With State of Origin over for another year the focus returns to the NRL finals race and who can challenge favourites Melbourne and Penrith over the remaining months of the competition.
When 12 teams relocated to Queensland, the Storm shortened from $2.60 into $2.40 Premiership favourites with the expectation they will still play home games in Melbourne while capitalising on their daunting away record in the Sunshine State.
However, Penrith ($3.50) remain the best backed team to win the Premiership despite losing favouritism with a couple of losses during the Origin period and injuries to star Halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.
Round 18 begins tomorrow night with a double-header on the Gold Coast, where the Titans ($2.45) are underdogs to the Eels ($1.53) at home and Manly ($1.20) are short priced favourites over the depleted Dragons ($4.40) even without Tom Trbojevic, who has been rested after Origin Three.
NRL Round 18
$2.45 Gold Coast
$1.53 Parramatta
$1.20 Manly
$4.40 St George Illawarra
$2.10 Canberra
$1.73 Cronulla
$3.30 North Queensland
$1.32 Roosters
$1.11 Melbourne
$6.25 Newcastle
$2.90 Warriors
$1.40 Penrith
$1.73 Brisbane
$2.10 Wests Tigers
$1.03 South Sydney
$11 Bulldogs
Premiership
$2.40 Storm (were $2.60)
$3.50 Penrith
$6.50 Souths
$10 Parra
$15 Manly
$17 Roosters
$34 Cronulla (were $41)
$51 Newcastle
$67 Gold Coast
$81 Canberra
Dragons
$151 Cowboys
$201 Warriors
Tigers
$751 Broncos
$1,001 Bulldogs
State of Origin 2022
$1.40 New South Wales
$3.00 Queensland
2022 Series Score
$2.75 NSW 3-0
$2.40 NSW 2-1
$13 Queensland 3-0
$3.50 Queensland 2-1
