Sunday afternoon NRL kicks off with potentially the game of the round, as the Cronulla Sharks head to Brookvale to take on the Manly Sea Eagles. Whilst the Sharks have all but locked up a top 4 spot, the Sea Eagles are playing for a home final in week 1, with a win guaranteeing them a home semi-final against the loser of the Cowboys/Bulldogs game on Saturday. A loss, however, will see the Sea Eagles travel to the loser of that game. Huge ramifications here on Sunday afternoon.
Below, we will dissect the matchup, supply our Best Bet, and suggest a Same Game Multi. Be sure to keep up to date with all the NRL fixtures, as we preview every single game all season long, for free!
And don't forget to head to our NRL tips page for previews of all of the NRL and NRLW matches this weekend!
NRL Round 27 Preview & Betting Tips
Manly Sea Eagles vs Cronulla Sharks Preview
4 Pines Park, Sunday 8th September, 2:00pm (AEST)
The Sea Eagles managed a tremendous win last week over the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium, dominating the hottest team in the NRL and winning 34-22 on the road. It wasn’t all sunshine though, as superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic suffered a shoulder injury that means he won’t be 100% for the team’s finals push. After losing Trbojevic, the Sea Eagles didn’t manage to score another point, whilst allowing the Bulldogs to score two tries to cut the deficit to 12, after they trailed 34-10 when Trbojevic went off. Can the Sea Eagles push for one week without their fullback, or will they confirm that they aren’t a top side without Trbojevic at the back? We shall find out this weekend.
The Sharks lost last weekend in a poor performance against the Warriors, with Nicho Hynes making his comeback from injury. The Sharks led 22-4 with just over half an hour to play, before allowing four tries in 16 minutes to the Warriors to lose the lead. They snatched the lead back with 10 minutes left, before allowing a Dallin Watene-Zelezniak try on the siren to consign them to their fifth loss in 10 games. Not great form heading into the finals, and they need to show improvement this week if they are any chance at getting a win in the finals.
Match Preview
The Sea Eagles and Sharks last met in round 21 last season at PointsBet Stadium, with the Sea Eagles running out 30-26 winners as 9.5-point road underdogs. It was a tale of two halves, as the Sea Eagles dominated the first half, leading 30-0, before the Sharks piled on 26 unanswered points in the second half to make the scoreline more respectable. Interestingly, there was no Tom Trbojevic for this game either, giving us a clear indication that the Sea Eagles can match it with this Sharks team without their superstar fullback.
As for this round 27 clash, the Sea Eagles opened small 1.5-point favourites, with no move either way from this line throughout the week. I don’t believe we will see any real move until after tonight’s match between the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles, as a win for the Roosters all but guarantees the Sharks 4th place on the ladder and a trip to Melbourne in week 1 of the finals. If that is the case, I suspect money will come in hard for the Sea Eagles on Saturday and Sunday. I make the Sea Eagles a 4.5-point favourite with Tom Trbojevic, so I do see some value on the Sharks with my numbers, however I believe that with likely Roosters and Panthers wins over the weekend, the Sea Eagles will have too much to play for and betting them at -1.5 will prove some positive CLV.
As for the total, it opened 49.5 and has been bet up slightly to 50.5. I make a fair total 46.5 and do see some value in the under. This game should feel like a finals atmosphere, however on a Sunday afternoon with perfect conditions I can’t bet an under here.
Sea Eagles -1.5
$1.95 (2.5 units)
Same Game Multi
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Sea Eagles -1.5 – As above, I like the home side to get the win here and book a home semi-final next weekend against the loser of Bulldogs/Cowboys.
S Katoa (1+ try) – The Sea Eagles left edge is their weakest defensively, and with Nicho Hynes back on the right side, expect Katoa to go over.
R Garrick (1+ try) – Similar to Katoa above, the Sharks leak more tries on their left edge, meaning Garrick should have a great chance this weekend.
Combined Odds: $8.00 at Boombet
