NRL Round 24 Preview and Prediction - Brisbane Broncos v St. George Illawarra Dragons @ Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Broncos (2nd) v St. George Illawarra Dragons (9th) @ Suncorp Stadium
Preview - The Broncos will want to shore up 2nd spot on the ladder heading into the final couple of rounds, when they host a desperate Dragons’ side at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. The Broncos might just be the hottest team in the competition right now after they thumped the Sharks 30-12 last Friday night at home. The Broncos have scored over 120 points combined in their last 3 games, and are playing with great confidence and momentum at the right time of year. The Dragons kept their finals’ hopes alive with a 42-16 thrashing of a hapless Titans’ outfit at Kogarah. The Dragons remain one win outside of the Top 8, and would likely have to win at least 2 of their remaining 3 games to get back into the Top 8.
History - This contest has been as one sides as they come for a number of years now with Brisbane having won 11 of the last 12 and 13 of the last 15 games between the two sides. The Dragons have a dreadful l record at Suncorp having not beaten the Broncos there since 2009 season.
Brisbane Broncos’ Scouting Report - The Broncos are unchanged and are expected to continue their hooking shuffle of starting Sam Thaiday at 9, and moving Ben Hunt back to the bench. The Broncos have been in dazzling form in the past few weeks, with Darius Boyd and Anthony Milford getting back to the form they displayed pre-Origin.
St. George Illawarra Dragons’ Scouting Report - The Dragons have stuck with Kurt Mann after he was very impressive last week against the Titans, meaning there is no spot for Josh McCrone who is named on an extended interchange bench. Russell Packer is still not fit to return.
Verdict - Broncos by 6-14 in a high scoring game
Hard to see the Broncos getting stunned at home here, but I’m not expecting this to be another big win here. Actually I think the Dragons have been playing quite well the last month, they have just lacked concentration in key moments that have cost them a couple games. The Broncos are dynamic at the moment, so I can't see the Dragons living with them for 80 minutes, however they do often get a decent following of Saints’ fans up there at Suncorp. Now the Broncos are in 2nd spot they will be desperate to lock down that position, giving them a home game in Week 1 of the finals. I think the Dragons can make this a genuine contest for 60 minutes, then for the Broncos to pull away to win by a couple of tries.