NRL

FROM title favouritism to tumbleweeds.

Punters have put the big red line through the big red V of St George Illawarra.

As they swept all before them pre-Origin with former Broncos playmaker Ben Hunt living up to his million-dollar price tag, the Ladbrokes faithful could not get enough of the fire-breathing Dragons.

Week after week they wanted to be on and they piled into the Dragons in the NRL premiership market even as the price plummeted. That is no longer the case.

Punters do not want a bar of St George Illawarra now, with the “Puff the Magic-less” Dragons unable to beat an egg in recent weeks.

The Dragons have lost five of their past six games and are now a $26 shot to win it all. Ladbrokes has not taken a bet on them in weeks.

This week against the Wests Tigers is a similar story. While few teams can be as costly as the Tigers when favoured to win, punters have significantly more faith in them than the Dragons, with money running at about 80:20.

The Sydney Roosters are the new premiership favourites. Hitting form at the right time of the season, money is coming thick and fast for the Chooks and they have been very heavily backed to beat the Canberra Raiders this weekend.

The battle for the wooden spoon is also heating up. Despite a dominant win over the Dragons last weekend, the Eels ($2.10) are favourites in the most losses market ahead of the Bulldogs ($2.80), the

Cowboys ($5), the Titans ($8) and the Sea Eagles ($34).