New Zealand Warriors vs Sydney Roosters Prediction: Chooks to go 1-12 in 80 minutes

Andrew Webster’s bid to take the New Zealand Warriors to a third NRL Finals finish in four years begins on Friday when they host the Sydney Roosters at Mount Smart Stadium (20:00 local, 07:00 GMT, Watch NRL).

There could be easier starts though, with Trent Robinson’s Roosters tipped to have a real tilt at the title in 2026. My New Zealand Warriors vs Sydney Roosters predictions follow, with full team news and Betfred’s match odds.

New Zealand Warriors vs Sydney Roosters Odds

The Roosters are backed to win this one, with Betfred pricing them at 8/15 to come away with the two competition points. That’s an implied probability of 65.2%.

Webster’s Warriors are a 17/10 chance, with the draw 14/1.

The handicap is placed at 4.5 points in favour of the Warriors. They’re 5/6 to make the most of the one-try edge, with the Roosters 10/11 to overcome the disadvantage.

Team News

The Warriors come into this one without a number of first-teamers. Marata Kiufore and Mitch Barnett are out with calf and knee injuries respectively, while Luke Metcalf is still on the comeback trail after an ACL rupture which ended his 2025 season in June.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is fit though, and he’ll start on the wing, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad lining up at full-back. Alofiana Khan-Pereira is among the reserves, while former Leeds Rhinos forward Morgan Gannon is initially selected as one of the six potential substitutes.

Rugby League Odds

The big team news for the Roosters is the inclusion at stand-off of new signing Daly Cherry-Evans after the 37-year-old broke his one-club-man status at Manly Sea Eagles to head south in the off-season.

Reece Robson is out for the next six weeks with a thumb injury, so Benaiah Ioelu will start at nine with Connor Watson coming off the bench.

Sam Walker will partner DCE in the halves.

Roosters by 1-12 @ 19/10

I don’t normally go against the Warriors too often when they’re hosting at Mount Smart, but there are a few questions for Webster to answer early in the season.

The use of Tuivasa-Sheck on the wing and Nicoll-Klokstad at full-back rather than one and four respectively means no start for Khan-Pereira. Whether that will be the way of things in the longer term depends massively on how this shakes up in the opening rounds.

Blooding in a 37-year-old half wouldn’t be described as ideal by every neutral, but the Roosters will see the addition of Cherry-Evans alongside Walker as a real boost.

And if those two can lead a great Roosters pack around the park even adequately then the visitors should have the best of this one.

I’d never go big against the Warriors, and especially not in a home opener, so the away win in 80 minutes by one or two scores at 19/10 is great value.

Roosters Over 25.5 Points @ 11/8

Most decent Warriors games at the Go Media contain a few points and, while they’re far from the worst defensive side in the comp, they did ship 26-plus points nine times last year.

The Chooks also cleared this hurdle 11 times in 24 games in 2025, so there’s every reason to believe that can be replicated here.

At 11/8 this one carries an implied 42.1% probability.

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