Fortunately, there are plenty of markets and futures waiting for you at online bookies like Sportsbet, but there are lots of questions to be answered before the first games of the 2015 campaign, and before we can see what sort of shape the season might take. One of the biggest news stories to come out of the Grand Final has been the incredible toughness of Sam Burgess, who played through a fractured cheekbone to lead the Rabbitohs to the win. He’ll be making his way to the UK, though, to try his hand at the other code for at least a couple of years, and the Rabbitohs players and their fans will have to adapt to life without him. Elsewhere, there will be the usual musical chairs routine as players an clubs try to find the right combinations to suit themselves. Kurtley Beale might be in the mix in the 2015 season, and he will likely be in with a crop of creative players, many of them at half-back, who look as though they might be moving clubs. And when the dust settles and all those contracts have been signed, your team will still be sitting pretty in equal first spot on the ladder. Chances are they won’t stay there for long once the 2015 season kicks off, but why not have a look over the NRL odds we’ve got you at the end of the link to see if there’s value for you and your predictions for next season?

And so, NRL fans have a little bit of time to recover from the exertions (and the celebrations) of the 2014 season – not to mention the players, who put everything on the line once again in pursuit of success. The 2014 season included some brutal encounters, and more than a few games that went right down to the wire, with the final minutes and sometimes the last play making the difference between victory and defeat. The incredible toughness of all the players on show in the NRL was summed up pretty well for us in the Grand Final by Clive Churchill Medal winner Sam Burgess, who fractured a cheekbone in the first clash of the game, and played on through the obvious pain to put in the performance of the day. Unless you’re inclined to think that the other big Englishman on show was heroic enough in defeat to be called the man of the match – one of them will be going to play Union back in the UK, but James Graham will be staying to light up the NRL again in 2015.

And speaking of 2015 – the break between seasons is the perfect opportunity not just for NRL fans to catch their breath before another year begins, but also a chance to size up the NRL odds, ready for the first games of that new season. Will your team be strengthening the line-up over the break? Where do you see them finishing the 2015 campaign? All those questions will be answered next year, but NRL fans area already starting to ask them…

But which way are the NRL odds showing for Sunday’s game? At Sportsbet today, it’s the Rabbitohs who are the favourites in the head-to-head, at odds of $1.38, but there’s much more on offer than just that straight bet. There are always some very competitive specials around on Sportsbet – they refunded more than $120,000 on the beaten Roosters – and you could benefit from a similar deal in the Grand Final. Of course, there are plenty more markets and futures for you to have a look through – we always like to have a go at picking the first tryscorer out, and evergreen Greg Inglis is in the mix at $8.50 to cross the whitewash before anyone else. Will there be more than 40 points in the game, total? What winning margin are you predicting, and which way? There’s lots and lots for you to bet on to spice up what could be a very hard-fought Grand Final, and we suggest you get yourself to the other end of this link for all your NRL odds. Once you’ve done that, all there is left to do is pick a good spot to watch the game…

And the Rabbitohs will carry the burden of expectation with them into Sunday’s Grand Final. 43 years is a long time for their fans to go without the taste of success, and there will be nervous Rabbitohs players as well as very nervous fans come kick-off. You would think that the Rabbitohs can ill afford to fall behind as they did against the Roosters: the Bulldogs are a truly battle-hardened outfit coming into the 2014 Grand Final against all expectation and against the odds. They will present a blue-and-white wall that defies the Rabbitohs to find a way to break it down. The Sydney boys will perhaps figure that three hard weeks of finals rugby will have to take a toll on Bulldogs legs in the closing stages, but they can’t rely on coming from behind against such a determined defence, and such a determined team as Canterbury have been in the 2014 Finals Series.

There are some interesting storylines coming together in this Grand Final for you to enjoy: a suspension to Isaac Luke and a fracture to the foot of Michael Ennis leave both teams weakened and looking to fill gaps where they can – and that could lead to opportunities for both backlines to exploit. And there are two scary Englishmen – one in each side – who we’re expecting to see plenty of in the Grand Final: for certain, neither Sam Burgess nor James Graham will be taking a step backwards on Sunday night. One of them will finish the night a happy man, and the NRL odds at the end of the link there say it’ll be Sam Burgess and the Rabbitohs celebrating after the final whistle. Which way are you calling it?

