clinical, professional and have the game plan to grind down their rivals
• Have twice beaten the Roosters previously this season and hold the 9/11 advantage in recent times
• Jamie Soward’s kicking game gives them a big advantage in a down-to-the-wire decider

Why the Roosters can win:

• Are coming off a massive victory over the Titans that will have given them confidence
• Have scored more points than the Dragons overall this season Have the Captain of the Year with Braith Anasta in career best form
• Have the Coach of the Year with Brian Smith seeking revenge on Bennett after losing the 1992 and 1993 Grand Finals to him
• Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce are the best halves in the competition

Rugby League Betting NRL Grand Final Pick & Odds:

The bookies like the Dragons but we are tipping an upset and fancy the Roosters to win through their brilliant attack, lightning fast play, never say die attitude and momentum.

Exotic Bets Worth a Punt on the NRL Grand Final:

• Roosters to win by 7 – 12 points at $7.50
• Todd Carney to score the Roosters first try at $8
• Yes there will be a 40/20 Kick at $3.50

To get in on the action and check out the full range of updated NRL Grand Final betting odds and options visit SportsBet and if you sign up with them today you will get a free $300 bet in time for Sunday!

Last week’s semis saw the season end for the Penrith Panthers who, riddled with injury, could do little to stop the Roosters flying off with a emphatic 34 – 12 victory.

The Canberra Raiders were also knocked out of the competition, a missed penalty kick by young Croker in the dying minutes of the match the two point difference as the Tigers snuck through to this week with a 26 – 24 win.

Now the Titans and the Dragons return from their well-earned week off and will be looking to run riot over the tiring Chooks and Tigers!

Below we have a quick glance at the two NRL Preliminary Finals for this week and give our top footy tips and picks.

For a more comprehensive preview of the games complete with team lists and current odds head over to NRLleague.

NRL Preliminary Final 1 Preview: Gold Coast Titans v Sydney Roosters

Friday night the Gold Coast Titans host the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium, the competition’s youngest team just 80 minutes away from featuring in their first Grand Final.

The Titans are fresh off the break, will have the Queensland crowd behind them, have the hottest performing halfback in the NRL and welcome back Campbell.

Sydney enjoyed a nice win over Penrith last week, but face a much tougher test here.

Chook supporters will be slightly comforted by the stat that shows Sydney have a perfect record with their interstate games this season.

The Roosters have won four on the trot and have scoring power thanks to a formidable halves combo with Carney and Pearce and top tryscorers like Kenny-Dowall.

However, the Titans experience and planning should be enough to hold off Anasta and co.

NRL Preliminary Final 2 Preview: St George Illawarra Dragons v Wests Tigers

The second final of the week will play out at ANZ Stadium when the Premiership favourite Dragons host the Wests Tigers on Saturday night.

Yes the Tigers are lucky, very lucky, to still be here. They have injuries galore, have been giving away solid leads with second half performances that leave a lot to be desired and Sheen’s men have scraped through by the skin of their teeth.

St George, on the other hand, are focused and in-form. They have improved in leaps and bounds from the 2005 preliminary that saw them go down to the Tigers in exactly the same situation.

Wests play attractive and entertaining footy and there will still be plenty of big cat supporters tipping another upset, but after choking in last year’s finals, the Dragons are ready to fire in the face of their critics and should outlast and outclass the Tigers here.

Rugby League Betting NRL Week 3 Finals Picks & Odds:

Match 1 – Titans $1.75

Match 2 – Dragons $1.40

All odds are subject to change – check SportsBet for full markets and updates

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic Bets Worth a Punt this Week:

- Titans to beat the Roosters by 1 – 6 points at $6 through Sportsbet

- Tigers to lead at Halftime but Dragons to win at $7 through Sportsbet

- Todd Carney to be the Leading Points Scorer for the week at $4.50 through Sportsbet

- Kevin Gordon to score more points than William Zillman Friday night at $2.90 through Sportsbet

2010 NRL Week 3 Finals Match Calendar

Last week was a thrilling first round of finals with the Warriors and the Sea Eagles knocked out of the competition, while the Dragons and the Titans both earned some time off to rest for their week three showdowns.

This Friday and Saturday night two monster NRL semi finals will play out where four teams will run onto the field but only two will still be standing at the end of the madness!

