After another clean sweep with the Sunday preview we are back again as we look to finish the season with a bang. This week sees the Warriors play the Bulldogs while the Sharks and Knights do battle in a match which may be crucial for a spot in the eight.
NRL Round 22 Sunday Betting Tips
Warriors vs Bulldogs
Moreton Daily Stadium, Sunday 1.50pm (AEST)
The Warriors will have their tails up following yet another hard-fought win with their backs against the walls. They’ve now pulled off two big upsets against teams who are fighting for those last few spots in the finals and are in doing so, have put themselves in a position where they could sneak in themselves. The biggest improvement from New Zealand has been their defence, where they’ve only conceded 32 points across their last two games. They’d been averaging 28 points conceded leading into thos last two matches so it’s clear they’ve really turned a corner.
The less said about the Bulldogs the better and they’ve been pretty easy to tip against and make some money off for our Sunday previews as of late. Once again just outgunned in attack last week against the Tigers, conceding 28 points following the 34 they had scored against them the previous week. They simply don’t have enough in attack to do enough damage to opposition defences and find themselves chasing the game on a weekly basis. They’ll be good for a few tries but I think the Warriors should nail them in a high-scoring match.
You just can’t confidently suggest a team who’s won 5 matches across their last 40 games can turn it around here and while they have shown signs of good footy in patches, the Warriors have plenty more to play for at the moment. The 8.5 line looks generous and I’d expect the warriors to cover that.
Sharks vs Knights
Moreton Daily Stadium, Sunday 4.00pm (AEST)
Both these sides have been extremely inconsistent all season which always makes it tough predicting the outcome. They sit 9th and 10th on the ladder respectively, and both will be desperate to win with their finals hopes resting in the balance.
The Knights have found form in the last couple weeks and have been playing well. They come into this searching for a 3rd straight win and have been massively boosted since Mitchell Pearce returned. He’s provided them much needed composure towards the end of their sets and has eased the pressure on Kalyn Ponga which has proven a big factor in his personal form. They have looked very sharp in recent weeks, putting on 28 points against the Broncos while piling on 34 points over the Raiders the week before. The defence is still a bit shaky and is the only thing which will cost them a good shot at the finals.
The Sharks come into this in complete opposite form, having lost their last two on the trot and desperately need to turn things around. It was a bad loss to the Warriors last week with their defence just unable to stop the free-flowing style of play from them. They’ll need to snap their losing streak against a side who they have struggled against in recent times. They’ve lost the last three meetings against Newcastle while also struggling when playing up in QLD this year. The Sharks desperately need their young halves to start firing because at the moment they are on a slippery slope towards missing the eight.
On recent form alone I think the Knights will be too strong, carrying in winning momentum against a side who are having plenty of issues both on and off the field. The experience of Mitchell Pearce along with the X Factor of Kalyn Ponga has proven to be a ruthless duo and I think they can keep that rolling this afternoon.
