Our best bet for Saturday's NRL Semi-Final between the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla Sharks is the Roosters to Win / Under 45.5 / Nawaqanitawase to Score Same Game Multi at $5.35, with Sydney beating Cronulla twice this season and Mark Nawaqanitawase in outstanding form after last week's Qualifying Final performance.
The Roosters and Sharks clash this Saturday at Allianz Stadium in Sydney with a spot in the NRL Preliminary Finals on the line.
Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks
Opening week of the NRL finals played out as expected for both Sydney and Cronulla.
The Roosters took on top dogs Penrith and played them tight, but ultimately fell short 19-12.
The Sharks had the eighth-placed North Queensland to reckon with, who they saw off with relative ease, winning 26-16.
Leg 1 - Roosters to Win
Despite now having lost four matches in a row, Sydney looked better last week against the Panthers.
They were right in the mix up until Brian To'o's try in the dying minutes, and looked like the team that finished third on the ladder.
The Roosters have had success against Cronulla this year, beating them 27-8 and 34-22.
The visitors aren't exactly in fine form themselves, with that win over the Cowboys only their second victory in six matches.
Leg 2 - Under 45.5 Points Total
Despite this column's predictions, all four of last week's finals fell under the line, with the highest scoring match seeing just 42 points.
Expect a similarly low-scoring match here, particularly given the Roosters' track record. They've scored 20 or less in five of their last six.
Leg 3 - Mark Nawaqanitawase to Score
Large parts of last week's Qualifying Final were Nawaqanitawase vs the Panthers.
The Roosters' winger played out of his skin, constantly threatening the Penrith line on attack and via intercept. He scored once for his efforts, taking his season tally to 16.
If the Roosters are to get past the Sharks here, Nawaqanitawase will have to have another blinder.
Same Game Multi
Roosters to Win / Under 45.5 / Nawaqanitawase to Score = $5.35
Value Bet
Four of the Roosters' last five wins have come by 1-12.
Considering this is finals footy and Sydney will look to play a tight, defence-first style, it's very unlikely this match ends in a blowout.