For a more detailed look at the two games punters are gearing up for check out NRLleague.

NRL Semi Final 1 Preview: Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers

The first semi has the Raiders hosting the Tigers at Canberra Stadium on Friday night, with the home team the hot favourites to win.

There is no mistaking the magic run the Raiders have enjoyed in the second half of the season, with many fans tipping them to go all the way to the Grand Final in the same fashion of the Eels last year.

Canberra caused an upset when they got the better of Penrith last week and at full strength, coming off six straight wins, Vidot and Dugan scoring points galore and skipper Alan Tongue ready to run off the bench they are the deserved favourites.

Wests went down to the Roosters in the thriller of the year last week and are hosting bruised egos and injured players including Marshall, who despite a nasty knee problem will still suit up.

Tigers will bring it, don’t you worry about that, especially out wide but they still don’t look to have enough in the tank.

NRL Semi Final 2 Preview: Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers

The second semi of the year plays out on Saturday night as the Roosters return to the SFS following their sensational win there last week, this time facing off against the rapidly receding Panthers.

Penrith welcome back inspirational skipper Civoniceva and word around town is that Coote could be back too.

But having lost Waterhouse (pectoral) and Pritchard (hamstring), while the Chooks are flying high thanks to season best performances from Carney, Anasta and Kenny-Dowall ready to be topped, the Panthers look in trouble.

Will the Roosters be run down or ready to rumble after 100 minutes of footy last week? We will find out on Saturday but out tip is Sydney will come good again, cause plenty of trouble for the Panthers around the ruck and continue their fairy tale Wooden Spoon to Premiership winners dream alive for another week.

Rugby League Betting NRL Week 2 Finals Picks & Odds:

Match 1 – Raiders $1.48

Match 2 – Roosters $1.53

All odds are subject to change – check SportsBet for full markets and updates.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic Bets Worth a Punt This Week:

- Raiders to win by 1 – 6 points at $6 through Sportsbet

- Daniel Vidot to score more points than Josh Dugan at $3 in the exotic Sportsbet market

- Shaun Kenny-Dowall to be the Last Try Scorer on Saturday at $10 through Sportsbet

2010 NRL Week 2 Finals Match Calendar

Not only will we be treated to four cracker qualifiers this weekend where the Top 8 teams in the competition face off, but the betting markets on the NRL finals are going off too.

Below we have a brief look at each of the NRL week one finals, give our footy tips and list the current NRL odds. For more detailed match and betting previews check out NRLleague.

NRL Final 1 Preview: Titans v Warriors

The action of first week of NRL finals kicks off on Friday night with a battle between the number four Gold Coast Titans and the fifth-ranked New Zealand Warriors at Skilled Park.

Both teams are coming off a last round win, the Warriors flying high to secure their fourth victory from their past five when thrashing the Eels while the Titans dug deep and outscored the Tigers by three.

The Warriors have plenty of points and will be hard to beat, but at home with Prince and Campbell holding off injury then the Titans should make it a perfect record against New Zealand at Skilled Park and beat them for the third time this year.

NRL Final 2 Preview: Tigers v Roosters

Things move down south for the next match with the Wests Tigers and the Sydney Roosters lined up for a Sydney Football Stadium super showdown on Saturday night.

This is the toughest qualifier to pick with both teams confident at the venue.

The Chooks have twice beaten the Tigers this year, but no team has ever done a triple over the Tigers in one year making this a tough ask!

Sydney weren’t great against the Cowboys last week, but after Carney took out the Dally M this week and knowing how important this one is the tricolours should turn it up and can win this.

NRL Final 3 Preview: Panthers v Raiders

The other Saturday night final has the second-ranked Penrith Panthers hosting the Canberra Raiders at CUA Stadium.

The mountain men have been winning plenty lately, but beating the likes of the Bunnies, Bulldogs and Sharks wouldn’t have given them too much confidence as they haven’t been able to beat any of the other sides in the Top 8 since Round 17 when they won against the Dragons.

Canberra are strong, surly and have everything to play for.

Penrith, on the other hand, are safe either way and are without their inspirational skipper with Civoniceva on suspension and other injured stars like Lewis and Walsh under a cloud of doubt opening things up for the form team coming into the finals, the Green Machine having won eight of their last nine.

