2024 NRL Preliminary Finals Betting Predictions
The race for the NRL Grand Final is down to the best 4 teams in the NRL this season. First up, the Storm will be looking to defend their home turf and return to the Grand Final for the first time since 2020. But the Roosters won't be backing down. Meanwhile, the Sharks will look to continue the momentum after last week as they face the mighty Panthers. Penrith are aiming for a 5th straight GF appearance. Here is a look at how both matchups are shaping up.
Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters
For the Storm, this will mark their fifth grand final appearance in the last nine years. They earned a week off after a solid 37-10 win over the Sharks at this venue, where Harry Grant grabbed a hat-trick, and Will Warbrick crossed the line twice. Plus, Papenhuyzen made a strong comeback from injury.
Storm captain Harry Grant is set to celebrate a milestone with his 100th NRL appearance.
In last year's semi-final at AAMI Park, it took a last-minute, acrobatic try from Will Warbrick to secure an 18-13 win for the Storm. The towering Kiwi winger will be one to watch in attack again. The Storm also came out on top in both of their meetings this season, as well as all three clashes in 2023.
The Roosters are chasing their first grand final appearance since their back-to-back wins in 2018-19. They’re coming off a dominant 40-16 victory over the Sea Eagles last week, where James Tedesco bagged a double and racked up 226 run metres, while Connor Watson put in a solid 42 tackles at hooker.
After getting through 29 minutes last week with his fractured shoulder holding up, Victor Radley is set to step up even more as the Roosters face off against the Storm’s powerful forward pack.
However, the Roosters will need to break a bit of a curse—they’ve lost their last three games at AAMI Park.
These two sides usually match well together and defence is generally the focus. As such, the Under is 8-1 when these two teams play each other at AAMI Park. This year, the two meetings have gone Under as well (24-8 and 18-12).
Stadium Record
Melbourne has won 9 of 10 at home this season. Sydney are 4-9 in their history.
Head to Head Record
The Storm have won 10 of their past 11 games against the Roosters, including 5 straight wins.
Best Bet
Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla Sharks
The Panthers are heading into their fifth straight preliminary final in great shape. Cleary looked sharp against the Roosters, and it’s likely that back-rower Scott Sorensen will be back from his hamstring injury. With the chance to make history by winning a fourth consecutive premiership, the Panthers are fired up, especially as they aim to give Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Sunia Turuva a winning send-off.
They're also chasing a premiership record with what would be their 11th straight finals win. Plus, captain Isaah Yeo is set to break the club's all-time appearance record with his 244th game.
After finally breaking their finals curse with a win over the Cowboys, the Sharks now face the tough task of stepping it up to challenge the reigning premiers.
Braydon Trindall had one of his best games ever in their 26-18 win, pushing the Sharks into their first preliminary final since 2018. He and his halves partner, Nicho Hynes, will need to bring their A-game again as they go head-to-head with Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai. If they can pull it off, the Sharks could keep their dream alive of a second premiership, adding to their 2016 title.
That said, the Sharks have been outscored 70-0 in their last two games against the Panthers. On a positive note, Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes will be celebrating his 100th NRL appearance.
I think the Sharks have been wildly inconsistent this season and it's hard to know what side will turn up. So, I just like the settled Panthers. They love playing the Sharks too, they have won 5 of the last 7 meetings by a 13+ margin. They'll be hard to beat, especially with a 5th Grand Final appearance on the line.
Stadium Record
Penrith are 4-1 in their last 5 and that includes 3 finals. Cronulla has lost 4 of their last 6.
Head to Head Record
The Panthers have won seven of their past eight games against the Sharks.
Best Bet
