After an exhilarating Origin on Wednesday night, the NRL resumes with one less fixture this weekend. With the gap on Thursday filled by a thrilling NRLW Origin clash, Round 17 will begin on Friday with the Bulldogs hosting the Sharks. Both teams currently sit inside the Top 8 but will be desperate to regain winning form after their most recent performances. As the run towards the Finals approaches, momentum is as crucial as ever.
Before You Bet is here to guide you through the action ahead and take a detailed look at what the possible outcomes are, with the aim of finding you a winner or two to start your weekend off on the right note.
NRL Round 17 Preview & Betting Tips
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks
Accor Stadium – Friday 28th June – 8pm (AEST)
Match Preview
The Bulldogs tried hard against the Roosters in Round 16 but were comprehensively defeated 26-8. Starting strongly by scoring the opening try, they trailed 14-4 at HT, struggling for momentum when it mattered most. Putting together some impressive attacking plays, they failed to build pressure and break their opponent’s defensive line. Meanwhile, their (usually rigid) defence was continually suffering setbacks; the weight of possession (54% vs 46%) against them became too much. Averaging the same metres per carry (8.5m) as their opponents, they gave up 604 PCMs, conceded 5 line breaks and missed 60 tackles. This is an area they must improve upon if they want to be competitive against the leading teams in the competition.
The Sharks were exactly that until they hosted the Dolphins in Round 15, upset at home 30-28 in thrilling circumstances. Starting the match slowly, they found themselves behind 22-nil inside 24 minutes. From that point onwards, they were always chasing the game. They managed to get back 24-22 15 minutes into the second half, but they went to sleep again, permitting the Dolphins to steal an upset victory. Their inept performance at home has only allowed their doubters to find a louder voice and it is hard to disagree with based on that effort. They had just 46% with a 72% completion rate, allowed 9.9m per carry, conceded most PCM’s and missing 34 tackles. They are a better team than that performance over 80 minutes suggests.
Match Preview
The odds have the Bulldogs as outsiders ($2.45 vs $1.55), but this could change should Crichton back-up from Wednesday night. He was scarily good for the Blues in their win and the Bulldogs would benefit from having him on the field.
The fact that the Sharks have no players returning is a positive on multiple levels; not only does it mean they are fresh for this game, but plenty of their squad may also have a point to prove after being overlooked for selection. They are the stronger team on paper but the gritty approach by the Bulldogs makes this game closer than the odds are initially indicating and this is supported by their performances so far in 2024.
There isn’t much between these two sides based on their averages in attack and defence. The Sharks score more points (25ppg vs 21ppg) but the Bulldogs have a better ability to limit their opponents’ points in defence (16ppg vs 19ppg). It has been a long time since the Bulldogs have defeated the Sharks. The visitors are on a 7-game winning streak, including winning 5 of the past 7 against at this venue. This hasn’t improved the Sharks record at this ground though; the Bulldogs still have a 54% winning rate compared to the Sharks 41%. Even with Crichton’s inclusion, the Sharks should still be too strong. They need an improve effort following their poor showing against the Dolphins. The strength of their forwards alone should generate enough momentum in the middle for Hynes to create room for the outside backs. With uncertainty around the final team line-ups, it is preferred to stick to the line (5.5), which the Sharks should cover given their ability in attack, compared to the Bulldogs.
Sharks -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
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Both teams like to keep things tight, and the Bulldogs have a unique ability to drag teams into an ‘arm wrestle’ style of a match. Katoa and Burton are the leading try scorers for their respective teams and are always a threat. Burton has a renewed energy carrying the ball and his team is better when he is doing so
Total Points Under 46.5
Katoa & Burton to Score
QuestBet SGM Odds: $15 at QuestBet (0.5 Units)
