NRL SuperCoach weather report Round 5, 2019

Round 5 of the NRL is here, and while the Weather Gods were pretty kind to us last week, it looks like we might be getting our first game of the season with an absolutely perfect weather forecast!

Round 5 of the NRL is here, and while the Weather Gods were pretty kind to us last week, it looks like we might be getting our first game of the season with an absolutely perfect weather forecast!

Interesting to note that the first four games of the round will be in Queensland, where the weather is not looking so great, before we move to NSW and some glorious sunshine.

The wet weather can have a huge impact on an NRL game and SuperCoach points as a result. Thankfully the weather report is here to help SuperCoaches prepare for the weekend ahead, to re-think their captaincy and bench choices to get their highest possible score. Now, let’s see what the weather gods have in store for us in Round 5.

Wilson Smith is our SuperCoach weatherman.

Broncos vs Wests Tigers

Date and time: Thursday 4th April 7:50pm AEDT

Location: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Conditions: 21 degrees, with a low chance of rain.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

Hmm another Thursday game in Brisbane? I’m starting to notice a trend here … There is a low chance for rain in this game, but conditions should be fine during play, with the Broncos desperate for a win. Both sides have been struggling to score points in recent weeks, so I’d probably avoid players in this matchup if possible, but Corey Oates and Robbie Farah could be decent VC options.

Winner Prediction:

On paper the Bronocs should get up here, but they have been seriously underperforming recently. Given it’s at home I’m still going to have to back them, but it will be close. Broncos by 2 points.

Titans vs Panthers

Date and time: Friday 5th April 6pm AEDT

Location: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast

Conditions: Partly Cloudy. 21 degrees, with a high chance of showers during the day, but a low chance of rain during play.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

Rain is expected on the Gold Coast in the morning but it should clear up during the game, but despite this, it’s very hard to give the Titans a chance here. Jai Arrow should be forced to make plenty of tackles and is probably the only good VC options for the Tigers, while Nathan Cleary, or a Panthers outside back like Josh Mansour could be interesting picks, albeit risky.

Winner prediction:

Regardless of the conditions here, I expect Panthers to knock the Titans out of the park, with their attack finally kicking into gear. Panthers by 16.

Cowboys vs Storm

Date and time: Friday 5th April 7:55pm AEDT

Location: 1300SMILES Stadium

Conditions: Partly cloudy. 25 degrees but 76% humidity, with a low chance of rain during the game.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

Yet another Queensland game on a Friday, and it’s going to be a hot, humid state of affairs. While the skies should stay clear, players will be sweaty and could tire easier in the humidity, which I think could really open this game up for the outside backs. While the Cowboys are more used to these kinds of conditions, I think the flow of the game will suit Storm more if they can hold on defensively.

Winner prediction:

Despite the Cowboys defence currently being the worst in the NRL, I think this matchup could be closer than some people expect. Storm by 8 points.

Rabbitohs vs Warriors

Date and time: Saturday 6th April 3pm AEDT

Location: Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast

Conditions: Cloudy. 23 degrees, with a strong chance of showers in the morning that should clear up by kickoff.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

While this game doesn’t feature a Queensland team it will still be played there, and the mixed weather in the ‘Sunshine state’ looks set to continue. This is the first NRL game to be held at the ground, and while rains should clear during the game, the pitch could still be pretty wet. If the rain holds off during the game, I think the conditions will suit Rabbitohs better, given they have the 2nd best attack so far in 2019. Sam Burgess is starting to look super reliable on Souths edge and is a good captaincy, while Cameron Murray and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also look to be decent VC options.

Winner prediction:

While Warriors are managing to score points, it is still hard to see them being able to keep Souths from scoring points. Rabbitohs by 8.

Knights vs Sea Eagles

Date and time: Saturday 6th April 5:30pm AEDT

Location: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Conditions: Sunny. 24 degrees, with a very low chance of rain and light winds.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

Finally we have a game outside of Queensland, and it’s shaping up to be the first game of the 2019 season with absolutely perfect weather forecast for footy! This game has the potential to be one of the highest scoring games of the round, but unfortunately for Manly I think this could be the game when Newcastle finally start clicking in 2019. With the weather looking perfect I think Kalyn Ponga and Jake Trbojevic are looking like great captaincy options, while the base king of 2019, David Klemmer, could also be pretty safe.

Winner prediction:

I struggle to see how Manly will score points without Tom Trbojevic, and have a feeling Kalyn Ponga will absolutely run riot. Knights by 8.

Sharks vs Roosters

Date and time: Saturday 6th April 7:35pm AEDT

Location: Pointsbet Stadium, Woolooware

Conditions: Mostly cloudy, 21 degrees with a low chance of showers during play.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

While there is an injury cloud over the Sharks, there should be literal clouds over this game, but other than that, the weather looks pretty good. There are some doubts over several Sharks players, while the Roosters are flying high in 2018. With the weather not looking like too much of a factor, the Roosters should continue in their winning ways here. James Tedesco has been firing in recent weeks and is a good captaincy option, as is Andrew Fifita who should see more work after the Aaron Woods injury.

Winner prediction:

With key injuries to the Sharks it’s hard to see them getting up in this clash. Roosters by 12.

Dragons vs Bulldogs

Date and time: Sunday 7th April 4:05pm AEDT

Location: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah.

Conditions: 20 degrees, 60% chance for rain during the day, with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

This game is shaping up to be the most weather affected game of the round and the most likely to see heavy rain during play, which could really affect SuperCoach points, especially for creative players and outside backs. Forwards in this game should see plenty of work, but I’d probably avoid any captain from this game, but popular cheapie Jayden Okunbar is worthy of a start or reserve spot thanks to his decent base stats.

Winner prediction:

The Bulldogs are way too difficult to trust in 2019, despite looking impressive against the Storm last week. Dragons by 2 points.

Raiders vs Eels

Date and time: Sunday 7th April 6:10pm AEDT

Location: GIO Stadium, Canberra

Conditions: Mostly Cloudy. 17 degrees, with a 50% chance of rain during the day, but only a low chance of showers during play.

How it will affect the game and SuperCoach:

While the rain will be threatening, it should steer clear during play, giving this game potential to be the highest scoring game of the round. Eels have been the surprise packet of 2018, while Raiders have also started well, with both sides currently on 3 wins and 1 loss. While the weather should be fine, I’d recommend using your captain in an earlier game, but there are still some decent options if you like taking a risk. Clint Gutherson is currently the 2nd highest scoring player in SuperCoach, while Jordan Rapana and Mitch Moses had monster performances last week.

Winner prediction:

This one seems like a bit of a coin flip on paper, but Eels have been too impressive so far in 2019 to ignore. Eels by 1 in a high scoring, golden point thriller!