Dragons vs Sea Eagles NRL Friday tips & value bets – Rd 19, 2022

Friday Night Football for Round 19 starts off with a battle between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

The fortunes of the two sides are vastly different, with the Dragons feeling as though they’re very much on the slide while Manly continue to prove the naysayers wrong.

The Dragons capitulated in such a manner last start against the Roosters that it felt like the beginning of the end. They led 14-12 at halftime but managed to give up 42 points in the second half and were made to look second-rate.

It has renewed rumours around the immediate coaching future of Anthony Griffin, and a board meeting held this week could mean another huge distraction before a must-win game.

In the last fortnight the Dragons have given up 86 points to fall from eighth spot to 11th, and with Manly just two points ahead of them on the ladder, this one effectively shapes up as a four-point game that has huge ramifications for both teams.

SGI’s alarming defence hasn’t popped up overnight; it’s a trend that’s developed over the last six weeks. They have conceded at least 32 points in four of their last five games – and the one afternoon they didn’t, the game was played in a tropical cyclone.

The Dragons are the $2.50 outsider with online bookmakers and their form, the noise from outside the club and the board meeting that could see another coach sacked means this price is going to get longer through the week.

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The hot tip would be to wait and see who is coaching Friday before even considering a bet on this game.

Manly still being in the box seat to play NRL finals footy without Tom Trbojevic is a storyline almost no one thought possible.

They come into this game as the $1.55 favourites and with plenty of expectation against a team dealing with a lot of distractions.

They’ve gone 4-2 since ‘Tommy Turbo’ went down, and one of those losses was the collapse against the Cowboys where they dominated for 73 minutes.

The surprising aspect has been the ease with which the Sea Eagles have been able to score without their best attacking player, having racked up 26 or more points in each of their last five games.

This means the over/under line should be taken at the high side and the likes of Jason Saab, Reuben Garrick and Tolu Koula should be thrown into the mix as anytime tryscorers in same-game multis.

Key matchup: Ben Hunt vs Daly Cherry-Evans

It can only be Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans. The two Queensland superstars showed in the State of Origin decider they could be the best two halfbacks in the competition, and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that they’ll feature prominently in this game.

The Dragons’ fall down the ladder could be what costs Hunt a Dally M Medal, with the former Bronco carrying his side every week with outstanding performances. ‘DCE’ has stepped up in the absence of ‘Tommy Turbo’ and wound back the clock, producing 14 try assists so far in 2022.

Dragons vs Sea Eagles best bets & predictions

Get on Manly to win at the 13+ margin, as the $3.30 on offer at Marantelli Bet feels like terrific value. The Saints traditionally fade at this stage of the season, their coach may not see the week out and their defence is leaking worse than the Wests Tigers board.

Dragons vs Sea Eagles NRL same-game multi tips

The Sea Eagles at the big margin with Reuben Garrick, Ben Hunt and Haumole Olakau’atu to all score tries will get you better than $60 at Neds, so why not chuck a few bucks on this potentially lucrative four-legger?

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