The NRL action has been exciting to start the season and Round 4 of the competition promises to continue the trend of exhilarating rugby league. The opening match is an intriguing contest between the Sea Eagles and Roosters. Both have their different motivating factors ahead of this game; each will be dragged into the discussion about DCE returning to Brookvale for the first time since he departed the club. This promises to be a great night of NRL and Before You Bet is here to preview what is ahead.
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Sea Eagles vs Roosters Predictions & Tips: NRL Round 4 2026
The axe is being sharpened
The Sea Eagles are winless to start the season, and this start is only increasing the pressure on coach Siebold. He was already in a poor position but their most recent effort against the Knights in their 36-16 loss at home, gave plenty of negative signs. Trailing 30-10 at HT, they couldn’t build pressure against a team missing two of their star players; just look at how vulnerable the Knights were last week without them. With just 44% possession and a 71% completion rate, they gave themselves little hope of performing well. This was only compounded as they conceded 9.4m per carry and missed 42 tackles. These are all worrying ‘effort areas’ that must be improved for their performance to change.
Defence needs to improve
Like the Sea Eagles, the Roosters have issues on defence. They have conceded 40 points in two of the opening three matches, appearing void of answers in their 40-4 loss to the Panthers. The opening try of the match was the only joy they experienced as they were behind 24-4 at HT and conceded 7 tries for the match. As good as their opponents were, the Roosters were far from their best. This is highlighted by their 67% completion rate, allowing 9.8m per carry, conceding 8 line breaks and missing 32 tackles. These must be improved even before discussing the shortcomings in attack and the spark which is missing as combination fail to gel together.
Stats that matter
- The Roosters have won the past 6 out of 8 matches against the Sea Eagles. In the past 5 games, the average margin of victory has been 12.2 points, with 3 by 10 or fewer points.
- Much has been made about the Roosters shortcomings defensively; they allow an average of 33ppg compared to the Sea Eagles 32ppg. Interestingly, their attack has struggled, scoring just 16ppg compared to the Sea Eagles’ 22ppg.
- The Roosters struggle at this ground, winning just 38% of matches. The Sea Eagles relish this advantage, winning 61% of matches at home.
A must win game for both teams
This is going to be an exciting clash for several reasons. The fact that DCE is returning to Brookvale is only the start of it. It is early in the season – too early to determine the overall importance of this match – but it is crucial because the ramifications of a loss could be significant. This will make both teams desperate to be at their best. On the surface, the Roosters appear the stronger side across the field. Their performance last week, while disappointing, was against a stronger side who was at their best. Their team will grow in confidence each week and a several impressive plays from key players provides hope moving forward; look at how well Tedesco injected himself into the contest and the output of some forwards. Their middle is stronger, with the Sea Eagles appearing to lack stability in this area; the performance of their spine is also questionable.
There are two things which should also be considered – both will create further doubt in your selection – both teams coming off the Bye in 2026 have won and every team has lost the following week after facing the Panthers. The Roosters should be able to overcome both statistics, but it will be close but the confidence in that selection is coming from the lack of consistency from the home side. Rather than take a team to salute in this contest, play it safe – it’s still only Round 4 – and take either team to win this match by fewer than 2 converted tries. This also aligns with the recent history too.
Either team by 12 points or less
$1.77 (2 units)
Sea Eagles vs Roosters Same Game Multi
Leg 1 = Total points under 47.5 points – the average total points in the past 5 matches between these sides is 44.2 points. Either minimal consistency in either attack, a high scoring contest is unlikely to occur.
Leg 2 = Koula to score – he likes playing the Roosters, scoring 3 tries from his past 4 matches. To add further evidence for his inclusions, he has scored 4 tries in his past 5 matches at Brookvale and the same number in his past 5 NRL games.
Leg 3 = Tedesco to score – he likes playing the Sea Eagles with 4 tries from as many matches. Teddy has also scored in 2 of his past 3 games at this venue.
Same Game Multi Odds = $13 at Neds
Sea Eagles vs Roosters Betting Odds & Match Info
Date: Thursday 26th March
Location: 4 Pines Park, Sydney
Time: 7:50pm (AEDT)
Odds: Sea Eagles $2.80 vs Roosters $1.44
Line: +6.5
Points: 47.5
Where to Watch Sea Eagles vs Roosters
Watch the Sea Eagles vs Roosters match live on Channel 9 as well as ad free on Kayo Sports.
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