NRL betting still favours a gathering Storm
October 4th, 2009 by adminAttention turns away from the track today for all but the most dedicated of turf fans. NRL grand final day is upon us, and we have a clear favourite in Melbourne Storm, who have been leading in the NRL betting markets all week.
As I said on Friday, every tipster under the sun has been going for the Storm over the Eels, and I see no reason to scream otherwise. Shopping around finds you 1.58 for Melbourne to 2.40 for The Eels with IASbet, and 3.20 for a Melbourne win by one to 12 points looks reasonable with the same bookmaker.
Anything can happen on finals day however, and for amusement only here are some classic NRL grand final upsets and nailbiters from over the years;
-Penrith Panthers 18 Sydney Roosters 6; 2003
Penrith shocked perhaps even themselves by getting two early tries to gain control of the game before a heroic defensive display saw them upset the odds and hold out for a win.
-Newcastle Knights 22 Manly 16; 1997
Underdogs Newcastle won the match at the death thanks to a try from winger Darren Albert. They’d unexpectedly started the game strongly but faced a Manly fightback and were behind for the majority of the game before late heroics.
Canberra 19 Balmain 14; 1989
Balmain led 12-2 at half-time and enjoyed the rub of the green before it came back at them in the second half in every sense. Steve Jackson scored the crucial final try for Canberra and wrote the game into the history books.
Still feeling confident? No? This is the problem with finals – the gods often come down and lend a hand. One thing is clear about today though – the result will depend on how Melbourne handle Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne, a nimble giant of a man who could pinch it from them if he’s even allowed a sniff of a half-decent day.
Enjoy the chaos from Sydney. Tomorrow I’ll be doing my usual round-up of the weekend and starting a monster build-up week for the Caulfield Guineas.
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