NRL Preview Cronulla Sharks v Melbourne Storm Thursday, June 8, 7:50pm (AEST), Southern Cross Group Stadium, Sydney
It doesn’t get much better than a grand final replay and a battle between first and second to kick off NRL Round 14. The Sharks, including their Origin stars (Jack Bird, Andrew Fifita, Wade Graham and James Maloney) will be fresh off their bye, while the Storm will welcome back skipper Cameron Smith after he missed last week’s big win over the Knights.
History The Sharks have won 3 of the last 4 clashes against the Storm, including a 14-12 victory in last year’s grand final. The Sharks got the job done 11-2 in Melbourne in Round 6 this year and will be looking to grind out another victory on the back of their defence. The last five matches have all failed to break 32 points.
Form The top two teams in the premiership and the Grand Finalists from last year meet in a stunning Thursday night encounter at Shark Park. The Sharks sit second on the ladder and have won four straight and eight of their last nine before their bye last weekend. Their success has certainly been built on defence having not conceded more than 18 points since Round 1. All three of Cronulla’s losses this year have come at Shark Park. Melbourne sit first on the ladder with a 10-2 record with one of those losses coming at home in Round 6 to Cronulla. The Storm have scored 30-plus in four of their last six games and have tightened their defence up in the last two weeks with just three tries in those two matches.
Key Matchup Andrew Fifita v Jesse Bromwich. The bye came at the perfect time for Andrew Fifita after his breath-taking man of the match performance in Origin 1 and also allowed him time to freshen up before taking on one of the best packs in the competition. Consistency has always been an issue for Fifita in the past and he’ll be looking to maintain his hot form in the run in to Origin 2. It’s been a quiet season by Bromwich’s lofty standards and he needs to find his best here if the Storm are to leave Cronulla with the two competition points. He owes the team after he was stood down for his off-field incident when on NZ duty and would love a points decision over Fifita.
Stats That Matter
Cronulla are 5-7 ATS with a 10-2 under record while Melbourne are 6-6 ATS with a 7-5 under number.
The Sharks’ Grand Final win followed by their Round 6 victory have given Cronulla consecutive wins over the Storm for the first time since 2005 – the Sharks have never won three on end against Melbourne.
Cronulla have won two of the last three at Shark Park.
The last five matches have all failed to break 32 points.
The Sharks are 18-24 ATS at Shark Park since 2014 with a 26-16 under record but have covered 5 of their last 6 as an underdog at the ground.
The under is 12-7 since 2014 when a home underdog conceded single digits the start prior.
The under is 25-10 after the Storm conceded 12 or fewer while it is 13-7 for the Sharks.
Final Thoughts The unders looks like the best play in this one, with both sides ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in defence. The Sharks won the Round 6 clash in Melbourne 11-2 and will be tougher to crack playing at home. The freshen up also looks to have come at the perfect time for the Sharks and they’ll be boosted by the return of their buoyant NSW Origin stars.
How It’s Shaping Up Cronulla by 2
Best BetUnder 30.5 ($1.90)
Other Recommended Bets HT/NT Double – Melbourne/Cronulla ($7.25)
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