Rabbitohs vs Dragons NRL tips, odds & value bets – Rd 25, 2021

The South Sydney Rabbitohs and St George Illawarra Dragons will cap off the final Super Saturday for the 2021 NRL season when they meet at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Saturday evening.

The two sides met just five weeks ago as the Rabbitohs ran up a half-century over their old rivals, but this one promises to be a much closer affair as the Bunnies rest several of their stars on the eve of the finals.

The Dragons have not won a game since the competition was relocated to Queensland, and they will need to win this one if they want to avoid an eight straight loss to finish their season. They are the $2.16 outsider and have named a side which features plenty of youth, including the talented Junior Amone at five-eighth.

South Sydney will get a glimpse of what life might be like once Adam Reynolds leaves the club, with Lachlan Ilias named to make his NRL debut at halfback. The unheralded two-try hero from their win over the Roosters, Mark Nicholls, will captain the side.

Rabbitohs vs Dragons preview & top betting markets

All of the usual suspects are on the sidelines resting up for South Sydney’s finals push, so where should punters look in what is normally a very easy field to pick from?

Campbell Graham looks to be primed for a big game after a solid return from injury over the last fortnight, and the $14 at Sportsbet for him to score the first try has some appeal to it. The $2.10 for him score at any time is an absolute must in same-game multis.

Tevita Tatola at $6.50 to score a try looks sensational value as he is a big threat close to the line. The Dragons gave up trying to defend properly weeks ago, so this game feels like one where the big man could crash over.

The -2.5 line boosts the value slightly on Souths’ head-to-head price, but the $3.40 for a 1-12 point win looks to be the play here. At full strength the Bunnies would put 40 on this Dragons team, but the game will be much closer as a result of the outs.

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There haven’t been many positives in the back end of the season for the St George Illawarra Dragons, but Tyrell Sloan has been one of them. He has four tries in four career starts at fullback, and you can still get him at $2.10 to score a try at any stage this weekend. Punters may also have a good look at Mikaele Ravalawa, who is the overall favourite in the first tryscorer betting at $9.50 out on the right wing.

At one point the Saints were a genuine shot of playing finals football, but the COVID suspensions and Ben Hunt’s injury have absolutely derailed their season. Even so, they still have stages where they are competitive before the wheels fall off. Because of that, this is the one game to get on the ‘under 52.5 total points’ market with a lot of top-line talent out for both teams.

Key matchup: Benji Marshall vs Junior Amone

Fans should be super interested to see the young vs the old in the battle of the five-eighths. Benji Marshall has done it all in the NRL, while Junior Amone is another Polynesian playmaker who looks to have the world at his feet. As the Rabbitohs are unlikely to finish any higher or lower than third on the ladder (unless there is a huge upset in the Eels vs Panthers game), could we see Marshall pull out some of his old tricks for the fans one last time? Does Amone rise to the challenge of playing against a man he no doubt revered as a child? With no consequences in this game, it could be a great chance for both players to loosen the shoulders up and play without any fear.

Rabbitohs vs Dragons predictions & best bets

Winning margin: South Sydney Rabbitohs by 1-12 points

South Sydney will win by 1-12 points. Their starting forward pack is still pretty decent and the Dragons just won’t have enough to go with them over 80 minutes. Look for a game in the 20-12 range at the final hooter.

Same game multi: 3 legs @ $14.50

Souths 1-12 with Tyrell Sloan and Campbell Graham both scoring a try pays $14.50 at Sportsbet.