Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters
2nd July 1050hrs
Rugby League – Australia – NRL
Pick Melbourne +6 handicap
Bookmaker Betvictor
Odds: 21/20 odds taken 23:26 GMT Tuesday 30 June
The Storm were in devastating form last weekend as they crushed the New Zealand Warriors by a 44-point margin. That saw them end the last round of action in fourth place.
But that’s level with the Roosters who also enjoyed a good success last weekend. They got the better of the Dragons at the Bankwest Stadium.
Both teams will find the going a lot tougher this weekend however. It’s going to be a fantastic showdown near the top of the ladder.
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Melbourne Storm Preview – Storm blow back into form
It was a huge 50-6 win that the Melbourne Storm recorded over the Warriors last weekend.
That was a response that always looked likely to happen after having lost their previous match against the Panthers.
That is three wins in their last four games now that the Roosters have recorded to keep in touch inside the top four of the ladder.
The Roosters did win the last meeting between the two clubs, banking a 14-6 success over Sydney at the end of September last year.
One issue here for them in this fixture, is the scoring power that the visitors have under their belt.
The Storm are averaging 21 points per game this season, but coming in at the Roosters are averaging 28 per game.
Melbourne have also conceded more points per game on average than Sydney have done.
This match is being played at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, where the Storm have won 17 of 21 matches played.
They lost a key player last weekend to the Storm with Cameron Munster picking up a knee problem. So they will be shuffling their back line.
The top tryscorer for the Storm this season is Suliasi Vunivalu with 7 on the board.
Sydney Roosters Preview – Roosters not relenting in momentum
It is five straight wins that the Roosters have managed to put on the board, so they are flying at the moment.
Last weekend they took a comfortable win over the struggling Dragons to keep their momentum going.
They are sitting in third place in the ladder heading into round eight of fixtures.
The Roosters are the top-scoring side in the ladder with 201 points scored across their matches.
It’s not only that though, but they are now boasting the league’s best defensive stats as well.
Kyle Flanagan is the current top points-scorer in this season’s NRL, the Rooster’s back having secured 80 personal points, 20 clear of anyone else.
Flanagan is also the most successful goal kicker this season in the NRL. Their top-try scorer is Brett Morris with six returned for the campaign.
But the Roosters do have some injury issues lining up in his one. Notably lock Victor Radley who has had a great season for them.
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A plus for them is that fullback James Tedesco does come back into the lineup for this huge clash.
Interestingly the Rooster haven’t really enjoyed themselves on previous trips to the venue.
They have won 6 of thirteen previous visits to the Suncorp Stadium.
But the Roosters are running hot at the moment having scored at least 24 points in each of the last five league fixtures.
Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters Betting Advice
This should be the game of the weekend and there is going to be no quarter given in this one.
The Roosters have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams.
Given that they have shown some great flashes of scoring power this season and this is on neutral territory, they should be strong.
The trend between these two is relatively tight margins. Five of the last seven meetings have finished under a margin of three points.
Key Facts – Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters Betting Tip
- Melbourne Storm have won three of their last four games
- The Roosters are the top-scoring side in the NRL
- Sydney Roosters have won 3 of the last four against the Storm
The Melbourne Storm did show up well last weekend, but that inflated score against the Warriors reflects nothing about their chances in this one against the Roosters.
It is a win for the Rooster for us but would fancy the Storm to handle a +6 handicap at 21/20* (odds taken 23:26 GMT Tuesday 30 June).
The best betting odds for Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters
Melbourne Storm to win: 9/5 at Bet365
Draw: 22/1 at Bet365
Sydney Roosters to win: 11/25 at Bet365
