The first of Wednesday’s NRL Anzac Day Round 8 Matches for 2018 is between St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters. The opening kick is set to commence at 16:10 local time with the game to be played at Allianz Stadium. The home team St George Illawarra Dragons are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters.
When: 16:10 | Wednesday 25/04/2018
Where: Allianz Stadium
Preview:
The game of the round for me.
I can only imagine how special this one is to be a part but I’ve heard how special it is from my teammates who have been part of it.
The players would be emotional and excited to be walking out onto the field and listening to the last post standing arm-in-arm with your mates before the battle would be something special.
From what I saw last start from the Roosters, I can’t be confident in tipping them for this one.
They did however, defend really well and will need that again coming up against one of the best attacking teams in the comp.
Coming off their first loss of the season, the monkey is of the Dragons’ back and although they weren’t that bad, they’ll be looking for a solid performance.
KEY BATTLE: Luke Keary v Gareth Widdop
This matchup between the two no.6’s excites me.
Luke Keary’s running game is key if the Roosters are going to threaten against the skill and composure of Gareth Widdop, who is consistently the form player of the comp.
The Verdict
In a tight one for me, the Red V will sneak a win back.
Unibet Odds: St. George-Illawarra 1.73 Sydney Roosters 2.12
Odds:
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Tip: St George Illawarra Dragons at $1.81
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Joseph Manu at $13
More Info:
Teams:
Dragons:
1 Matthew Dufty, 2 Nene Macdonald, 3 Euan Aitken, 4 Tim Lafai, 5 Jason Nightingale, 6 Gareth Widdop (c), 7 Ben Hunt, 8 James Graham, 9 Cameron McInnes, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Tyson Frizell, 12 Tariq Sims, 13 Jack De Belin
Interchange: 14 Jeremy Latimore, 15 Kurt Mann, 16 Leeson Ah Mau, 17 Jacob Host
Reserves: 19 Zachary Lomax, 20 Mitchell Allgood
Roosters:
1 James Tedesco, 2 Joseph Manu, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Mitchell Aubusson, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Zane Tetevano, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Dylan Napa, 11 Boyd Cordner (c), 12 Ryan Matterson, 13 Isaac Liu
Interchange: 14 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 15 Sio Siua Taukeiiaho, 16 Nat Butcher, 17 Victor Radley
Reserves: 18 Frank-Paul Nuuausala, 20 Kurt Baptiste
NRL News:
Just three months after denying Jack Cogger an early release from his NRL contract, Nathan Brown has tasked the budding halfback with saving Newcastle’s finals aspirations.
With Mitchell Pearce out for up to four months after undergoing surgery on a torn pec, Cogger has been told to own the No.7 jersey and the side.
The loss of Pearce – who leads the Dally M race after seven rounds – is a hammer blow for the young Knights side and could prove the death knell for their top eight hopes.
During the pre-season, Brown knocked back Cogger’s request for an early release to join Canterbury, who he has signed with for 2019.
At the time, the Bulldogs were desperate for a foil for Kieran Foran however Brown wanted the 20-year-old to remain, believing he would prove valuable during their campaign.
And he’s been vindicated with Cogger to partner Connor Watson during Friday’s clash with Manly and he appears set to play a key role in their season.
“The key is when you go into games, you have to have faith and confidence that you can do well,” Brown said.
“I’d like to to think the players have confidence in Coggs and I’d like to think he’s been training three years for this game.
“He’s played the last couple of years when he wasn’t ready.
“I said that to him at the start of the year, I believe he is ready to play first-grade now. His opportunity has come through some misfortune for the club and Mitchell.
“But Jack’s been working for three years now and his time has come to be a bit more of a dominant player.”
Brown admitted the loss of former Sydney Roosters Pearce was a massive roadblock as they seek a return to the finals after a four-year absence and three straight wooden spoons.
“Mitchell, in all honesty, has been one of the form players of the competition,” Brown said.
“He’s come into a young side and led us really well.
“He’s doing a great job for us and a big part of our team. Mitchell can still be a big part of our team.”