Betfair Official Blog

Punters cherish NRL betting

NRL betting holds a special place in the hearts of Australian sports fans.

The elite rugby league competition offers fantastic opportunities for punters looking for a bet on an exciting and fast moving sport.

Sydney is still very much the heartland of 'footy' with the eight teams from the city often attracting most bets.

But in terms of success, Sydneysiders have certainly not had things all their own way.

The Brisbane Broncos were the first premiers in 1998, and no Sydney team won the competition until the Roosters' success in the 2002 Grand Final.

The Broncos are the only team to have won three premiers, most recently in 2006 when for the first time two interstate teams (not from New South Wales) defied to odds to make the Grand Final. The Melbourne Storm, losers in that match, played exceptional football to win their second premiership in 2007 after having set a record of 21 wins during a season.

There have been a few rags-to-riches stories along the way. The Warriors were formed from the ashes of the original Auckland team, rejoining the competition in 2002 and making the Grand Final at their first attempt. And the Penrith Panthers rose from the bottom of the table to win the Premiership in 2003, having been available at long odds in the NRL betting earlier in the season.

In its 10th season last year, the NRL expanded with the inclusion of the Gold Coast Titans, and the Queensland side have already landed quite a few match bets

The Titans quickly established themselves as home bankers in th NRL betting, achieving a win percentage of more than 76 per cent at Skilled Park.

In terms of win-loss records, the Broncos come out on top. They have won more than 65 per cent of their games, with the Storm and the Dragons the only other teams to have won more than 60 per cent of their matches.

Those liking to lay bets will note that North Queensland has the worst record with a win percentage of just 27 per cent.

Since 2000 the Bulldogs have built up an impressive record, having won 60 per cent of their games and should be respected in the betting.

Brisbane is the best team on its travels, having won almost 60 per cent of away matches.

Fans of points betting should note The Storm average a competition-high 22 points on the road, but the Dragons keep things tight away from home - averaging only 15 points conceded in away games over their entire history.

Melbourne have an outstanding record in playoffs and finals, having won 12 of their 20 matches.

Winning margins are among the bets that attract a lot of interest in the NRL. Since 2000, more than one-third of all games have been won by between one and six points which is reflected in the odds, while the least profitable bet is 19-24 points which has happened in only 10 per cent of games