
NRL finals week 3 schedule, odds, 2021 title betting — Storm v Panthers blockbuster
Welcome to our early look at NRL preliminary finals weekend of the 2021 NRL season:…
Cronulla Sharks host Manly Sea Eagles to kick off NRL Round 7, 2022, on Thursday, April 21, in what is a clear match of the Anzac Day weekend round. We offer some early insight into a big week ahead in the NRL.
The Sharks have impressed early this season and lost few admirers with their 34-18 loss to the powerful Storm in Melbourne in round 6. That match was closer than the score indicates.
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But we offer a note of caution for this ready to launch into the $1.45 on offer with leading Aussie bookies TopSport. The Sharks have been hit hard by injury from the Storm match, with inspirational Dale Finucane (concussion) and hard-hitting prop Braden Hamlin-Uele (torn pectoral) missing from the pack.
Of course, the Sea Eagles also have their issues with star fullback Tom Trbojevic (knee) not due back for at least a couple of weeks.
Cronulla and Manly are both sitting on 4-2 records and this is a crucial clash in the early jockeying for top-four positions.
The action continues on Friday night with Brisbane hosting the Canterbury Bulldogs, with these teams already clashing once previously this season for a 16-10 win for the Broncos.
The Broncos have since struggled but they are boosted by the return from suspension of powerhouse prop Payne Haas, though the loss of fullback Tesi Niu (hamstring) for an extended period tempers this news somewhat.
In round seven there are just two matches on Super Saturday, starting with the Queensland derby between the Cowboys and the Titans, where we think the home-ground advantage is enough for the Cowboys to cover the 1.5-point line ($1.90).
The second match on Saturday is the Wests Tigers v Souths, with the Tigers finally getting on the board with their last-gasp win on Easter Monday against Parramatta.
Ladder leaders Penrith should continue on their winning way when they host the struggling Raiders on Sunday night, with Newcastle hosting Parramatta in the earlier game.
The round concludes with two matches on Anzac Day. First-up we think the St George Illawarra Dragons can win at the line of +12.5 points against the Roosters, who have yet to convince the WGL team of their bona fides for season 2022.
Then the Storm host the Warriors in what is always an emotional clash. The Warriors always lift for Anzac Day but they are simply not travelling well enough to trouble the free-flowing Storm and the bookies agree, with the home team a prohibitive $1.10 favourite and the line set at 19.5 points.
The top two teams in NRL title betting, the Panthers ($3.50 to $3.30) and the Storm ($4.40 to $3.70) continue to impress sportsbooks and punters alike.
And after round six the gap between the top seven teams and the rest has soared again, with teams on the seventh line of betting at $101! The only team at $101 or better that we can see doing any damage come finals team is the Titans, but they will need to find their groove quickly.
Among the contenders, the Roosters firmed from $7 to $6, with the Sharks $9.50 to $9 despite their reversal against the Storm.
The Eels were $7 to $10 after falling to battlers Wests Tigers, while Manly were $11 to $15, and Souths $12 to $15 despite Souths beating the Dogs and the Sea Eagles beating the Titans.
Wests Tigers are no longer the outsiders in premiership betting after their shock win against the Eels, in from $251 to $201.
$3.30 Penrith Panthers
$3.70 Melbourne Storm
$6 Sydney Roosters
$9 Cronulla Sharks
$10 Parramatta Eels
$15 Manly Sea Eagles, South Sydney Rabbitohs
$101 Gold Coast Titans, Canberra Raiders, New Zealand Warriors, Newcastle Knights, North Queensland Cowboys
$151 Brisbane Broncos
$201 Wests Tigers
$251 St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Check out all the latest odds at TopSport!
Thursday, April 21
Friday, April 22
Saturday, April 23
Sunday, April 24
Monday, April 25