NRL Final 4 Preview: Dragons v Sea Eagles

Now here is the easiest to tip, the back-to-back Minor Premiership winning St George Illawarra Dragons hosting the lucky-to-be-here Manly Sea Eagles.

Everything is in the Dragons’ favour here as they welcome back stars Soward, Hornby, Young and Smith who were all given a breather last week.

History shows the Dragons have won every home game against the Sea Eagles since 2003 and that the last finals game St George were able to win was against Manly in 2006 where they easily won 28 – nil.

With Manly playing inconsistently, unable to last a full 80 minutes and having lost Matai and King to suspension, this is the one to stick to the favourites for sure.

Rugby League Betting NRL Week 1 Finals Picks & Odds:

Match 1 – Titans $1.60

Match 2 – Roosters $1.92

Match 3 – *Raiders $2.45

Match 4 – Dragons $1.16

All odds are subject to change – check SportsBet for full markets and updates.

*Underdog Rugby League Pick of the Week: With the Panthers safe this week no matter the result, playing without their captain and facing a big, strong and determined Raiders outfit, if you are seeking an underdog to back this week Canberra are it! And at juicy $2.45 odds at Sportsbet, a nice fat payout could be on the other side of this 80 minutes of finals footy.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic Bets Worth a Punt This Week:

- A field goal will be scored in the Titans v Warriors match

- Josh Dugan will score the Raiders first try against Penrith

- Dragons will beat Manly by 19+ points

Check out the odds for these bets and the other exotic markets for this weekend at SportsBet who have the best NRL betting options!

2010 NRL Week 1 Finals Match Calendar

Over the past 25 weeks Rugby League fans have seen it all from Melbourne’s salary cap scandal ruling them out of contention to St George Illawarra securing back-to-back Minor Premierships and now all the excitement reaches boiling point.

While a few teams have secured their spot in the September semis including the Tigers, Panthers and the Titans, there is still plenty to play for this weekend so thinking any club will run onto the field complacent is foolish.

On Friday night two cracker games are scheduled that will have a huge impact on the top eight this season.

First up the Brisbane Broncos host the Canberra Raiders at Suncorp Stadium and this is an absolute must win game for the Broncos. If they don’t win by 15 points or more, then they will miss the finals for the first time since 1991 and their confidence coming off three losses and playing without Lockyer and Wallace will be low. Can the home crowd help them get the better of a strong and surly Green Machine that will be clinging to their eighth spot on the ladder with all their might?

The other Friday footy clash has the Gold Coast Titans and the Wests Tigers facing off at Skilled Park. The Tigers are second on the ladder and will want to stay there and give themselves a buffer for next week, but after a big win over the Storm at home last week, travelling to the Gold Coast without a host of injured players including Chris Lawrence could mean the Tigers luck has run out giving the Titans a chance to steal a spot in the top three.

Three thrillers will play out around the states on Saturday starting with a super clash between the Parramatta Eels and the New Zealand Warriors. Backing up from a huge win over the Broncos last week, the Warriors are in flying form and even playing away from home against an Eels outfit keen to give skipper Nathan Cayless a sweet goodbye, look hard to beat.

Then up at Dairy Farmers Stadium the North Queensland Cowboys must struggle through just one more match for the season where they are likely to go down in a big way to a Sydney Roosters side fresh off a come-from-behind victory over the Sea Eagles and chasing down a still possible top four finish.

Moving to CUA Stadium, the Penrith Panthers look to have an easy task against the low-ranking Cronulla Sharks. The Sharks managed an upset win over the Titans last week, but don’t look like claiming another shock victory as even without suspended skipper Civoniceva, Penrith are seeking that second spot on the ladder and have plenty of talent to post enough points here.

On Sunday the Melbourne Storm farewell five of their purple brigade and are set for a huge game in front of a sell-out crowd at AAMI Park after tickets were sold for just $1. Their competition, the Newcastle Knights, have little left to play for and look to be in for a long afternoon ending with a huge loss.

The other Sunday showdown is between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Canterbury Bulldogs at Brookvale Oval where the home side have a tidy advantage and with their top eight finish on the line the Sea Eagles should pull out all the stops.

