Round 18 in the NRL concludes with two teams outside the eight, as the Sea Eagles host the Rabbitohs at 4 Pines Park. With the finals fast approaching, and the top 8 race heating up, it is imperative that the Sea Eagles beat the teams they should, and Souths is definitely one of those team. A pivotal clash on Sunday afternoon looms.
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Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs Prediction & Tips: 2025 NRL Round 18
Turbo the Centre of Attention
The Sea Eagles have been impossible to predict throughout the year, with their recent form being no different. Whilst they won comfortably last week against the Tigers when they were expected to, they still didn’t look great in doing it. The win over the Tigers joined recent losses to the Titans and Knights as inconsistent, troubling performances for the Sea Eagles, and Head Coach Anthony Seibold is surely on the hot seat. It was the first game of the Tom Trbojevic to centre experiment, and whilst it didn’t reap any immediate dividends, Turbo eventually found his grove out wide and settled in nicely. Is it the answer to all of Seibold’s prayers? I don’t see it, however if it can keep Tommy on the park, it’s a positive. Trbojevic ended the game with 135 running metres, a try / line break assist combo, and seven broken tackles. He also made 15 tackles from 16 attempts. Not a bad result, but they need him to push on now and be the damaging ball runner we all know he can be.
Can the Bunnies Compete Without Latrell and Cody?
The Rabbitohs come in on a five-game losing streak, and if it wasn’t for the Tigers’ horrific form, surely there would be more heat on Wayne Bennett and his men. Last week continued their poor form, as they took on the Dolphins in Brisbane and were totally outplayed, eventually going down 50-28. To be honest, the score flattered the Bunnies, as they trailed 44-16 with 15 minutes left, and conceded six unanswered tries in a 38-minute period during the game. Tallis Duncan was the bright spot for the Rabbitohs, as he scored two tries, to go along with two-line breaks, 46 tackles (0 missed), 126 running metres and 7 broken tackles. Latrell Mitchell was also solid, however Keaon Kaloamatangi looked like the past two months of massive minutes had caught up with him, as he struggled to make big metres and didn’t register an offload, or a tackle break all game. Bennett will be hoping for that spark to come back this week, in a matchup that could see the Bunnies drop to 17th and last with a loss.
Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs Recent History
The home team has dominated this rivalry of late, with only one win by an away team since 2017 (Souths 26-12 win in 2021). The teams met twice last season, with the first matchup taking place in Las Vegas, where the game closed as a pick em’, with a total of 40.5. In a tight back and forth game through 50 minutes, the Rabbitohs had the lead 20-12, before the Sea Eagles put together a terrific 10 minutes, scoring three converted tries to take over the game, eventually winning 36-24.
The teams met again in round 16 at Accor Stadium, with the Rabbitohs closing 7.5-point favourites, with a total of 48.5. The game didn’t feature State of Origin players, with the Bunnies missing Latrell Mitchell, and the Sea Eagles without Tom and Jake Trbojevic, as well as Daly Cherry-Evans. In a dour affair, only 14 points were scored, despite over 4000 running metres, as the Rabbitohs got the win 14-0. Manly were horribly undisciplined, making 15 errors, conceding 10 penalties, and missing 31 tackles.
Points at a Premium at Fortress Brookie This Sunday
The Sea Eagles opened 4.5-point home favourites, before money poured in on the Sea Eagles early, pushing this to 9.5 by the time teams were named on Tuesday afternoon. After hitting 9.5, the market has stagnated, and the Sea Eagles have stayed at 9.5 for the last three days.
I make the Sea Eagles 9.5-point favourites if both teams were at full strength, however with the Rabbitohs missing Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, the Sea Eagles look like the bet here. The problem is, the Sea Eagles have been horrible as favourites this season, covering just 3 of 10 games as favourites. On the flip side, each of the Sea Eagles’ 7 wins this season have come by the margin of 13+. The Sea Eagles are just far too inconsistent to bet either way, and if I was to bet on the side of the game, I would bet the long tails, either a big Manly win, or a Bunnies upset.
Looking at the total, and it opened 47.5 and hasn’t moved all week. This is where I think we can attack, with an under being the look here. Both teams have struggled to score points during the Origin period, and I make a fair total in this matchup 42.5, so see some solid value here in the under.
Both teams have been heavy under teams all season, with the Rabbitohs playing unders in 81% of their games (2nd) and the Sea Eagles playing unders at 67% (t-3rd). With this being the final big bye round, and the second last round affected by Origin, the outlay won’t be massive, but I do like the under here a lot.
Under 47.5 Points
$1.91 (2 Units)
Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs Player Prop Bet: Koula in Sublime Form
Our Best Prop Bet: Koula 1+ Try
Tolutau Koula has been in terrific form, despite the poor overall play from the Sea Eagles over the past month, scoring three tries in four games. The left side centre will be attacking the weaker right edge of the Bunnies, and with his blend of strength and speed, I expect a try here.
Tolutau Koula (1+ try)
$2.05 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi: Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs
Leg 1: Sea Eagles (13+) – See the side write up above. I’ll take the Sea Eagles to win this comfortably.
Leg 2: T Koula (1+ try) – See Best Prop Bet.
Leg 3: A Johnston (1+ try) – AJ at this price is an auto bet. Yes, he’s attacking the solid Manly right edge, and Latrell and Cody Walker are missing, but despite this you can’t not bet this guy when he’s over $2 to score a try.
Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs Better Odds & Match Info
Location: 4 Pines Park - Brookvale
Weather: Possible showers, 19 degrees
Odds: Sea Eagles ($1.33) vs Rabbitohs ($3.35)
Where to Watch Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs
Watch the Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs match on Channel 9, as well as live and ad free on Kayo Sports.
Tail our Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs Tips at Neds!
