The St. George Illawarra Dragons will be looking to pick up their first win of the 2020 season when they host the visiting Cronulla Sharks in their Round 5 matchup on Sunday, live from Campbelltown Stadium. With the Dragons desperate for a victory and the Sharks looking to build on their first win of the season the last time out, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their NRL betting odds in this one.
NRL Sharks Vs Dragons Round 5
Why Bet On The Dragons
The Dragons are in last place in the 16-team NRL standings with 44 points scored and 96 allowed defensively (-52). St. George was man-handled en route to a uninspiring 22-2 loss against Canterbury on Monday that saw them give up a trio of tries and another trio of conversions while Zac Lomax scored their only two points on a penalty goal. St. George lost the possession battle 55-45 percent, although they did keep it close in the meters run department 2,202 to 2,103.
Euan Aitken has been named to replace the injured Brayden Wiliame (calf) at center, while Tyrell Fuimaono is set in the second row for Tariq Sims (wrist) and Matt Dufty has joined the interchange. Reports say that everything is on the table for the winless and completely desperate Dragons as they look to avoid an 0-5 start for the first time in franchise history.
Why Bet On The Sharks
The Sharks are in 11th place in the NRL standings, having scored 70 points while allowing 78 points defensively (-8). Cronulla got their first win of the 2020 campaign by jumping out to a 12-6 halftime lead against North Queensland that they would never relinquish. Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jessie Ramien both scored a pair of tries while Briton Nikora added another in the win. Shaun Johnson went 3-for-5 on conversion attempts. The Sharks got the win despite losing the possession battle 54-46 percent although they did manage to win the meters run matchup 1,628 to 1,501.
Halfback Chad Townsend (hamstring) and prop Andrew Fifita (calf) will be back on the pitch for this affair while Matt Moylan moves to fullback and Will Kennedy out of the 17. Mawene Hiroti replaces Ronaldo Mulitalo (knee) on the wing, while Toby Rudolf goes back to the interchange and Siosifa Talakai drops out of the side. Only five Sharks players have experienced an NRL victory at Campbelltown.
Expert Analysis and Prediction
The Dragons have a great chance to get their first win of the season against a Sharks club that just managed to get their first victory last week. Having said that, I believe the Dragons will somehow find a way to get it done, mostly because they’re completely and utterly desperate. Yes, St. George is a pitiful -52 in point differential while Cronulla is a more palatable 8, but it’s not like the Sharks are world-beaters which is why I like St. George to get it done in a street fight kind of matchup.
Pick: Dragons 22 Sharks 20
General Match Info Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1-0-3) Vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons (0-0-4)
- When: Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 3:30 AM AEST
- Where: Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney
- Sharks Vs Dragons Live: Fox Sports
- Money Lines: Sharks -204 / Dragons +138
- Total: O 18½ (-105) / U 18½ (-136)
Telstra Premiership 2020 Round 5 Matches
- Cowboys Vs Warriors – Friday 12th June, 04:00 AM | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast
- Panthers Vs Eels – Friday 12th June, 05:55 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
- Titans Vs Rabbitohs – Saturday 13th June, 01:00 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
- Storm Vs Knights – Saturday 13th June, 03:30 AM | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast
- Broncos Vs Sea Eagles- Thursday 11th June, 05:50 AM | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast
- Raiders Vs Wests Tigers – Saturday 13th June, 05:35 AM | Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney
- Roosters Vs Bulldogs – Sunday 14th June, 02:05 AM | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
