NRL 2025 Preliminary Finals – Betting Tips, Odds & Predictions

It’s the Preliminary Finals, and both the Raiders and Bulldogs couldn’t get the job done last time out, with their seasons now over. To kick things off, we have the Storm up against the Sharks, and the final game sees the Broncos clash with the Panthers. 

The finals series is just about to reach its crescendo, so let’s get stuck into some 2025 NRL predictions for all the action!

The Sharks have certainly surprised a few by making it this far into the finals, myself included. I didn’t think they could beat the Raiders in Canberra, but I was clearly wrong. They now face off against the Storm in Melbourne. When it comes to the finals, the Storm are like a well-oiled machine, so the Sharks might find this one a little more difficult, especially since the Storm have been putting their feet up since their win in Week 1 of the finals.

The Storm could be even more dangerous as the likes of Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes could return to the fold. For the Sharks, they will be without Tom Hazelton, who suffered a concussion in their last game. The two teams have split their last two games, with the Storm winning 30-6 in Round 17 and the Sharks winning 31-26 in Round 11. With the Storm playing at home and a couple of key players returning, I have to go with the Storm.

Bookmaker	Katherine’s Tip	Odds
	Storm to win	$1.40
	Storm to win	$1.40
	Storm to win	$1.40

Predicted Squads

Melbourne Storm - Ryan Papenhuyzen, Will Warbrick, Jack Howarth, Nick Meaney, Xavier Coates, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Stefano Utoikamanu, Harry Grant, Josh King, Joe Chan, Eli Katoa, Trent Loiero, Tyran Wishart, Alec MacDonald, Tui Kamakimica & Ativalu Lisati

Cronulla Sharks - William Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien, KL Iro, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, Addin Fonua-Blake, Blayke Brailey, Toby Rudolf, Billy Burns, Teig Wilton, Jesse Colquhoun, Briton Nikora, Siosifa Talakai, Oregon Kaufusi & Braden Hamlin-Uele

A lot is happening this round, but here are the key factors that will most likely impact your bets:

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes both look set to return for this game against the Sharks, which is a massive boost to an already stellar lineup.
2. The Storm have won 76% of their games at AAMI Park; meanwhile, the Sharks have won just 18%.
3. The Broncos won in Week 1 of the finals in the game of the season, and now they look set to welcome back several key players (Selwyn Cobbo, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds and Xavier Willison).

Multi of the Week

My multi of the week comes across the two Preliminary Finals games:

In the second game of the round, we are treated to a rematch of the 2023 Grand Final as the Panthers travel to Brisbane to face off against the Broncos. The Broncos got that amazing win over the Raiders in Canberra in Week 1 of the finals, and now they look set to welcome back a host of players. The likes of Selwyn Cobbo, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds and Xavier Willison could all return for this one. Patrick Carrigan is out, though, due to suspension.

The Broncos and Panthers played each other just once this season, back in Round 9, when the Panthers won 32-8. Watching the Panthers throughout the finals, they look like an in-form team that has won the Premiership four times in a row. The Broncos have flair, and that could upset the Panthers. I want to be brave and tip the Broncos outright for the win, but I’m going to play it safe and take the Broncos to cover the spread instead. I think it will be a close one either way.

Bookmaker	Katherine’s Tip	Odds
	Broncos +2.5	$1.95
	Broncos +2.5	$1.80
	Broncos +1.5	$2.00

Predicted Squads

Brisbane Broncos - Reece Walsh, Josiah Karapani, Kotoni Staggs, Gehamat Shibasaki, Deine Mariner, Ben Hunt, Adam Reynolds, Corey Jensen, Cory Paix, Payne Haas, Brendan Piakura, Jordan Riki, Tyson Smoothy, Ezra Mam, Kobe Hetherington, Ben Talty & Xavier Willison

Penrith Panthers - Dylan Edwards, Paul Alamoti, Izack Tago, Casey McLean, Brian To'o, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, Lindsay Smith, Scott Sorensen, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo, Brad Schneider, Liam Henry, Isaiah Papali'i & Luke Garner

Just three games remain in the 2025 NRL season. As we did during the regular season, our NRL betting tips have you sorted for the finals. The BettingTop10 NZ team will provide tips for each and every game during the finals, so make sure you check back with us every week. 

On top of this, we review all the best betting sites NZ, so if you’re looking for NRL betting sites, new betting sites, or more, we’ve got you covered. Our reviews are as comprehensive as they come, taking a deep dive into top betting apps, the free bets available, and we even cover online casinos as well.