After an exciting opening week of upsets, the 2022 NRL finals continues into Week 2 with a pair of cracking Semi-Finals coming our way.
The NRL finals action kicks off Friday night as the Parramatta Eels will be looking to bounce back against the red-hot green machine in the Canberra Raiders.
Greg Davis is back with his preview and NRL betting tips for the Eels vs Raiders with a spot in the Preliminary Finals up for grabs!
Parramatta Eels v Canberra Raiders Preview & Betting Tips
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta Friday, September 16th 7.50pm (AEST)
Squads
Eels: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Tom Opacic 5. Waqa Blake 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Isaiah Papali’i 13. Ryan Matterson 14. Makahesi Makatoa 15. Jakob Arthur 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Marata Niukore 18. Nathan Brown 19. Bailey Simonsson 20. Bryce Cartwright 21. Ofahiki Ogden 22. Ky Rodwell
Raiders: 1. Xavier Savage 2. Nick Cotric 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Corey Harawira-Naera 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Corey Horsburgh 17. Ryan Sutton 18. Albert Hopoate 19. Ata Mariota 20. Matt Frawley 21. Peter Hola 22. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Match Prediction
Momentum - it is a thing of undeniable beauty in rugby league. It is a brilliant and brutal force that produces priceless confidence and unbeatable belief to the teams that can bottle it when the whips are cracking at this time of the season. And it is the Green Machine that is moving in ominous fashion ahead of the sudden-death semi-final between Parramatta and Canberra on Friday night.
After looking out of sorts and out of the running for the 2022 finals, the Raiders have caught lightning in the back-half of the season. Canberra won seven of their last eight matches in the regular season – including the last four in a row - to clinch eighth spot on the ladder and qualify for the finals. The Raiders then showed they were not just making up the numbers with a 28-20 victory over the September specialists Melbourne in Melbourne to earn a shot at the Eels. Ricky Stuart’s side is not overly littered with superstars and household names but don’t let that fool you. The Raiders are a seriously tough, hard, and committed football side that is getting better the longer the season goes. They also have recent finals pedigree after making the 2019 Grand Final and the Preliminary Final in 2020, so the big stage doesn’t frighten the men in lime. If you can beat the Storm in Melbourne, the Eels at Parramatta are not going to keep you awake at night, especially at the business end of the season.
The Eels’ recent record in finals is not flash – losing seven of their nine finals since 2017 – and a straight-sets exit would heap pressure on coach Brad Arthur who said this season is his best chance of ending Parramatta’s title drought that extends back to 1986. The Eels were very disappointing in the 27-8 loss to Penrith in Week 1 of the finals in a match that many (including this knucklehead hack) thought they could win, given Parramatta had already beaten the Panthers twice in 2022. Eels halfback Mitchell Moses has been cleared to play after suffering a vicious head knock in the defeat at the hands of the reigning premiers but still has to get through training and show no concussion symptoms to take his place in the side. Parramatta desperately need him to play and play out of his skin in front of their home crowd to win their way to a Preliminary Final against North Queensland in Townsville.
The big question is, can you trust the Eels? Are they too hot and cold to succeed in September? Will the ghosts of past failed finals series come back to haunt them and mess with their heads? Too many question marks for our liking. There’s no questions around Canberra’s form right now. With Jack Wighton running the show and powerhouse prop Josh Papali’i leading the charge, Canberra’s momentum is irresistible. The Green Machine to roll on.
Prop: Anytime Try Scorer – Jack Wighton - $3.90 at Ladbrokes
Raiders to win by 1-12 points
$3.75 (2 units)
