Friday night action begins in New Zealand this week, with the Warriors hosting the Sea Eagles. Each team is currently experiencing different successes on the field and with the Warriors sitting inside the Top 4, they will not want to drop a match against a team out of Finals contention. Something is building across the ditch, but the Sea Eagles will want to spoil the party if they get a chance.
BeforeYouBet is here to take a comprehensive look at this match and all other sporting events across the weekend.
NRL Round 25 Preview & Betting Tips
New Zealand Warriors vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Daniel Anderson Stadium, Friday 18th August, 6pm (AEST)
Preview
The Warriors did enough to defeat the Tigers 30-22 last week, pushed to outlast a tough opponent. They played with their usual poise and took their chances when they came, controlling possession (56%), having a slightly better completion rate (76%) and making just under 500m more than their opponents. It was a decent performance in a match they would’ve previously had dropped in past campaigns.
The Sea Eagles watched their 2023 hopes slip away with a 24-12 loss to the Panthers at home. Trying everything to disrupt their opponents, they were a chance of stealing an unlikely victory as they headed into HT locked at 12-all. Their opponents were strong in the second half and rarely gave the home side opportunities to score. They were strangled out of the match; they had just 47% possession, completed at 78% and made 500m less than their opponents. They also missed a total of 39 tackles. Now, with pride on the line, they are trying to build momentum ahead of their 2024 campaign.
Verdict
With everything to play for, the Warriors head into this game as strong favourites ($1.24 vs $4.10). Interestingly, the Sea Eagles like the trip to New Zealand having a 71% record at this ground and they have won the past 3 meetings between these two sides. The current form in 2023 of each team suggests that trend may about to be broken though. The Sea Eagles are struggling without Tom Trbojevic in their team, and they also lose a few other players from their starting team. In equal measure, the Warriors welcome back Nicoll-Klokstad and Egan is also expected to take his place. The fact that this Warriors team has averaged 24ppg in attack while limiting their opponents to 18ppg. The Sea Eagles have struggled in both areas this season; they average 20ppg in attack and concede 22ppg in defence. Their ability to compete against the Panthers last week for stages should be noted, but they couldn’t capitalise in key positions when required.
The Warriors appear to have the capacity to deal with what their opponents throw at them. If they were to lose, it would be a disappointing outcome for a capable team. The line has been well set; the Warriors rarely win against the Sea Eagles at home by a 13+ margin. Their past 3 wins against opponents have all been by a 1-12 margin (Tigers, Titans & Raiders); of their 14 wins this year, 6 have been by a 13+ margin, with 2 coming at home. Play it safe in this game; the Warriors could easily account for the Sea Eagles, but their recent form suggests it could be tight. Given that, go for a reduced stake in the 1-12 margin, offering a greater return.
Warriors 1-12
$3.20 (1.5 Units)
Same Game Multi
The first two go without saying if you read the ‘Verdict’. As for the AFB to score, he has crossed 7 times this year and is the 4th leading player at the Warriors for tries and is 3rd place in the NRL for metres gained. Expect him to look for a try against his former club after getting across the line once last week.
Leg 1: Warriors (H2H)
Leg 2: Total Points Under 45.5
Leg 3: Fonua-Blake to score
SGM Odds: $14 at Picklebet (0.5 Units)