Finally on Monday night the St George Illawarra Dragons fresh off the win that secured their back-to-back Minor Premierships have a home game at WIN Jubilee against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This is the ninth-ranked Bunnies do-or-die game, win and they could jump into the eight, lose and its lights out. The Dragons have class and a clinical style that should see them through, but back at full strength Souths could cause an upset if they are still in it by Monday night depending on how the other results of the round go.

Rugby League Betting Round 26 Picks:

Match 1 – Titans $1.57 SportsBet

Match 2 – Raiders $1.55 SportsBet

Match 3 – *Warriors $2.00 SportsBet

Match 4 – Roosters $1.29 SportsBet

Match 5 – Panthers $1.35 SportsBet

Match 6 – Storm $1.08 SportsBet

Match 7 – Sea Eagles $1.43 SportsBet

Match 8 – Dragons $1.28 SportsBet

All odds are subject to change.

*Underdog Rugby League Pick of the Week: We have gone with the underdogs in just one of the matches in Round 26 and are tipping the Warriors to continue their flying form and get over the Eels on Saturday night at $2 through SportsBet.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic bets for this week worth a punt are:

- Titans to beat the Tigers on Friday by 1 – 6 points at $6 through SportsBet

- Shaun Kenny-Dowall to be the 1^st Tryscorer in the Cowboys v Roosters clash at $10 through SportsBet

- Brett Morris to score the first try of the night in the Dragons v Rabbitohs match at $7.75 through SportsBet

2010 NRL Round 26 Match Calendar

Things kick off on Friday night at ANZ Stadium where the Bunnies will have to pull out all the stocks to hold off a determined Eels outfit. Both are long-shot chances at the finals and both will bring plenty of physicality, but with Parramatta looking to atone for their two-point loss after Burt missed the needed kick last week the Eels look the pick.

The other Friday night footy showdown has the desperate Broncos travelling to NZ to play the Warriors. Without Thurston the baby Broncos will be feeling the pressure more than ever as they hang on the brink of the top eight. As great as it would be to see Brisbane win, we think that Vatuvie and co. will have more points.

On Saturday three matches are planned with the Knights looking for an upset win to put a dent in the Dragons, then the Sharks looking in big trouble hosting the number-two Titans at Toyota Stadium (Gold Coast coming off five straight wins), and then the Raiders are ready for a big home game win over the listless Cowboys at Canberra Stadium.

Sunday arvo is also a cracker for NRL fans everywhere as the flying Tigers will play their hearts out and should defeat an ‘over-it’ Melbourne side at Leichardt before the Roosters and the Sea Eagles (six and five on the ladder) battle it out at Sydney Football Stadium.

The final game of the round has Penrith, coming off a huge win last week, ready to rip the Dogs to shreds at ANZ Stadium, but the Dogs likely to lift as Patten and Kimmorely play their farewell home game.

Rugby League Betting Round 25 Picks:

Match 1 – Eels $1.55 SportsBet

Match 2 –Warriors $1.52 SportsBet

Match 3 – Titans $1.45 SportsBet

Match 4 – *Knights $2.40 SportsBet

Match 5 – Raiders $1.11 SportsBet

Match 6 – Tigers $1.45 SportsBet

Match 7 – Roosters $1.57 SportsBet

Match 8 – Panthers $1.50 SportsBet

All odds are subject to change.

*Underdog Rugby League Pick of the Week: The only pick we have taken against the bookies is for the in-form Knights to sleigh the Dragons at Energy Australia Stadium on Saturday night at the juicy odds of $2.40 through SportsBet

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic bets for this week worth a punt are:

- Eels to lead by 5 – 8 points at halftime on Friday night over the Bunnies at $5.25 through SportsBet

- Roosters to beat the Sea Eagles by 19+ points on Sunday at $4.75 through SportsBet

- Michael Gordon to score the Panthers first try on Monday night at $7 through SportsBet

2010 NRL Round 25 Match Calendar

With just three weeks left until the September semis start, there is tension a plenty among the teams fighting for either a spot in the top eight or for those clubs desperate to secure a home game during the finals by rising into a spot in the top four.

With so much to play for and so many blockbusters scheduled for this weekend, we are sure there will be plenty of points, a number of upsets and lots of money to be made in the Sportbet markets for punters!

Highlights of the round include the Panthers v Rabbitohs Friday night footy showdown, the last chance battle between the Sea Eagles and Warriors at Brookie on Saturday, and the Eels v Tigers match on Sunday.

