The final game of Super Saturday for the NRL regular season heads to Kograh as the Dragons host the Knights. Both will have vastly different weeks ahead and the result of this game will matter little in the end. Nevertheless, it is an opportunity to find a winner to enhance your viewing enjoyment and BeforeYouBet is here to guide you along the way with a detailed look at the NRL action ahead.
NRL Round 27 Preview & Betting Tips
St George-Illawarra Dragons vs Newcastle Knights
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Saturday 2nd September, 7:35pm (AEST)
Preview
The Dragons travelled across to New Zealand to with the aim of being competitive. While they were in most areas, they were still defeated 18-6 by the Warriors. As highlighted in the NRL Power Rankings, they are an improved team from earlier in the year. With a lesser share of the possession (45%), they had a higher completion rate (78%) but made significantly fewer metres and had just 1 line break. They can’t finish any lower than their current standing (16th) on the ladder but will want to finish the season with a victory.
The Knights are on an 8-game winning streak and sitting pretty in 5th on the competition ladder. Their 32-6 demolition of the Sharks in front of their home fans was to be admired. They dominated possession (59%), had a high completion rate (85%), made over 2,000m, had 723pcms and had 9 line breaks. More importantly for this stage of the season, they missed just 28 tackles and only allowed 2 line breaks. The loss of Ponga for this game will make winning a challenge but it is a good opportunity for another player to step up.
Verdict
It sounds crazy given the form and standing on the ladder of each team, but the Dragons are a genuine chance of winning this game. The omission of Ponga will impact the Knights on both sides of the ball; he is replaced by Lachlan Miller, but his contribution will not match that of their star fullback. They are still without their halfback (Hastings) and despite being named in the reserves; they would be foolish to play him here with the Finals just a week away. The fact that the Dragons play well here against the Knights should not be overlooked. The home team has a 59% win record compared to 33% of the visitors; the Knights have won here just 3 times in the NRL with the last victory coming back in 2009. The Dragons have also won the past 2 against the Knights.
There enough to suggest that the Dragons will be able to handle what their opponents throw at them. They demonstrated what their attack was capable of against the Storm and will just need to improve their defensive execution; perhaps the absence of key attack players will provide that opportunity. So, take the upset in this game and bank on the fact that without the result damaging their standing on the competition ladder too much, the Knights may see this as a worthy game to drop.
Dragons to Win
$2.05 (2 Units)
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Leg 1: Dragons 1-12
Leg 2: Ravalawa 1+ Try
The first selection goes without saying. Ravalawa has been in devastating form in recent weeks and will want to make a statement to incoming coach Flanagan with a top performance. He is the leading Dragons try scorer with 20 for the season, double the next best.
SGM Odds: $5.50 at Picklebet
