NRL Super Saturday again delivers an exciting set of action for fans. This NRL Betting Preview will hope to deliver you a winner or two to make your viewing more enjoyable. The first game has the Rabbitohs taking a game to Queensland as they play host to the Warriors. Both teams are coming off a loss, with the Rabbitohs hoping to stay in the Top 8 as the Warriors try to salvage some pride. The next fixture heads down to Canberra as the Raiders chase a spot in the Top 8 against a Panthers team coming off a loss and now dealing with key players missing from their team. To conclude, the southern Sydney rivalry between the Sharks and Dragons takes centre stage. There is no love lost between the two and tension is set to be high over 80 minutes.
NRL Round 21 Saturday Betting Tips
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs New Zealand Warriors
Saturday 6th August, Sunshine Coast Stadium, 3pm (AEST)
Squads
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Taane Milne 4. Isaiah Tass 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Daniel Suluka-Fifita 11. Keaon Kolomatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Cameron Murray Interchange: 14. Blake Taaffe 15. Davvy Moale 16. Siliva Havili 17. Mark Nicholls 18. Izaac Thompson
New Zealand Warriors
1. Reece Walsh 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Marcelo Montoya 4. Euan Aitken 5. Edward Kosi 6. Wayde Egan 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Freddy Lussick 10. Tohu Harris 11. Bayley Sironen 12. Jack Murchie 13. Aaron Pene Interchange: 14. Taniela Otukolo 15. Bunty Afoa 16. Eliesa Katoa 17. Josh Curran 18. Jackson Frei
Match Preview
The Rabbitohs narrowly went down to the Sharks in Golden Point 21-20 last week. In a tight match, the Rabbitohs were not void of winning opportunities but were unable to take them. They will take plenty away from that effort though with a high completion rate and low missed tackles contrasting majority of their performances in 2022. The Warriors provided hope for their fans at home against the Storm, trailing 10-8 at HT; unfortunately, they could not go on with their first half efforts and were defeated 24-12. They are a spirited team but will be outclassed in this match. The Rabbitohs appear to be building in confidence; their attacking momentum is high. The difference between them returning to their best and falling out of the Finals isn’t much. They will need a strong performance in a game like this to continue their development and improve their chances late in the season.
The odds ($1.11 vs $6.50) suggest that it will be a one-sided affair. The unpredictability of the Warriors plagues the confidence in this contest. Therefore, with the Rabbitohs expected to win, the selections below are made to gain a return, albeit not a large one.
Props: Alex Johnston 2+ Tries - $2.40 (2.5 Units)
Over 45.5 points/Rabbitohs 13+/Mitchell to score - $3.40 (1 Unit)
Rabbitohs 13+
$1.52 (4 Units)
Canberra Raiders vs Penrith Panthers
Saturday 6th August, GIO Stadium, 5:30pm (AEST)
Squads
Canberra Raiders
1. Xavier Savage 2. Nick Cotric 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papalii 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Adam Elliott Interchange: 14. Tom Starling 15. Ryan Sutton 16. Emre Guler 17. Corey Harawira-Naera 18. Albert Hopoate
Penrith Panthers
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Taylan May 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jaeman Salmon 7. Sean O’Sullivan 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliama Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo Interchange: 14. Mitch Kenny 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Charlie Staines 18. Sunia Turuva
Match Preview
This is arguably the match of the round. The Raiders carry winning momentum into this contest, albeit questionable form against the Titans in their 36-24 victory. Always a tricky opponent, the Raiders did enough to win the match. Scoring plenty of points would’ve assisted their poor points difference but they conceded too many to make a major change. Questions about this teams overall potential still linger and performances like that do little to make them disappear. They have a unique opportunity to grab a win against the Panthers, a team who are missing both Luai and Cleary in the halves. They are also coming off a loss last week to the Eels, defeated 34-10 in an upset. The result was impacted by Cleary’s departure in the 17th minute; nevertheless, their defensive effort up until half time is not to their usual standard. Only conceding one try in the second half should give them confidence moving forward and an improved defensive display is expected.
Even with the home ground advantage and weakened opponent, the Raiders are still listed as outsiders ($2.30 vs $1.62). It has been a long time since the Panthers suffered two consecutive losses but with the Raiders sitting just out of the Top 8, they will want a victory to keep their chances alive. If they want to be taken seriously, then they should win this match. Confidence is lower than usual in this investment and with not much value in the line (3.5 points), take the Raiders in H2H markets.
Props: Raiders 1-12 - $3.40 (0.5 units)
Total Points Under 41.5 - $1.90 (2.5 units)
Same Game Multi (all selections) - $5.50 (1 Unit)
Raiders H2H
$2.30 (1 Unit)
Cronulla Sharks vs St George-Illawarra Dragons
Saturday 6th August, PointsBet Stadium, 7:35pm (AEST)
Squads
Cronulla Sharks
1. Kade Dykes 2. Connor Tracey 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicholas Hynes 8. Toby Ruldoph 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Cameron McInnes Interchange: 14. Braydon Trindall 15. Aiden Tolman 16. Teig Wilton 17. Andrew Fifita 18. Lachlan Miller
St George-Illawarra Dragons
1. Moses Mbye 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Jack Bird 4. Zac Lomax 5. Tautau Moga 6. Talatau Amone 7. Ben Hunt 8. Jack De Belin 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Billy Burns 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Tariq Sims Interchange: 14. Tyrell Sloan 15. Aaron Woods 16. Francis Molo 17. Josh McGuire 18. Michael Molo
Match Preview
The Sharks have an edge over their rivals in this derby. They sit higher on the ladder (3rd vs 11th) and have displayed a consistently higher standard this season. Their performance in the past month has delivered wins over the Storm, Cowboys and Rabbitohs. The most recent being a 21-20 victory in Golden Point over the Rabbitohs at home. Their performance to combat an inferior possession statistic and completion rate suggests they are a capable side. The Dragons could only dream of such execution, with only a few players stepping up to the mark each week. If the rest of the team could play like Hunt, there is no doubt that they would be sitting higher on the ladder. Their Round 20 34-8 defeat by the Cowboys further emphasised this squad’s shortcoming; if they are not immediately addressed, their slim Finals chances will disappear altogether.
The odds ($1.29 vs $3.60) are an accurate reflection of the potential of each side. To see the Dragons cause an upset isn’t unlikely, but the Sharks are well placed to win this contest. The home side is still missing some key players, so a dip in performance could be expected. The Round 3 36-12 victory to the Sharks is a rare outlier in the margin of victory; only 3 times since 2016 has the margin exceeded 14 points. The same tight match can be expected here, with the Sharks class being enough to eventually get them over the line (and cover it). Unfortunately for the Dragons, they struggle to score points against strong defensive units and that is exactly what their opponents will offer here.
Props: Mulitalo & Hynes to score - $6 (0.5 Units)
HT – Cronulla 1-7/FT – Cronulla 13+ - $7 (1 Unit)
Sharks -9.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
