We take a look at Saturday nights (15/09/2018) NRL 2018 Finals Week 2 match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and St George Illawarra Dragons. The Rabbitohs head into the match as the short priced favourites and they look very hard to beat on paper. We take a look at both teams odds and give our tips and value tips for the match.
When: 19:40 | Saturday 15/09/2018
Where: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Preview:
The Rabbitohs are clear and justifiable favourites to defeat fellow foundation club the Dragons in the second NRL Semi-final on Saturday night.
The Rabbitohs have been one of the league’s best teams all season and after a slight lull after the Origin period, have returned to blistering form for the finals. A demolition job of the Wests Tigers in the final round of the regular season was franked when they went within a point of the Storm in Melbourne, in last weekend’s qualifying final. Had halfback Adam Reynolds been just slightly more on-target, you get the feeling that the Bunnies would have been enjoying a well-earned week off instead of lining up for this, and it certainly would not have been a fluke.
The Dragons produced what was clearly their best performance of the second-half of this season against the Broncos and enter this game off the back of a 48-18 demolition job. The result has come at a huge price however, with five-eighth Gareth Widdop ruled out for the remainder of the season and big injury clouds hovering over key forwards James Graham and Jack De Belin. Ben Hunt was in terrific touch and silenced plenty of doubters, and the halfback will need to produce a similar performance if his club is to compete here.
Souths really are a class above the Dragons this season, particularly in current health and condition, and I am confident that they will post a big win, ultimately firing a warning shot at their preliminary final opponents.
Odds:
Tip: South Sydney Rabbitohs at $1.25
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Campbell Graham at $10.00
Teams:
South Sydney Rabbitohs:
1. Alex Johnston 2. Campbell Graham 3. Greg Inglis 4. Dane Gagai 5. Robert Jennings 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Burgess 9. Damien Cook 10. George Burgess 11. John Sutton 12. Angus Crichton 13. Sam Burgess 14. Hymel Hunt 15. Cameron Murray 16. Jason Clark 17. Dean Britt 18. Braidon Burns 19. Mark Nicholls 20. Junior Tatola 21. Connor Tracey
TEAM NEWS – No changes
St George Illawarra Dragons:
1. Matthew Dufty 2. Nene Macdonald 3. Zac Lomax 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Jordan Pereira 6. Kurt Mann 7. Ben Hunt 8. James Graham 9. Cameron McInnes 10. Leeson Ah Mau 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Tariq Sims 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jeremy Latimore 15. Hame Sele 16. Blake Lawrie 17. Luciano Leilua 18. Jason Nightingale 19. Jai Field 20. Euan Aitken 21. Jacob Host
TEAM NEWS – Gareth Widdop (shoulder) is gone, replaced by Mann in the halves. Sele joins the bench.
*Odds correct at time of posting. Subject to change