Newcastle Knights vs Brisbane Broncos
18th June 1050hrs
Rugby League – Australia – NRL
Pick Knights -8 Handicap
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 11/10 odds taken 21:17 GMT, Tuesday 26th May
The Knights had their first bitter taste of defeat this season with a loss against the Melbourne Storm last weekend. That was a little bit of an upset, but they still put in a big shift.
The Brisbane Broncos also dug into their character in defeat. They were up against the Manly Sea Eagles and although they came up short again, a narrow loss eased some pains of their previous week’s thrashing by the Roosters.
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Knights march on with another win
So last weekend the unbeaten record this season of the Newcastle Knights went. They couldn’t do enough in their game to overhaul a spirited Melbourne Storm in a high-profile clash.
However, after being down so heavily, they fought back brilliantly in the second half, threatening to steal the thunder from the Storm’s performance. The Knights fell short but there was some big character shown.
It is a W3 D1 L1 record that the Knights have secured this season and they have tallied 122 points across the first five fixtures of this campaign. Only three clubs have managed to produce more than that.
Something not going in their favour is their defensive record. The Newcastle Knights have the worst defensive record in the current top seven.
But their attacking prowess is compensating for that at the moment. They have both Bradman Best and Edrick Lee as joint top-try scorers this season with five each.
The Knights won both games against the Brisbane Broncos last season. That bucked a big losing streak that they were on against them. That was six straight losses that they had had against the Broncos previously.
There’s not too much happening in the team selection this week for the Knights. They get Lachlan Fitzgibbon back into the second row. That’s about it so far.
The average winning margin for the Knights this season is 18 points.
Broncos walking into tough territory
This fixture at the Central Coast Stadium is not going to be an easy affair for the Broncos. They narrowly lost out to the Sea Eagles at the same venue last weekend, going down 20-18.
That is now a three-match losing streak that they find themselves on in the Premiership, the loss against Manly following heady defeats against the Eels and the Roosters.
In their last three matches, the Broncos have only managed a total of 24 points in matches, so they are falling a long way short in the attacking department at the moment.
But their effort against Manley was better, to be fair.
The stop-start season for star Kotoni Staggs continues, as he is back out of the side with a hamstring problem. There have been a couple of changes in the second row for the Broncos.
Hooker Issac Luke is likely to see his first action for the club as he was in training with the main squad this week. The youngster will likely get a shot for the bench in the match.
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In none of their last three Premiership games have the Broncos managed to score in the second half of fixtures.
Their losses this season have been by a whopping average of 29.7, those numbers inflated by their recent 59-0 loss against the Roosters.
Sitting on an overall W1 L4 record this season in the division, the Broncos need a lift. This, however, continues a tough sequence of matches that they have found themselves on.
Newcastle Knights vs Brisbane Broncos Betting Advice
The Broncos couldn’t find enough in the second half last weekend to edge past the Sea Eagles. Considering the Sea Eagles are the lowest scoring side in the top 10, that’s a concern for Brisbane.
The Knights have been powerful in attack this season and they are the value pick to get the win on the board.
In the handicap market, the Knights at -9 for 11/10 does offer a tempter* (betting odds taken from Bet365 at 20:30 GMT on Tuesday, June 16th 2020).
Key Facts – Newcastle Knights vs Brisbane Broncos Betting Tip
- Newcastle Knights have won the last two against the Broncos
- Newcastle Knights had their unbeaten record snapped last weekend
- Brisbane Broncos have lost 4 of 5 matches this season
Even though the Knights had that blip last weekend, the way that they rallied themselves to threaten a comeback victory was impressive. They have character, fight and a scoring threat that the Broncos don’t.
The best betting odds for Newcastle Knights vs Brisbane Broncos
Newcastle Knights to win: 11/25 at Bet365
Draw: 22/1 at Bet365
Brisbane Broncos: 9/5 at Bet365
