Saturday first NRL Round 21 match is between New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla Sharks with the opening kick to commence at 3.00pm local time. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium with the home team New Zealand Warriors hold favouritism in the match. View our preview and teams for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla Sharks.

Mt Smart Stadium

Saturday, 5pm (3pm AEST)

New Zealand Warriors $1.42 vs Cronulla Sharks $2.95 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

New Zealand Warriors $1.42 vs Cronulla Sharks $2.95 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

New Zealand Warriors	1.42	1.45	1.42	1.45	1.42	1.46
Cronulla Sharks	2.95	2.75	2.95	2.75	2.95	2.88

Preview:

Cronulla face the unenviable task of travelling across the Tasman to take on the very much in-form New Zealand Warriors.

The Warriors have won four of their last five matches including a win over the Sydney Roosters and their last four matches at home, which include the scalps of Manly and last week, Melbourne.

After a slow start to the season, the Warriors are starting to gel and form a formidable side under the guidance of Matt Elliott. With a big and mobile forward pack and smart attacking backs the likes of Shaun Johnson, the Warriors can keep their momentum up and possibly enter the eight with a win here.

Cronulla, after a poor loss to Sydney in round 19 (40 – 0), bounced back with a good home win over Penrith last week 38 – 10.

Led by Todd Carney, the Sharks were near their best and dominated their opponents from the outset.

Carney is obviously the key for the Sharks and the Warriors big men will be keen to – and need to, shut the playmaker down

Cronulla sit in sixth spot on the ladder and just in advance of their opponents today and Newcastle (play Brisbane Friday night) and a loss here would see the Sharks placed precariously on the table with only a few weeks of the competition left.

This will be a good clash and Cronulla have registered wins the last three times these two sides of met, the most recent matches by big margins of 39 and 24 points.

This will be a closer than the current head to head market would suggest with so much on the line for both clubs but the home ground advantage and record, enough to see the Warriors home.

Teams:

New Zealand Warriors:
Kevin Locke, Ngani Laumape, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (capt), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Suaia Matagi, Jacob Lillyman, Todd Lowrie, Dominique Peyroux.

Cronulla Sharks:
Michael Gordon, Sosaia Feki, Ben Pomeroy, Jonathan Wright, Nathan Stapleton, Todd Carney, Jeff Robson, Andrew Fifita, John Morris, Bryce Gibbs, Jayson Bukuya, Wade Graham, Paul Gallen (capt). Interchange: Isaac De Gois, Chris Heighington, Sam Tagataese, Ben Ross, Tyrone Peachey (one to be omitted).

Storm see positives in Warriors NRL defeat

Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith says it’s not all doom and gloom for the defending NRL premiers, despite losing four of their past five games.

With the Storm clinging to a top-four spot, Smith has pulled out the old siege-mentality card to inspire his troops.

Quizzed by reporters about how the Storm were coping with Sunday’s 30-22 loss to the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium, he said the players would take some positives from how they had fought back from 18-4 down at halftime.

The Storm sit on 27 points, three ahead of fifth-placed Canterbury.

“I wasn’t aware of that stat. One (win) out of the last five matches isn’t what we’re used to,” Smith said on Monday.

“But we’ve come through an Origin period,” the Queensland captain added.

“We were all aware it was going to be a difficult time for the club, to ask the young blokes to step up and play really well.

“It’s more of a lesson learnt. A lot of people were writing us off last year after we’d lost five consecutive matches.

“They thought: ‘The Storm’s chances are gone. Have a look at the way they’re playing. They’re just fading away’.

“But we found something that was missing and it came good for us at the end of the year and we got a premiership out of it.

“It’s not all doom and gloom for us.

“We’re a team that looks forward and our priority is getting ourselves ready for this week against Canberra.”

Smith says the Storm need to take a great attitude into Sunday’s battle with the Raiders.

“We’ve played these guys once before this year and they have beaten us at home so they’re going to be even tougher up there,” he said.

Smith says rival clubs still seem to treat a clash with the defending premiers as the ultimate test.

“That’s the way teams approach us. I believe they see us as the benchmark,” he said.

“You hear people talk about that all the time. So they know they have to be well prepared to play against Melbourne.

“We know we’re always going to come out against well-prepared footy sides and a team that’s going to come out and play their best football.”