The Second week of finals is in the books, and we are down to 4 teams. The Storm beat the Roosters in a close one filled with controversy, while the Warriors breezed past the Knights to end their 10-game winning streak. Now onto the Preliminary Finals, where the Panthers host the Storm, and the Broncos host the Warriors. Stay tuned as we take a deep dive and help you find value across both games!
NRL 2023 Preliminary Finals Round 3
Panthers vs Storm
Our first Preliminary Final sees the Panthers hosting the Storm. The Storm are coming off a very close win last week whereas the Panthers will be well rested after having a week off. The Panthers are the powerhouse team in the competition, winning 9 of their last 10, with most of these games not being at full strength. This week they welcome back Luai and Tago, both attacking weapons. The Storm welcome back Hughes this week who is essential if they want to compete but are still missing Coates due to an ankle issue.
Craig Bellamy’s Storm are historically one of the toughest teams to take down, especially in finals. However, this Penrith team is a class above the Storm this year, playing at home with a fully fit side for the first time in several weeks. I think Penrith cruise through this one and win quite comfortably.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
 | Panthers to win both halves | $1.95 |
 | Panthers -12.5 | $1.90 |
 | Brian To’o anytime try score | $1.91 |
Official Squads
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Jack Cogger 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Luke Garner
Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. Will Warbrick 3. Marion Seve 4. Justin Olam 5. Reimis Smith 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Eli Katoa 13. Josh King 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Tom Eisenhuth 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 17. Tariq Sims
Broncos vs Warriors
Our other Preliminary Final sees the Broncos hosting the Warriors. The Warriors are coming off a very impressive 40-10 win over the Knights, while the Broncos will be well rested after having the week off. Both sides are practically fully fit, running out with the same side each played in their last. While the Warriors cruised past the Knights, the Broncos will be an entirely new challenge. The Broncos have shown this year that they are a clear contender in the competition, alongside the Panthers. Their defence has been incredible, particularly of late, keeping the Storm scoreless in their last fixture.
For the Warriors, I expect this to be a completely different game to last week. Playing in New Zealand is one of the biggest home ground advantages in the competition and by the same logic, playing away is the most difficult for them. I think the fairytale run ends here for the Warriors.
| Bookmaker | Daniel’s Tip | Odds |
| Selwyn Cobbo anytime try scorer | $1.71 |
| Broncos to score first and win | $1.71 |
| Warriors under 14.5 | $1.95 |
Official Squads
Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Tom Flegler 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Brendan Piakura 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Keenan Palasia
Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Adam Pompey 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitch Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Marata Niukore 13. Tohu Harris 14. Dylan Walker 15. Jazz Tevaga 16. Bayley Sironen 17. Josh Curran
