Storm & Roosters even money to make NRL Grand Final

THE teams that finished first and second on the NRL Premiership ladder have firmed in the grand final betting market after both advanced through to the preliminary finals in controversial circumstances.

The premiership favourite Storm ($1.75 at Sportsbet.com.au) were awarded a dubious try which took them past a plucky Parramatta at AAMI Park, while the Roosters ($4 for the title) left it until the last moment to overcome the Brisbane Broncos at Allianz Stadium.

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The pair are now in the box seat to advance into the grand final in three weeks’ time and Sportsbet believes that is a formality after shifting a Storm/Roosters quinella into $2.

Of the other teams remaining in the finals, only the Eels ($8 at WilliamHill.com.au) are in single figures to win the 2017 premiership.The Broncos ($11 at Crownbet.com.au) are on the next line of betting ahead of the Panthers ($26), while the giant-killing Cowboys are the longest team left in the hunt at the $34 mark.

The win against the Eels was Melbourne’s 20th for the 2017 season, but Cameron Smith says the Storm are determined not to get ahead of themselves as a second consecutive grand final beckons.

“We’re not going into this week or this finals campaign thinking ‘who are we going to meet in the grand final?’ or ‘who’s going to beat us for this premiership?’ It’s not about that at all,” the Melbourne skipper told the press.

“To have 20 wins in this competition, it’s a pretty remarkable achievement. We know we’ve got a talented football side.

“We’ve got a very capable football side and the task now is to go out and play our best football for the remaining four weeks.”

Smith, who himself has firmed into $3 to win the Clive Churchill Medal at Sportsbet.com.au went on to say experience will count for everything as his side prepares for another tilt at glory.

“We’re not thinking too far down the track, we’re not thinking about our win-loss ratio because it won’t help us in the finals,” Smith said.

“We’re in a new competition now. Whoever is the best team over the next month will win the premiership, there’s no doubt about.

“I’ve learnt from experience both winning and losing.”

The Roosters – who remarkably finished second last on the ladder last season – are now staring a grand final appearance in the face following their come-from-behind win over the Broncos on Friday night.

Latrell Mitchell scored a brilliant try in the dying stages of the match to put his side just one win from the big dance as the 20-year-old was hailed as the next Greg Inglis.

The performance ensured Mitchell came in on the Clive Churchill Medal betting market. The young star has moved into $17 odds at Sportsbet.

According to Roosters coach Trent Robinson, the Taree product was “built to play” finals football.

“Players find it sometimes too difficult, some guys stand up,” Robinson said.

“Latrell, I’ve seen him do it through the age groups.

“The strength of him on that play and the speed and power in that sort of five metres, that won us the game.”

NSW and Sydney captain Boyd Cordner echoed his coach’s sentiments on Mitchell.

“He is still young,” Cordner said.

“He got thrown into first grade because of his talent at a young age and we all know how good he is in those big moments … he has come a long way, as a player and as a person as well, and that is huge.”