Cronulla Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Prediction: Bennett’s boys should be a match for Nicho

The booming South Sydney Rabbitohs face their first true test of the NRL Premiership season on Saturday when they face the star-studded Cronulla Sharks at Shark Park (04:00 GMT, 15:00 local).

The Bunnies have two wins from two under the second coming of the great Wayne Bennett, but they haven’t yet encountered a squad of the quality of the Sharks. My Cronulla Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs predictions won’t take anything for granted though.

Cronulla Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Odds

Betfred’s traders are fairly certain which way this one will go. They have the Sharks at 1/7 for the win at an implied probability of 87.5%, making the handicap market the place to swim if you’re behind the home team.

The Rabbitohs, though, are a very appealing 9/2 if you’re on them to continue their winning start to the campaign, with the 80-minute draw pinned at 25/1.

The standard two-way handicap give the Bunnies a 16.5-point start, with the visitors 5/6 to turn that lead to their advantage. The Sharks are a 10/11 shot under those conditions.

Team News

There’s no swaying Craig Fitzgibbon sometimes, and the Sharkies’ boss goes with the same 17 which dealt with the North Queensland Cowboys last Saturday in Townsville to the tune of a 36-12 win. That seven-try performance included five between their phenomenal quartet of outside backs.

Tom Hazelton’s back issue is still causing him trouble, so Tuku Hau is one of the middles included on the bench once more. Billy Burns is the 18th player, while the 22-man squad features the Puru brothers, Hohepa and Niwhai, among their reserves.

Rugby League Odds

There’s still no Latrell Mitchell or Cameron Murray for Bennett’s Rabbitohs but there’s a measure of good news this week in the return of Jack Wighton after suspension. The former Canberra Raider’s inclusion pushes Fletcher Myers onto the wing, with Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, son of former Bradford Bulls star Shontayne Hape, missing out after making his first-grade debut last week.

Tallis Duncan gets the nod at loose forward having overcome a hamstring problem in the 25-24 win against the St-George Illawarra Dragons in round two. He’s in for Lachlan Hubner, who starts a two-match ban for a crusher tackle on Clint Gutherson.

Handicap 3-way Alt 1: Rabbitohs +12 @ 6/4

As someone who loves to see Nicho Hynes going well and snaps up every opportunity to watch the likes of Ronaldo Mulitalo and Will Kennedy lighting up the NRL, I am by no means ready to underestimate what the Sharks can bring to the table here.

But I am also not about to dismiss the Rabbitohs as a bystander in this fixture. Sure, they scraped past the Dolphins on the opening weekend and then only got over the line against an underwhelming Dragons side thanks to Jamie Humphreys’ 75th-minute drop-goal. But there’s a wiliness to them that just wasn’t there in 2024.

Veteran coach Bennett is a huge factor in that, with the 75-year-old’s presence undoubtedly helping to plug the gap felt by the absences of Mitchell and Murray to this point. And while I don’t necessarily think they’ll win in the Shire, they shouldn’t get beat by loads either against a team they've triumphed against in three of their last five meetings.

The former England coach also has a 2-0 record over opposite number Fitzgibbon, having led the Dolphins to a 36-16 win against the Sharks at Suncorp two years ago and then masterminded a 30-28 success for the Fins when Cronulla were joint-top of the ladder in round 15 of 2024.

First-half handicap: Rabbitohs +7.5 @ 1/1

Bennett sides are rarely out of the game by half-time. Last season, his Dolphins outfit were only once adrift by more than six points 40 minutes in following their slow start in round one when they were 31-12 down to the Cowboys.

So it’s only the Melbourne Storm (22-0 in round 25) who have boasted a two-score advantage over Bennett in his last 25 Premiership matches. And while these Sharks look like a tough side to get over the top of, they too have a few questions to answer.

They might have only lost to the Penrith Panthers so far, but the champions have proved to be gettable since then and the Sharks’ one win came against a Cowboys side plenty will fancy themselves against this season.

To that end, I’m not getting on board with the idea this will be a walkover, and just as I’m backing the Bunnies to keep it close over 80 minutes, the 7.5-point marker for the first-half handicap doesn’t look right to me.

I’m taking the even-money shot with Bennett’s great record in the opening 40 minutes stacking things in my favour.

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