After being beaten by Penrith last week, Parramatta host Canberra with a spot in the preliminary finals on the line. Brad Arthur has a terrible record in the finals and will be hoping to win just his third fixture in 10 matches on Friday night.
In the other finals fixture, Cronulla will have to pick themselves up off the canvas after their epic defeat to the Cowboys. They will face a red-hot South Sydney outfit who will be riding high after their victory over the Roosters in last Sunday’s grudge fest.
Here’s Sporting News’ betting predictions for week two of the finals.
Odds courtesy of TAB.
Kris to cross
In what will be their first ever meeting in a finals match, the Eels will have to improve on last week’s performance if they are to put an end to the Raiders’ charge.
Parramatta head into their do-or-die clash with Canberra possessing a recent edge over their opponents, having won four of their last five meetings.
However, prior to that it was the Green Machine who held the superiority after they won 11 out of their previous 13 matches.
Ricky Stuart’s men are enjoying their best run of form in six years. They have won their past five matches and are on a roll thanks to their big forward pack being one of the most powerful in the competition.
In Joe Tapine they have the best prop in the game, whose ability to stand in the tackle generates quick play-the-balls for his outside backs to create off the back of. His work alongside Josh Papalii is a major reason for why the Raiders have been so good of late.
On the left edge, Hudson Young and Jack Wighton are forming a lethal partnership alongside Sebastian Kris.
MORE: Hudson Young reveals which Canberra teammate has been pivotal in his rise
Like a lot of the sides in the comp, the Raiders favour the left when attacking. In fact, almost half of their tries this year have down that side of the pitch.
An offload from one of their big men in the middle often puts Wighton into space where he can put his strong running game to good use.
Melbourne found this out the hard way in last week’s loss, with Tapine’s offload to Wighton splitting them before Matt Timoko touched down in the corner.
This will be a move they’ll look to replicate against the Eels, with Young and Kris set to benefit against Parramatta’s right-edge defence that is shaky after their display against the Panthers.
Since claiming the centre spot as his own in round 10, Kris has established himself as a dangerous ball-runner who can find his way over the line.
The 23-year-old has scored 25 tries in 43 appearances and has currently scored four in his past four games.
Kris 1st, 2nd or last try - $6.00
Walker key to South Sydney’s chances
While everyone was losing their heads around him in last week’s battle between the Rabbitohs and Roosters, Cody Walker stood out for all of the right reasons.
The five-eighth laid on four tries in the Bunnies 30-14 victory over their arch rivals and will be looking to continue his impressive recent form when his side meets Cronulla for the second time in a finals game.
MORE: The game that split rugby league opinion - Chaotic mess or classic theatre?
After a slow start to the year where the veteran struggled to adapt without his usual halves partner Adam Reynolds, Walker has clicked into gear at the business end of the season.
When he catches fire, it’s hard to stop him. Walker has scored a double in three games this year, while he has provided two or more assists in five.
He is one of the best players in the league for creating linebreaks with 21 so far, which places him behind just Latrell Mitchell and Saturday night’s opponent in Nicho Hynes.
The Bunnies have an impressive recent record in finals matches, having won five of their last seven. The only team to beat them in a finals game is the Panthers, who the victor will face next weekend.
For South Sydney to win, Walker will be key as he, along with Mitchell, orchestrates the attack. The 32-year-old has been directly involved in nine tries during his last five matches.
He seems to love playing the Sharks too, having been involved in six tries in his previous four games against Cronulla.
Walker particularly likes to attack off a scrum, with South Sydney scoring 19 tries from this set-up, which is more than any other team in the competition.
Most try assists: Cody Walker - $2.50
