Rugby League Betting

Reviewed By Dean Ryan

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A passionate sports betting and casino expert with over 15 years spent in the gambling industry.

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Last Updated: 9 Jan 2024

Rugby League is a thrilling international sport and gets a lot of attention at the bookmakers, especially during the Super League and Rugby League World Cup. The game is played across the world but is particularly popular in Northern England, Australia, New Zealand and southwest France.

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Rugby Betting: Wallabies Next Game, Latest Odds and Analysis

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1 year ago

How we Choose the Best Bookmakers for Betting on the NRL

In order to get the best NRL odds, you need to find the rugby league bookmaker to take your bet. These days, with so many NRL betting sites offering markets, it can be extremely difficult to find NRL betting odds from bookies you can trust.

Thankfully, we've done all the hard work for you so you can take the guesswork out of finding the best NRL odds. Below we've compiled a list of important things you should consider before signing up to an online bookmaker.

License and Regulation

All the bookmakers that we recommend are licensed to operate within Australia, so you know when you're betting on the best NRL odds with a bookie we've recommended you can wager with confidence.

Signup Process

Finding an online bookmaker that has a quick and easy signup process is an important factor when choosing a bookie. All the bookmakers we recommend allow new punters to get through the process quickly so they can get wagering as soon as possible.

Industry reputation

Finding bookmakers you can trust is one of the hardest things to do if you're not acutely aware of how the online bookmaking world works. Finding betting sites you can trust isn't easy, but our team of experts has put in the hard work to find the bookies with the best industry reputations so you know you can bet with confidence.

Security

Knowing the money you deposit, and more importantly, the winnings you generate from our rugby league tips is important to all punters. Any bookmaker we recommend to our readers needs to have a comprehensive security system in place to protect its players so you know whenever you see a bookie on our website, you can trust them with your cash.

Odds and pricing

Getting the best rugby league betting odds is important so you maximise your punting dollar. Every bookie we recommend here clearly displays their NRL betting odds on their site so you can make an informed decision before you put down any wagers.

Reliable Promotions

All the bookmakers we recommend that offer NRL betting odds also offer promotions throughout the entire footy season. Check with your preferred NRL bookmaker to see what offers are available.

Customer Service

Got a problem with your account that you need fixed as soon as possible? While some bookmakers don't put a great emphasis on customer service, the comprehensive reviews that we have conducted on our recommended online bookmakers contain detailed analysis on the level of customer service each one possesses, so you can make an informed decision before you sign up.

Welcome offers

Unfortunately, due to Australian government regulations, it is legal for online bookmakers to offer sign up inducements and bonus bet offers for new customers. If the sign-up bonus law in Australia changes at any point, we will update this page.

Meet our Expert Team of Reviewers

Our team has spent years not just reviewing online bookmakers, but using them too. When we put together our comprehensive reviews on online bookmakers you can trust, we're not just speaking as an objective reviewer, we're talking about the issues that impact us.

So when you see a bookmaker review, an article NRL betting odds or anything on our site, you can confidently read it and follow the advice not just because we're experts, but because we live and breathe it just like you.

The Best NRL Betting Markets

Given rugby league is one of the most popular football codes in Australia, it stands to reason that any bookmaker worth their salt will offer a number of NRL odds on a wide range of markets.

Before we show you how to find value in NRL betting, let's run through the main rugby league betting markets that you'll encounter once you decide to invest your cash.

Head to Head Betting

Head to head NRL betting is the simplest wager you can put on rugby league. All you have to do is find the best NRL odds then place your money on the team you think will win the game. That's it.

Line Betting

Line betting on rugby league if very similar to a head to head wager, except you are getting better NRL odds on your investment. With a line bet, you pick the team you want to win, but there's a certain margin your team has to overcome for your bet to be successful. For instance, if you bet on the Melbourne Storm against St George and the line is set at -13.5 for Melbourne, that means the Storm has to win by at least 14 points for your bet to win.

Conversely, if you wager on St George in the same match, the line is +13.5, which means that if the Dragons win or lose by under 13 points, your NRL bet is a winner.

First Try Scorer

The first try scorer bet of the more popular NRL bets in all of sports. The first try scorer bet can be placed on an individual to score the first try of the game, the first for their specific team, or as a team vs. team bet, meaning you back a certain team to score the first try.

Another different type of first try scorer bet that bookmakers offer is head to head first try scorer markets. This is where the bookie will offer NRL odds on two players and it is your job to wager on who will be the first player of the two to cross the try line first.

Margin Betting

Margin betting in the NRL is a simple process, it's a matter of picking the NRL odds that you think best suit the wager you want to put on and go from there. An NRL bet on the margin can be done as a specific bet on the exact margin of victory, or it can be done as a line bet, or a margin bet with a wider range. The exact margin NRL bet pays more because it's harder to land, while a margin range bet can differ from a 1-12 point margin, or a smaller range like 12-16.

NRL Betting Overview

After one of the most difficult seasons in NRL history, the new competition enters 2021 with plenty of intrigue surrounding it. The Melbourne Storm come into the new season as reigning premiers after winning last year's NRL Grand Final, but will be without club stalwart Cameron Smith for the first time in two decades.

