The good oil for the Auckland Nines

 The NRL Nines is shaping up to be a fantastic spectacle and whether you'll be attending or spending the weekend on the couch with your chip and dip, the game is always that extra bit exciting when you've got some money on the line. Here's a couple of tips that I see as really good value for the sensible minded punter, as well as some high risk, high reward options for those looking to make a real splash this weekend.

Green Group Winner – Broncos $2.00 @ Centrebet

The Green group, featuring the Broncos, Eels, Roosters and Bulldogs looks to be a one horse race, but the Broncos are still being offered at good value. The Bulldogs and the Roosters are clearly not taking the competition very seriously with numerous big names missing from their 9s sides, Des Hasler hasn’t even made the trip to Auckland. The Eels were set to unleash new recruit Will Hopoate, but now he’s out with a groin injury and superstar Jarryd Hayne is nowhere to be seen. The Eels have most of their other players on board, but without Hopoate and Hayne that isn’t really saying much. It’s all hands on deck for the Broncos however, with representative players like Thaiday, Parker, Glenn and Hoffman all named, along with 2012 Dally M Player of the year Ben Barba.

Red Group – Panthers $1.95 @ Centrebet

The Red group, featuring the Panthers, Dragons, Rabbitohs and Storm is another pool with a couple of heavyweights who have opted to keep their big names at home with the likes of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, Isaac Luke and the Burgess brothers all nowhere to be seen. The Dragons side shows their intentions to give the competition a real crack with rep stars like Josh Dugan, Josh Morris and Trent Merrin all featuring, but they’ll be hard pressed to match the wealth of quick young players the Panthers are bringing to the table with the Naiqama’s, Josh Mansour and keep an eye out for George Jennings , brother of Michael “Jetboot” Jennings and Tyrone Peachey, nephew of Cronulla great David Peachey. For all the flak he caught last year, don’t be surprised to see Jamie Soward fit in very well in this format.

Tournament Winner Group – Blue $2.35 @ Centrebet

The “pool of death” in this tournament, the Blue group, consisting of the Titans, Knights, Sharks and Tigers make up 3 of the current top 5 favourites, and even their least respected team, the Tigers, sit as the 11^th favourite with the bookies, but a real smokey for many punters.  2.35 represents great value to hitch yourself to the wagon of all four of these teams, who have all named very strong outfits and are clearly coming to play. Remembering that two teams from each pool move on to the playoff stages, you’ll be equipped with two of these heavy favourites in that next round, which should place you in very good stead indeed.

Tournament Top Try Scorer – Ben Barba $11.00 @ Centrebet

Most remember Ben Barba’s 2013 for the off-field drama, the injuries, and ultimately his departure from the Bulldogs. What many forget was the beautiful display Barba put on to start the year, scoring three tries in the NRL All Star game, smiling all the way. Barba is a true showman who has shown numerous times his ability to elevate his game for the big occasions and the 9s festival should be just the ticket for the man known as the X-Factor to put on an incredible show. At his best, he’s impossible to wrap up for 13 man defences, so if he’s on his game, 9 defenders don’t have a chance. The Broncos will likely have few problems escaping the pool stages, ensuring you get the opportunity for tries further into the tournament also.

Tournament Winner – Titans $8.00 @ Centrebet

I’m very high on the Titans for this upcoming NRL season, and I’m even higher on them in this form of the game. In David Mead and Kevin Gordon, the Titans have possibly the fastest pair of players in the NRL, and players like Brad Tighe and Will Zillman are no slouches either. Big Dave Taylor often takes three blokes to bring down on his own and has the skill of a five-eighth, he’s going to be an incredible handful for a team of 9 to contain and Greg Bird is one of the most dynamic forwards on the scene who can fill any role. Albert Kelly showed to the world in 2013 that he’s put his past issues behind him and is ready to capitalise on his incredible skill set, and those skills along with his great pace should transfer to the 9s perfectly. Speed is going to count for a lot in this tournament and the Titans have it in spades, along with great forwards who should be able to acclimatise well to the 9s environment, and a half capable of completely dominating the tournament, the Titans on paper really have it all.