Below we have a quick look at all the games scheduled for Round 24, give our top footy tips and show where the value bets are at this week.

For more info on the eight matches, all the footy odds and team lists check out NRLleague.

Round 24 at a Glance:

First up on Friday night is a must see game between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at CUA Stadium where the Bunnies will be hoping to hop into the top eight with a win over a big cats side that has only won one of their past six. Souths have a poor record having never won at the venue, but with Champion back and everything to play for they could cause an upset.

The other Friday night game has the Newcastle Knights hosting the Brisbane Broncos at Energy Australia Stadium. Newcastle are all but out of the finals race making this one all about the boys from Brissie. Still without Lockyer it is desperate times for the baby Broncos as they seek their 19^th straight finals appearance, but having won six straight away games should come out on top.

A cracker match on Saturday has the Manly Sea Eagles playing the New Zealand Warriors at Brookvale Oval. Manly are on a short turnaround after a big loss to the Dragons and could be a bit weary. Even though they are away from home we think the Warriors could annoy a few other clubs on way to the finals this year and with Vatuvei flying they may have more points in them.

Then up at Dairy Farmers Stadium the disappointing North Queensland Cowboys face off against the Canterbury Bulldogs. Even though both teams are out of finals contention, this should still prove a quality match. The home side are without Thurston and O’Donnell and will have to dig deep to enjoy a rare victory.

The third Saturday showdown is another game between two teams with seemingly nothing to play for when Melbourne Storm face the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park. Don’t be fooled into thinking this will be a boring game, however, as the Storm want to send their departing players out on a high. The Sharks upset the Roosters last week and have been far more competitive since Flanagan took over. We think it will be close but the Storm just look too classy.

Two big thrillers are then on the cards for Sunday with the Canberra Raiders hosting the top-of-the-table St George Illawarra Dragons at Canberra Stadium first up. The Dragons may have some post-match jitters going into this one as the Raiders can still make the finals if they win here and beat St George earlier in the season. In fact, the Green Machine have been beaten by the Red V just once since 2004.

The other top Sunday clash has the Parramatta Eels playing the Wests Tigers at Parramatta Stadium. Coming off a solid win over the Broncos and with a grandstand finish in their minds, the Eels are the favourites but the Tigers can win this. Wests thrashed the Panthers last week and are posting plenty of points. Get ready for some risky and entertaining ball movement in this one.

Finally on Monday night another beauty of a match will see the Sydney Roosters host the Gold Coast Titans at the SCG. Having suffered a bit of a slump over the last two weeks, the Chooks are out of the top four and determined to get back up there. The Titans can equal their record of five straight wins if they travel well and use their top two confidence. Still, the tri-colours with their Pearce and Carney combo back on track should prevail.

Rugby League Betting Round 24 Picks:

Match 1 – Rabbitohs* $2.65 SportsBet

Match 2 – Broncos $1.85 SportsBet

Match 3 – Warriors* $2.60 SportsBet

Match 4 – Cowboys* $2.35 SportsBet

Match 5 – Storm $1.28 SportsBet

Match 6 – Raiders* $2.25 SportsBet

Match 7 – Tigers* $2.15 SportsBet

Match 8 – Roosters $1.60 SportsBet

All odds are subject to change.

* Underdog Rugby League Picks of the Week: Never before this season have we backed so many underdogs in one week! But that’s what happens when the playoffs are just around the corner, the bookies underestimate the determination and desperation of the sides and punters can clean up! Five of our eight picks are for the underdogs, with the Rabbitohs to beat the Panthers and the Warriors to defeat the Sea Eagles the best value bets.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League betting enthusiasts!

Exotic bets for this week worth a punt are:

- Rabbitohs to beat the Panthers by 1 – 6 points at $6.75 through SportsBet

- Willie Tonga to score first for the Cowboys on Sat at $6 through SportsBet

- Yes there will be a field goal in the Eels v Tigers clash on Sunday at $4.15 through SportsBet

2010 NRL Round 24 Match Calendar

A month-out from the September finals there has never been a better time to back your Premiership favourites in the Sportsbet markets and make a few extra bucks off your footy picks!

With the race for the finals now at a frantic pace, this is the last chance for many of the closely-ranked teams to make the top eight.