First up it’s the ladder leaders, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who are getting odds of $4.25 to reach the Grand Final on Sportsbet right now. They might not have been the most fluent in attack, and they might not have played the best rugby of any side in the NRL, but the Bulldogs have shown grit and then some, and it’s netted them five straight wins and the top spot on the ladder. Are you prepared to bet against them outlasting the other teams at the top and giving themselves a chance in the final?

Then it’s the Rabbitohs, who are a $3.25 bet for the Grand Final. Languishing down in seventh spot – which won’t be pleasing their fans at all – and not quite firing on all cylinders, the Rabbitohs have had some great results and some awful ones. The bookies might be backing their strength on paper to get them to the last game of the season, but they’ll have to find some form before too much longer if they’re going to stay in touch with the leaders.

The reigning Premiers are at odds of $2.80 to make it two back-to-back titles, and that would be an incredible achievement. They’ve had setbacks already, though – including a run of three defeats in rounds 4, 5 and 6 – and they’re in the same boat as the Rabbitohs: sitting in fifth place on the ladder, and needing to find some consistent success to keep the press on the teams at the top.

And then there are the Sea Eagles, who have seen their odds for the Grand Final – as well as for pretty much everything else – shorten over the past few weeks, to the point where they’re seeing the same $2.80 odds as the Roosters. The Bulldogs may have clocked up five straight wins, but the Sea Eagles have only dropped one of those games themselves, and they’re looking like a strong outfit going into the break. If they keep winning, of course, then there’ll be no keeping them out of the Grand Final!

Make sure you’ve got all your NRL odds by following the link, and get your money down on the sides you think will be contesting the Grand Final…

Dugan was initially linked with the Broncos, but another ill-advised sharing of his opinions sent that deal south. Now, it’s Dragons head coach Steve Price who will have to find a way to handle the young man, and to integrate him into his side, though it sounds like he’s keen to see Dugan in a Dragons jersey long-term: ‘he is a real talent and … a 10 out of 10 bloke. Everybody makes mistakes and Josh made one of those and he deserves a second chance.’

The addition of the fullback has seen a change in the Dragons’ odds of reaching and winning the Grand Final in October – they’re currently sitting at $151.00, and the bookies might well be looking to change those odds again once Dugan has a few games under his belt. They’re in-play against the Eels right now, and twenty points clear: you’ll get $101.00 for the Eels to come back and win if you bet right now! Watch this space for more…

The poor weather pretty much reflected my luck over the weekend, on the track at least, as the Spring Champion Stakes went to Monaco Consul, not Onemorenomore, and The Metropolitan went to Speed Gifted, which no matter how much I squint and how much I try to cajole the bookies, looks nothing like Mr Clangtastic.

Another poor showing on the track after a reasonable one the weekend before. Perhaps I’m best ignored every other Saturday, but I did warn Randwick looked like a nightmare given the openness of pretty much everything which went through the barriers. At least there’s the Caulfield Guineas to look forward to on Saturday, when superstars Trusting, Denman and Manhattan Rain will be in attendance. Plenty of reason to be cheerful with that lot tacking to the track.

Thankfully the main event of the weekend, the NRL grand final, came through for me. Yesterday I nudged and winked at 3.20 for a Melbourne win by one to 12 points with IASbet, and so it came to pass as the Storm beat Parramatta by 23 points to 16. Just call me Nostradamus.

In reality it wasn’t written in stone but in the Eel’s game plan, which wasn’t its old self and was lacking the very best of fullback Jarryd Hayne, who needed to have a good day to see his side upset the odds. As a result Melbourne imposed themselves early on and were just too good to let the Eels pinch their second title in three years.

After the dust has settled it’s always worth having a cheeky peek at the NRL betting markets for next season, with Betfair saying the Eels can bounce back as favourites on 5.30 for 2010. Melbourne are just behind on 5.40 for their third title in four years.

Until next season for NRL but until tomorrow for me as I begin a frenzied and nervous build-up to Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas.

As I said on Friday, every tipster under the sun has been going for the Storm over the Eels, and I see no reason to scream otherwise. Shopping around finds you 1.58 for Melbourne to 2.40 for The Eels with IASbet, and 3.20 for a Melbourne win by one to 12 points looks reasonable with the same bookmaker.

