Cronulla Sharks vs Sydney Roosters Prediction: Expect a tough contest

When the Roosters go to Pointsbet Stadium for the second time in 2023, they will be looking to avenge the loss they suffered there against the Sharks in Round 7. Given the close nature of these odds, what do you believe the outcome of this match will be?

The Cronulla Sharks finished the 2023 campaign with an important and convincing 26-6 victory over the Canberra Raiders to clinch a spot in this weekend's championship game at their own stadium. The victory over the Canberra Raiders was Cronulla's fourth in their last five games, and it provided them with the momentum and confidence they needed going into the games that would determine their fate. Nicho Hynes has been the driving force behind the Sharks' success during the whole 2023 season, contributing to their 26 try assists and 31 linebreak assists. Despite going off the field against the Raiders with a knee injury early in the game, Connor Tracey has been chosen as the starting fullback for the team. William Kennedy has been given a spot in the reserves, and there is still a chance he will end up playing.

The Sydney Roosters were able to make it into the playoffs in the last round of the home-and-away season by putting in a valiant effort toward the end of the regular season, during which they won six of their last seven games. They finished the year better than any other team in the competition, averaging 29.6 points in attack and just 12.4 points in defense in their last five games and being unbeaten overall. All of the pundits and experts had written off the Chooks around halfway through the season, but they finished the year better than any other team in the competition. Daniel Tupou will be unable to play after he suffered a hamstring injury during the Roosters' victory over the Bunnies. In his absence, Fetalaiga Pauga has been named as his replacement. Joseph Manu will be able to play again after missing the previous week due to a minor hamstring issue.

Both clubs have had successful finishes to their regular seasons, but you might say that the Sharks are under more pressure to win this week given that no one gave Sydney a fighting chance to make it to the eight teams before the season began. The question now is whether or not the Sharks will be able to bounce back after being eliminated from the finals in consecutive sets in 2022. My opinion is that they are. Both clubs have struggled against teams that are ranked in the top eight this season; however, the Cronulla Sharks have been a much stronger team at Shark Park this season, and this gives them the advantage due to the fact that they are playing at their home stadium. The combined score of 40.5 points is low, so I will be following the recent pattern of betting over when these two teams compete. In his last five games, Ronaldo Mulitano has scored five tries, and he will be a threat to do so again in this match.