There is also the hope of securing a coveted spot in the top four and the chance at a home finals game for some of the best teams in the comp, so every club has something to play for this week.

Some of the highlight matches of Round 23 include the Broncos v Eels showdown at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, the excellent line-up on Sunday arvo including the Storm v Rabbitohs clash and the battle of the cats between the Tigers and Panthers in a Campbelltown Stadium thriller.

Make sure you also check out the SportsBet markets open on Monday night’s beauty between the precision-perfect Dragons and the determined Sea Eagles.

Read on for a preview of Round 23 including our Rugby League betting tips for the week.

Get a more detailed preview and all the latest betting odds at NRLleague.

Round 23 at a Glance:

Round 23 gets underway on Friday night with the Brisbane Broncos, who are being hailed as one of the genuine Premiership contenders, hosting the desperate looking Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium. Brisbane have lost their captain Darren Lockyer and the Eels must win this to stay in touch with the top eight, but as Parra have won just three of their past 11 at the old Lang Park, we think the young Broncos will rope in Hayne and co and Corey Norman will fill Lockyer’s boots nicely.

The other Friday night footy showdown has the bottom ranking Cronulla Sharks playing against the Sydney Roosters at Toyota Stadium. Having lost six on the trot and facing a the third team on the ladder, Cronulla look in trouble of a real thrashing by a Chooks seeking revenge for their Round 13 loss. The Roosters, despite being on a short turnaround after their gritty loss to the Dragons last week, should enjoy an easy win.

Saturday night the Gold Coast Titans play against their Sunshine State brothers, the North Queensland Cowboys at Skilled Park. With a top four, possibly even top two, finish in their sights the Gold Coast should outclass a Thurston-less Cowboys without too much worry.

Then down at ANZ Stadium the Canterbury Bulldogs face the Canberra Raiders. Canterbury’s season is done and dusted, but playing for pride alone can be a strong influence, just look at the Storm. Even so, with faint finals hopes still alive for Canberra the Raiders will have more points in them thanks to Dugan, Vidot and Campese.

Three super Sunday clashes will then take place. First across the Tasman the New Zealand Warriors host the Newcastle Knights at Mt Smart Stadium. New Zealand look the better team here but only just as the Knights have begun to fly over the past fortnight and it should be a high scoring blockbuster.

Next up on Sunday is the Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs game at AAMI Park. Melbourne are gearing up for a strong end to the season to farewell Inglis and White, but the Bunnies showed they are capable of miracles when they downed the Tigers in the 90^th minute last week. With a few of the many sidelined Souths set to return including Burgess and Champion the Rabbitohs could sneak in with another shock win here.

Sunday’s final game is another beauty as the Wests Tigers face fellow big cats, the Penrith Panthers. Penrith are still the number two team thanks to a lot of luck but need Coote to make it despite a groin injury to play their best. With Coote and some confidence, the Panthers should be able to beat the Tigers.

Finally on Monday night a not-to-miss clash between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Manly Sea Eagles will have the crowd at WIN Jubilee Stadium on their feet. St George are clinical and in control and even though Manly have raised the bar recently, they haven’t won at Kogarah in over a decade so stick with the favourites.

Rugby League Betting Round 23 Picks:

Match 1 –Broncos $1.75 SportsBet

Match 2 – Roosters $1.38 SportsBet

Match 3 – Titans $1.20 SportsBet

Match 4 – Raiders $2.08 SportsBet

Match 5 – Warriors $1.40 SportsBet

Match 6 – Rabbitohs $3.05 SportsBet

Match 7 – Panthers $1.83 SportsBet

Match 8 – Dragons $1.45 SportsBet

All odds are subject to change.

Underdog Rugby League Pick of the Week: We have put our money on two underdog teams this week and like the Raiders to beat the Bulldogs at $2.08 through SportsBet, while our best value tip is the Rabbitohs to perform another miracle and rise above a distracted Storm at juicy $3.05 odds through SportsBet.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League Betting enthusiasts!

With so many of our favourite teams for Round 23 at very short odds, we are looking at the exotic betting markets open at SportsBet to add some extra excitement and winnings to the weekend!

