NRL Round 11 Best Bets - Panthers to hammer lowly Dragons

The New Zealand Warriors come into this fixture in strong form and currently sit second on the NRL ladder. Their season has been built on forward dominance and efficient game management, with the side currently reaping the rewards.

Their defensive solidity has helped them to seven wins in nine NRL matches so far. With only two defeats coming in time, the Warriors have found a way to win matches even when they are not quite at their best. Indeed, a two-game losing run to Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks threatened to derail their season, but they have since bounced back with four successive wins. 

The Broncos arrive under pressure after consecutive defeats that have seen the side well beaten by the Roosters and Sea Eagles. The issue remains defensive reliability. Brisbane have a points difference of -27 after 10 matches, with their last two defeats seeing them concede 32 points or more. 

It will be a major worry for the travelling side that when they have been beaten, it has come on the back of a very poor defensive showing. Losing 26-0 to the Panthers in their opener has been followed by a 40-32 loss to the Eels, a 35-31 defeat at the hands of the Cowboys and defeats against the Roosters (38-24) and the Sea Eagles (32-4) shows the extent of their woes at the back when they are unable to control a game. 

Since their shock 32-16 loss to the Bulldogs in mid-April, the Panthers edged past the Dolphins after extra time before brushing aside the Newcastle Knights and Canberra Raiders, with a battling 18-16 win over the Sea Eagles sandwiched between these two wins. They also have four successive wins on their own patch this season, while they have won eight of their last 10 against the Dragons. With their superb run this season in mind, I am backing the Panthers to cruise to a big win. 

The Dragons arrive for their 10th match of the season still searching for their first win after a torrid start to the year. Their -185 points difference comes from scoring just 124 points (the lowest in the competition) and conceding 309 points (the second highest in the competition). 

Their last two outings have ended in defeats by 34 points or more, and having lost 40-20 to the Panthers in their last meeting, I back another heavy defeat for the competition's bottom side.