RLWC New Zealand v Ireland betting picks – October 28, 2022

The 2022 Rugby League World Cup group stage continues this Friday with New Zealand taking on Ireland in Leeds. The Kiwis will be looking to continue their strong start to the tournament with another dominant victory, while the Irish will be aiming to bounce back from their loss to Lebanon last weekend.

The Kiwis have been forced to make a variety of changes with injuries coming to the likes of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Moses Leota. Jeremy Marshall-King, Marata Niukore and Sebastian Kris have also been left out of the side. Dylan Brown will return to the five-eighth role, which pushes Joseph Manu back to the fullback position. Jahrome Hughes has been named to start at halfback, with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joseph Tapine, Jesse Bromwich, and Ronaldo Mulitalo all returning to the side.

For the Irish, Liam Byrne and Rob Mulhern have been suspended after their match against Lebanon, with Dan Norman and James McDonnell coming into the side as replacements.

The Kiwis have been playing in the typical Michael Maguire fashion, being unrelenting on sides that are well below their own calibre. Should the Kiwis continue the form they displayed against the Jamaicans, they should go on to win this match while covering the -42.5 line and exceeding the 58.5 points total.

Last week Watene-Zelezniak scored four tries in a man-of-the-match performance against Jamaica. This week Jordan Rapana will likely take over the right wing, and he is every chance of producing a similar performance. Rapana has a wealth of international experience, rugby league IQ that puts him in the right places at the right times, and incredible finishing abilities. Should the Kiwis dominate the Irish, Rapana will likely score three or more tries at $7.50 with Bovada.

Hughes’ likely return to the starting lineup will be a welcome changed for the Kiwis leading into the finals of the World Cup. This match will likely be a slow start for the Melbourne Storm star, but he will improve with time. One aspect of Hughes’ play that will not take much time to return to top notch is his running game. Hughes is one of the most lethal running halfbacks in rugby league, and should his fitness prevail, he can also score two or more tries, which is paying around $5.75 with most betting sites.

Key matchup: Dylan Brown vs Luke Keary

The battle between these two elite five-eighths will be a great one to watch as the strengths and weaknesses between these two players are very similar. During the 2022 NRL season, the Roosters discovered Luke Keary is not their best game-managing halfback and is better when he runs the football. Dylan Brown is one of the most dangerous ball-running halves in rugby league and, on his day, can win a game on his own. Keary’s kicking game is better than Brown’s, and he will need to find every minor detail or weakness in Brown’s game to get the upper hand in their battle. Should Keary do this, he will give the Irish every chance of springing an upset.

RLWC New Zealand vs Ireland match prediction

NZ vs Ireland RLWC same game multi tips

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