Exotic bets for this week worth a punt are:

- Brisbane to beat Parramatta by 7 – 12 points on Friday night at $6.50 through SportsBet

- Bill Tupou to score the Warriors first try on Sunday at $6 through SportsBet

2010 NRL Round 23 Match Calendar

With only five weeks left for teams to make the finals, now is the perfect time to get behind your favourites in the Sportsbet markets.

Some of the best games of the season are scheduled this round including the Manly v Melbourne showdown at Brookvale Oval on Saturday, these arch Grand Final rivals sure to bring their best to this battle.

There is also the top three thriller between the ladder-leading Dragons and the red-hot Roosters in an SCG Saturday smash not to be missed.

Below we give a quick rundown of who is playing who and their chances of coming away with the competition points in the eight NRL matches on this weekend.

For a more detailed preview, the latest betting odds and best footy tips check out NRLleague.

Round 22 at a Glance:

Queensland is the home of Friday night footy this week with all three Sunshine State teams playing.

First up the North Queensland Cowboys host the Brisbane Broncos at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Despite the home ground advantage and some courageous performances, the low ranking Cowboys don’t look to have the confidence or the points to outclass the boom young Broncos.

Then down at Skilled Park the Gold Coast Titans have a real chance of shutting down the finals hopes of the Parramatta Eels. The Titans have won twice in two weeks, their determination giving them the results, and while the Hayne Plane will do his best to get Parra off the tarmac, the home side should prevail.

Saturday has three top clashes, first and foremost the Manly v Melbourne blockbuster at Brookie. The Storm are still winning despite playing for nothing as they’ve proved over the last two weeks, but whether they can outmuscle the Sea Eagles this time is debateable.

Also worth a punt on is the Rabbitohs v Tigers match at ANZ Stadium. The weakened South Sydney outfit look very desperate and the Tigers definitely have more man power, but with this a ‘do or die’ for the Bunnies expect them to dig deep and possibly cause an upset.

The third Saturday clash has the struggling Cronulla Sharks ready to bring a season best performance against the New Zealand Warriors. New Zealand have dropped the ball over the past fortnight, but have plenty of points in them via the likes of Vatuvei and co. Should be close but even at Shark Park we think the Warriors will win.

Sunday features two massive games, first the Newcastle Knights are playing the Canterbury Bulldogs. This is a really tricky game to tip, both desperate for a top eight spot, both coming off wins and both scoring evenly this season. At home, Newcastle might just have the extra armour.

Second up on Sunday is the match of the round with the South Sydney Roosters and the St George Illawarra Dragons, both very real Minor Premiership chances, facing off at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Toss a coin and there’s your winner, in the meantime look at those exotic betting markets because this will be a beauty!

Finally on Monday night the Canberra Raiders are hosting the Penrith Panthers at Canberra Stadium. On paper the second ranked Panthers should easily win this one, but the 12^th ranked Green Machine have plenty of reasons to rise and collar the big cats. If Penrith stay calm they can travel and win, but again it will come down to the dying seconds.

Rugby League Betting Round 22 Picks:

Match 1 – Broncos $1.50 SportsBet

Match 2 – Titans $1.78 SportsBet

Match 3 – Sea Eagles $1.65 SportsBet

Match 4 – Rabbitohs $2.40 SportsBet

Match 5 – Warriors $1.70 SportsBet

Match 6 – Knights $1.91 SportsBet

Match 7 – Roosters $1.97 SportsBet

Match 8 – Panthers $1.91 SportsBet

All odds are subject to change.

Underdog Rugby League Pick of the Week: Our best value underdog pick for Round 22 is for the Rabbitohs to beat the Tigers on Saturday. With so many focusing on the players out for Souths, we think the talent they still have on the field is being dramatically underestimated and are happy to jump on their juicy $2.40 odds through SportsBet.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We are always happy to hear from other Rugby League Betting enthusiasts!

With so many excellent matches set to light up our screens this weekend we can’t wait to win some extra cash off the exotic betting markets open at SportsBet.

Exotic bets for this week worth a go are:

- Broncos to win by 1 – 6 points ahead of the Cowboys at $7 through SportsBet

- Kevin Gordon to score the Titans’ first try at $5.50 through SportsBet

- Shaun Kenny-Dowall to be the first tryscorer in the Roosters v Dragons match at $10 through SportsBet

2010 NRL Round 22 Match Calendar