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South Sydney Rabbitohs vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Betting Tips - Dragons backed to cover in Round 7

andrew-hendrie
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Last updated: Thu 16 Apr 2026 20:26
The upcoming NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons promises an exciting display of rugby. The Dragons, despite their recent losing streak, have been competitive, often covering the +13.5 line. Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs' inconsistency, exacerbated by the absence of fullback Jye Gray, adds another layer of unpredictability. The game is anticipated to be low-scoring, with past matches between these teams supporting an Under 52.5 points prediction. Both teams have updates in their line-ups, aiming to leverage their key players for a critical win.
Andrew Hendrie 16 Apr 2026
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  • Dragons have covered a +13.5 line in 4 of their last 6 games vs Souths.
  • Rabbitohs struggled with consistency, especially without Jye Gray.
  • Expect Under 52.5 points based on recent matches' scores.
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st george illawarra dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons to cover the line (Getty Images)

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs St George Illawarra Dragons Preview


The Dragons have had a dismal start in terms of results but have been in many games. The Rabbitohs haven't won a game by 13+ all season, so I'm take St George Illawarra with the start in what can also be a low-scoring game.
  • Dragons have covered a +13.5 line in four of their last five games vs Souths
  • Dragons have covered a +13.5 line in four of their six games this season
  • Rabbitohs have failed to cover a -13.5 line in all five games this season
  • Dragons have seen Under 52.5 points in five of their six games this season
  • Under 52.5 points has landed in the last four NRL meetings between the teams
  • Setu Tu has scored a try in two of his last four games
  • Rabbitohs have conceded 1+ try to an opposition winger in four of their five games this season
  • Rabbitohs have lost their last six games without fullback Jye Gray

Rabbitohs vs Dragons Head To Head

The Dragons have won three of the last five meetings, but Souths have prevailed in the last two.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Unpredictable

Souths remain one of the hardest teams to get a read on in the NRL.

After impressive back-to-back victories over the Tigers and Bulldogs, the Bunnies were terrible in the first half of last week's defeat to Canberra out in Perth.

The Rabbitohs were all over the place as they trailed 22-4 at the break. Wayne Bennett's half-time spray got them back on track, but the damage was done and not even a late flurry of points could save them as they went down 36-34.

The loss of Jye Gray to injury was huge, with Latrell getting found out at fullback with some lazy positioning and various other errors.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Team News

Former Dragon Matt Dufty gets his second chance in the NRL and replaces Gray at fullback, while Lachlan Hubner comes in for David Fififta, who is out with a hamstring injury.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Team List

1. Matthew Dufty 
2. Alex Johnston 
3. Latrell Mitchell 
4. Jack Wighton 
5. Campbell Graham 
6. Cody Walker 
7. Jamie Humphreys 
8. Tevita Tatola 
9. Brandon Smith 
10. Keaon Koloamatangi 
11. Lachlan Hubner 
12. Tallis Duncan 
13. Cameron Murray 

Interchange
14. Peter Mamouzelos 
15. Bronson Garlick 
16. Sean Keppie 
17. Jayden Sullivan 

Reserves
18. Edward Kosi 
19. Thomas Fletcher 
20. Salesi Ataata 
21. Moala Graham-Taufa 
22. Liam Le Blanc

St George Illawarra Dragons Still Seeking A Spark

The Dragons have been absolutely woeful to start the season - their attack is completely non-existent and it's obvious for anyone to see that Kyle Flanagan would have been dropped a long time ago if he wasn't the coach's son.

Nathaniel Atkinson simply isn't a natural halfback to take on the creative responsibility and their defence just hasn't been able to hold on, probably knowing they don't have enough points in them to be competitive.

Somehow, the Dragons found themselves in a winning position in the second half against Manly, but they couldn't ice the game and ultimately went down 28-18 to fall to 0-6 this season.

St George Illawarra Dragons Team News

Mat Feagai starts in place of Moses Suli, who is out with an eye socket injury.

St George Illawarra Dragons Team List

1. Tyrell Sloan 
2. Christian Tuipulotu 
3. Mathew Feagai 
4. Valentine Holmes 
5. Setu Tu 
6. Daniel Atkinson 
7. Kyle Flanagan 
8. Emre Guler 
9. Damien Cook 
10. Toby Couchman 
11. Luciano Leilua 
12. Jaydn Su’A 
13. Hamish Stewart 

Interchange
14. Jacob Liddle 
15. Blake Lawrie 
16. Jacob Halangahu 
17. Josh Kerr 

Reserves
18. Hame Sele 
19. Kade Reed 
20. David Fale 
21. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 
22. Lyhkan King-Togia

Verdict

Against my better judgement, backing the Dragons to cover in a game that sees Under 52.5 total points.

Best Bet1: Dragons +13.5 Line @7/8 at Hollywood bets - 3 Units
Best Bet2: Under 52.5 Total Points @17/20 at bet365 - 1 Unit
Best Bet3: Setu Tu Anytime Tryscorer @23/17 at Star Sports - 1 Unit
Best Bet4: Setu Tu First Tryscorer @12/1 at Hollywood bets - 1 Unit
Dragons +13.5
Line
@7/8 - 3 Units
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Under 52.5
Total Points
@17/20 - 1 Unit
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Setu Tu
Anytime Tryscorer
@23/17 - 1 Unit
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Setu Tu
First Tryscorer
@12/1 - 1 Unit
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