Punters pounce on the Reds on the eve of the Super Rugby season

THE Queensland Reds have been backed off the charts to be the best Australian team in Super Rugby at Sportsbet.com.au.

Queensland has firmed from $51 into $21 to win the grand final, and Sportsbet holds more than half the total cash wagered on the conference markets for the Reds be to top the Australian pile.

Despite holding 65 percent of money wagered on the conference, The Reds (+300 at Sportsbet.com.au) still trail even money favourites, the NSW Waratahs ($2 at Sportsbet.com.au) in the Australian Conference market.

The ACT Brumbies have been the big drifters in the Australian Super Rugby market.

The Canberrans have made it through to at least the quarter-final stage in the last four years, but after losing superstar pair David Pocock (sabbatical) and Stephen Moore (Reds), the Brumbies have drifted from $10 to $26 in the grand final winner market.

The buzz team of 2017 is Queensland however, and the pressure is already on for the Reds to deliver.

Former Red and Wallaby centre Tim Horan said the season will be considered a failure if they do not finish at the top of the Australian conference.

“It’s got to be this year — because there are some older, experienced players, you are going to get only probably two seasons out of this squad,” Horan said.

“Success is probably winning four of the first six games and then you set yourself up. You have to win your conference. That’s success.

“If you don’t win your conference, that’s failure — I bet (Reds coach) Nick Stiles doesn’t know how to spell rebuilding.’’

The Queensland Reds ($1.50 at Sportsbet.com.au) will go into their opening match as the red-hot favourites against visiting South African outfit the Cell C Sharks ($2.40 at Sportsbet.com.au) in their opening Super Rugby match at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Sportsbet.com.au representative Christian Jantzen said their clients have rallied around the Reds prior to the commencement of the season.

“For the Reds to be not only the best backed to win the Aussie Conference, but also the Grand Final suggests they’re in for a big season. They’re the only team that punters have wanted to back,” Jantzen said.

Super Rugby – Grand Final winner

Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au

$5.00 Hurricanes

$6.00 Chiefs

$6.00 Highlanders

$7.50 Crusaders

$7.00 Lions

$13 Waratahs

$13 Stormers

$14 Blues

$15 Sharks

+2000 Reds

$23 Bulls

$26 Brumbies

$26 Jaguares

$51 Rebels

$126 Cheetahs

$201 Western Force

$1,001 Kings

$1,001 Sunwolves

Australian Conference winner

$2.00 Waratahs

$4.00 Brumbies

$4.00 Reds

$8.00 Rebels

$51 Western Force