Sharks vs Roosters Prediction: 6/1 tip for thrilling home win

Good old rugby league. A team who started the season with two wins in seven faces opponents who were seven from 11 to begin the year at Shark Park on Friday (18:00 local, 09:00 BST). But the contrasting starts of the Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Roosters mean nothing now that they sit level on points in the NRL Premiership play-off race.

This could be a ding-dong battle between two sides desperate to make the top eight come September, and you will find my Sharks vs Roosters predictions below, complete with latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Sharks vs Roosters Odds

Having been hammered by the Roosters in the Central Coast region just eight weeks ago, it may come as a slight surprise to see the Sharks being priced up as favourites for this return fixture.

The home side are 4/5, implying a 55.6% probability of them taking the two competition points, with the Chooks 11/10. The draw in normal time shouldn’t be discounted given that this is a meeting of seventh and eighth, and it’s 18/1 for the game to head to golden-point extra-time after 80 minutes.

Team News

The biggest piece of team news for either side is the return of Chad Townsend in the Roosters’ number-six jumper.

The former Sharks star, who spent nine seasons in Cronulla over two spells, has not played in the NRL since round five. Hugo Savala’s wrist injury, though, means he gets another chance at the elite level, having been used solely as a back-up squad member for the majority of 2025 to this point.

Taylor Losalu is included among the reserves for Trent Robinson’s side.

The Sharks, meanwhile, will hand a debut to Chris Vea’ila in the centres after having Jesse Ramien ruled out with a hamstring issue.

Billy Burns steps up to the bench, with Daniel Atkinson dropped to the 18th-player role.

Rugby League Odds

Sharks by 1-5 @ 6/1

I could have gone safer here and hedged towards the 1-12 margin, but I reckon this will be a really tight one so am happy to go with the 6/1 shout for a Sharks win by one-to-five points.

They might have fallen away from the top six thanks to a difficult trot of four defeats in six – which started with that 42-16 reverse to the Roosters in May, but the Sharks are difficult to beat in the Shire.

Only the Bulldogs (20-6 in round four) and the Warriors (40-10, round 14) have come away from Shark Park with a win to their name, and I can see the Sharks showing enough moxie to make it seven victories from nine on home turf this season.

They have a settled spine and a lot of threat on the edges, and I just see that being a bit too much for the Roosters in a tough encounter.

Double Result: Sharks-Sharks @ 11/8

If the Sharks are going to win here, I see it being likely that they get ahead and then hold on rather than it being a full-on titanic this-way-and-that sort of game.

Other than when they came back from an 18-6 half-time deficit to beat the Dragons in round 15, Sharks home games have always been won by the side leading at the break. Early momentum has been the key to some much of what has been seen at Endeavour Field.

So I’m thinking that trend continues on Friday, with the 11/8 odds of Cronulla having the edge at the break and going on to win carrying an implied 42.1% probability.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.