Sharks v Sea Eagles NRL R21 tips & best odds – July 23, 2023

Sharks v Sea Eagles NRL best bets

Sharks v Sea Eagles match preview

Round 21 of the 2023 NRL Premiership wraps up on Sunday afternoon in Cronulla with the Sharks hosting the Manly Sea Eagles at PointsBet Stadium. Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has made major changes to his starting side, but will they fix the team’s defensive issues?

Matt Moylan has been dropped, Siosifa Talakai goes back to the interchange bench, and Teig Wilton (knee) is out injured. Braydon Trindall will play in the halves with Nicho Hynes, Jesse Colquhoun has been named to start for the first time this season in the second row, and Connor Tracey will play at left centre.

Also, Sharks captain Dale Finucane returns from suspension to line up at lock. That means Cameron McInnes shifts back to the interchange, while Wade Graham and Jack Williams drop out of the side.

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Siebold has made a few changes to his starting side for this Sunday. Forwards Toafofoa Sipley and Ethan Bullemor have dropped back to the reserves in favour of Sean Keppie and new club recruit Matt Lodge on the interchange bench.

Sharks v Sea Eagles betting predictions

The Sea Eagles have struggled throughout the State of Origin period, losing three of their last five matches, and sit two wins outside of the NRL finals places. The Sharks have won three of their last five matches, while they’ve lost just two matches to sides sitting outside of the top eight this season, so they are deserving home favourites in this clash.

This is a must-win match for Sharks, who are one loss away from dropping out of the top eight on the NRL ladder. Expect the Sharks to respond strongly to the message sent by the coach’s selections and put on a commanding performance to win by 13+ points at $2.25 odds with Palmerbet.

Halfback Nicho Hynes has been in brilliant form over the last three weeks scoring three tries, with two of those being the first try of the game for the Sharks. Throughout his sides defensive struggles, Hynes has produced incredible attacking form to try and lift his side. Hynes is incredible value to score the Sharks’ first try ($11).

Cronulla second-rower Briton Nikora’s incredible ball-running and late footwork at the line make him difficult to tackle. Hynes often uses Nikora’s skill when the Sharks are closing in on a try, which has seen him score four tries in his last four matches.

On Sunday, Nikora will be marked by Sea Eagles second-rower Kelma Tuilagi, who has developed defensive issues this season – especially in games the Sea Eagles have lost. Expect Nikora to score again for the Sharks at any time during the match ($2.65).

Throughout the 2023 season the Sharks have won six matches by 13+ points, with three of those matches taking place at PointsBet Stadium. All six games have been high scoring with four of those games having more than 47 points scored. Dry, windy conditions are predicted for Cronulla on Sunday evening, which will aid the attacking brand of football the Sharks like to play. Expect this to be another high-scoring clash with more than 46.5 points scored ($1.90).

Key matchup: Dale Finucane v Jake Trbojevic

Dale Finucane vs Jake Trbojevic

The matchup in the middle between the two locks will be critical. Both Cronulla’s Dale Finucane and Manly’s Jake Trbojevic are representative forwards who play long minutes in the middle, defend strongly throughout the match and lead by example. Their ability to lift the performances of their teammates will be imperative for both sides, who will each see this game as a must-win.

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