The first of Friday night’s NRL Round 18 matches is between Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla Sharks. The opening kick is set to commence at 7:45pm local time with the game to be played at Suncorp Stadium. The away team the Cronulla Sharks are the current favourites in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla Sharks.

Suncorp Stadium

Brisbane Broncos $2.35 vs Cronulla Sharks $1.60 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Brisbane Broncos $2.32 vs Cronulla Sharks $1.63 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

Brisbane Broncos	2.35	2.40	2.32	2.35	2.35	2.35
Cronulla Sharks	1.60	1.60	1.63	1.60	1.60	1.60

Preview:

With the State of Origin decider next Wednesday night, only four games make up Round 18 of the NRL, the first of which sees the struggling Brisbane Broncos host the Cronulla Sharks.

Brisbane slumped to their fifth last from their past six games last Friday night when handed a 32-0 drumming by the Melbourne Storm.

The loss now sees the Broncos required to win their last eight games of the season to ensure a finals birth but this week obviously, they’ll be without their origin players – Thaiday, Parker, Hodges and Gillett.

Also missing will be centre Jack Reed who is out for 4-6 weeks with a damaged collarbone.

Cronulla will be without NSW Captain Paul Gallen and Man of the Match from State of Origin Game 1, Luke Lewis but still have enough personal to worry the Broncos.

The Sharks sit ninth on the ladder and need a win here to keep pace with the top half of the competition.

Coming off a good win last week against West Tigers (36-22), which was their fourth in the past six weeks, there’s a lot more to like about the Sharks heading into this match than there is about the home team.

Last time the two sides met (round 17, 2012) Cronulla snapped a five game losing streak to the Broncos and would expect them to make it successive victories this weekend.

Teams:

Brisbane Broncos:
Corey Norman, Jordan Kahu, Corey Oates, Josh Hoffman, Lachlan Maranta, Scott Prince, Peter Wallace, Ben Hannant, Andrew McCullough, Josh McGuire, Alex Glenn (c), David Stagg, Mitchell Dodds. Interchange: Ben Hunt, David Hala, Dunamis Lui, Lama Tasi, Jarrod Wallace, Nick Slyney, Scott Anderson

Cronulla Sharks:
Michael Gordon, Sosaia Feki, Stewart Mills, Jonathan Wright, Nathan Stapleton, Todd Carney, Jeff Robson, Bryce Gibbs, John Morris, Sam Tagataese, Jayson Bukuya, Wade Graham (c), Chris Heighington. Interchange: Isaac De Gois, Tyrone Peachey, Mark Taufua, Ben Ross, Ben Pomeroy

Andrew Fifita shined in NSW loss to Queensland in State Of Origin 2013

Andrew Fifita believes the decision by Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan to start him from the bench is the reason he’s become a State of Origin front-rower.

The giant prop was one of the few NSW players to emerge with any credit in the disappointing 26-6 loss to Queensland in game two in Brisbane and was outstanding again in the Sharks’ 36-22 win over the Wests Tigers on Friday night.

The 23-year-old scored two tries, raced for 144 metres in addition to clocking up 34 tackles after coming off the bench against his former club.

Fifita is almost certain to be included in Laurie Daley’s NSW team which will be announced on Sunday evening but admits he wouldn’t have been in with a shout if he hadn’t been benched earlier this season.

“It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me and I wouldn’t be in an Origin jersey if Flanno hadn’t said to me he wanted to start me off the bench,” Fifita said.

“My impact on the game has been excellent and I am just trying so hard to bring that momentum for the boys.”

Flanagan said Fifita has matured into a top grade player over the past year, having been allowed to leave by the Tigers with question marks over his off-field attitude but not his talent.

“Andrew’s growing every week and he understands the game better,” Flanagan said.

“He’s a big powerful thing who can move as he showed with the tries he scored.

“His form’s been great, his attitude has been great and Origin is going to be good for him and he’ll learn so much out of it.

“He likes the No.8 on his back, but he’s growing into understanding what I want from him off the bench and it suits our team.

“He is a front-rower who is going to be around for a very long time and will do well again in Origin.”

Fifita began his life as a winger before a growth spurt in his late teens.

His first try against the Tigers stemmed from a 50m run and then an outrageous sidestep to bamboozle Tigers fullback James Tedesco.

“It was on so I thought I’d use it as Teddy (Tedesco) would have chopped me down around the legs if I had run straight at him,” Fifita said.

“I started out on the wing and I knew I could do it and thankfully it came off.”