The team that Melbourne beat in last year's NRL Grand Final, the Penrith Panthers are the shortest in the NRL premiership odds market entering the new season. The Panthers sit just ahead of South Sydney, the Sydney Roosters and finally the Melbourne Storm round out the single-figure chances.

J.J. Giltinan Shield, the minor premiership is also a big NRL betting market for Australian punters. Much like the NRL Grand Final betting market, the Penrith Panthers sit at the top of the tree just ahead of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Roosters and Storm.

It is important to note for punters looking to wager on the minor premiership and NRL Grand Final winner double that only three times in the past eight years has the team that finished on top of the ladder at the conclusion of the regular season gone on to secure the NRL Grand Final win.

Other Rugby League Events to Bet on

Outside the NRL Grand Final betting markets, there are plenty of other rugby league betting options for punters. Whether it's the annual State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales or the Rugby League World Cup, there's seldom a shortage of league to wager upon.

State of Origin

Few things generate as much passion in Australian sport outside of State of Origin. An annual event played between New South Wales and Queensland, State of Origin sees the best players from the NRL line up for their respective states in an all-out slugfest to determine who the superior state is. It's dubbed "state vs state and mate vs mate" for a reason, these guys put it all on the line for the jersey and it's plenty of fun for those NRL betting fanatics who want to look beyond the regular season.

Rugby League World Cup

Contested every four years, the Rugby League World Cup sees the best countries in the world ducking it out for sporting supremacy. While there's plenty of countries that take part in the Rugby League World Cup which gives punters wanting to place bets on their favourite NRL players, it usually comes down to Australia, New Zealand and England to determine the world cup winner.

Super League

The Super League is the Northern Hemisphere's premier rugby league tournament. With the majority of the teams from England and one from France, it is not quite as strong as the NRL, but there are still plenty of quality exports from the Super League that have made a huge impact in Australia. In recent years the Burgess brothers and James Graham have made a name for themselves in the NRL after starting in England while superstar players such as Greg Inglis have ended their careers in the competition after long and successful stints down under.

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is the world's top rugby league knockout competition. Played across seven countries, the Challenge Cup has teams ranging from the professional level all the way down to amateur level. England teams have dominated the Challenge Cup since its inception, with Wigan (19 titles) and Leeds (14 titles) at the top of the list.

A Guide to the NRL Teams

The NRL competition currently is comprised of 16 teams, 15 of which are from Australia and one from New Zealand.

Below you can find the full list of NRL teams, their home stadium, the current club captain and how many NRL Grand Final wins they have entering the 2021 season.

Please note, we are only counting the NRL era in terms of titles, which began in 1998.

• · Brisbane Broncos - Suncorp Stadium - Alex Glenn - 3 titles

• · Canberra Raiders - GIO Stadium - Jarrod Croker/Josh Hodgson - No titles

• · Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs - Belmore Oval/ANZ Stadium - Josh Jackson - 1 title

• · Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks - Jubilee Stadium - Wade Graham - 1 title

• · Gold Coast Titans - Cbus Super Stadium - Kevin Proctor/Jamal Fogerty - No titles

• · Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles - Lottoland - Daly Cherry-Evans - 2 titles

• · Melbourne Storm - AAMI Park - Dale Finucane/Jesse Bromwich - 4 titles

• · Newcastle Knights - McDonald Jones Stadium - Daniel Saifiti/Jayden Brailey - 1 title

• · New Zealand Warriors - Mt Smart Stadium - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - No titles

• · North Queensland Cowboys - 1300SMILES Stadium - Michael Morgan - 1 title

• · Parramatta Eels - ANZ Stadium - Clint Gutherson - No titles

• · Penrith Panthers - Panthers Stadium - Nathan Cleary/Isaah Yeo - 1 title

• · St George Illawarra Dragons - Jubilee Oval/WIN Stadium - Ben Hunt - 1 title

• · South Sydney Rabbitohs - ANZ Stadium - Adam Reynolds - 1 title

• · Sydney Roosters - Sydney Cricket Ground - Jake Friend/Boyd Cordner - 4 titles

• · Wests Tigers - Campbelltown Stadium/Leichhardt Oval - James Tamou - No titles

Betting on Rugby League's Individual Awards

The NRL has a number of individual awards that bookmakers will offer NRL odds upon. The most popular of which is the league's best and fairest medal, the Dally M, but there are several other awards that punters can invest their money on.

Dally M Medal

The Dally M Medal is awarded to the player judged to be the best and fairest player of the NRL regular season. Punters can place their NRL bets on the Dally M all throughout the year and right up until the night of the medal count, which is conducted at the conclusion of the regular season.

Clive Churchill Medal

The Clive Churchill Medal is awarded to the player judged to be the man of the match in the NRL Grand Final. Punters can wager on this award all throughout the season and will get better NRL betting odds on this while more teams are eligible to make the NRL Grand Final. Once the finals come around and more teams are eliminated from contention, however, the odds shorten significantly.

Wally Lewis Medal

The Wally Lewis Medal is awarded to the player judged to be the man of the series throughout State of Origin. Originally only awarded to the best Queensland player of the series, in 2004 the Queensland award was changed to the Ron McAuliffe Medal, meaning the Wally Lewis Medal could be awarded to the best player of Origin. To be eligible for the award a player must have played at least two matches.

Recent Winners of the NRL

Below we've listed the rugby league grand final winners, the final score and the team they defeated in the decider.