Friday first NRL Round 8 match is between St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters with the opening kick to commence at 4:00pm. The game is to be played at Allianz Stadium which see’s away team Sydney Roosters hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters.
When and where: Friday, Apr 25, Allianz Stadium, NINE, 4:00pm
Odds Comparison:
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| St George Illawarra Dragons | 2.75 | 2.85 | 2.85 | 2.85 | 2.75 | 2.95 |
| Sydney Roosters | 1.47 | 1.45 | 1.44 | 1.45 | 1.47 | 1.42 |
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Preview:
The Dragons made it ten straight wins over the Warriors last Saturday 20 – 10, registering their fourth win of the season which now sees them in sixth spot on the ladder.
The Dragons, who were on the quick back-up from a controversial and heart-breaking loss to the Storm on the Monday night, were slow out of the blocks and it took a penalty goal by them in the 20th minute to open the scoring.
A spectacular Jason Nightingale try in the 33rd minute – his fourth try of the season, followed by another to Mike Cooper on the strike of half-time, gave the Dragons a 12 – 0 lead at the break.
The Warriors struck back in the second half with two tries of their own to get within four points of the Dragons (14 – 10) but a try to Dragons Fullback Josh Duggan in the 68th minute, was enough to the see the Dragons home.The game in general was a scrappy affair having but having lost three matches on the trot leading into last week’s game, how the result was achieved for the Dragons was irrelevant.
They’ll have a full week to prepare for this round’s match and the last week’s win should help put the tough Storm result behind them.
Like the Dragons, the Roosters headed into their clash against the Sharks last week having lost three games in which they had produced a combined total of only 20 points.
For the sixth time this year the Roosters allowed their opponents to score first but did answer with two first half tries to second-rower Boyd Cornder and Five-eighth James Maloney allowing the Roosters to pinch a slender half time break.
The Sharks scored early in the second half and in a tenacious effort, pushed the Roosters, who have been struggling to deliver the knock-out punch in their games this year, all the way to inside the final ten minutes of the match when Rooster’s centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall for his second try to seal the match 24 – 18.
It wasn’t the Roosters at their best and again, points didn’t come easily for the defending premiers but they needed the win and after close losses to Canterbury, Manly and Parramatta, and will be relieved to have registered their third win of the season.
The Roosters’ three wins have coincided with the only three times they have registered more than twenty points in a game. The Dragons have offered up an average 21 points per game.
The Roosters have won their last three clashes comfortably against the Dragons including this match last year 34 – 10, their first Anzac Day victory in seven years. Importantly too, they’ve also been able to keep the Dragons to 10 points or less three of the last four times the two sides have met.
This will be a tight clash with defence they key, on this front the Roosters have the edge and whilst they may not win by the margin the current market suggests they would, they should be able to hold the Dragons by enough to record their second consecutive Anzac Day match.
Teams:
St George Illawarra Dragons:
Josh Dugan, Brett Morris, Nathan Green, Gerard Beale, Jason Nightingale, Gareth Widdop, Michael Witt, Jack Stockwell, Mitch Rein, Dan Hunt, Joel Thompson, Ben Creagh, Trent Merrin. Interchange: Bronson Harrison, Tyson Frizell, Michael Cooper, Leeson Ah Mau, Jack de Belin
Ins: Dan Hunt, Joel Thompson
Outs: None
Other unavailables: Dylan Farrell (pectoral, indefinite)
Sydney Roosters:
Anthony Minichiello, Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Friend, Sam Moa, Boyd Cordner, Sonny Bill Williams, Aidan Guerra. Interchange: Frank Paul Nuuausala, Mitchell Aubusson, Isaac Liu, Dylan Napa, Daniel Mortimer
Ins: Daniel Tupou
Outs: None
News:
Sydney Roosters star Boyd Cordner admits he’s struggled to hit the heights of his memorable 2013 but confident last Saturday’s barnstorming display against Cronulla will kick-start his season.
The back-rower enjoyed unprecedented success last year winning a premiership ring, a Rugby League World Cup medal in addition to representative honours with Country Origin and NSW.
Despite being just 21-years-old Cordner is already recognised as one of the best forwards in the game.
But both he and the Roosters have made a sluggish start to the season, winning just three of their opening seven games.
The Roosters face St George Illawarra in the traditional Anzac Day fixture on Friday in front of what’s expected to be a sell-out crowd of 40,000 at Allianz Stadium. Cordner’s hoping he can carry on from where he left off in the 24-18 win at Shark Park.
“Against Parra the other week it wasn’t my best game and I was pretty filthy with myself and knew I had to turn some things around,” Cordner said.
“But I thought I played pretty good against the Sharks and hopefully I can turn it around in Friday’s match.”
Cordner believes the Roosters’ slow start to their title defence can be put down to 16 of their squad being involved in the World Cup in Europe at the end of last year.
Subsequently coach Trent Robinson was unable to re-create the fastidious pre-season planning that laid the foundations for last year’s premiership success.
However he believes two months into the new season the side is almost back to where it was last October.
“It was an interrupted pre-season which is pretty important as to how your team is going to start the year,” he said.
“We were together for a long time last year, but this time we come back in dribs and drabs.
“Most years we have eight weeks training before Christmas but this time we had four weeks together before the season started.
“It has had something to do with our poor start, but we’re eight weeks into the season now and feeling pretty good.”
The Dragons head into Friday’s game on the back of a much-needed 20-10 win over the Warriors and hold an 8-4 record in the fixture which was first played in 2002.
Cordner made his first Anzac Day appearance in 2013 and almost inevitably in a year when everything he touched turned to gold he was awarded the Ashton-Collier Spirit of the ANZAC Medal for the man of the match.
The medal is named after Bill Collier, the only surviving member of the Dragons’ 1941 premiership-winning side who was deployed in Papua New Guinea in World War 2 and Ashton Ferris, a former Eastern Suburbs player who served in the Royal Australian Navy during the same era.
“It was a real honour and this fixture is one that always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up,” Cordner said.
“It’s a game you always look forward to playing in and the atmosphere is unbelievable.
“It’s always got that extra feel to it because of what the day is all about.”
