NRL round 19: Dolphins v Sharks betting tips
With State of Origin done and dusted for another year, we turn our attention back to the NRL and the clear match of the round: contenders the Dolphins and Sharks squaring off in what we will call the Battle of the Ocean.
Everyone loves dolphins and their cheeky ways, while sharks sit at the other end of the scale (especially at Australian beaches), but that will count for absolutely nothing when this cracking match-up gets under way. This is a match that could turn long-range NRL markets on their head, with the Dolphins rocketing up NRL title betting after a sluggish start to the season and the Sharks also striking a purple patch to move into top-four contention.
Both these teams are in the mix for the top four at least, so this is a genuine eight-point game. This should provide a good guide to whose game style stacks up best in the heat of the NRL finals furnace.
Both teams are at close to full strength (pending Origin) and they are both among the most watchable teams in the competition. The Dolphins have really become the league’s entertainers with their dazzling offence, while the Sharks can also put on the back-line style, though they may play with a little more of a hard edge defensively.
Australian betting sites are offering $1.55 for a Dolphins win with the line set at 4.5 points. With the weather forecast sunny, we should have a fast track. But beware the Origin fallout before you put your bets on this match as the odds could shift significantly.
Dolphins v Sharks team news
Dolphins: Kristian Woolf has big calls to make heading into this one, but pre-Origin he named the five players involved in Origin as reserves, meaning any or all of them could back up for this vital contest. Phins fans will be sweating on the availability of Maroons Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Selwyn Cobbo, Max Plath and Thomas Flegler and Blues debutant Jack Bostock. Of course, they are already missing their playmaker Isaiya Katoa (wrist) for another month or so and they will be desperate to win this home game to give them a buffer in the top four. Tough forward Ray Stone is back after missing the one-point loss to the Knights.
Sharks: Similarly, Craig Fitzgibbon’s Origin trio Addin Fonua-Blake and Blayke Brailey (NSW) and Briton Nikora (Queensland) are named as reserves. Fitzgibbon has a Sharks squad in pretty good shape and they scrapped hard to beat the undermanned Broncos in round 18. Winger Sam Stonestreet is fit again after and has played a couple of games in the lower grades but has a tough job forcing his way back into a star-studded back line.
Read on for our Dolphins v Sharks tips and winner prediction for their round-19 NRL clash.
Dolphins v Sharks match information
- Kick-off: 3pm AEDT, Saturday, July 11
- Venue: Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
- Head to head odds: Dolphins $1.55, Sharks $2.50
- Line betting: Dolphins (-4.5 points) $1.90, Sharks (+4.5 points) $1.90
- Match total: 49.5 points: over $1.90, under $1.90
2026 NRL premiership betting
$2.60 Penrith Panthers
$7.50 Redcliffe Dolphins
$9 Sydney Roosters
$10 New Zealand Warriors
$12 Manly Sea Eagles
$13 South Sydney Rabbitohs
$19 Newcastle Knights
$21 Cronulla Sharks
$29 North Queensland Cowboys, Melbourne Storm
$67 Canterbury Bulldogs
$81 Brisbane Broncos
$101 Wests Tigers,
$201 Canberra Raiders
$501 Parramatta Eels
$1001 Gold Coast Titans
$5001 St George Illawarra Dragons
Dolphins v Sharks betting tips
The Dolphins have won three of the four contests between these two sides but that won’t count for much. They won 38-10 when they clashed in round three this year but the Sharks are certainly a different proposition now.
Powerhouse Sharks fullback Will Kennedy make his 150th NRL appearance and that will give them extra motivation as he is a much-loved teammate but the home edge may be too great for Cronulla this time around.
The Dolphins are the latest hot team of the NRL season and provided they can call on a few of their Origin stars should prevail in an exciting contest.
Dolphins by 8 points.
- Dolphins -4.5 points/match total over 49.5 points at $3.35 with Australian betting sites.
- William Kennedy to score a try in his milestone game at $3.
NRL round 19, 2026
- Friday, July 10: Wests Tigers v Warriors, Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney | 8pm
- Saturday, July 11: Dolphins v Sharks, Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe | 3pm
Bulldogs v Raiders, Accor Stadium, Sydney | 5.30pm
Roosters v Eels, Allianz Stadium, Sydney | 7.35pm - Sunday, July 12: Rabbitohs v Knights, Accor Stadium, Sydney | 2pm
Sea Eagles v Cowboys, 4 Pines Park, Sydney | 4.05pm
Storm v Titans, AAMI Park, Melbourne | 6.15pm
* Broncos, Dragons, Panthers have the bye
