Penrith Panthers v Cronulla Sharks NRL Vegas betting tips | Rd 1

Panthers v Sharks NRL R1 best bets

NRL Round 1: Penrith Panthers v Cronulla Sharks preview

The Penrith Panthers take on the Cronulla Sharks at Allegiant Stadium this Sunday (AEDT) to close out the Las Vegas showcase for Round 1 of the 2025 NRL season.

The Panthers are chasing an unprecedented fifth straight premiership, but they’ve undergone some key changes, with Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Sunia Turuva all departing. However, Nathan Cleary remains the leader of a squad stacked with talent, and young five-eighth Jack Cole gets his chance to fill Luai’s boots.

The Sharks were humbled 42-0 by Penrith in the regular season last year before falling 26-6 in the preliminary final. However, with the addition of Addin Fonua-Blake to their forward pack and a settled spine, Cronulla will be looking to prove they can match it with the competition’s elite.

Despite their strong defensive record, Penrith have been slow starters in recent Round 1 matches, failing to score a try in last year’s opening loss to Melbourne. The Sharks conceded the second-fewest points in 2024, so this could be a tighter, lower-scoring contest than expected.

Penrith enter as favourites at $1.65 with the top NRL bookmakers, but the Sharks are capable of an upset if they can control possession and limit the impact of Cleary’s kicking game.

Panthers v Sharks Rd 1 team news

Penrith Panthers

1. Dylan Edwards
2. Casey McLean
3. Izak Tago
4. Luke Garner
5. Paul Alamoti
6. Jack Cole
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Mitch Kenny
10. Lindsay Smith
11. Scott Sorensen
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Daine Laurie
15. Isaiah Papali’i
16. Matt Eisenhuth
17. Luron Patea

Penrith will be without Brian To’o, while Jack Cole steps into the five-eighth role in a reshuffled backline. With James Fisher-Harris gone, Lindsay Smith partners Moses Leota in the front row, while Casey McLean debuts on the left wing and Paul Alamoti moves to the right wing for the injured To’o.

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Cronulla Sharks

1. William Kennedy
2. Samuel Stonestreet
3. Jesse Ramien
4. Kayal Iro
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Brayden Trindall
7. Nicho Hynes
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Blayke Brailey
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Briton Nikora
12. Teig Wilton
13. Cameron McInnes
14. Daniel Atkinson
15. Siosifa Talakai
16. Braden Hamlin-Uele
17. Thomas Hazelton

The Cronulla Sharks only have one major change, which is Addin Fonua-Blake’s debut in the front row, while Sam Stonestreet replaces the injured Sione Katoa on the wing.

Panthers v Sharks betting predictions

Penrith’s dominance over Cronulla in recent seasons makes them the logical choice to start the season with a win. The Panthers have won four of their last five against the Sharks, including a 42-0 shutout in 2024. Their elite defence and structured attack should be enough to grind out a result, making the -111.11 for Panthers to cover the 2.5-point handicap the logical play with the best rugby league betting sites.

Paul Alamoti moves onto the right wing for the Panthers, which puts him in a prime scoring position. He has been impressive in trials and is expected to see plenty of attacking chances on Cleary’s edge. At +120, he is great value for an anytime tryscorer bet with BetOnline.

Penrith’s defensive record speaks for itself, and the Sharks struggled against elite teams last year, averaging just 13.3 points per game against top-four sides. With both teams expected to bring strong defensive structures to Vegas, backing under 40.5 total points at -117.65 is a strong play with BetOnline.

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