NRL Round 6 odds and schedule; Storm-Roosters classic looms

Round six of the 2021 NRL season kicks off on Thursday, April 15, with struggling Brisbane Broncos hosting the high-flying Penrith Panthers. Our NRL betting expert has examined the odds highlighting what NRL action is on for the week ahead. 

The Broncos-Panthers opener looks a huge mismatch, with the Panthers, the only unbeaten team left, sitting on top of the ladder and the Broncos sitting 12th with one win from five matches.

---

More: NRL betting guide
NRL match betting previews and tips

---

Bookmakers have posted Brisbane as $11 outsiders with Penrith at $1.04 and it is doubtful the Broncos have ever been at such long odds in a head-to-head betting market for a match their home ground. Still, they are conceding more than 25 points per game on average; the Panthers are conceding just 5.2 points per game!

The clear match of the round is on Friday night when Melbourne Storm host the Sydney Roosters at AAMI Park.

The bookies have made the Storm hot favourites at around the $1.36 mark against the Roosters, who face their biggest test since losing key playmaker Luke Keary to a season-ending knee injury.

Young ace Sam Walker was brilliant in the No.7 jersey for the Roosters at the weekend in the win over the Sharks, but the Storm at home offer another challenge altogether. It will be fascinating to see how he and halves partner Drew Hutchison handle the big occasion.

The Roosters also have a hooker crisis, with incumbent Freddy Lussick suffering an arm injury in round six and in severe doubt, while co-captain Jake Friend announced his retirement last week after a series of head knocks. Friend’s heir apparent Sam Verrills has had a setback from his knee reconstruction and is at least a month away from playing.

Canberra ($1.64) v Parramatta ($2.25) on Saturday night is the pick of the Super Saturday matches, with the Eels coming off their first loss for the season on Sunday against the St George Illawarra Dragons.

The Raiders lost a tough clash against the Panthers, and have doubts over fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (head knock) and dynamic hooker Josh Hodgson (hip).

St George Illawarra have announced themselves as big improvers in 2021 and they enter the earlier match on Sunday against the New Zealand Warriors as hot favourites.

NRL round six ends with a battle between wooden spoon candidates the Cowboys and Bulldogs at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.

---

NRL Premiership odds before Round 6

Penrith kept their stranglehold on premiership betting with another rock-solid display and are rated at $3.70 to lift the 2021 NRL title with leading Aussie bookies TopSport.

Canberra and Parramatta both eased from $9 to $10 after weekend defeats, while the bookies have wound in the rapidly improving Gold Coast Titans from $21 to $17, and there has also been some interest in St George Illawarra.

The Dragons were impressive in inflicting the first defeat of the season on the Eels and were in from $41 to $26.

Meanwhile, the NZ Warriors ($26 to $51) and Knights ($34 to $67) were headed in the other direction in title betting markets.

It’s a huge fall from grace for the injury-hit Knights, who performed so well in 2020 but have yet to capture the same momentum this season.

NRL title odds 2021

$3.70 Penrith Panthers
$4.50 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$6 Melbourne Storm
$8 Sydney Roosters
$10 Canberra Raiders, Parramatta Eels
$17 Gold Coast Titans
$26 St George Illawarra Dragons
$34 Cronulla Sharks
$51 New Zealand Warriors
$67 Newcastle Knights
$81 Manly Sea Eagles
$101 Wests Tigers
$201 North Queensland Cowboys
$251 Brisbane Broncos
$501 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

---

NRL Round 6 fixture, odds and times

Thursday, April 15

7:50pm: Brisbane Broncos $11 v Penrith Panthers $1.04

Friday, April 16

• 6pm: Newcastle Knights $2.55 v Cronulla Sharks $1.50
• 7:55pm: Melbourne Storm $1.36 v Sydney Roosters $3.10

Saturday, April 17

• 3pm: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles $2.55 v Gold Coast Titans $1.48
• 5.30pm South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.10 v Wests Tigers $6.75
• 7:35pm: Canberra Raiders $1.64 v Parramatta Eels $2.25

Sunday, April 18

• 2pm St George Illawarra Dragons $1.58 v New Zealand Warriors $2.35
• 4:05pm: North Queensland Cowboys $1.48 v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs $2.65

Relevant news