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Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks Tips & Preview - Sharks backed to cover in NRL Qualifying Final

Jeremy Darke

Editor

Last updated: 12 Sep 2024

Jeremy Darke 12 Sep 2024

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Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks expert predictions for Saturday’s Qualifying Final NRL game
Sharks are 10.5-point underdogs against Storm
Despite being underdogs, the Sharks previously beat the Storm in Melbourne by 7 points

Expired

Sharks to cover? (Getty)

Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks Preview

The Cronulla Sharks start as 10.5-point margin underdogs and that might be too big for Melbourne Storm. The Sharks beat the Storm in Melbourne by seven points in the regular season and I'm backing them with the line.

Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks Preview
Head to Head
Melbourne Storm Form
Melbourne Storm Team News
Melbourne Storm Team List
Cronulla Sharks Form
Cronulla Sharks Team News
Cronulla Sharks Team List

Cronulla’s last 5 losses of the season were by a margin of 8 points or less.
Both teams have averaged 18 points or less in their final 10 games of the season.
3 of 4 Finals Week 1 matches in 2023 had a game total under 39 points.
Xavier Coates has scored 8 tries in his last 8 matches.

Head to Head

Cronulla were one of five teams to beat the Storm in 2024 and just one of two teams to beat them at AAMI Park, when they got up against Melbourne 25-18 back in round 10.

The Storm did win the pairs match in 2023, 54-10 and hold a 6-3 advantage in the head to head record since the 2019 season.

Melbourne Storm Form

The Storm are the Minor Premiers and are the most dangerous team in the competition, especially with all of their stars back in the lineup, with the exception of young Sualauvi Fa’alogo.

Melbourne finished the year by winning 11 of their final 13 matches and crushing last year’s grand finalists Brisbane 50-12 in the final round.

Halfback Jahrome Hughes has been the leader in what has been an injury riddled season for the Storm. The New Zealand international has 27 try assists (3rd in NRL) and 26 linebreak assists (3rd in NRL).

The Storm attack certainly came alive in the back half of the season, averaging 32 points per game in their final 9 matches, while their defence averaged just 18 points against.

Melbourne Storm Team News

As mentioned above, Sualauvi Fa’alogo suffered a hamstring injury in the final game of the season and is likely to miss a couple of weeks, however, Ryan Papenhuyzen is back in the No.1, but the young guns strike will be missed off the bench.

After missing last match with illness, Christian Welch will return with Lazarus Vaalepu dropping to the reserves.

Melbourne Storm Team List

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen

2. Will Warbrick

3. Jack Howarth

4. Nick Meaney

5. Xavier Coates

6. Cameron Munster

7. Jahrome Hughes

8. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

9. Harry Grant

10. Josh King

11. Shawn Blore

12. Eli Katoa

13. Trent Loiero

Interchange

14. Tyran Wishart

15. Christian Welch

16. Tui Kamikamica

17. Alec MacDonald

Reserves

18. Grant Anderson

19. Lazarus Vaalepu

20. Kane Bradley

21. Joe Chan

22. Ativalu Lisati

Cronulla Sharks Form

After letting a 22-4 halftime lead sleep against a highly motivated New Zealand side in Shaun Johnson’s final NRL game in round 26, the Sharks responded with a convincing 40-20 win over the Manly Sea Eagles in the final round of the season.

It was a much more controlled performance from the Sharks who controlled possession and won the territory with 57%. Cronulla also broke the Manly line nine times with Braydon Trindall the attacking focus with four linebreak assists and three try assists.

The Sharks defence needed improvement after a rough middle-part of the season and Craig Fitzgibbon got a response from his men with his team allowing their opposition an average of just 14 points in the final six games of the year.

Halfback Nicho Hynes returned from injury in round 26 and has failed to make a real impact as of yet in his two runs heading into the finals.

Cronulla Sharks Team News

Thomas Hazelton will be given a chance to be fit for Saturday’s match being named in the reserves after suffering a knee injury in the Sharks match against Manly last week.

Oregon Kaufusi returns to the front row with Royce Hunt moving back to the bench.

Cronulla Sharks Team List

1. Will Kennedy

2. Sione Katoa

3. Jesse Ramien

4. Kayal Iro

5. Ronaldo Mulitalo

6. Braydon Trindall

7. Nicho Hynes

8. Toby Rudolf

9. Blayke Brailey

10. Oregon Kaufusi

11. Briton Nikora

12. Teig Wilton

13. Cameron McInnes

Interchange

14. Daniel Atkinson

15. Jack Williams

16. Royce Hunt

17. Sifa Talakai

Reserves

18. Braden Hamlin-Uele

19. Chris Vea'ila

20. Jayden Berrell

21. Samuel Stonestreet

22. Thomas Hazelton

Verdict

Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla can cover as the underdog in a low-scoring match that stays under the game total. Xavier Coates will cross the line for the Melbourne Storm.

Cronulla +10.5

Handicap/Line

@10/11 - 3 Units

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Xavier Coates

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Xavier Coates

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