The Tigers have chosen to take this game out to Tamworth and the locals here are in for a show, with the Rabbitohs traveling out as their opponents. Each team is desperate for a win, the Rabbitohs have a lot more to gain from a positive performance. Their result here will say a lot about their chances moving forward.
BeforeYouBet is here to take a detailed look at the exciting on-field action and will hope to make it easier to find a winner to start your weekend off on the right note.
NRL Round 22 Preview & Betting Tips
Wests Tigers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Scully Park, Friday 28th July, 6pm (AEST)
The Tigers faced off against the Dragons last Thursday in a battle to avoid the ‘wooden spoon’. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of the 18-14 result but appeared to give a reasonable account of themselves in a dour contest. Missing several key players, they took a 14-12 lead into HT and appeared a genuine threat to win the match. It wasn’t to be though in the second half, unable to take their opportunities and close out the match. It wasn’t through lack of effort; they made more total metres, more line breaks and more post-contact metres. They have won 3 games all season and face another tough test against a Rabbitohs team who were comprehensively defeated 36-20 by the Broncos.
The Rabbitohs were leading 14-12 at HT last start but when the Broncos clicked into another gear, they were unable to go along with them. Losing Latrell Mitchell prior to kick-off didn’t help their cause either; nevertheless, they had their chances. Over the 80 minutes, they trailed the Broncos in every area and need to address their mistakes including their 65% completion rate, 15 total errors and 35 missed tackles. The NRL Power Rankings indicate that they are still a talented team but as they sit outside the Top 8, they need to start winning to climb up the competition ladder.
There are plenty of factors working against the Tigers. Their recent efforts do little to suggest they will be competitive. Even with Brooks returning, they look hard-pressed to compete with the Rabbitohs, a team who needs a strong performance, over 80 minutes. The visitors have also named Latrell Mitchell to return from injury. Recent history is also against the Tigers; they have won just 1 out of the past 6 games against the Rabbitohs, including their 20-nil loss in Round 11. Over that 6-game period, the average margin of victory is 15.2 points. The attacking (Tigers 15ppg vs Rabbitohs 24ppg) and defensive (Tigers 26ppg vs Rabbitohs 20ppg) record suggest that this will also be a one-sided match. You will have to go searching for value too.
While the Tigers have improved their performance in recent weeks to limit blowout victories to their opponents, they still struggle to score points. A team like the Rabbitohs will be out to exploit this. Their speed in the middle of the field will have the Tigers on the back foot, where Walker and co will inject themselves into the backline. With a strong performance needed, it could get ugly towards this end of this game and the line should easily be accounted for.
Rabbitohs -21.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
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Johnson 2+ Tries – Johnson, alongside Graham, is the leading scorer for the Rabbitohs with 15 this season.
Mitchell & Graham 1+ Try Each – As mentioned above, Mitchell has been in fine scoring form. Mitchell is ranked 3rd for the team with nine tries and should be heavily involved.
SGM Odds: $11 at Picklebet (0.5 Units)
