Roosters vs Rabbitohs NRL tips, odds & value bets – Rd 24, 2021

The Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs will renew age-old hostilities when they clash at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night in Round 24 of the 2021 NRL season.

South Sydney were dealt a reality check against Penrith in their last start but come into the game as the short $1.26 favourite with NRL bookmakers. They were good enough to lead 12-0 before being overrun by the Panthers, but the punters feel as though they are still going to have plenty in the tank and the disappointment of that result won’t linger.

The Roosters remain in fourth spot with two games left to play, but it could be this game that ultimately decides their fate. They need to keep winning in order to keep Manly at bay, but their bench is almost unrecognisable and they’ve had to name Lachlan Lam at centre. They couldn’t even name 21 players because of suspensions, injuries and loaning out Freddie Lussick to the Dragons, so the fact they are in the box seat to finish fourth speaks volumes of the club’s depth.

South Sydney have dominated the last two games between these grand old clubs, and the Roosters almost looked like they were suffering a form of PTSD back in Round 3 as the horrors of last year’s 60-8 loss started to emerge. Will the same happen on Friday night, or can the Tricolours notch up what would be one of their finest victories?

Roosters vs Rabbitohs Rd 24 betting plays

The lack of a bench and having to play Brad Abbey on the wing and Lachlan Lam in the centres means the Roosters will need to pull off a miracle to get the two points. In any other season you might look at the +12.5 line and think it’s smart to get on, but the 2021 point-scoring bonanza means we can expect Souths to revert to normal transmission and score at least 30.

One place where you can still get tremendous value is to back Sitili Tupouniua to score a try at $3.25 with Sportsbet. The big man has 13 tries so far this season, and in an undermanned team he will be used even more as a strike weapon through necessity. You can even get $2.75 for James Tedesco to cross the line, and fresh off his sublime performance against the Dragons, you fancy he will be in the frame to jag a four-pointer.

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Even with a loss against the Panthers, this season’s South Sydney Rabbitohs are still on track to go down as one of the greatest point-scoring teams in the history of rugby league in Australia. After their 10-match winning streak ended in Round 23, you can rest assured they’ll want to make a statement against their arch-rivals. Souths have gone over the total points line in 12 of their last 16 games, while they’ve won 19 in a row as the betting favourite, so punters will have no issues throwing down big wads of cash on both markets.

Alex Johnston wasn’t able to get across for a try last start, but he is still just $1.36 in the anytime market or $6.50 if you think he can get the first of the match. He scored five in the 60-8 thrashing last year and will be in just about everyone’s hot tips. Cody Walker also has three tries in the last two games against the Chooks and will want to respond to the criticism of his performance against Penrith, so take the $2.30 on offer from him to get across at some stage. The $1.91 for the 13+ margin on Souths also looks a fait accompli.

Key matchup: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves vs Tom Burgess

Despite the decimation of their squad, the Roosters have still named a strong forward pack to take on South Sydney. To get an upset win, they have to get behind Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who at 32 years old has shown he can still match the physicality of his younger rivals. He has to win the battle against Tom Burgess, who has been a key yardage player through the middle in the early exchanges as Souths look to build a platform to dominate from. If Hargreaves decides he wants to take it personally after perhaps a career-worst game back in Round 3, there could be some serious fireworks.

Roosters vs Rabbitohs Rd 24 predictions & best bets

Winning margin: South Sydney Rabbitohs by 13+ points

Souths will win in style at the 13+ margin and will score at least 30 points as they chase the Melbourne Storm’s high watermark for scoring. The Roosters will compete hard, but once they are forced to make interchanges their young blood will get found out by a ruthless attacking machine.

Same game multi: 4 legs @ $18

Souths 13+ with Alex Johnston, Cody Walker and Sitili Tupouniua all scoring a try pays a tidy $18.