Sunday’s NRL 2018 Round 20 match is between Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons. The opening kick is set to commence at 16:10 local time with the game to be played at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. The away team St George Illawarra Dragons are the favourites for the match.
View our preview and teams for the game between Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons.
When: 16:10 | Sunday 29/07/2018
Where: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Preview:
The game of the round for sure!
Both these teams are the heavyweights of the comp and looking to flex their muscles.
Each team had convincing victories on the weekend as well.
With stars across the park, this shapes as a blockbuster.
This will be interesting as we have the best attacking team (441 points) up against the best defensive team (263 points).
So how does this one play out?
I’m expecting this to be played at a semi-final pace and should provide us with plenty of highlights.
For the Roosters, they built their game last week off the power of the forwards and outside backs then Cooper Cronk and Luke Keary were able to really come into their own.
As for the Dragons, well I thought Gareth Widdop was again instrumental in their performance.
What a player he is and the skills he’s put on display in 2018 sees him as the best five-eighth so far.
This one will have it all and I can sense that maybe it’s an audition for bigger things to come?
The game will be won I think in the outside backs.
Both sides have such power and class in this area.
KEY BATTLE: Matt Dufty v James Tedesco
Look for the battle of the fullbacks to really decide this one.
Dufty v Tedesco, speed, class and strength.
Sit back and enjoy, this will be a good one.
The Verdict
I’m leaning towards the Dragons in an epic.
Unibet Odds:
Sydney Roosters at $1.68
St George Illawarra Dragons at $2.20
Odds:
Tip: St George Illawarra Dragons at $2.28
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Matthew Dufty at $14.00
More Info:
Teams:
Sydney Roosters:
1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Joseph Manu, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Sio Siua Taukeiaho, 11 Boyd Cordner, 12 Ryan Matterson, 13 Victor Radley
Interchange: 14 Isaac Liu, 15 Zane Tetevano, 16 Mitchell Aubusson, 17 Kurt Baptiste
Reserves: 18 Nat Butcher, 20 Matthew Ikuvalu, 21 Dylan Napa, 22 Lindsay Collins.
St George Illawarra Dragons: 
1 Matt Dufty, 2 Jordan Pereira, 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 Luciano Leilua
Reserves: 18 Patrick Herbert, 19 Blake Lawrie, 20 Jai Field, 21 Zachary Lomax.
NRL News:
St George Illawarra snapped a two-game losing streak with a convincing 24-10 victory over North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday night, taking them back to the top of the NRL ladder.
Matt Dufty and Gareth Widdop starred as Paul McGregor’s side sealed a win that lifts them above South Sydney on points difference.
Jason Nightingale, Dufty and debutant Jordan Pereira scored tries for the visitors while Gavin Cooper notched the Cowboys’ only four-pointer.
The Dragons came out firing with Dufty breaking the line with a shimmy inside Johnathan Thurston before laying on a try for Nightingale after two minutes.
Two penalties from Thurston reduced the margin, the second after Jack de Belin was penalised for slowing the play the ball and was sent to the sin bin.
The Cowboys took full advantage with veteran forward Gavin Cooper scoring his third try in as many games.
Cooper collected the ball after a tackle on Kane Linnett two metres from the line and faked a pass right to wrong-foot Ben Hunt before he dived over on the left-hand side.
The electric Dufty ensured the lead would not last with a try just after the half-hour mark.
Fed by Widdop, the fullback raced through a gap in the Cowboys’ line before diagonally making a bee-line for the uprights.
Although Te Maire Martin took him to ground he could not hold on to the tackle and Dufty got up and dived over.
De Belin made amends for his early error by forcing a turnover late in the half and Hunt ghosted through the line before feeding Tariq Sims who scored.
Ten minutes into the second half, the game was effectively over as Widdop’s perfect kick to the left wing was collected by Pereira who scored his first NRL try.
The committed Dragons’ defence denied a way back into the game for last year’s grand finalists who remain second last on the ladder.
