Storm v Sea Eagles tips, prediction and odds; NRL QF preview

Welcome to our Melbourne Storm v Manly Sea Eagles betting tips, prediction and odds analysis for their qualifying final at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Friday night, September 10.

This is a genuine blockbuster to open the 2021 NRL finals, with the Storm winning the minor premiership and the Sea Eagles being one of the stand-out teams in the run to the finals.

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Of course, there is a lot at stake here, with the winners heading straight to a weekend off and then the preliminary finals where they will be just one win away from a start in the premiership decider.

The losers will play the winners of the elimination final between the Sydney Roosters and Gold Coast Titans in a semi-final next weekend, with this a much tougher path through to the prelims.

The Storm have won their past four matches against Manly by an average of 19.5 points.

The teams have clashed only once in 2021 for a 28-18 win to Craig Bellamy’s side. That was a hard-fought contest in which the scores were tied 8-8 at half-time and the match was in the balance until a Cameron Munster try in the 68th minute allowed the Storm to break away.

Manly have been outstanding in the second half of the season, and boast a free-scoring attack, though their defence has not been in the same stratosphere as that of the Storm.

We know both teams can score freely and quickly, but most pundits believe it’s the superior defence that will prevail here for the Storm, who are firm premiership favourites.

Team news for Storm-Sea Eagles final

The big news for this one is of course the race against time for superstar five-eighth Cameron Munster (knee) to play, although he was named in the team, while flying winger Josh Addo-Carr (hamstring) was not named in the squad on Tuesday.

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy will be able to welcome back tough forward Jesse Bromwich from suspension, while veteran winger George Jennings (knee) is another named but struggling to be fit for this match.

Manly are at full strength for this encounter, with star fullback Tom Trbojevic finishing the match against the Cowboys full of running last weekend despite heavy attention from the opposition defence.

 

Continue reading for our free Storm v Sea Eagles betting tips and winner prediction for their NRL qualifying final on Friday, September 10, 2021.

Start:	7:50pm AEST, September 10
Venue:	Sunshine Coast Stadium, Kawana Waters
Head-to-head odds:	Melbourne Storm ($1.62) v Manly ($2.31)
Line betting:	Melbourne Storm -9.5 ($1.90) v Manly +9.5 ($1.90)
Premiership odds:	Melbourne Storm $2.40; Manly $6

Melbourne Storm v Manly tips – NRL QF 2021

Our NRL betting expert has examined the markets and found value Storm-Sea Eagles tips:

Melbourne Storm v Manly Sea Eagles prediction 10/9/2021

The Storm are well fancied with Australian betting sites, and that is no surprise as they have had a phenomenal season and are the defending champions. They lost just three matches throughout the entire regular season. Manly, on the other hand, were scratchy early, but have been fantastic since they regained Tom Trbojevic at fullback. Tommy Turbo is now considered the best player in the game, but the Sea Eagles are no one-man band. They have ultra experienced halves and have unearthed outstanding prospects in the likes of speed machine Jason Saab. The Storm will take some beating but this is a big opportunity for the Sea Eagles to cause an upset, with Munster under a cloud. Our final Storm-Sea Eagles prediction? Sea Eagles by 2 points. 

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