Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Tips, Odds and Free Bonus Bets – NRL Finals 2022

PointsBet Stadium will play host to Saturday's Round 26 NRL game between Cronulla Sharks and North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Cronulla Sharks vs. North Queensland Cowboys game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday September 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

Where: PointsBet Stadium

Bet: Bet On This Match HERE

Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds

Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview

The two biggest overachievers of 2022 get the opportunity to book a spot in the preliminary finals on Saturday night. There’s only a few remnants from their high-stakes encounters of the past decade, but Cronulla and North Queensland met four times in the finals from 2013-17 – winning two apiece.

The Nicho Hynes-led Sharks have lost just one of their last 12 games, powering to second spot with four straight 16-plus wins over also-rans the Tigers, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs and Knights. Their last genuine test was back in Round 20, when Hynes proved the match-winner in a 21-20 golden point thriller against Souths.

The third-placed Cowboys have something of a psychological hurdle to overcome here: their 38-8 win last week over a Penrith side missing 14 first-choice players ended a run of four straight losses against Top 8 opposition.

The cavalry returns at the right time for Cronulla: fullback William Kennedy is back from the first time since Round 20, front-row hardman Toby Rudolf comes in after three matches on the sideline, and Connor Tracey is on the wing following two matches out.

Coen Hess (suspension) returns at the expense of Jamayne Taunoa-Brown in the Cowboys’ only change.

Winning the right to play at home is a huge boost for the Sharks. They are 9-1 in the Shire this season. Meanwhile, they overwhelmed an Origin-depleted Cowboys side 26-12 in Round 18 – their eighth straight win in the rivalry. The Cowboys haven’t won at Cronulla since 2014.

The Cowboys are 2-3 in Sydney this year and have come up short away to the Roosters and Rabbitohs in the past four weeks. They’ll need to be at their defensive best to combat the Sharks’ freewheeling offence – but there’s ample firepower and variety in their own ranks to take the ascendancy if the hosts aren’t switched on.

The experience of veteran ex-Shark Chad Townsend will be crucial opposite Hynes, who starts an NRL finals match for the first time, while premiership winners Jason Taumalolo and Jordan McLean have to set the tone for their bevy of tyro forwards on post-season debut.

At their fortress, though, the Sharks shape as the smart option in the closest head-to-head match-up of the weekend.

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