Warriors v Roosters NRL Rd 9 best bets & multi tips – 30/4/2023

Sunday afternoon NRL action kicks off in Auckland with the New Zealand Warriors hosting the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium. The last time these two clubs met was a tight, controversial affair where the home side was incredibly brave in defeat. Will we see something similar this weekend?

The Roosters have been forced to make one change to their starting 17 after Daniel Tupou suffered a hamstring injury, with Corey Allan coming in as his replacement. Nat Butcher has been recalled to the starting forward pack, which sees Angus Crichton move back to the bench, with Jake Turpin also coming onto the pine for Naufahu Whyte.

The Warriors suffered several crucial injuries in their ANZAC Day clash against the Storm in Melbourne, losing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jazz Tevaga and Tohu Harris. Wayde Egan’s return in the hooker role will help the home side, while Taine Tuaupiki will start at fullback, Bunty Afoa in the front row, Josh Curran at lock, and Viliame Vailea comes onto the bench.

In the 43 NRL matches between these two clubs there have been 21 wins for each side with a draw, an incredible statistic given the general disparity of talent between these two teams over the years. Further, in 19 matches at Mt Smart Stadium, the Warriors have won on 12 occasions.

The Warriors have been the sharpest improvers on the field in the 2023 season, led by new coach Andrew Webster. They have played two games in Auckland this season and won both, downing the Bulldogs (16-14) and Cowboys (22-14). Despite their injury toll, the Warriors have shown they can play a tough brand of football that could see them upset the Roosters, which is paying $3 with BetOnline.

The left-edge attack of the Warriors has been completely revamped with the additions of Jackson Ford and Marcelo Montoya with Edward Kosi on the wing. Both Ford and Montoya run a variety of strong lines, with Kosi often being the benefactor of their work. With Tupou missing for the Roosters, Dylan Walker will likely direct the attack of the home side to his corner. Should the Warriors have enough possession in the Roosters’ red zone, Kosi should score a try at any time during the match ($2.30).

In a short period of time, Webster has drastically improved the Warriors defence compared to this time last season. In their three games in New Zealand, the Warriors have not allowed their opposition to score more than 14 points. Given the number of stars this Sydney Roosters side has, defence will again be a cornerstone of the Warriors’ success. If they are to defend well and win, this will be a low-scoring match that finishes below 43.5 total points ($1.90).

Key matchup: Johnson v Manu

Shaun Johnson vs Joseph Manu

Shaun Johnson has returned to some of the best form of his career in 2023 for the Warriors, a key factor in the club’s success so far this year. One aspect of his game that has improved is his defence, but that will be tested by Joseph Manu – one of the strongest ball-runners in rugby league. If Johnson continues to stand up well when the Warriors don’t have the ball, it will go a long way to shutting down Manu and giving his side a winning chance.

Warriors v Roosters NRL Rd 9 betting prediction

NZ Warriors v Sydney Roosters same game multi

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