NRL Round 22 schedule, odds, title betting — Storm bid for 17th consecutive win

NRL Round 22 start on Thursday, August 12, with ladder leaders Melbourne facing Canberra with the Storm seeking a 17th consecutive win.

As if the task in front of the Raiders, who are engaged in a dogfight for seventh or eighth place, was not tough enough, the Storm are likely to regain star forwards Felise Kaufusi (suspension) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (hamstring).

Bookmakers have made the Storm unbackable favourites at around $1.07 but it should not be forgotten they are coming off a short break after their bruising win against Manly last Saturday.

On Friday night, the big question about the early match between the Panthers and Dragons is whether the Panthers’ star halfback Nathan Cleary will make his long-awaited return from a serious shoulder injury.

Penrith got past the Roosters at the weekend without him and he seems unlikely to return for a match where Australian bookies rate the Panthers as short as $1.15 to all but kill off the Dragons’ season.

The Roosters must do without NSW State of Origin second-rower Angus Crichton for the next three matches after he took an early guilty plea on a crusher tackle charge in the match from the match against Penrith.

The Roosters face the Broncos in the second match on Friday night and will be anxious to gain revenge for the surprise defeat the Broncos inflicted on them in round 11.

On Saturday, we should see the two matches of the round as the third-placed South Sydney face the seventh-placed Titans, while later that evening the red-hot Manly face the fading Parramatta from 7.30pm.

The latter match is particularly important with Manly in sixth place and the Eels still clinging on to fourth.

On recent form it’s hard to see the Eels winning.

They have been dealt another blow with workhorse hooker Reed Mahoney ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

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NRL Premiership odds before Round 22

The Storm collected a 16th straight win when they defeated Manly at the weekend but the Sea Eagles pushed them all the way, and in title betting the Storm eased slight from $2.10 to $2.25 with Topsport.

Their nearest challengers the Panthers formed up again from $4.10 into $3.85 after a solid if unspectacular win against the Roosters, while Souths stayed put at $6.50.

But Manly continue to firm and moved from $11 into $9.25 despite losing to the red-hot title favourites the Storm.

The Sea Eagles fought doggedly and showed they have a roster capable of matching it with the big three, provided they can hit the finals without any major injuries.

Elsewhere, the injury riddled Roosters were $14 to $18, and bookies are prepared to discount the Eels’ chances as they moved from $21 to $34 and in desperate need of a win this week to revive their flailing season.

NRL title odds 2021

$2.25 Melbourne Storm
$3.85 Penrith Panthers
$6.50 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$9.25 Manly Sea Eagles
$18 Sydney Roosters
$34 Parramatta Eels
$61 Newcastle Knights
$71 Gold Coast Titans, Canberra Raiders
$126 Cronulla Sharks
$501  St George Illawarra Dragons, New Zealand Warriors, Wests Tigers
$1001 Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Check out all the latest odds at TopSport!

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NRL Round 22 fixture, odds and times

Thursday, August 12 

• 7.50pm: Melbourne Storm  $1.07 v Canberra Raiders  $8.50

Friday,  August 13 

• 6pm: St George Illawarra Dragons  $5.75 v Penrith Panthers  $1.15
• 7.55pm: Brisbane Broncos $5 v Sydney Roosters $1.18

Saturday, August 14

• 3pm: South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.18 v  Gold Coast Titans $5
• 5.30pm: North Queensland Cowboys $2.10 v Wests Tigers $1.73
• 7.35pm: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles  $1.22 v Parramatta Eels $4.25

Sunday, August 15

• 2pm: New Zealand Warriors $1.30 v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs  $3.50
• 4.05pm:  Cronulla Sutherland Sharks $2.75 v Newcastle Knights $1.46

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