The 2025 NRL season is days away from the opening kick-off, and here are five future bets to watch throughout the season, from the NRL Premiership winner to who will the 2025 State of Origin series.
Five NRL Future Bets to Watch
Penrith Panthers to win five-in-a-row
They may have lost James Fisher-Harris, Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva but the Penrith Panthers still remain one of the favourites to win the 2025 NRL Premiership and win their fifth consecutive title. Led by future Immortal Nathan Cleary, there is no telling how far the Panthers may go this season with only the Melbourne Storm seen as real contenders to defeat them.
Although they have lost several high-profile names, they have recruited Isaiah Papali’i, adding to their forward stocks and Blaize Talagi, who will share the playmaking role alongside Cleary.
Lindsay Smith is also now an Australian Kangaroos representative and will fill the void left by Fisher-Harris, while the McLean brothers – Casey and Jesse – will be in the running for the 2025 Dally M Rookie of the Year award and are players to watch, having successfully transitioned from the club’s pathways system.
BET NOW WINNER 2025- PENRITH PANTHERS @ $4.40Raiders to finish at the bottom of the ladder
The Canberra Raiders are one of the favourites to win the wooden spoon this season, as they enter the season with a new-look, inexperienced roster. In the middle of rebuilding their roster, they lost even more experience at the end of 2024 with Jordan Rapana, Elliott Whitehead and Zac Woolford following Jarod Croker and Jack Wighton out the door.
While they have a strong and formidable forward pack, they don’t have a lot of depth in their back-line and will rely heavily on the impact of halfback Jamal Fogarty – if he gets injured, the untested Ethan Sanders will be thrown into the headlights.
BET NOW LEAST WINS 2025- CANBERRA RAIDERS @ $6.00Dominic Young tops the try-scoring charts
Regarded as one of the quickest players in the NRL, winger Dominic Young under-performed in his first season at the Sydney Roosters after joining from the Newcastle Knights but still managed to score 20 tries.
Missing multiple matches due to suspension and injury, Young will need to stand up and be a star for the Bondi-based club this season after they lost Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sitili Tupouniua, Joseph Manu and Joseph Suaalii who have all exited the club for the Super League, rival teams or rugby union.
BET NOW TOP TRYSCORER 2025- DOMINIC YOUNG @ $4.40Zac Lomax takes home top-pointscorer gong
Coming off a career-best season in the NRL, which saw him represent the NSW Blues and Australian Kangaroos for the first time in his career, Zac Lomax will be looking to continue his form in 2025 after joining a new team in the Parramatta Eels.
Moving from the St George Illawarra Dragons, Lomax will now play alongside the quality halves pairing of Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses, which is set to provide him more opportunities to cross the try-line and also allow him to kick more conversions, considering how good their attacking prowess is.
BET NOW TOP POINTSCORER 2025- ZAC LOMAX @ $6.00NSW Blues to go back-to-back
The NSW Blues may be under the guidance of a new coach in Laurie Daley – after Michael Maguire’s abrupt exit – but they remain the heavy favourites to win the 2025 State of Origin series and go back-to-back.
Not only have they not lost any key players to retirement, but Nathan Cleary is likely to make his long-awaited return to the arena after missing out on it in 2024 due to injury.
With a team stacked with the likes of Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic, Payne Haas, Jarome Luai and Isaah Yeo, among others, there is no telling how easy the Blues will be able to walk out victorious.
Last year, the QLD Maroons were only able to win one match with that being when the Blues played nearly the full 80 minutes with one less player due to Joseph Suaalii being sent-off.
BET NOW 2025 SERIES WINNER- NEW SOUTH WALES @ $1.65