Roosters vs Sea Eagles betting tips & same-game-multi – 18/3/2022

Round two is shaping up as a huge contest between two NRL premiership heavyweights in the Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles. A month ago, no one would have predicted either Trent Robinson or Des Hasler could be winless after the opening fortnight of the competition, but it’s the situation staring both master coaches in the face. While that coaching battle sits in the background, the two best fullbacks in the competition in James Tedesco and Tom Trbojevic will steal all the headlines. Both men were quiet in the opening week, so expect them both to bounce back in a big way individually.

The Roosters garnered a lot of negative press after their 20-6 opening round loss to Newcastle. They were way off the pace, holding all of their star players out of trials which left them well short on match fitness and they paid a big price.

Even off the back of a big defeat, they still come in as a $1.80 favourite with the bookies in what is expected to be Trent Robinson coached teams are just three wins from 10 starts in Round One, so the result itself wasn’t the shocker, but more how they got there.

Defensively they gave up seven line breaks, which will most likely be an aberration over the course of a season, but a team with Tom Trbojevic in it should be licking their lips and believing they can do the same.

Victor Radley and Billy Smith will both have to prove their fitness after they were both removed from the Round One game with concussion, while it will be interesting to see if Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will move back to the interchange bench despite being named to start. Waerea-Hargreaves has traditionally started seasons slowly, but even his biggest fans would have been concerned with his performance.

Luke Keary defensively was also found out with his lateral movement after a year out with an ACL injury, so expect Tom Trbojevic to target him and test his speed once again.

The Sea Eagles were blown away by the Panthers in Round One and it only added weight to the narrative that they’re not capable of defeating the true premiership heavyweights.

Tom Trbojevic was rendered almost useless on the back of a Penrith defensive effort that suffocated Manly, but he will no doubt get plenty of chances to weave his magic. Despite a humbling loss, they present good value as a $2 outsider. Newcastle opened up the right-edge of the Roosters on a number of occasions and punters should be looking at the likes of Brad Parker and Reuben Garrick to be the first try scorer for the match. Dylan Walker will return from suspension on the interchange bench, which will give the Sea Eagles some strike power they lacked in the opening round. Walker proved to be a key weapon in 2021, but will the re-introduction of penalties inside a team’s defensive 40 metre line mean the 2014 premiership winner’s impact is lessened?

Across the competition in the first round of games, scores were much closer and never threatened to blow out, so perhaps there is not the glut of attacking chances there was 12 months ago?

Sea Eagles vs Roosters Betting Prediction

The Roosters will grind out a tough win and pour all their energy into getting their defensive structures right. The score line last week flattered them. The unders will definitely get up in this game, it feels like an 18-16 thriller on Friday Night Football. Both fullbacks will get across for a try with the cream rising to the top.

Roosters v sea Eagles Same Game Multi

Same Game Multi: Roosters 1-12 with James Tedesco, Reuben Garrick and Tom Trbojevic to all score tries.