NRL round 17: Broncos v Roosters betting tips
The Broncos must win their Friday night clash against the unpredictable Roosters or they can pretty much book the early bird specials for their holidays for September and October.
Brisbane, amazingly the defending premiers, are languishing in 14th spot and a loss against the Roosters at home would leave them among the tailenders with a run of games looming against top-eight contenders Sharks, Panthers, Cowboys, Knights, Dolphins and Warriors. Lose this one against the Roosters and their season could turn even uglier very quickly, which is saying something considering they are sitting on six consecutive losses.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire could point to a terrible run of injuries to key players, and to be fair has not sought excuses. But the fact the Broncos are conceding almost 28 points a game on average is an indictment on their defensive attitude.
Bookies give them an outside chance of turning it around against the Roosters, with Australian betting sites offering around $2.65 for a Broncos win, with the line set at 7.5 points.
Broncos v Roosters team news
Broncos: Usually after an Origin clash Brisbane can count on an influx of stars to give them an instant lift, but this time there outs are almost as consequential as their gains. Veteran halfback Adam Reynolds (hamstring) and dynamic playmaker Ezra Mam (shoulder) have been ruled out and the timeline for their return is not clear. They do get a massive boost to the pack with incredible workhorse Payne Haas back from NSW Origin duty. NSW centre Kotoni Staggs is back too, hoping to rebound quickly from his poor display in Origin 2. Reece Walsh did not get his jumper dirty in Origin for Queensland, but looms as a trump card for the Maroons in the decider and will also add spark to a moribund Broncos attack.
Roosters: The Roosters’ Origin stars all backed up in their impressive win against the Sharks last Sunday, so they will go into this clash at not too far from full strength. They regain centre Hugo Savala (concussion), and his inclusion means Billy Smith moves to the wing and Tommy Talau to the pine. James Tedesco (broken nose) is expected to the play.
Dolphins the big movers in NRL title betting
Redcliffe Dolphins are riding a seven-match winning streak and the bookies have not missed it. The Dolphins have dived all the way into $9 to lift the NRL title and are on the third line of betting alongside the Roosters, behind only the Panthers and Warriors in the market.
It’s been a stunning rise and is a sharp reminder that in the NRL teams can turns things around in such a long and demanding season.
Heading into round 9, Kristian Woolf’s were all the way out to $67 to win the title, but astute punters might have seen enough even then to have a small wager. The Dolphins were coming off a 23-22 loss to the mighty Panthers in Darwin and a 20-18 reversal in Wellington against the Warriors. The Panthers and Wahs are sitting atop the ladder, while Redcliffe have not lost a game since then and have stormed to third place on the table.
Bookies, meanwhile, have pretty much narrowed down the serious chances to nine teams, which are $21 and under, and the list does not include the defending premiers Broncos, who are all the way out to $41 and their season is on life support.
Read on for our Broncos v Roosters tips and winner prediction for their round-17 NRL clash.
Broncos v Roosters match information
- Kick-off: 8pm AEDT, Friday, June 26
- Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- Head to head odds: Broncos $2.65, Roosters $1.50
- Line betting: Broncos (+7.5 points) $1.90, Roosters (-7.5 points) $1.90
- Match total: 49.5 points: over $1.90, under $1.90
2026 NRL premiership betting
$2.50 Penrith Panthers
$8.50 New Zealand Warriors
$9 Sydney Roosters, Redcliffe Dolphins
$13 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$15 Manly Sea Eagles
$19 Melbourne Storm
$21 Cronulla Sharks, Newcastle Knights
$41 Brisbane Broncos
$51 North Queensland Cowboys,
$81 Wests Tigers, Canterbury Bulldogs
$251 Canberra Raiders
$301 Parramatta Eels
$751 Gold Coast Titans
$5001 St George Illawarra Dragons
Broncos v Roosters betting tips
The Roosters have won four of the past five clashes between these two sides, with their four wins coming by an average of 14 points. Also, the Broncos can’t lean on a dominant home record as they have not beaten the Roosters at Suncorp Stadium since 2019.
We are certain the Broncos will aim up for this one as they fight to keep their season alive, but the Roosters just have too much firepower with the likes of Robert Toia and Mark Nawaqanitawase carving up teams out wide. The Broncos’ best hope is to rediscover their defensive mojo and hope the home crowd can will them over the line late. Their 2026 NRL season has not really even gotten started for the Broncs, but it could come to a pretty rapid end here.
Roosters by 8 points.
- Roosters to win/match total under 49.5 points at $3 with Australian betting sites.
- Mark Nawaqanitawase to score 2 tries plus at $2.55. This guy just never misses out.
NRL round 17, 2026
- Thursday, June 25: Eels v Rabbitohs, CommBank Stadium, Sydney | 7.50pm
- Friday, June 26: Titans v Bulldogs, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | 6pm
Broncos v Roosters, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 8pm - Saturday, June 27: Dolphins v Warriors, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 3pm
Cowboys v Panthers, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | 5.30pm
Sea Eagles v Storm, 4 Pines Park, Sydney | 7.35pm - Sunday, June 28: Raiders v Dragons, GIO Stadium, Canberra | 2pm
Knights v Wests Tigers, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | 4.05pm
* Sharks have the bye