Anything can happen on finals day however, and for amusement only here are some classic NRL grand final upsets and nailbiters from over the years;

-Penrith Panthers 18 Sydney Roosters 6; 2003
Penrith shocked perhaps even themselves by getting two early tries to gain control of the game before a heroic defensive display saw them upset the odds and hold out for a win.

-Newcastle Knights 22 Manly 16; 1997
Underdogs Newcastle won the match at the death thanks to a try from winger Darren Albert. They’d unexpectedly started the game strongly but faced a Manly fightback and were behind for the majority of the game before late heroics.

Canberra 19 Balmain 14; 1989
Balmain led 12-2 at half-time and enjoyed the rub of the green before it came back at them in the second half in every sense. Steve Jackson scored the crucial final try for Canberra and wrote the game into the history books.

Still feeling confident? No? This is the problem with finals – the gods often come down and lend a hand. One thing is clear about today though – the result will depend on how Melbourne handle Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne, a nimble giant of a man who could pinch it from them if he’s even allowed a sniff of a half-decent day.

Enjoy the chaos from Sydney. Tomorrow I’ll be doing my usual round-up of the weekend and starting a monster build-up week for the Caulfield Guineas.

Mr Clangtastic remains my shout in the Metropolitan at Randwick tomorrow but he could be pulled from the race if the heavens fail to open. Trainer Marc Conners has been quoted by AAP saying he’ll wait until the last possible moment before making a decision and if the track is good or better he probably won’t be running, such is his preference for the wet.

This begs the question, if he’s not in it, who is going to come out on top? Mr Clangtastic is currently on 5.50 with Sportsbet, while Speed Gifted is current favourite on 3.60 and Ready To Lift is on 6.00 and is my second shout.

I’m not planning to go mental tomorrow though – as the week has gone on the markets for both the ten-race card at Randwick and fixtures for Flemington have become more open and there’s plenty of bookie mantraps ready to chomp your wallet down to size tomorrow.

If you must have a swing at the Epsom Handicap Rangirangdoo has held firm all week and looks reasonable on 3.00 with Sportsbet.

Time to turn back to the NRL betting markets for Friday now, and naturally plenty of cash is going to be put down tomorrow before Sunday and could alter odds slightly, but I don’t expect the head-to-head odds to change much.

Betfair has Melbourne Storm as the favourites on 1.63 and Parramatta Eels are on 2.56. I’ve already said this week that finals betting gives me the creeps, but don’t be fooled by the fact Parramatta have been on a storming run – the Storm are still the better side from the season over all and can become the team of the decade if they win.

On Sunday I’ll make you feel green at the gills by taking you through some of the great NRL upsets, just to cause uncomfortable confusion, but tipsters everywhere are going for the Storm and I’m joining them.

Tomorrow I’ll be providing you with a Randwick overview before racing gets under way – just remember to watch the skies. Turf’s up.

If you ask me, I’m not a massive finals betting fan – because anything can happen in a final, and it frequently does. Knockout ties in general are very unpredictable – just look at what happened between St Kilda and Geelong in the recent AFL grand final. St Kilda were the marginal outsiders in the betting markets but looked like a good shout thanks to their form throughout the regular season. All was looking good until the end when the Cats pinched it and put a smile back on the face of the bookies. I was one of the ones left with a face like a smacked bum.

Anyway, that said, it’s a very miserable NRL betting fan who doesn’t have at least a little wager for the grand final.

Over at Betfair we see odds of 1.64 for Melbourne and 2.52 for Parramatta. Odds for the Storm have only hovered from about 1.70 to about 1.62, while the Eels started down at about 2.20 and rose somewhat before settling at 2.52 where they look likely to stay. Nothing remarkable about any of this and to be fair they were the best odds I could find on Thursday. Worth a small tickle on Parramatta perhaps, but more on this in the run-up to the final.

There’s a whopping 10 race card at Randwick on Saturday including the aforementioned Epsom Handicap. This is where I’ll be focussing most of my attention at the weekend, especially as mother nature is threatening to intervene.

Forecasts for Sydney today say sunshine and showers on Friday followed by the possibility of a deluge on Saturday. This poses some interesting questions in particular for The Metropolitan which features Mr Clangtastic, currently on 6.50 with Sportingbet.
I’ve picked him out because he has performed for me in the past, especially in the wet, winning the Wyong Cup. Trainer Marc Conners tends to watch the skies and sends him where the rain is but it may come to him on Saturday. So I’d have a wee wedge on that 6.50 now and do a rain dance.