Week 2 of the 2024 Pacific Championships rolls around and there are some juicy matchups to look forward to. Here, rugby league expert Scooby provides a full preview, best bet, and Same Game Multi for the blockbuster New Zealand vs Australia clash. He also provides a preview and tip for the Fiji vs Cook Islandsencounter. Check out our free tips below and good luck to everyone following along!
Pacific Championships 2024: Week 2 Preview & Betting Tips
New Zealand vs Australia
Apollo Projects Stadium – Sunday 27th October – 4:05pm (AEDT)
This game has been a long time coming for the Kangaroos. They will be out to avenge their 30-nil defeat to the Kiwis in last year’s Final of the Pacific Championships. Ambushed and ineffective, the Kangaroos are a vastly different team to the one which took the field that night. They faced off against Tonga last week and were impressive in winning 18-nil. Despite extended periods of pressure whereby they were asked to defend their line, they managed to keep their opponents scoreless. They appear to have plenty of improvement to go also, as they only completed at 61% in that contest and missed 33 tackles.
There were positives though, most notably their ability to make 9.9m per carry while limiting their opponents to just 7.8m. The Kiwis would have watched that match closely and noted that the Australians have a lack of inexperience and can be vulnerable. There is no doubt that they are not at full strength but many of the debutants will also be better for the run.
As inexperienced as the Australian team is, the Kiwis are also short on match experience. The fact that they have named Shaun Johnson at halfback is a key indicator of this. One this to be wary of though, is how ‘tight’ a team the New Zealanders can be; an ambush over their opponents, who may take them lightly, should never be overlooked. This has seen the visitors listed as strong favourites ($3.80 vs $1.27) with perhaps the benefit of a match last week good preparation for this contest.
The Kangaroos have chosen to name the same team as last week, which will only contribute to the confidence growing within this team. The Kiwis team is intriguing; they will look to play a forward dominated game with a strong pack. Their outside backs are capable and will be tough to hold should they be given too much freedom to operate with. Traditionally, they improve the longer they spend together. That was the case last year but with the Australian team also needing another match to find their combinations, perhaps it will be closer than most think. The fact that they were only able to score 3 tries against Tonga last week indicates that players are still finding out about how each play. The home ground advantage will also count for something and for that reason, the home side have a large line in their favour that should be used to the advantage of punters.
New Zealand +11.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Despite the previous two matches surpassing this total, the lack of experience should keep points lower in this match. Kini is something special and produced some impressive plays this year with the Titans. Watch for him to cause concern for the Kangaroos defensive line. The Hammer is always a favourite, wherever he plays. At centre, he appears to hold the ball longer, rather than promote it. This means he is a greater change of scoring as he holds onto the ball often. He is also great as a support player.
Total Points Under 46.5
Kini and Tabuai-Fidow to Score
SGM Odds: $12 at Ladbrokes (0.5 Units)
Fiji vs Cook Islands
HFC Bank Stadium – Saturday 26th October – 7:30pm (AEDT)
The Fijian’s were defeated last week 22-10 by the PNG Kumuls, completely outplayed (and out-coached) in every area. Considered the stronger of the two sides, they were brought unstuck by a lack of polish towards the end of their attacking sets; a 71% completion rate and 45 missed tackles also didn’t help their cause. They will be out to bounce back here, and they are the overwhelming favourites ($1.22 vs $4.30). This is largely due to the lack of quality within their opponents; the Cook Islands will consider themselves a chance if they play with the same passion as they did in their 22-18 loss to the Bati last year. Unfortunately, that result appears beyond them. Fiji were unconvincing last week to say the least; they are a team with more capable players from 1-17 and must rectify last week’s performance. The line (15.5) is rather large given their inability to score points last week. With minimal changes to the team for this week, perhaps the same issues linger. International rugby league lifts the passion of players; use this to your advantage and take the visitors to stay close enough to their opponents.
Cook Islands +15.5
$1.95 (1.5 Units)
