The first of today’s NRL Anzac day matches is between Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons. The opening kick is set to commence at 4pm local time with the game to be played at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The home team the Roosters are the current favourites for the match and have been well supported in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons.

Allianz Stadium

Thursday @ 16:00

Featured Bookmakers:

Sydney Roosters $1.36 vs St George Illawarra Dragons $3.20 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Sydney Roosters $1.33 vs St George Illawarra Dragons $3.35 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison:

Sydney Roosters	1.36	1.35	1.33	1.35	1.36	1.36
St George Illawarra Dragons	3.20	3.25	3.35	3.25	3.20	3.20

Preview:

Round seven kicks off on Thursday with the traditional Anzac clash between Sydney Roosters and St. George Illawarra Dragons.

The Dragons have won the past two Anzac Day matches (28-24 and 24-10 in 2011) however the Roosters have kept the ledger tied up since the two sides met in the 2010 Grand Final, by also winning two.

The Roosters have won four from six this season with their losses coming in the opening round against the well performed South Sydney (28-10) and to Canberra where, after leading 16-0 nil at halftime, somehow found themselves on the wrong side of a 24-22 final score.

That effort aside, their form over the past month has been first rate and they’re defence exemplary in keeping Parramatta, Brisbane and Bulldogs scoreless.

It was a slower start to the season for the Dragons who lost their first three matches to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra (all away), before beating the Sharks in round four and toughing it out well to record narrow victories over Newcastle and last week, by a single point over West Tigers.

The Roosters have undergone a major transformation in the off season under new coast Trent Robinson and have staked their claim as genuine title contenders, where they are currently on the fourth line of betting at $7.50, in the first two months of the competition.

The Dragons are $34.00 chances in Premiership betting and have been sluggish but, with this game full of emotion and tradition and some big off-field announcements during the week regarding next year’s playing roster, we can expect an improved effort but doubt that will be enough to stop the Roosters in their current form.

Teams:

Sydney Roosters:
Anthony Minichiello (c), Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Friend, Sam Moa, Mitchell Aubusson, Sonny Bill Williams, Boyd Cordner Interchange: Daniel Mortimer, Martin Kennedy, Aidan Guerra, Luke O’Donnell.

St George Illawarra Dragons:
Jason Nightingale, Brett Morris, Chase Stanley, Matt Cooper, Matt Cooper, Jamie Soward, Nathan Fien, Dan Hunt, Mitch Rein, Jack Stockwell, Tyson Frizell, Ben Creagh (c), Trent Merrin
Interchange: Bronson Harrison, Matt Prior, Jack de Belin, Damien Cook, Michael Weyman (one to be omitted).

Last years Anzac day win wont have affect on Roosters

Anthony Minichiello remembers so little about Sydney Roosters’ last Anzac Day triumph that he doesn’t even recall playing in it.

“I was injured I think,” Minichiello said when asked what he recalled of the Roosters side which beat St George Illawarra 18-4 in 2007.

Minichiello was in fact there that day, but of the Roosters side that will run out at Allianz Stadium on Thursday, just two teammates remain.

Shaun Kenny-Dowall was there on the wing and Mitchell Pearce in the No.7, the likes of Danny Nutley, Chris Beattie and Iosia Soliola long gone.

The Dragons too are barely recognisable, but it is the Roosters of 2013 that are Minichiello’s focus, as they look to overturn a dismal record in the traditional clash – just three wins from 12 matches.

Four wins from six games has the Roosters faithful thinking of a return to the finals, but Minichiello is refusing to get carried away with his team’s hot start to the season.

“We don’t believe the hype,” Minichiello told AAP.

“We’ve heard it for sure – even before a ball was kicked they were pumping us up.

“But where we’ve finished the last couple of years, how can we believe it? You can’t.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work to get to the benchmark teams like Melbourne, Manly and even Souths.

“It showed in round one when we got taught a lesson by Souths that we’ve still got a way to go.”

One boost for the Roosters on Thursday should be the availability of Sonny Bill Williams after he was forced to miss New Zealand’s Test against Australia after having gel injected into his knee.

Minichiello confirmed the star back-rower had trained on Sunday and Monday, saying he fully expected Williams to play in his first Anzac Day match.

“He had a real good session yesterday. He’s looking like he’ll take his place in the team,” Minichiello said.

“He’s been fantastic for us. A lot of people thought it would take him a couple of months to get into his groove.

“But it really only took him a couple of weeks, which is pretty impressive.”